Swapping motors

[meangreen01]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and other times it's just plain wrong.

I can see a guy with a toasted Wankel dropping in a SBC. Even see it once in a while in a Datsun 280z. Miata? Sure.

But, putting a Chevy motor in a Ford is just that, plain wrong. Cats with dogs and so forth. Sleeping with the enemy.

Flame suit on.

 

[Gene K]

Chevy guys havnt had much choice lately. They have some pretty good engines (LS Family) and no recent low cost body to put them in.

A buddy of mine has a '78 Fairmont 2-Door Sedan (Plainest lightest Fox Body you can get) with a LS1. With a carb conversion and a few bolt-ons the car runs 6's in the 1/8 with stock internals. Thats with no bottle and an internally stock motor.

Its not about brand its about going the fastest with the least. You cant go as quick even with an internally stock 460.

 

[robshelton]

I think it's weird to swap engines Ford to Chevy, etc, but if that's what you like, why not?

Found a 1971 Buick GS 455 stage 1 car in a junkyard back about 1983. Thrilled to the max until I opened the hood and found a Olds 350 staring back at me...talk about anti-viagra!

 

[getnpsi]

Happens all the time. Im casually looking for a 1967-1973ish ford f100. A really neat one turned up for sale on craigslist right now with a buick engine and turbo trans. if the price was right id buy it if it runs ok. If i was starting a project with a straight body and it doesn't run, id not stray from the engine family it came with to not have hassles of motor mounts and the like. in the buick case its done for me, no sense going back there.

 

[robshelton]

I kinda understand that particular swap, since Buicks have a lot of torque it ought to be a decent power plant for a truck. Still it would be odd to open the hood and not see a 360/390 or even a 429. Quite a few of those still around in LTD's.

 

[tommygunn]

I found a crazy scenario, dude had an HHR body style car, with a modded/bolt-on vintage motor under the hood. It was waaaaay cool, he even had the "Antique"/Classic license plate.....something tells me he modified something somewhere, and it's the case of "2 vin numbers on 1 vehicle" and was able to register the vehicle using the "older" 20+ yr old VIN number, even though it had the HHR body style.


Looked cool as [censored] though, thank you for re-creating this topic, tried replying to the other one.

 

[JimPghPA]

Friends of mine once pulled the 170 Cubic Inch out of a 1964 Valiant. Then pulled the cross member for engine mounts, 383 engine and transmission, from a big old Chrylser Newport. Welded the cross member into the valiant, and droped the 383 and it's transmission into the Valiat. Blew out the rear end, cut down the rear end and drive shaft from the Newport, put that in the Valiant. Too much power. Lost control, rooled it over with 4 people in it, no one hurt. Everyone got out, fliped it back over. The battery had drained out. Drifted it down a big hill and caught it in gear even thought it was an automatic. Found out the welds for the cross member had broke. Scrapped it.

We were young, dumb, and lucky then.

 

[nthach]

I wonder how much of a personality change I can see and feel if I drop a LSx/4L60E into a Lexus LS400. The Toyota UZ series engines are great sturdy and solid motors but besides from FI and custom pistons and building a frankenmotor using the Tundra 2UZ-FE block and crank with custom pistons and rods, there isn't much you can do to them. The Ford mod motor would be a closer match but it's too wide to fit in.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: nthach
I wonder how much of a personality change I can see and feel if I drop a LSx/4L60E into a Lexus LS400. The Toyota UZ series engines are great sturdy and solid motors but besides from FI and custom pistons and building a frankenmotor using the Tundra 2UZ-FE block and crank with custom pistons and rods, there isn't much you can do to them. The Ford mod motor would be a closer match but it's too wide to fit in.


Maybe not, if you use a sledge to pound in the iner wheel wells, and modify the headers, like we did to the valiant.

 

[SUPERGASHOG]

fords are cheap..thats why lots of folks love them.
I would never own a ford..found on road dead..freakin outrageous roadside disaster...for old retired dorks...first on rubbish day.

