hard to find?

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

It's more a matter of what it does to the way the car works. 3rd gens have terrible weight distribution with a V6, putting in a big block is just a mess.

Ah ok, now back on topic.

You can build a budget 383 build.
Do it piece by piece and you should be under budget.
All SBC parts are interchangeable excluding LT1s and LSXs right?

And I mean crank, rods, pistons etc. Obviously flat tappet vs hydraulic is out.

[racerx520]

eh...i dont really want to do 383...i want to keep it somewhat stock, therefore the350...not really looking to make it into a racing car, just a 350 with some extra pep i.e. the upgraded cam and other smaller parts.

and to answer your question about t-5 and t-56, i did some research when i had to replace my 700r4 and found that t-5's are not compatible with 350's cuz they arent strong enough, t-56's are though.

i would really like to do the engine/tranny swap, but i know it will be quite expensive lol

[LTb1ow]

IMO if I were doing a rebuild it would be a 383. You will regret it if you don't. Even a 355.

[camaroAL]

if done right, a budget minded 350-383 will still cost around $6000.00
that includes complete block prep,intake, pan, oil pump, push rods, rotator kit w/ pistons, rods, rings, bearings, and crank. carb, timing chain & gear set, cam, roller lifters, cam bearings, full gasket kit, complete cylinder head re-build, arp bolt kit for everything, water pump, and i believe thats about all. block work would include all the necessary, such as, milling the decks, honing lifter bores, r&r cam bearings, boring , boiling, magna fluxing, adding priority oiling ports, line boring, sonic checking, etc...
cylinder head overhaul would consist of a competition valve job, bronze guides, decking, valve seals, springs, and setting installed heights, etc..... when ur doing something the right way there really is no cheap way out.. just some food for thought if u want reliability!

[racerx520]

well thats why i want to get a 350 and build it up...right now this t/a is my only means oftransportation, by the time i get done witht he motor (i'll be taking my time to make sure its all right) i should have another vehicle at that point so i dont really mind how long it would cost, and again, i plan on not doin it in a week so cost wise i would consider the 6k and taking a while to do it.

and i dont think i'll regret it if i dont do a 383, there are some pretty tough 350 motors out there...and this isnt going to be a racecar, its going to be a 'restored' car (i have it in quotes cuz its kinda my own vision of restored seeing as how the color isnt stock and i have 4th gen seats in it) but anyway, its goin to be a sorta restored car with more pep than it came with stock...a 383 would be too far out of stock for me i think. i appreciate the thought though.

[camaros_4life34]

pm sent

[camaros_4life34]

Originally Posted by camaroAL

if done right, a budget minded 350-383 will still cost around $6000.00
that includes complete block prep,intake, pan, oil pump, push rods, rotator kit w/ pistons, rods, rings, bearings, and crank. carb, timing chain & gear set, cam, roller lifters, cam bearings, full gasket kit, complete cylinder head re-build, arp bolt kit for everything, water pump, and i believe thats about all. block work would include all the necessary, such as, milling the decks, honing lifter bores, r&r cam bearings, boring , boiling, magna fluxing, adding priority oiling ports, line boring, sonic checking, etc...
cylinder head overhaul would consist of a competition valve job, bronze guides, decking, valve seals, springs, and setting installed heights, etc..... when ur doing something the right way there really is no cheap way out.. just some food for thought if u want reliability!

not all true i built a 383 for a buddy for less then 3 grand n its still running and its not driving very easily either

[NastyEllEssWon]

there are tons of t-5's bolted to 350's that hold up fine if gone through well enough.


t56's will also bolt up and is usually the way most people are going now

[racerx520]

from what ive read, the reason why they never put the t-5 on GTA trans am's and i-roc z28's was cuz they couldnt withstand the power of a 350...t-56's are rated for a lot more power and with the swap i can use the stock torque arm and stock 700r4 driveshaft cuz the t-56 is longer than the t-5, the same lenght as the 700r4

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by racerx520

from what ive read, the reason why they never put the t-5 on GTA trans am's and i-roc z28's was cuz they couldnt withstand the power of a 350...t-56's are rated for a lot more power and with the swap i can use the stock torque arm and stock 700r4 driveshaft cuz the t-56 is longer than the t-5, the same lenght as the 700r4

Yes, the stock T-5s are known to break when you flow some real power through them, but they can be built to handle plenty more power.

- Justin

[NJSPEEDER]

Originally Posted by camaros_4life34

not all true i built a 383 for a buddy for less then 3 grand n its still running and its not driving very easily either

Is that based on getting lucky deals on parts or being lucky that it worked out?

If you wanna do things correctly, machine work and the bottom end components should be $3k easily.

[racerx520]

well first igotta find a tpi motor for kinda sorta cheap...not looking to spend over 500 for it come summer time...i'd be willing to drive pretty much anywhere in nj, and pretty much be willing to drive to a half state radius lol

but are tpi motors hard to find in nj? i cant seem to be able to locate any junk yards that have any around me, they say theres pretty much a waiting list for 350 tpi's. i know that there are some people on thirdgen.org who seem to make their living by scouring the forums there and then going to the junkyard to find parts and sell them to people...i wasnt sureif there was anyone here that was into that at all lol

[LTb1ow]

Emolinuoeusussxx has an LT1 with wiring harness for 400.

