ok so i just watched the fast and the furious 3 and got an idea.....i know it'll take alot of work, but
i was thinking of a 4.3 vortec conversion, 700r4 tranny, full set of frame rails, ford nine inch rear end, 4 link and all the electronics from an s-10 for drive shaft i was think about like maybe a corvette? should be close to the same length. after that is all complete then i may do a twin turbo setup. n/a i was thinking it should run in the 13's with mild tuning upgrades, cam and intake and exhaust..

what are your guys opinions on the swap. i'm not to concerned with cost, as that can be worked out, most parts will be junkyard (engine, tranny and wiring).

Is this a serious post or are you just picking on the overly optimistic people willing to waste thousands of dollars that they don't have and telling the world all about it... every time a new car movie comes out?



Cardomain|Myspace

no, I'm seriously debating on wether or not to do it and i wanted to see what other people had to say. like i said, i know it won't be easy but i think it'll be pretty cool and damn fast.

1st off the 4.3 is a junk motor, your better off getting an LS motor from a 99+ chev/gmc truck, go for a 6.0, i know out of the LS motors there was an aluminum block offered not sure if it was 5.3 or what, either way get the alum block motor, 4T80E and make that work, you will probably need to use a corvette intake manifold, possibly the heads if they don't bolt up to the intake so you can clear the hood, if you want a standard get a 5spd trans from a blazer or 4.8 V8 chev truck, just don't use the 4.3 for the amout of power they make you would definatly not be running 13s, so after reading this rethink what you wrote

ok, here's the thing, my cousin's s-10 went high 13's when on the bottle (with i think no more than 75 shot) so with the cav weighing in at 15 hundred pounds less, 13's should shouldn't be a problem. it's approx. 1 tenth per 100 pounds.
plus with a v-6 i still get pretty decent gas mileage. and the 4.3 isn't a junk motor, it's built on the same platform as the chevy 5.7L and we all know the capabilities of that motor. What we also know is that chevy likes to detune all of it's engines for the everyday driver. when properly tuned in my light car with a mild cam i could probably pull off a high 12 n/a. with the turbo setup i want to do i should be looking at 10's

swap in a 3400 and you will run 14s. throw the bottle on, and you will run 13s. with a turbo setup, run 12s. its proven. a 3400 is as close to a bolt in as you can get.

te 4.3l was only 190hp stock. yes you can build it up, but why bother. its a truck motor and there are better, cheaper ways to get he same results

i don't care about being an easy bolt in. i want to do the work. plus the 4.3 gives me what i want, Torque! it has alot right at where i'm gunna launch so it'll 60' really good. and running 12's on boost aint even close to the abilities i will have when doing a rwd conversion with the 4.3. once the motor is completely built and boosted it should run low 10's. it should take me around 400 hp to run tens and it wouldn't be that hard to do.....I build small blocks in my spare time.....same motor with 2 cylinders missing.

ok so i checked prices on the two major components...engine and tranny, and it'll cost roughly 1100 dollars to get. i would imagine i could get the ford 8.8 (which is a different version of the indestructable 9 inch) for roughly 300 from a mustang and get it to bolt up. I'll be running 4.10 gears in the rear end for a solid launch/street drivability. the only major portion i have yet to completely figure out is how to get the body mounted to the new full frame rails i'm looking to install (unless i just use a sub frame connetor setup welded in). the interior will be all sheet metal fabricated parts including a new dash. Heater will be removed along with all unneccessary wiring to drop weight even more. i'm expecting the car's weight withought myself in it to be roughly 2300 pounds and with me it would be around 2460. with that little weight i should be able to apply 300 horsepower to the rear wheels and make a solid 13 second pass. figuring that that engine and trans with just intake exhaust and msd setup will run low 15s with the same gears. i will be slightly building the motor when i get it to include cam, exhaust, intake, msd and maybe some small headwork (depending on if money permits me to). That plus a stage 2 computer chip and a tranny upgrade (shiftplus) should be plenty to enable me to run 13's maybe even 12's figuring a vette can run low 13's high 12's with good tires at 400 horsepower and around 3200 pounds when the driver is in it.

As i have previosly stated, this is all still in the idea phase as i'm throwing around several ideas for a complete race setup, that may occasionally see the street for shows/cruises.

