Ok, Older Trans Ams.....Honestly older

HyperBaja · 07-24-2003, 10:52 AM

2nd gen, the 77-80 (I think) How hard is it to find a 6.6 Olds and swap it in place of that small 4.9 Turbo motor?

groove · 07-24-2003, 10:59 AM

Not sure if they have the same bell housing or not. I had a 403 and thought it was a dog. Mine was stock except headers and dual exhaust and 2.73:1 gears

and the best I got in the 1/4 with it was 15.4. All show and no go.

You can easily drop in a small block chevy though...

Budman · 07-24-2003, 11:34 AM

Don't waste your time with the Olds engine - find a Pontiac 400 (or 455

) - much easier to find parts.

HyperBaja · 07-24-2003, 12:07 PM

Hmm....455.....Do you think it would be that hard to get in there?

TEAMBAJA · 07-24-2003, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by groove
Not sure if they have the same bell housing or not. I had a 403 and thought it was a dog. Mine was stock except headers and dual exhaust and 2.73:1 gears and the best I got in the 1/4 with it was 15.4. All show and no go.

You can easily drop in a small block chevy though...

From a bad experience, I would definately recommend the small block chevy. The car was a 78 Trans Am with a Pontiac 400. I was going to do a basic rebuild, but let friends talk me into changing the intake and carb. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew I was having it bored out and had to change the pistons, cam, etc. We fired it up and it sounded mean as hell. Something ended up going wrong, and the motor locked up before I could drive it. I took the biggest loss Ive ever taken on that car, but I was fed up with it.

Anyway, every part I bought for that thing was like double the price of the small block chevy. If I would have went that route, Id probably still have the car today with a hell of alot less money in it!

Erie Desire · 07-24-2003, 01:21 PM

I agree with TEAMBAJA. Small black Chevy all the way. Get a stroker kit and have a 383. Get the right rods and have oodles of low end torque.
Parts are everywhere for the small Chevy.

TEAMBAJA · 07-24-2003, 01:23 PM

Basically, you can make a small block chevy as fast as you want it to be. I have buddies running anywhere from 10s to 14s in the quarter mile with small blocks...........

groove · 07-24-2003, 01:53 PM

Yep, my second TA had a 400 Chevy. You want to talk about torque! It had a new factory 400 short block with a towing cam in it, topped off with camel hump heads, Performer intake and Holly 600 vacuum. Laid slabs like nothing. In fact if you cruised at 30 or so and floored it while dropping down to second, hold on because you would be sliding sideways down the road. Yes, automatic tranny. Ran a 14.1 in the 1/4

My third TA had a 383 combo with 144 B&M blower, camel hump head modified with 2.05 valves. This car moved but with 2.73 gears I lost a few (short) races due to poor launchability. No one could touch me on the highway! Never found out what it would do in the 1/4 but expected high 13s.

1979 & 1980 TA's are still one of my favorite cars.

mikev · 07-24-2003, 03:22 PM

you could drop in a bb chevy two the 71 camaros came with 396's just get the motor mounts from on of them and drop in a crate 502. the bell housing on your tranny will be different but there are plenty of old turbo 400s lying around in the boneyards you could get your hands on. I had an 81 z28 i dropped a warmed over 454 in and it would fly dont have any specs on my time but i only lost one stoplight race and it was to a vette with a 6-71 blower sticking out of the hood. that car was a blast.

HyperBaja · 07-24-2003, 11:39 PM

What about a 454......Or how is the Turbo 4.9?