 

[Shannow]

Do what thou shalt...

It's a car, and an engine.

An E30 here with a quad cam Toyota V-8 was note worthy a few years ago, Buick V-6s in Combis...but who really gives a toss. Nobody is making your daughter sleep with the owner.

 

[Maritime Storm]

One of my techs put a SBC in his 87 RX-7, it's currently up for sale, too much power in too light a car = instant death waiting to happen. He was telling us that even on the strip it was too unpreditable.

 

[sciphi]

It depends on the swap. Bonus points if it's unique or otherwise eye-catching.

If you're a speed freak above all else, then whatever goes the fastest for cheap is king.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn
I found a crazy scenario, dude had an HHR body style car, with a modded/bolt-on vintage motor under the hood. It was waaaaay cool, he even had the "Antique"/Classic license plate.....something tells me he modified something somewhere, and it's the case of "2 vin numbers on 1 vehicle" and was able to register the vehicle using the "older" 20+ yr old VIN number, even though it had the HHR body style.


I know a guy who chopped down a 1973 Buick Riviera, shortened the frame etc and put parts of a Ford Taurus wagon body on top. But he left the fenders open in a street rod style. Antique plates. You'll know it's him when he rolls through your town.

 

[The_Eric]

To each, their own... I really don't care as long as it works and is safe.

 

[tdpark]

Way back when car and driver did a story on a suburban with a Mercury Marine V-8; the sucker was so fast they were afraid they would blow out the tires as they were LT and not speed rated for how fast they could have gone.

I have heard that David Letterman has a ford v-8 in a volvo wagon- sleeper car as he was getting too many tickets on his ride down to the city.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Gene K
Chevy guys havnt had much choice lately. They have some pretty good engines (LS Family) and no recent low cost body to put them in.

A buddy of mine has a '78 Fairmont 2-Door Sedan (Plainest lightest Fox Body you can get) with a LS1. With a carb conversion and a few bolt-ons the car runs 6's in the 1/8 with stock internals. Thats with no bottle and an internally stock motor.

Its not about brand its about going the fastest with the least. You cant go as quick even with an internally stock 460.


6 whats? 6's in the 1/8th cover a range from mid 9's through high 10's in the 1/4. 500HP in a Fox will, when properly setup, net you low 10's, high 9's.

How much does this car weigh? Stock internals? So then what does it have for heads? Cam? Intake? You can change everything but the rotating assembly and still have "stock internals".

FWIW, my cam grinder went 11.17 with a stock 302 in a daily driven Fox with GT40's (unported) converted to stud with one of his cams, TFS-R box intake, and some massive gear, spinning it to 7K+.

Obvious with some better heads, he could have been well into the 10's with a stock 1988 shortblock.

The GM boys just love getting their rocks off by stuffing their engines into everything and anything. Saying they have no alternative is a cop-out. There are plenty of older F-bodies and G-bodies surfing around. Use one of them.

FWIW, I have nothing against the RX-7 swaps, the Miata swaps....etc. Cars that didn't have a V8 as an option, and the manufacturer doesn't make one that is worthwhile to put in there. But that is hardly the case between the Ford and GM crowd and their rivalry. The GM guys do it to make the Ford boys angry.

 

[JT1]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
. The GM guys do it to make the Ford boys angry.


Actually, most of them do it because the go-fast parts cost about half as much. Have you opened a summit catalog lately?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: JT1
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
. The GM guys do it to make the Ford boys angry.


Actually, most of them do it because the go-fast parts cost about half as much. Have you opened a summit catalog lately?


I'm on summit all the time. Have you? price out heads for a Windsor and a 350:

1. Trickflow Twisted Wedge 170 heads for SBF: $1200 bucks
2. Trickflow Super 23 heads for SBC: $1200 bucks

Well look at that, they are the SAME PRICE!!!!

And you don't need to butcher up the car because the engine already properly fits with a Windsor! Wow!

 

[morris]

you are laboring under the misconception that a chevy eng is better.