Anyone who says the 4.3 is a junk motor is on crack. They are great motors with plenty of potential. Anyone remember the GMC Syclone & Typhoon?

I agree though, why go through all the effort for the V-6 when a SBC can be had for cheap? There have been several folks who have tube chassied these cars and run V8s and RWD configurations. But it ain't cheap if you aren't a chassis builder or welder.

less talk, more walk?

Daryl Scott wrote:Anyone who says the 4.3 is a junk motor is on crack. They are great motors with plenty of potential. Anyone remember the GMC Syclone & Typhoon?

I agree though, why go through all the effort for the V-6 when a SBC can be had for cheap? There have been several folks who have tube chassied these cars and run V8s and RWD configurations. But it ain't cheap if you aren't a chassis builder or welder.

they are doen up slightly different though i'd love to have one hehe



Z24 Cardomain Site ll ZQ8 Car Domain Site

that'll b my next truck!


1st 1st gen on air.....

The front steering is the major problem. The bellhousing go where the rack is. Go with a late 70's early 80's camaro front clip and you will have the engine mounts too.

Daryl Scott wrote:Anyone who says the 4.3 is a junk motor is on crack. They are great motors with plenty of potential. Anyone remember the GMC Syclone & Typhoon?

I agree though, why go through all the effort for the V-6 when a SBC can be had for cheap? There have been several folks who have tube chassied these cars and run V8s and RWD configurations. But it ain't cheap if you aren't a chassis builder or welder.

its junk becuase of the power output vs the fuel economy, all the ones i've seen are absolute pigs, the 96-98 vortec 5.7s are pretty much exactly the same motor but 2 more cyls and the power increase and the little difference in mileage the SBC is the way to go, yea ok theres the syclone and typhoon well if the 4.3 can do that IMO the 5.7 can do it just as good if not better

I'm replacing the 4.3 in my S10 with a 302 Chevy v8. 14-16 mpg and no balls with the OEM engine. I'll get more power and better mileage with an engine that's only slightly larger. I've never liked the OEM 4.3 and I wouldn't consider it for perfomance use. But I know that a stock 4.3 with a procharger can be set up to generate some interesting performance numbers in a full size truck.

Syclones were fast trucks. But man, oh man did it get expensive when trying to make them really quick. Engines would burn up all the time in those buggies and good parts were few and far between. The GN's were remarkably faster (a fact which bothered more than a few SYTY owners).

I have a friend with a 1st gen Sunbird on a late 70's or early '80s Monte Carlo frame. The frame was shortened but never narrowed. The fit is surprisingly good. A narrowed 9" rear would really help the package, but it was a budget deal just to get something done. It's for sale BTW.

Quite honestly, if I were going for V6 RWD power I'd start with a 3800SC engine and a trans from a 99+ F car. The SC engines are all over the place and you can usually find one in a junkyard fairly cheap. And there's plenty of aftermarket parts available to make it haul a$$ including the all important computer tuning software. HPTuners started out as one guy looking to tune his 3800SC engine. Speaking of 3.8's, the GN powertrain would be really slick, but it's getting tough to find one of those for a reasonable price.

Sharkey and I tend to go different routes with FWD performance. I like using a 4 cyl with a turbo instead of a V6. The problem with either engine is not making power, but getting that power to the ground. FWD + Power = tire spin.

If you can find a Maverick Grabber, that car may have come with a narrower 9" rear. You can also find an 8.5" GM rear under certain late model S10 trucks. Considering the lighter weight of the J car you'll probably find the 8.5" axle gives reliable performance.

Most guys with the 700 don't like the steep first gear ratio as it hurts 60' times The late '80s Monte SS had a 2004R overdrive trans which seems to be a preferred trans for drag racing.

-->Slow

I seriously wouldn't bother.
You say that your car would be better with that driveline because it is so much lighter. Well... how much weight did you think you were going to add using a MUCH heavier engine with a MUCH heavier transmission.... adding a heavy rear end and axel, adding heavy from rails and frame bracing jsut so the car doesn't bend in half on launches? Of course you have the option of taking out everything in the car that doesn't make you faster, but you could do that staying FWD and be even lighter.
If you want to slide around turns, just buy a drift car that already has suspension options available like a 240sx. If you just want to be fast, build up and LT3 or a 3400... being fast in a 2nd gen is different enough.



