A newbie here.

I just bought a V8 swap kit off ebay. Kind of funny that nobody else bid on it; do they know something I don't? Anyways, it's Archies ecomomy kit, all new, plus headers, electric water pump, small starter, clutch, oil filter relocation stuff. Got it for $1500.

Of course I don't have a car or engine, so those will be the next purchases. I've wanted to do a V8 swap into something for a while now. Almost went with an RX7, which also has some pretty good kits available and lots of info on the net. But the real purpose of this is to make something to drive on the street now and then, but is fast at the drags, so I thought a little more weight on the back wheels is a good thing.

I do have some experience in this area as I've built 2 Cobra replicas and have a pretty nice set-up in the garage; 4-post lift, welder, lathe, mill, all the nice toys. Of course the Cobras were Ford powered, so I have to learn about this bow-tie stuff.

From the research I've done here, I think I'm looking for a V6 4-speed to start with, since the trannys are supposed to be fairly strong. An automatic would likely find it's way in later. There seems to be a fair number of Fieros available in my area (Ontario, Canada) for under $1000. I'll hunt around for a cheap SBC to start with, and then upgrade it later.

I'm quite excited about this. I've wanted a car project for this year, and wanted to keep the cost down (compared with building the Cobras) and this seems like a good way to go. The plan is to buy the car and engine within the next month or so and have it at the dragstrip late summer. Oh, the plan also is to get it to run low 12's. Anyone know if CAA would have a problem towing me home from the dragstrip when I break the tranny?

Rick

Since you're looking for a car that far north the most important thing to look out for is rust. The Fiero's skin will look great long after the structure has rotted away due to road salt. Pull the carpet back from the trunk floor to check for rust there. Look at the cradle and as best as you can the remainder of the understructure. Keep in mind that since you're doing a swap you'll be pulling the cradle. On salt-belt cars the nuts in the chassis rails that the cradle bolts screw into in the rear are frequently broken loose, you'll have to do some cutting/dismantling to get to them for repair. Parking/Emergency brake cables are another issue in the salt belt.

Do lots of reading and don't be afraid to ask questions that you may think are redundant, this is a big forum and we like to be helpful.

JazzMan

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: A newbie here. I just bought a V8 swap kit off ebay. Kind of funny that nobody else bid on it; do they know something I don't?

*grimaces* ... sorry

[archie]Economy Kit Price $ 950.00[/archie]

The extra parts probably reduced the hit, depends on what brand\quality parts they were, it might have been a reasonable deal.

I would stay away from an auto, plus it will be a pain to swap later. Theres no way the TH125 would stand on a SBC, but a 4T65EHD would probably be okay, though you'd need a controller for it. I dont know about the 4T60 (non - e)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 86GT3.4DOHC:

*grimaces* ... sorry

[archie]Economy Kit Price $ 950.00[/archie]

QUOTE]

I'm aware of that (did some research first). Add to the $950 the headers ($250), water pump ($250), starter ($200), clutch ($350), oil filter relocation kit ($80) and you get to $2080, give or take a bit. I would have also had to pay 13% tax (GST & PST in Ontario) for a grand total of $2350. The $1500 was a pretty good deal.

I'm sure I'll be asking for a lot of help/advice as the project progresses. This forum is great.

for a little more you could of had this: http://dallas.craigslist.org/car/543690170.html

Yeah, but that car is in Texas and he's in Canada, import, transport, and GST would probably have been a real deal killer.

JazzMan

Welcome to the forum,
If there is anything I can do to help you along the way, just ask.

Craig

quote Originally posted by couldahadaV8: I'm aware of that (did some research first). Add to the $950 the headers ($250), water pump ($250), starter ($200), clutch ($350), oil filter relocation kit ($80) and you get to $2080, give or take a bit. I would have also had to pay 13% tax (GST & PST in Ontario) for a grand total of $2350. The $1500 was a pretty good deal. I'm sure I'll be asking for a lot of help/advice as the project progresses. This forum is great.

Ok, glad to hear you got a good deal, I've never priced a V8 swap, and I didnt know if things were used, etc.

Good luck