[racerx520]

i really like the lt1 and think its great, only thing is that im trying to make this car 'modernized restored' as i like to call it...keep it generally like it iwas in 87 except with a fourth gen wing, more modern paint color, and 4th gen seats...and i wanted the tpi just to keep the 'restored' part of the look goin lol

[racerx520]

actually now that i keep thinkin about it...an lt1 would be pretty nice lol...more power than a 350 tpi, just not as nice looking in myown opinion...tpi's just have a nice look to them with the whole headered intake....damn, im torn now lol...whats the power difference between the two? cuz depending how quickly i can get the money, i may consider the lt1

[LTb1ow]

TPI is for crazy people wearing parachute pants.

But I would say the both have the same potential.

[Tru2Chevy]

stock for stock LT1 makes 30 more HP, and has 15 less TQ than a late 350 TPI

LT1 - 275 / 330
TPI - 245 / 345

- Justin

[racerx520]

hmmm...i think i may just stick with the tpi

and hey, parachute pants arent a bad thing...what if you fall out of a plane? ever think of that?...and i like the look of tpi's, just have a lot more goin on intake wise than the other newer motors, its a nice looking motor i think

[NastyEllEssWon]

good luck finding a tuner that still tunes tpi motors

[racerx520]

my dad can im sure...he was a mechanic for two different chevy dealerships from about 80 to 99....he knows a lot about this stuff, used to rebuild motors from vettes and just regular beater f.i. motors for old trucks and stuff he'd get for cheap then sell lol. i think he could do it....im trying to do this as kinda a learning experience.

i did just find a 350 tpi from a vette (only difference from a vette and a camaro/bird is vette has aluminum heads) he wants 400, only thing is i dont have that much money lol oh well, would take the fun out of it seeing as how its rebuilt already lol

[camaros_4life34]

my buddy has your motor sent you pm

[HeadlessNorseman]

If you would have listened to the people in the thread, you dont need a TPI specfic 350. You just need to get any old 350 block with pistons, and 86+ heads. Whatever the year is, im not sure. You are going to pay a lot more for a complete tpi 350 that you dont even need. All you need to do is switch to the 350 injectors and 350 ECU. The accessories will all bolt up. Then you wont need to mess with the wiring or anything like that. And what are you goals for this project? Youve said summer project, winter project, now your back to the summer. Make sure you dont need the car for a few weeks when you start. Stuff will happen that you cant plan for. Any why not a 383? The only different part is the crank and rods. If you need a new crank its not worth it to not do it. It doesnt look different on the outside. And you already have different parts on the car trying to keep it looking like its an 87 beyond that is kind of silly. If you want an LT1 go with that if not, dont worry about it. And choosing a motor because it looks cool is just...well a weird reason.

[racerx520]

well the project part of your post, im tring to save up this summer to purchase it, then work on it in the winter. and i dont want a 383 cuz whats the point? i dont race my car or anything, i just want to more or less make it into a gta clone, i plan on doing some minor ups to the motor like a new cam and that would probably be it lol. i understand what everyone is saying about 'get a 350 block and then just get the heads you need' this car is my daily driver so i cant really afford to spend more time to take off the intake and put iton the new engine before putting it in also, and i also kinda want to sell the 305 for cheap to just kinda get a little money back, although im sure no one would want it lol

and engines looking nice a wierd reason?


so this motor above doesnt look nicer and bring out the car more than say.....this motor below?

[NJSPEEDER]

You don't need to change the computer to go from 305-350. If the motor is upgraded, just have JSPerformance do a chip for you.

For injectors, you can grab stockers from an LT1 and have plenty of fuel for a mild 350.

As afar as upgrading the heads, you aren't talking about doing anything radical. A quick trip to the junkyard can yield a good enough set of heads for a cruiser engine. If you look at a lot of later LO5 (350 TBI) engines, they actually come with the same head castings as the L98 (350 TPI) you are trying to emulate. It would also have the same intake bolt pattern as your 305, so you can just swap that over.

Really, it all depends on how far you wanna go with it. What I am drawing from what you are saying is that you want a little more pep when you hit the fun peddle and a nice exhaust note at idle. That's a pretty straight forward idea to build on a reasonable budget and expect to last a good long time.

[racerx520]

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

What I am drawing from what you are saying is that you want a little more pep when you hit the fun peddle and a nice exhaust note at idle. That's a pretty straight forward idea to build on a reasonable budget and expect to last a good long time.

yeah, thats kinda really it lol...and yes i understand what everyone has said about the heads and everything...let me explain it again, hopefully clarify any issues anyone isnt understanding:

my car is a daily driver, i dont have any other cars that i can use, i dont have a job that i can claim vacation time to just work on the car for a week...i need to either have another car, or have a motor thats all set and ready to go as soon as the motor is done being worked on, it can go in the car, do the work over a weekend. i cannot afford to take the heads off the motor, replace them with new heads and go from there and spend atleast 3 weeks worth of work on the motor, i am planning on doing the engine work over an extended period of time to try to hold onto as much money as i can.

the car is a 1987, i would like to keep MOST of it as 1987 appearing, thats why i didnt put a 4th gen dash in, or center console, or newer style rims, yes i did a spoiler from a 4th gen and seats, but thats it...i dont plan on doing the same with a motor otherwise i'd just save up my money for the next year and get a new vette motor lol