Questions On Engine Swaps

[DacMan]

Hi,
I am new to the forum and have been playing around with the idea of buying an engine to rebuild and then put in an Opel gt. I want to have a much power as possible without having to put on a frame. I what is a good engine to simply swap in an Opel gt without making allot of work for myself? Of course I want it to be carborated and have been looking at the Chevy 283. Is that too much power?
Thanks, DacMan

[First opel 1981]

Originally Posted by DacMan Hi, I am new to the forum and have been playing around with the idea of buying an engine to rebuild and then put in an Opel gt. I want to have a much power as possible without having to put on a frame. I what is a good engine to simply swap in an Opel gt without making allot of work for myself? Of course I want it to be carborated and have been looking at the Chevy 283. Is that too much power? Thanks, DacMan

You don't only have to worry about power when you consider a frame.
You need to think about the weight of the engine and new tranny.
A V-8 will need suspension and frame upgrades as well as relocating a few things. I think the brake tube would get in the way of a V-8 as well as the steering components.

A V-6 is a better choice. Much more flexibility with not much added weight (when compared to an 8 cyl). You should still beef up the frame if you approach more than about 130ish HP.

IMHO

[Patrik]

Hi !

Check out Jay Leno's GT:
Jay Leno's Garage - 1973 Buick Opel gt



/ Patrik

[markandson]

Try going to the forum jump tab on top and looking at the engine swap area, there is so much info on this site about engine swaps you can probably read for a couple of days

[kwilford]

Moderators Note: Thread moved

[namba209]

To answer your first question, yes, a 283 is too much. To drop in a V-6, which I did, is not an easy task, especially so if you want it to be a carbed engine. You'd need one with the distributor in the front, there's no room for one in the rear of the engine without a lot of sheetmetal work in the wiper well area and firewall. Best bet is a larger CIH engine like a 2.0-2.4, they're a drop in and can be made to exceed the HP I have in my V-6. The only thing lacking would be the flat line torque curve I have, but that can be had with a good torque cam. HTH.

[michaedo]

What Namba said. Just finished my 2.2 in the wagon and
it's a very nicely balanced auto. And finished. Something
that never would have happened if I had taken on the
task of swapping in a different engine. Once again, ask
Namba. How long you been working on the V6 swap?
But, it is a hobby after all, that's what I keep telling
myself.

[blancojp]

Originally Posted by DacMan Hi, I am new to the forum and have been playing around with the idea of buying an engine to rebuild and then put in an Opel gt. I want to have a much power as possible without having to put on a frame. I what is a good engine to simply swap in an Opel gt without making allot of work for myself? Of course I want it to be carborated and have been looking at the Chevy 283. Is that too much power? Thanks, DacMan

A 283 in stock form has only 165Hp but it is big, bulky and heavy. Just the work alone to fit it in the engine bay will mostly kill your project. Losing interest after starting the project is the major cause of Opel death in the world today.

Try a simpler approach and do the math, you will see that having lots of horsepower makes the 2200Lb car unpredictable. The simplest swap of course would be to use a higher hp Opel engine. But if you want to have something a bit more modern without spending a fortune, look into the Zetec, Quad-4 and 60 degree V-6 engines available today.

If you plan it right and have all that is needed, you can finish your project and actually drive it.

[DacMan]

Thank you guys for your information and hospitality, this will help me greatly. I look forward to being a member of this forum for years to come!