Cardomain|Myspace

^^^^^^^^^^

ok, another update on my thoughts,
thinking about just fabricating a set of subframe connectors to be welded in. I will also be connecting everything with a 10 or 12 point roll cage. the car weight with everything in it shouldn't be more than 2400 lbs with me in it as i will be doing some extreme lightening. as far as the steering goes i'm thinking about just relocating it if possible or if i have to install a flaming river rack from a mustang or mustang 2.
yeah i could stay fwd and do the lightening i talked about but i still have a setup that's limited on power. swapping to rwd with the 4.3, 700r4 and rear end i'll get the power that i want plus have almost unlimited amount of power abilities. if the 4.3 becomes to weak for my taste then i just do another swap to a small block do to the fact that the 4.3 and a small block use the same bellhousing for the tranny because as i said before the 4.3 is a 5.7 block with 2 cylinders cut of of it. PLUS, as everyone said before, FWD+power=tire spin. with the rwd conversion i don't have to worry about frying the tires off the line because there will be a four link rear suspension to plant it.

Quote:

FWD+power=tire spin

Which is why it is all that much more impressive to make it fast. Again, you are talking about dumping tens of thousands of dollars into a car that blue-books for $50. You're taking the drive-train out of an S-10.... You would be faster just buying a Ty/Sy and doing minor bolt-ons + weight reduction... plus they are RARE on the streets but not dificult to locate and buy if you are persistant.
At the same rate... a camaro, firebird, mustang, ect can yield better times, slide better (more suspension options available) and be waaaaaay easier to build for waaaaaay less money.
If you're willing to shell out that much money for something with no possible return investment, go for it. There are lots of knowledgable people on this site willing to help.



Cardomain|Myspace

M I N I O N - Sinbird wrote:

Quote:

FWD+power=tire spin

Which is why it is all that much more impressive to make it fast. Again, you are talking about dumping tens of thousands of dollars into a car that blue-books for $50.

1. WHAT TO YOU IS FAST? 10's 12's or 14's
none of which is fast to me.
2. tens of thousands? it'll cost about 4 grand to do it and i'll have better performance then if i turboed my current engine (which would be the same cost) and once again how much do you have in your setup?
I'd be guessing more than the swap i want to do being though your nitrous and msd setups probably set you back about 2 grand. And what's your blue book $3200?
3. RARE? what would be more rare on the streets then a second generation with a rear wheel drive conversion and be able to boast a 13 second n/a pass?
4. SLIDE BETTER? who said anything about drifting? i said i just watched a movie that has drifting and street racing in it and you think i'm talking about drifting? i keep giving quarter mile times, that's where the car will live.

It's way cheaper to convert to rear wheel drive if you know how and really want to go fast. why? more demand for parts. why should i pay 900 bucks for a port and polished head or 600 bucks for a set of forged pistons when i could buy forged pistons for a sbc and drop them into a 4.3 for any compression ratio i want and yet still have it only cost me 300 bucks for pistons? staying fwd while drag racing is stupid. your trying to defeat the laws of physics people. weight shifts back from inertia and transfers weight to rear wheels off the front. no wonder you can't get traction. betcha with rear wheel drive and that same power you'll 60' way better.
Yeah there are some nice cars that do make some power and have impressive numbers for front wheel drive. but impressive numbers for front wheel drive isn't what i'm looking for. i want a v-6 to compete in the sport compact class still, but be able to run tens when i need to and shock the hell out of some people.

Elias A wrote:less talk, more walk?

and i can't leave this one alone.....what have you done to your car? have long have you owned it? mine about 4 years now, new motor then a head gasket,crank positioning sensor full exhaust should i go on?
I have walked way further in my 4 years behind the wheel of that car as you prolly will in your entire lifetime. i have done everything to that car myself. now i am also in the military so it takes time to get the money together to buy the parts we need.so my walk will be plenty.

So uh...... 10s.... that's all?
And JFYI, no I haven't spent thousands upon thousands on my motor yet... I do all of my own machine work, welding and installations.. so I've got MAYBE $1600 into my engine as of the last time the registtry was updated. My MSD and nitrous set-ups were both bought for me by other people. I make turbo systems for other people's cars in exchange for parts I want. Plus my registry isn't nearly up to date, some of my most recent additions would boggle your mind. ^_^

Quote:

I have walked way further in my 4 years behind the wheel of that car as you prolly will in your entire lifetime.

