I have a 94 camaro V6 Auto. It has 150,000 miles on it. It was my first car so i dont want to just sell it and buy a z28. I want to put a Ls1 or Lt1 engine in and do a restoration so i can keep it forever. I have another car so this isn't my daily driver. I live in Indiana and dont really know of any shops around that do swaps like this. I need some help as what i should do first. What are some of the things i need besides the basic engine and trans. How much will this cost to have someone do it for me. Which swap would be easier a LT1 or LS1. Thank you for any help....

 

theres a sticky in the v6 section that covers this.

 

I am not 100% on this but I am pretty certain you will need to replace more than just the engine. There is considerable differnce in not only the hp but the torque between your V6 an either of the V8's. Thats not even mentioning the electronic differance.
IF you really want to keep this car just drop a new sixer in it and go from there , IF you want speed then buy a LT/LS car lots cheaper not to mention alot less stress full in the end . I also want to be the first to say just buy one with the V8 all ready there .

I almost forgot with the sixers you dont have that pita opti spark issue to deal with.There is also a stroker kit for the 3800 . Just sayin


oh an btw there is a sticky with what you will need for the 6 to 8 conversion.

 

I have to wonder with one to two post a week on this main form asking about a V6-V8 swap, Almost always a "first post". How many people click on the V6 section and click on the sticky and get their dreams smashed each day?

 

that does make you wonder.... and of course then you got guys like me that are doing a v6 to v8 swap just for the fun of it lol.... of course i didn't think it woul be this hard before i started tho to but it really is actually kind of hard. but to answer your question not many shops would do it actually unless you knew them or they are some kind of custom car shop. but then your going to get charged an arm and a leg to get it done. if your not big on mechanics like some people are ide just upgrade the v6 you got in it. little v6's can output alot of power with just little things. so unless you just want a huge project or are a guy who just wants to do it. but if you do decide to do it look at the sticky in v6 tech

 

In my book your still one of the guys that does not understand how much work and money is involved in the swap. You are just one of the many start the swap and never finish. I hope you prove me wrong.

 

i hope i prove you wrong too. lol

 

The guy in the car club i go to swapped the engine in his 97 3.8 firebird to an ls for close to $5000.
Now the big thing is that he knew what he was doing an had the things he needed to do the swap

 

and that was doing things by himself and probably getting good part sources?

So, it seems more like a simple math problem to me.

Mr knows what he is doing spent $5k so assume Mr I'm a wee bit confised spends $6k

A: Sell car at an aggressive price ie: $1500

B: Add the $6k that you intend to spend dropping in a motor and doing the conversion

C: go be surprised as heck at just how much Fbody the $7500 will get you. The paint will be in great shape as will the interior. The engine will be rebuilt along wit the trany. it will have aftermarket wheels, some bolt ons and perhaps even a cam and the tires will be in good shape. Oh, and it should cost less than $7500.

Go look at the LT1 powered cars and you'll find great deals. There are people out there like some of us on this forum who take great care of their vehicles. There are bargains out there.

Or, you could invest a lot of time, and money, and have a car that's worth LESS than what you spent.

See- it's actually a simple math problem, not a mechanical one.

If you really have a hankering for dropping in a V8, then may i suggest a platform that has a little more room such as an S10 or even a Ford Ranger.

 

i agree with the if your confused do not do the swap and save your money for something else whatever that would be.
Now the thing i dont agree with is that if your doing the swap for profit your out of money already i would probably go with a less modified car than a car that had a butt load of work done to it just cuz i would rather have my car built how i want.
I will be doing this swap for ME and not for the potential of selling my car for more money. (i plan on keeping this car untill it wont go anymore if)
Also its my first car that my dad got me when he came back from Iraq so its got a lot of sentimental value and its not worth selling anyways.