got a 68 firebird with a nonworking but numbers matching ohc6. i really want a v8 for it, but pontiac engines are so hard to come by where i'm from. i don't want to stir things up in my first post, but am i right in saying that unless i put in a 400 or 455, a chevy 350 would be better?

i plan on keeping the ohc6 engine just for the sake of having the original with me, but i really am hell bent on getting a v8. i am on a budget, and chevy 350s are definitely cheaper. i still have body repair and paint job on my to-do list, as mine is a complete rustbucket.

so..... do body repair and paint, get a chevy 350 to enjoy the car already, and rebuild a 400/455 later on?

or..... do body repair and paint, wait a longer period and get a 400/455?

p.s. pontiac 350 out of the question?

thanks.

trust me, i really want a pontiac engine. problem is, it's gonna cost me double than that of a chevy 350. with more chevys in my country, i figure it'd be easier to sell the chevy engine in case i find a pontiac engine. at least i can enjoy the car right away. right now, the only pontiac v8 available in my neck of the woods is a 350. kinda iffy about it.

Not a thing wrong with the poncho 350, with some of the mods you will have to do to put a SBC in the car it may end up almost as expensive and you'll have less performance, stock vs. stock. Not too mention the value of the car plummets with a chevy motor in it, if you ever have to or want to sell it. Spend the money on the Pontiac now so at least you have it. Just my opinion...

P.S., Welcome aboard, post some pics when you get a chance!

thanks jeff! i know of one selling a th350 and 350 engine. only thing i'm worried about is having two ponchos (the ohc6 and the 350), especially when i wanna go for the 400/455. not too many pontiacs here so it's gonna be hard for me to sell a rebuilt 350 for a 400/455 later on.

unlike the others who can afford crate engines, i can't shell out $6k for a 400/455 as the bird still has a lot of issues that need immediate attention.

regarding the poncho 350, i've read other forums and they were of the opinion that there's not much you can do with it and that it lacks power... true?

thanks for not flaming me on the chevy engine idea, it just sounds reasonable now considering my present circumstances and environment.

It all depends. Mine, like many of the birds was born with a 350 2bbl, #17 heads etc. Put on a stock '68 4bbl manifold and a Q-jet that came off of a '69 Buick wildcat with a 430 cube motor, changed to electronic ignition, added a set of headers, tri-y headman long branchs and it's got plenty of performance for me. Contrary to popular belief, the #17 heads flow very well and take all the Q-jet has to offer...I actually thought I was going to have to go down in jet size when we originally built it but it was just fine.

That's my experience...others may vary

If it's a rust bucket, then start with the body first. It's only going to get worse if it sits like that.

This should give you plenty of time to eventually track down a traditional Poncho V8. The best deals come when you're not in a hurry. As for whether the Poncho 350 is worthy, most people shy away from the 350s and go right to the 400s because the 400s are as easy to find. However, given your location, that might not hold true. So I wouldn't discount a Pontiac 350. They can do suprising well with some mods. ACE at PPR has a true Pontiac 383 kit (it's NOT a Chevy engine). http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/tech/hppp_0712_small_bore_pontiac_engine_build/index.html

How much is fuel where you are? Are you building a driver? Do you ever plan to sell? The 6 cyl is original, fill it up with oil and store it. It may be hard to overlook the LS1 with an o/d trans. 400 hp+ and easily 20mpg. This is hard to pass up. While I understand wanting to keep it all Pontiac, I have a hard time with beating your numbers matching motor to death. I don't have an LS1 in mine, but my original is full of oil in a large bag. I am sure most of us can't wait to find that open stretch of road to nail the snot out of it. I know the first day the weather breaks here my right foot will be on the floor! I don't think I would drive & enjoy it as much with the original motor. I did about 4000 miles this summer at 10mpg.

fuel is about a dollar per liter. i hope to build a daily driver, i don't think i'm gonna sell. i really want it to be a daily driver so i can take care of it and hopefully pass it on, and maybe my daughters will appreciate it lol!

like i said, i just might get a 400 if i can find one here and if i can afford it. but in the event that i don't, do i go chevy? do i even have a choice? where i'm from, pontiac parts availability is a problem so i'm gonna have to source a lot from the US. with pontiac's closure, do you guys think that would lead to parts scarcity there as well? for this reason, i'm considering chevy...

From the point of view of most on sites like this one, Pontiac quit building cars in 1979. That was the last year of the Pontiac V8 (the short-decks don't "count"). So, no, Pontiac shutting down will have no effect on the availabiility of Pontiac engine parts. We haven't bought anything from them (Pontiac Division) in over 20 years anyway.

