Suggestions.......yea, your gonna get a few Like why not go with a built up 400 or 428, or 455. Most of these guys are verrrry passionate about NOT putting chebbys in a Poncho.....gotta keep the bloodlines pure! Kelly
In the end, it's your car, you can (and should) do what you want.
But like 68 Blackbird said, It's probably better to keep the bloodlines pure. Right or wrong, the Chevy guys will think you're just a Camaro wanna-be, and the Pontiac guys will label you a traitor.
The other factor that you'll have to decide is important, is the value. Even a non-original Pontiac block (like a 428 or 455) in the car holds value more than a Chevy swap. A big-block Camaro goes for $$$. A Chevy big block Firebird ain't worth a darn. This is based on what I saw in the marketplace when I was buying, not opinion.
I saw a couple that were in excellent shape, and the price was reasonable had it been just a non-original Pontiac 350, but with a 454 they weren't moving (I'm talking show car and engine with all the good stuff). I think if they pulled the motor/tranny and sold the car seperately, they would have sold and got the money.
You may want to at least keep the old engine/trans in case you sell.
Don't turn your car into a bastard child, lol!! Really, stick with the Pontiac engine for it, will be a major hassle to change everything to make it work. By the time you get it in & running you could have built a solid 400 or 455 and be rolling! I'm sure Banshee or Q can come up with a good formula for an engine build-up!
Just read the dyno results from the Pontiac 400 that got the "short" timing chain, 483 hp and 502 ft.lbs. torque. Lots of reasons to stay with Pontiac Power!
all of what you say about the pontiac engine is true but the cost of building a chebby motor is cheap compared to a pontiac.chebby parts are a dime a dozen and very cheap.you can build a 7 second chebby for under 5k.
I'm sending you $5K. Please send me a 7 second Chebby in return. I'll pay the shipping.
If there are no rules, except for gravity, anyone can get a car to go 1320 feet in 7 seconds for the price of the rolling chassis. To give you an idea of what a seven second 1/4 mile is like, it's just slightly slower than free-falling the same distance.
It would be a "slow starting" race. But with acceleration at 32 feet per sec per sec it would get exciting towards the end not to mention the sudden stop. Jim
The motor in my 69 Cougar I used to own said "Ford" all over it. They didn't even pretend. Pontiac made totally separate engines from Chevy through the 70's.
Well, Lexus engines today also says Toyota on them...but early on Pontiac was a separate company from Chevrolet , later bought up by GM...and they eventually 'lost' the pontiac engines in favor of 'streamlining'... Cougar (Mercury) and Mustang (Ford) both owned by Ford are considered 'cousins' too, I think they started using same products within Ford earlier than GM... Volvo still says Volvo on it , owned by Ford.... but thats neither here nor there...I think you`ll get a better motor out of a Pontiac than the Chevy, just for the torque....Chevys are cheaper to build , sure , but....since its a Pontiac , I think if you have the option to keep the torquier motor vs a cheaper....mmmmm, I think the torque would weigh in better...just my humble opinion ( and thats just what it is , an opinion)
you should do what you like , its your car , and you are the one who`ll enjoy it!
Oh Holicani, if you want to see an example of what you were asking about ( they claim 560 hp),there`s a Firebird w Chevy 454 on EBay right now (last day), you can read about it , follow the auction and see if it brings any money... the item no is 2481299179
I have a 350 CHEVY in my 69 Bird,and it wasn`t that hard to put in.You have to put the Chevy motor mounts,bellhousing,and make a few wiring mods for the starter and reroute wiring for the alternator,but other than that it fits like a glove.You also need to use the Chevy power steering pump,if equipped.I used a SBC because parts cost way less then poncho parts,are easier to find here,and I have had a lot better luck with them.I just got the engine dynoed at 375HP and 487 Ft.Lbs. of torque,and it weighs about 200Lbs. less than Poncho engines.
Another thing to think about: get to know the Pontiac guys in your area and see if anyone has a good running engine they will sell. I met a guy at the Lawrence, KS swap meet three years ago that was looking for '69 GTO parts, got to yakking & told me he had a low mileage '69 400 he wanted to sell. I asked him what he wanted for it & he said $400. I bought the engine & it still runs excellent. Has #62 heads on it, ran strong in my '68 'bird & 3.55's in the back.
Some may say it's a gamble, but something to consider. The $400 I spent was well spent, IMO.
you can build any small block chevy to do high sixes mid 7s in the qtr mils.i have seen some of the guys do it at moroso.i have talked to them and nobody claimed to have spent more than 5 k on the motor.these people knew how to build a engine and they used alot of parts that were readily available.hey;i am not a gear head and i dont race my cars.but i have read many articles with people caliming to build a motor for under 5k.
I am in the process of having a 496 built for my '69. My cost for the forged bottom end, aluminum race heads and all accessories is just a little more than 5K. I believe it is possible to have a high 7s car for around 5K. I would say good deals and own shop/labor.
Since I am more geared for 1/4 mile and not street I am going with a Chevy motor. No matter how much you spend on a pontiac motor, it will never out-perform a Chevy motor. True, the Pontiac motor can have more torque, but I am not pulling boats down main street. Also, the Pontiac motor will never withstand higher RPMs required for the drag strip. I would have put a Pontiac motor in my bird if it was going to give me the numbers I am looking for. Sorry, It wasn't possible, no matter what I could do and how much I spend.
The Chevy race motors/parts are much cheaper and can be found more abundantly.
Building up a strong Pontiac race motor and parts will be very limited, expensive or non-existant.
If you want high performance go with a Chevy block. If you want show quality stick with the Pontiac motor.
It is almost for sure you will get the "why" look from diehard Pontiac enthusiasts, so keep the stock motor and tranny if you would ever want to sell it. The choice is yours...
if you are going to race,chevy motors are the best way to go.it is still general motors and i have dealt with many people that can get the birds to do 6es or 7's with an inexpensively built chevy motor.personally,i would never put a chevy motor in any of my birds but you have to be realistic.chevys are alot easier and cheaper to build.go to the track and see what the quarter mile racers are using for a power plant.the ones that are winning are using some form of a chevy motor in most cases.
We might frown upon someone putting a Chevy engine in a Pontiac, but we won't lynch you either, lol!! Why not build a Camaro & sell the 'bird to someone who will treat it right? It's your car, do what you want & keep us posted on the swap, things you learned while doing it, etc.