First, thanks to Nelson for the tour of his MERA museum, awesome cars!

Now for the question, as I'm pondering whether to get a v8 vs v6, for cars that already have them in them, say an 87 mera, one with a 2.8l v6 and one with a 3800sc2, what kind of price difference would you say is ball park for that?

Any and all comments are welcome as my son and I make this journey to fiero/mera ownership.

Thanks.

There really is not format on how pricing is going to work for a swap vs a stock car. It really will all depend on the shape of the car is as a whole. A prime stock car will go for more than a mediocre swap. I would say it really is going to depend on what you want to spend.

Thanks, I'm planning to take the rest of the pieces into consideration separately.

I'm trying to determine if there is a real price difference when buying used for buying a v8 vs a v6 engine in similar cars.

I'm seeing about a 1k to 3k spread in some places and no spread in others.

For a fiero, I'm curious about the communities feeling on this.

quote Originally posted by Spadesluck: There really is not format on how pricing is going to work for a swap vs a stock car. It really will all depend on the shape of the car is as a whole. A prime stock car will go for more than a mediocre swap. I would say it really is going to depend on what you want to spend.

quote Originally posted by dartrav: Thanks, I'm planning to take the rest of the pieces into consideration separately. I'm trying to determine if there is a real price difference when buying used for buying a v8 vs a v6 engine in similar cars. I'm seeing about a 1k to 3k spread in some places and no spread in others. For a fiero, I'm curious about the communities feeling on this.

Based on personal experience, the V8 swap is going to be several thousand ($3k-$4k) higher than a typical V6 swap (excluding the 2.8 and 3.4 L push rod engines). There is also additional labor required to install a V8 due to space considerations and you may even need to notch/reinforce frame rails to get everything installed. You have more wiring, possibly a stand alone fuel controller (if fuel injected), often require a transmission adapter plate to properly mate with the engine, and it costs a bit more to build a V8 versus a V6. The engine quality also plays a role in the pricing. There is a significant difference in "stock" engines versus those with "performance mods" so you need to decide what you want and work toward that specific goal.

That being said, how much you can fabricate/install on your own can drastically reduce or increase the price of a swap. The more you can do for yourself the better off you are with respect to finances. Everyone has an opinion on this subject but this is mine and it is only based on personal experience.

Nelson

I can only give you my own opinion based on what have seen in my life.

It has been my experience that cars which maintain a ;large portion of their value through collectors purchases are worth more when they are most original.
That being said , I did personally appreciate the value I got in buying a '88 Fiero GT that already had a V8 swapped in.
Condition and mileage are strong factors in the value of a used car. Rareness can strongly effect the value of one that is collectable...
The cars that appear to me to be commanding the highest price are the '88 GTs everything original with 5 speed and T-tops..
Next would be the '88GTs everything original with 5 speed and a power sunroof...

Quality engine swapped Fieros don't sell for anything close to what it cost to do the swap. Prices have been all over the place but in most cases the V8's do cost more. Now with a kit car, as you are intending to purchase, that's a big unknown. The is no Blue Book that can be referenced. The only thing that's safe to say is that an 88 kit car should sell for more than a 84-87 kit car. Maybe Rodney Dickman who maintain the Mera registry would know.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

Great feedback, thanks for all the thoughts!