Pontiac or Chevy? Well, it's true, Chevys are "easier" and a bit cheaper IF yu stick to stockish parts. Once you start "pupming it up", the cost of the Chevy goes up significantly. Also, the Pontiac makes MUCH more low-speed power. That combined with "tall" gears and a "tight" converter makes the car fairly "good" on gas. With the right camming and intake/exhaust, 20 MPG and 350 HP/450 lb. ft. is well within "reach". And that's using an old-fashioned carb and ignition, no computer controls.

I make no secret of it, I FAR prefer the Pontiac. The Chevy does have it's good points, but it's NOT the "giant killer" some believe it to be. Always remember: GTO didn't get its reputation from LOSING to SS396... (:-

Jim

The Pontiac engines are well supported in the aftermarket. No worries on getting parts.

If you're going to be driving this ALOT and you can't find a Pontiac engine, then I 2nd the GM LS engines. They are a more expensive than a Chevy smallblock, but worth it. They are extremely efficient, make tons of power with ease, easy to drive, and are very durable. I'd rather see one of these true Corporate engines (designed from the ground up after GM Powertrain was consolidated) in a Pontiac, than a Chevy engine. The swap might be a little pricey, but you can keep costs down if you find a take-out setup from a junkyard (make sure you get the wireharness and ECU), and keep the modifications to a minimum (camshaft and headers are all you need to really wake them up).

If you can get the 350 pont motor for a decent price I'd say buy it and drop it in. The 350 HO motor was rated at nearly the same HP as the 400s out of the box. I've had stock low compression 350s that had tons of power with a good carb sitting on top. Everybody likes the bigger qube motors but for a DD the 350 would be fine and serve you, and your daughters, for a lot of trouble free miles if done right. You're never going to own the fastest thing on wheels because it costs alot of money. The more money you spend, the faster you can go. I'm always telling my wife, "I can go alot faster for another 2 thousand dollars". Don't get all caught up in the power thing. Just drive it and enjoy. Go Pontiac and make the chevy guys jealous.

I agree with Mike.
If you can't go Pontiac use the LS engine. Those swaps are a little more popular with less flaming when put in a FGF. Afterall it is a "modern" engine vs the traditional SBC which does look like hell in a FGF.

But don't dismiss the 350 Pontiac, very good engines with the right heads and intake. You can easily match a 400's and even come close to a 455's hp depending on the builds, just not it's torque.
It you were to use a 4-5 speed instead of the automatic you'll be more than happy with the 350's street performance. I drove a 17 headed 350 4 speed for years, pretty potent street package.
I'm running a 350 Pontiac in my Road Race car as well.

thanks for the replies, i really appreciate it. can't say for sure that i'm decided on a poncho, LS engines are likewise very hard to come by where i'm from.

here's another thought though, how about i restore the original OHC6 to have a #s matching FGF, and get a chevy engine FOR THE MEANTIME to be able to use the car as a DD? i don't really see the need for having 2 poncho engines at the moment, and if need be it'd be a whole lot easier to sell the sbc... i wouldn't be #s matching by getting a poncho 400/455 anyway...

I threw the ls1 idea out because I would have assumed 98-02 camaros and firebirds would be available? If your building a daily driver the ls1 would certainly be a viable candidate. My wifes camaro gets over 20 mpg driving it fairly agressively. It has 410 gears with a 6 speed. This is a 3300lb car that runs very strong. I wanted to use the engine and trans combo for my bird, until my wife saw it. Long story short I am in the process of freshening up the ls1 and a couple mods. I hope to have it back together and get some paint on it by spring. This would be a very very reliable strong efficient drivetrain. Too bad this is not a good option for you. If it is a car you are keeping, by all means you need to use what you are most comfortable with. My opinion may be different than others, but whatever powerplant you install can easily be removed for the original. However by the time you are done with the car the price of an engine is very insignificant in the grand scheme.

very good point tony.

i badly want an all pontiac ride... it's just a hassle for me that poncho parts here are scarce. i don't wanna be enjoying it for one minute and then keep it in the garage for weeks just because i'm waiting for a part that broke down to be replaced...

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHH!!!!

so it's not just the price, availability is a big problem as well. as i am one of only a handful with pontiacs here, we don't exactly have a used parts bin.

You need to toss a standard block chevy in it. I'm hardcore Ponatiac, and I destest Chevy products, but I don't see why it's such a big deal!

Also, it cheaper and you get more hp per dollar from a chevy. Treat the car as a Camaro, and it won't cost you one penny more to convert to v8 chevy power than v8 Pontiac power.

Why use a Pontiac 400 than a 350? It costs the same to build eigher engine. A lower hp 400 still has a signifigant edge over a higher hp 350 is because of a thing called torque.