3800 camaro swap

Someone I know asked if I wanted to buy an 86 camaro z28 shell for cheap.. alot of suspension upgrades, cowl induction hood, weld racing rims.. just no engine or tranny.. I remember seeing a thread on a rwd tranny for a 3800 but don't recall where.. a few questions..

1. how easily would a 3800 go into the camaro bay?
2. would it be easier to find a rwd tranny, or fit the camaro to be fwd

They didn't use the 3800 in that generation camaro. It would probably be easier putting a camaro engine in there instead of making it fwd (and why would you want to CONVERT something to FWD? )

I don't think they used any of the same engines from the 3rd gen to the 4th gen so I'm not sure how hard it would actually be to get a 3800 in there but I bet it can be done.

Save up your dough and put a crate motor in there.

no, they used the ls1 in them I believe.. it's sounding like an easy 10 grand project..

actually.. i've seen some decent 350hp+ engines on jegs for under 4 grand..

I'm pretty sure the LS1 wasn't up till the late 90s.

I'd either get a crate motor or toss the money into the Riv.

LT1 in 97 then switched to LS1 in '98...for the Z-28 at least.

A friend is putting a Intercooled 231 into a 89 T/A for a doctor, final total will be around 15k.

Toss an lsx in there.

Get onto a Camaro forum and see what's in their "parts for sale" section. If you don't need a brand new engine you might find a good deal.

a few people said to go with a 350, and a 5 or 6 speed TKO 600 from temec for a tranny

Woo, digging up a 6 year old thread. You can't really swap an L67 or an L32 into a Camaro without major modifications. The reason behind this is that the supercharger is made for FWD cars. The intake gets pushed right up against the firewall. It has been done, but it requires a lot of work and you're better off just throwing an LS into it.

There are a few m90 Bromeros/Fireturds. I looked into the idea myself a while back. Just take a look at the intake on a Thunderbird Supercoupe... It would require modification of the case, and a custom built intake. It would be a major project, but it would be cool.

You're better off just getting an M112 blower. They're made for RWD.

Very true, but they aren't quite as easy to find for 50 bucks at a junkyard lol. I think thats the only reason people discuss/try it. M90s are dirt cheap.

Is that a full L67 or is it just a top swap?

AA wrote:

Is this car not from America? Why is the brake booster on the wrong side?

Ah good point! It must be a Holden.

Yes, it's from a stock Holden. The engine and blower are the same, just need a different intake and TB set-up. I think it could be done with left-drive as well.

I think in a camaro you would have no choice but to use a holden m90 or do fab work on the inlet portion of the blower to make anything fit on it with the firewall. Half the engine is pretty much out of sight in that car.

Or you could just throw an LS into it.... Just saying.

Agree, LS power is the ultimate end solution for almost any car, it seems.

In an extreme example, Bob Norwood set the Ferrari land speed record (275 mph) in a Ferrari 288 GTO (mother of the F40). The 288 is one of the fastest road-going Ferraris ever made (0-60 mph high 4 secs and 189 mph - in 1984!), but this wasn't fast enough. After attempting with the stock Ferrari engine, Norwood swapped the 2.9L twin-turbo V8 with a Chevy 8.2L twin-turbo V8. Yes, the fastest Ferrari on the planet is powered by an LS push-rod engine.

matt270avian wrote:

Or you could just throw an LS into it.... Just saying.

Throwing an ls into anything costs a crap ton more than a 3800. As with anything, your investment and goals has the say. Personally, I would never buy a v6 camaro to swap an ls into. It's a lot easier to buy a v8 one in the first place.

I personally like the idea of a l67 powered fourth generation camaro. In a lightweight(even though they aren't that light) rwd camaro the 3800 should move the car pretty quickly and get decent gas mileage.

You can put an LS in anything, and it WILL be fast. The thing is, its been done. Hundreds- thousands of times. There are getting to be just as many LS foxbodies as there are 5.0s. There is nothing unique about it, and thats why i dont find it very cool. Id take a truck with an old flathead over an LS any day.