Quote:

new motor then a head gasket,crank positioning sensor full exhaust should i go on?

Please do....
This is hardly the "I've done more than you" battle. Everybody has a crazy idea to share and nobody ever goes through with it... I think what he was getting at was "I don't buy it until I see a chopped up 2g." It has nothing to do with him saying he can do better or has done better. If putting down a relatively new tuner is what get your jolies, myself and a few other in this forum could shame your crank position sensor story.
Doing something impressive > saying something impressive



Cardomain|Myspace

da fake z24 wrote:

Elias A wrote:less talk, more walk?

and i can't leave this one alone.....what have you done to your car? have long have you owned it? mine about 4 years now, new motor then a head gasket,crank positioning sensor full exhaust should i go on?
I have walked way further in my 4 years behind the wheel of that car as you prolly will in your entire lifetime. i have done everything to that car myself. now i am also in the military so it takes time to get the money together to buy the parts we need.so my walk will be plenty.

and your response to my request for action is more verbiage.................


i just went to the junkyard sunday and removed a steering column from a 90 n/a cavalier to replace my busted column.. soon as i go rent the steering wheel and lock plate removers, i'll be back on the road from my 2 week hiatus (during which i been driving a 2000 xterra se)

ok, MINION, so if thats all you got in your car how come i couldn't do more for less?
you guys talk alot of sh*t but no one here has any clue of someones background. so what if I'm 19 and you guys all think that this is some bullsh*t post that i'll never do. i have already built several race cars with less than 500 invested after price of car and have ran 12's that's making the car completely legal according to the rule books for ihra or nhra if not exceeding them. my favorite is a 1992 fox body mustang with complete 12 point cage, welded in subframe connectors to make a solid frame, 302 bored .030 over, 5 speed manual, stage 2 clutch and pulled the front tires during a 12 second pass. I know how to build horsepower, both n/a and boosted and have done more research than most people would know what to do with.


WHAT I DON'T APPRECIATE
-how everyone here can bash on someone's ideas yet if that person says one thing bad towards a newer member everyone there rips him a new a$$. this is just poorly ran anymore and this sight has a lack of positive attitude that is hurting alot of interesting thoughts for building. Minion, i probably have performed more work than you prolly ever will too because i like yourself am also a mechanic and have worked at the largest j body dealer in the US. i see them everyday and every night, and have nightmares about them and their damn electrical system that sucks.


WHAT I DO APPRECIATE
-Thank you to slowlej for actually posting in the line that everyone here missed and that was on topic.
thank you to everyone else that has ever helped me

TO THOSE THAT ARE NEGATIVE

@!#$ ALL OF YOU @!#$ THIS SITE AND ALOT OF THE PEOPLE IN IT. MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE SAY ALOT OF @!#$ YET THEY CAN'T BACK IT UP. DON'T BASH SOMEONE'S IDEAS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE DIFFERENT, EITHER DON'T REPLY OR PROPERLY PROPOSE THE PROBLEM AND A WAY TO SOLVE IF YOU KNOW. AND DON'T BE A DICK.


MODERATOR PLEASE LOCK THIS THREAD AND DELETE MY ACCOUNT.
I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE @!#$UPS THAT LOVE TO BASH PEOPLES IDEA'S BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT.

easy now. the reason many people on this site bash people that want to do rwd conversions is because there are a lot of people say they are gonna just bolt this and that in and do it, and they are all talk no action. until you cna show some pics, most on here wont beleive that you can and are doing it. if you are gonna do it, do it, but dont sit here and talk about it, go do it.

for going v6, the 4.3l woudnt be my fist choice. i think the 60 degree v6 linup has some wicked potetial in a light rwd car, especialy with the new large displacment 3900. they are a lot lighter than a 4.3l, and have ausome potential to make some big power. ive tossed around the idea of a rwd 1st gen with a 3.4l dohc turbo 5 speed. ive pretty much figured how id do it (with an art morison back half 4 link kit) and building a frame into the car. they do make kits to build a stock eliminator rwd converstion car out of a beretta, most of it being the tranny tunnel and modified subframes, steering knuckles, , rack, linkage, ect. .