v6 swap or turbo set up?

[jonnfizel]

hey guys i would like some opinions i currently have a 1997 Pontiac Firebird with the 3800 v6 currently she has a cold air and a flow master exhaust. Yet, this is still not enough for me i need more power this is when i was looking into a swap or a turbo the problem i have is that im a broke college student and the bird is my DD so now i ask what do you guy think i should do?

[Gottork]

I am guessing a V8 swap instead, so its still feasible to drive it but has more power..

[LS1_Sean]

A turbo setup is going to cost $1500+. I used to have a v6 with bolt-ons IHMO at first was cool but wasnt really worth it.
If u want some real hp/tq sell ur car and buy a LT1 or LS1 car. Thats what i did instead of going crazy with the v6.

[JoeliusZ28]

a good turbo setup will cost more than 1500.

A boosted V6 can be fast, but it will NEVER have the neck-snapping response and torque of a V8.

[meissen]

If you're a broke college student and this is your DD then you need to sell it and buy a v8. A swap and turbo setup is going to cost you a lot of money and your car will be down while kinks get worked out.

[jonnfizel]

thats what i was thinking but there are 2 problems with that i drive about 70 miles a day to and from school also my insurance would be ridiculous lets just say i dont have the best record

[meissen]

thats what i was thinking but there are 2 problems with that i drive about 70 miles a day to and from school also my insurance would be ridiculous lets just say i dont have the best record

No offense and please don't get me wrong but if you already have a bad record with a v6 - do you really need a v8 or more power? 70 miles a day shouldn't be an issue - you will more than likely get better mpg with a stock LS1 than a turbo 3.8L v6. Honestly, coming from someone who has done a v6 to LT1 swap, the *only* reason to do an engine swap is if you get an amazing deal on everything that you need to do the swap or you have an emotional attachment on the vehicle. You will spend more on an engine swap if you go and buy what's out there without looking for an extremely good deal. Mine was too good of a deal to pass up - after I sold my original engine and trans combination I was only about $200 into the project but I still needed the k-frame, LT1 radiator, dual radiator fans, etc and I ended up being about 8 grand into the project by the time I was able to drive it. That included a cam swap with the associated upgrades (springs, valve seals, fuel injectors, fuel pump, heads mildly ported, etc) a v8 rear end and upgraded suspension, stainless steel brake lines, etc.


And that's not including the money spent when I spun two bearings 80 miles after putting the LT1 in and having to have the engine entirely rebuilt.

[WMCCjames]

Brian brings up some great points. Heed his advice.

[meissen]

And trust me - anyone that knows me knows I'm almost always a supporter of doing the engine swaps but there's a few things that need to be accepted about the swap (spending more money than you budget for it, having something else to drive while the kinks are worked out, etc) that just doesn't seem to fit this situation.

[Fbomb]

Sell it and get a different one. I'll never regret selling my 86 with its boat anchor 305.

[sman]

X2 B, I went WAY over budget in mine aswell, sell it and get another car. Not worth the time/effort/extra cash.

[BP_Z28]

Sell for a V8!!!!

[jonnfizel]

i think im going to drive the v6 until i get a better job im a lucky kid being a broke college student my parents pay for insurance and i if i sell her ill lose that perk so the more i look into it i think im going to make it look nice then in a year or two trade up to a ws6 or maybe buy a fixer upper i have always wanted a smoky and the bandit look alike

[Joedashredder93]

I know how you feel. I'm a junior in high school and bought my car with my own money. Now I'm broke and out of the job that got me where I am. My parents pay for my insurance and most of my gas as long as they can take it out to run arr-ins/etc since my car has the best fuel mileage out of four other vehicles. Ever since my first month driving it I have been thirsty for more power. I did my own CAI and smoothed out the aair box, K&N air filter, Sea Foam, Fuel treatment, Oil changes...etc anything I could possibly do to get my car to run with a little more pep. I bought an exhaust which I will put on in the spring since I don't want to get my tips corroded yet.

My plan was to do the swap or S/C the 3.8 but like most of my plans, it never happened. I think I will not save my pennys (up to 3K) and then sell my car for a v8. That is after I save enough to go buy another F body right away. I am still nervous because I don't want to regret selling my first car that I already in one year had so many memories with.

[1994Firebird400]

Unless you save some cash, either one is going to be expensive for a broke college student. You would be better off buying a V8 to start with. Unless your really attached to the car, it CAN and WILL get expensive fast. My V8 Swap will have around 5 thousand just in the engine/trans. I am going with a Pontiac stroker and Th400 though. A good idea would make an excel sheet of the entire car in sections and see where your at. You will notice that things add up fast. Many things have to be switched over as Brian said. It can be done but unless you have some cash for the project, you will run out of funds fast. Plus, if your getting good mileage and drive 70 miles a day, I would stick with it for the time being.

Take a look at a sample car sheet here:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...estoSheet1.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...estoSheet2.jpg


Let me know what you think,


Dave