Hello, I have a 67 bird rag top. Has a mid80s SBC with low oil pressure so I am looking to swap. Talking with some folks I have been thinking about going to a stroker 383with a 700r4 tranny. I know the purest will hate me for going with chevy, but everything I have heard leads me in that direction and since the car is not even period correct I figure what the heck. First I would like to get your opinion on what you think about the stroker vs. putting in a crate 350 and keeping the existing 350TH tranny. Second, if I go the stroker route is there a lot of changes to the existing power train or not too bad?
Appreciate all thoughts and opinions on the matter, thanks Kevin
You question would be better suited to the first gen camaro site as many on this board are as you say are purist and know more about Pontiac motors then Chevy.
A 383/700r4 sounds like a great cruiser.
Don't know what you have been hearing but a Pontiac motor is the way to go IMO
If you're already planning to swap the engine and/or trans then you could drop in a Pontiac engine and have more displacement and torque right off the bat probably.
That said, you may need to modify the engine mounts. If you swap the trans that would probably mean new/modified drive shaft and trans mounts. 700r4 used a TV cable for trans control which can be a pain, opposed to a simple kick-down for TH-350/400. Being that you already have the SBC most everything else should be good I think.
Purist or not you should also consider what it will bring down the road. Most Chevy fans won't like it because it is a Firebird. Most Pontiac fans won't like it because it has a Chevy motor.
Hi, I guess I never thought about changing back to a pontiac motor and tranny. I had been told in the past that there was a lot of extra work to go back to pontiac, motor mounts, electrical, etc. I think I will check that out.
related to that I had thought that since I do not have the original motor and tranny whatever I ran in it wouldn't really affect the resale intact having a stroker kit might be a plus. My thinking was that since I am not going back to the original engine size (6cyl) then it didn't really matter what I ran. I appears I need to rethink this. Thanks Kevin
Purist or not you should also consider what it will bring down the road. Most Chevy fans won't like it because it is a Firebird. Most Pontiac fans won't like it because it has a Chevy motor.
Hokie brings up a good point here. The potential customers for the bird is far fewer if its had a soul transplant.
And your right you will need to get a new motor mounts. Hard to say on the wires. There were differences between the chevy and Pontiac wire harness. Your may have been modified to work??? I think they run about $150 each for the two.
The only downside I see with going back to a pontiac motor is they are getting hard to find and may cost a bit more $$ to swap. But in the long run IMO its a better way to go.
With your car having a small block Chevrolet motor in it some things have already been changed to make it work. Motor mounts and frame brackets are different but you can buy new ones. The fuel lines are on opposite sides of the motor. The starter is on opposite sides. The exhaust manifolds or headers will not interchange. Transmission bolt pattern is different. More than likely the battery cable and wiring to the starter has been altered. Like mentioned above the wiring harness from the firewall more than likely has been altered. It's not a bad idea to install new wiring in the engine compartment. The old wires get brittle fro old age and the high heat. I'm sure I'm missing something. LOL
With all of that being said. I started out as a Chevrolet/Camaro guy. I bought a Firebird and my direction changed. LOL If your going to keep the car and your not worried about resale put what ever motor in the car that makes you happy. Small blocks are less expensive to build and can be found very easily. Aftermarket parts are much lower in price. Your car is already set up for a sbc so it will be less work and money to go that same direction.
Like mentioned above the wrong motor in the car turns some people off. I prefer to see a Pontiac motor over a sbc or a new LS transplant. I have even caught myself going to look at a Firebird at a car show and when I see the sbc I walk away. But, I think that is pretty shallow. A nice car is a nice car.
BTW, I was not proposing to go back to the OHC. Coming from a Sprint owner, that says something because it is a totally different type of love with Cammers. As Robert mentioned, you will turn away a great number from the Pontiac crowd. Same story here, if I see a Chevy motor in a GTO, Firebird or whatever, I keep walking mumbling to myself how they ruined the car. Maybe that is also shallow but that is reality. If you are going to keep the car forever, it doesn't matter. If there is any possibility of reselling, it will be a several thousand dollar mistake if you go Chevy.
Shallow or not, I feel the same. I love the look of a 66 Chevelle SS, but if there's an LS under the hood it's ruined for me. But then I think LS is a four letter word.