Hi guys, I'm new here. I'm considering buying a late 70s Camaro without an engine and I'm wondering if a 3.4 out of a 90s Camaro would fit. I live in Holland and a small block is a bit expensive, and fuel costs a lot as well. A 3.4 V6 would be fine for me, but would it fit easily? The Camaro used to have a 250 straight 6.

 

No part of that will just bolt in, The 3,4 has the standard bolt pattern using on 4 and v6 engines for the 80's up. The inline 6 has the same bolt pattern as a V8. The motor mounts and oil pan are also very different. The 3.4 is a direct replacement for an rear wheel drive 2.8. GM did not put the 2.8 in a camaro until the 3rd generation (1982 -1992).

 

Actually, the Camaro no longer had the straight 6 option starting in 1980. They came with the (3.8) 231 Buick in California cars, and the 229 Chevy for all other states. Same bellhousing pattern as the 3.4, different from the straight 6. So if you can get your hands on a mating transmission, you could in essence set yours up similar to how a base model 1980-81 was.

 

It doesn't have a transmission either, so it would get the one bolted onto the 3.4 in it, likely the modern overdrive turbo hydramatic. But if the swap would be too hard I'd look for a 250 like it used to have.

 

The 250 straight six is a great die hard little engine,I'd go that route if you can get your hands on one.

 

The 3.4 is has GM metric pattern as did the iron duke 4 cylinder. The 229 was a 305 with 2 cylinders removed and it used the standard chevy pattern same as the 250. The 331 was the Buick and used a Buick bell housing. At some point in the early to mid 80s GM started to install automatic transmission that had both the Chevy pattern and the Buick patterns in the bell housing. If I remember right all the turbo V6's where the 331 Buick motor.The 3300 was the first 90 deg V6 to have the metric bell housing it was released in the late 80s. The 3800 with the metric pattern came out in 1995 in FWD cars and 96 in camaro.

I was very supersized when my used 3800 showed up and it had the metric pattern on it when I did my 96.

I have replaced both the 229 and the 331 with chevy small block. In the late 80's you could buy Impalas and early 80's Montes pretty cheap and you could get decent small blocks from the yard. I even did a 400 SB in a 81 camaro but I think the V6 trans lasted 3 weeks.