Crate Engines, where can I find one and how expensive is it to swap?
10-25-2001, 04:41 PM
#21
Melting Slicks
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Re: Crate Engines, where can I find one and how expensive is it to swap? (Suprdave)
I still would love one of these under my hood...
!! RAM JET 502 !!
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...m_Jet_502.html
!! RAM JET 502 !!
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...m_Jet_502.html
10-25-2001, 05:09 PM
#22
Drifting
Re: Crate Engines, where can I find one and how expensive is it to swap? (stickanddice)
stickanddice,
I understand when someone says they don't think they can do some sort of job, but you may want to rethink that. I am in the middle of a complete engine and trans rebuild. First, tools are an investment, buy accordingly. You may put out $200 for a torque wrench, but it'll last forever if you don't use it as a hammer. Think about borrowing tools as well as taking some smaller pieces to a shop. I can't believe how many shops have helped me when I ran into a problem. A tranny shop helped drive out a stuck pin and cleaned my case for $10. From all your other posts, I know you're kicking around a bunch of ideas, but when thinking about earlier Vettes, don't underestimate the the value of doing the job yourself. Case in point, I went to a big Vette show and the car that won was a wild C2. The guy won, but he wasn't as happy as the guys who built their cars. I tried to talk to him about the car, and he didn't know anything about it. Here's a car with $40-50K worth of engine and paint, and the guy doesn't drive it and can't tell me a thing about it. It didn't matter how fast it was because it never ventured more than 50 feet from the trailer. The real point is that if you can read a book, make notes, and turn a wrench, you can do an engine swap.
I understand when someone says they don't think they can do some sort of job, but you may want to rethink that. I am in the middle of a complete engine and trans rebuild. First, tools are an investment, buy accordingly. You may put out $200 for a torque wrench, but it'll last forever if you don't use it as a hammer. Think about borrowing tools as well as taking some smaller pieces to a shop. I can't believe how many shops have helped me when I ran into a problem. A tranny shop helped drive out a stuck pin and cleaned my case for $10. From all your other posts, I know you're kicking around a bunch of ideas, but when thinking about earlier Vettes, don't underestimate the the value of doing the job yourself. Case in point, I went to a big Vette show and the car that won was a wild C2. The guy won, but he wasn't as happy as the guys who built their cars. I tried to talk to him about the car, and he didn't know anything about it. Here's a car with $40-50K worth of engine and paint, and the guy doesn't drive it and can't tell me a thing about it. It didn't matter how fast it was because it never ventured more than 50 feet from the trailer. The real point is that if you can read a book, make notes, and turn a wrench, you can do an engine swap.
10-25-2001, 05:53 PM
#23
Racer
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Re: Crate Engines, where can I find one and how expensive is it to swap? (stickanddice)
Just my .02 I found Greenwood Chevy to have the best price $3499 plus $150 shipping http://www.greenwoodchevy.com/engine3.htm
[Modified by SILVRTOY, 3:54 PM 10/25/2001]
[Modified by SILVRTOY, 3:54 PM 10/25/2001]
10-25-2001, 06:38 PM
#24
Instructor
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Re: Crate Engines, where can I find one and how expensive is it to swap? (bb69)
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Yeah, right now I'm kicking around a lot of ideas.
1. Get a nicely restored LS5 and pray that it'll fall in my price range, wait to make a little more money and then go with an engine swap to preserve the originality.
2. Get the year and model I want with a cheaper engine configuration and then dropping a big block (this idea prompted me to start this thread).
3. Get a fair condition LS5 and try to restore as much of it myself with the money saved by getting a car in not so good condition (I'm very averse to this, I've only heard nightmare stories, but I want to keep it an alternative for now)
4. Or maybe I'm not ready for a C3 quite yet. :cry
As for not doing the work myself, I'm just feeling like I would not have the time to do it. I DO want to do some of the work, that's part of the joy of getting a classic car! It's just that if it's going to be my primary source of transportation, I can't have it sitting in the garage for weeks. My dream would be to find a nice survivor that is exactly what I want and I'd spare no expense in restoring it myself over as long a time frame as it takes to get the job well done.
Yeah, right now I'm kicking around a lot of ideas.
1. Get a nicely restored LS5 and pray that it'll fall in my price range, wait to make a little more money and then go with an engine swap to preserve the originality.
2. Get the year and model I want with a cheaper engine configuration and then dropping a big block (this idea prompted me to start this thread).
3. Get a fair condition LS5 and try to restore as much of it myself with the money saved by getting a car in not so good condition (I'm very averse to this, I've only heard nightmare stories, but I want to keep it an alternative for now)
4. Or maybe I'm not ready for a C3 quite yet. :cry
As for not doing the work myself, I'm just feeling like I would not have the time to do it. I DO want to do some of the work, that's part of the joy of getting a classic car! It's just that if it's going to be my primary source of transportation, I can't have it sitting in the garage for weeks. My dream would be to find a nice survivor that is exactly what I want and I'd spare no expense in restoring it myself over as long a time frame as it takes to get the job well done.
