V8 in 1992 Cavalier?

The question, can it be done?
I understand it would need massive mods to happen, just wondering if anyone else has even had the thought pass through their demented brain?

Bet your ass Ive thought about it. :evillol:

Ever since the day one of my focus owning friends got sponsered to rally race and they slapped a v8 in a ZX3. If you have ever seen the engine bay of a focus you would see how wow worthy that is so I would like to think there would be no problem slapping a v8 in a cavi.

Granted my buddy TJ's zx3 had to have the crap gutted out of it but damn was it fast afterwards. Reminds me I need to ask him what that sucker put down at the last dyno day.

you can do about anything for the right amount of money.

on Jbody.org i think there are two people with 2nd gens that have it done.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4524032804 a cavalier with a v8, check this shit out, im sure a few of you have already seen this but this is by far the coolest cavalier ive ever seen

Well a v8 will not fit BUT a 3.8L engine w/ supercharger will fit. the same kind from a grandprix. 260hp. That will fit. no V8 though. I hope this helps.

Well a v8 will not fit BUT a 3.8L engine w/ supercharger will fit. the same kind from a grandprix. 260hp.
When you say the 3.8 will fit.. are you meaning it will drop in with minor mods to the mounts etc or that physically it will fit in the engine compartment?
I have access to a nice V8 for cheap which is why I am considering the idea. If the 3.8 is going to be easier maybe that would be the better route. I don't love my car, but it's never let me down, it's a great car and I am loyal to it, I'd like to fix it up and keep it running another 200,000 miles!

There was a guy a while back here in Orlando that had a transverse V8 out of a Caddy where the back seat used to be. Looked pretty cool with the engine under the rear glass. The Cavi was a 89 or a 90 model.

the 2nd gen cavs it will fit with mods.. like i said someone has it done on the org...

It will drop in, but will need new ecm. its been done.

it can be done not very easily though. the engine your looking for is a FWD northstar V8 yes it does fit but why do that when you can just buy a car with a V8 and build it You can pick up a Lexus SC400 with a V8 RWD for like six or seven grand. But if you want a fun swap check out a 3.4 L DOHC High output in a cavalier. thats a indy edition motor have fun with that one

hmmm..... this would be fun.

If you have the time and the money, just about anything can be done!

There was a 350 Tuned Port dropped in a 2nd gen, but that's not something you'll want to look at unless you're loaded. It involved a full RWD conversion, lots of fabrication, and will deffinitely cost you more than the car is worth.

Northstar - Yes, the motor will fit, big whoop. Good luck fitting in the tranny, b/c that won't be happening any time soon.

3.4L DOHC - Cams don't clear the bay.

3800 Series I/II/III Supercharged - Will fit, requires work. Not just a "drop in" kinda thing. Requires custom motor mounts and even then the pulley will barely make it in there. Go look around the .org for some 2nd and 3rd gens that have done.

Oh yeah, and for future reference, the 2nd gen and 3rd gen engine bays are virtually the same.

If you're looking for a reasonable engine swap, go with a 3400 SFI or a 3100 with a 3400 head swap. Just need to modify the engine mounts and you're set. Even cheaper and easier, swap in a 3.1, you can always salvage the parts off of any other J-Body with a 3.1 from 91-94.

good point, my error on the drop in part.

[QUOTE=OverAllComa]

Northstar - Yes, the motor will fit, big whoop. Good luck fitting in the tranny, b/c that won't be happening any time soon.

3.4L DOHC - Cams don't clear the bay.

[QUOTE]
do you not get the whole concept of fabrication northstar engine does fit tranny and all. And yes i did have a 3.4 L dohc in my cavalier yes the cam casements did clear just fabricate some changes to the core support and your precious cam casements clear. Next time actually try it before you post on here experience beats shit you read on the net any day of the week son. This will really fluster your feathers. After i totalled my 3.4 L Dohc cavy i bought a 88 cavy with a 2.8 auto and did the 3400 head swap on a bored over 2.8 read about that one. then you can hit me back up

I'd love to see pictures of:
1 - You installing a northstar, with a closeup where you chopped out pieces of frame to squeeze in the tranny. Then where you set up the radiator and such, considering the whole motor would have to be move forward to be able to meet the axels

2 - Your 3.4 DOHC Cavalier's engine bay, preferably with a closeup of where you had to chop out your firewall to fit the 2-4-6 side's camshafts. Especially if you wrecked I'd be interested in how your car held up after losing so much of its firewall

3 - The block you bored 2.8 over. See, I'm confused, b/c last time I check, your block would be exploding if you dared anything above a 3.3L overbore.

Let's assume you actually did any of these things. You're a fool for chopping your firewall, because that's absurdly dangerous way to try and fit the DOHC, and you're incompetent for chopping out the driver's side frame and strut tower in an attempt to fit a northstar tranny.

Tool.

Kids..... STFU! No flamming or harrasment is allowed.

What you fail to relize is that Pontiac GTP's had a 3.4L DOHC from the factory and a GTP has the same motor compartment as a Beretta. Now pay a attention because this is where it gets tricky, and i don't think you have the mental capacity to follow this cause your still enough of a dumbass to argue with a guy that has done more motor swaps than the times i fucked your mom(only by one though). Alll chevy Beretta parts are interchangeable with a J body, drivetrain only there junior. Now by proxy a gtp had 3.4L's which means Berettas could have which means Cavaliers will accept a 3.4. Now as to your comment on V-8's in cavaliers, i will once again say that a Beretta is the same as a Cavilier. GM MADE V-8 BERETTAS USING NORTHSTAR MOTORS THEY ALSO MADE ALL WHEEL DRIVE BERETTAS. same basic pricipal as the pontiac 6000. do your homework then open your mouth intelligence will improve unlike your car. Now to really explode your head, take a 97' Jeep Wrangler TJ with a factory 2.5L and put a turbo motor from a 88" shelby charger daytona in it using an 87' wiring harness now get back to me as to why the harness was important. and i'll get back to you with pictures porn or cars your pick and just remember that lipstick on your mom's lips rubs off on steak, tube steak, like the one i just broke off in your ass, hers too!!!!!

Also to clarify your comment on a 2.8 overbore you missed my wording i said a bored 2.8L not a 2.8L overbore. now for proper optimization of volumetric efficency a .030 overbore combined with 3400 sfi heads intake and valvetrain works very well, it also with a .040 mill on the heads has the option to be a turbo with low boost and high volume which is once again perfect but that is as far as i will go on my summer plans for now. as to what is missing on your 97' Z-24 think ecotek swap and a gm perfomance parts supercharger it will definitely help. peace (eat ice cream it will help with pain in your ass, kind of like mexican food)

http://www.geocities.com/nashrdnblk/ look for beretta prototypes or the FERETTA just to give you a nice start

Hey, sparky, if you think an L-Body engine bay is the same as a J-Body engine bay, you need to go find yourself a tape measure and go check on that, b/c I assure you they're not. L-Body is a tad wider and a fair amount longer. As to how a Grand Prix and Beretta are related in frame is something I don't quite get, especially considering they're totally different.

No kidding about the drivetrain being interchangeable, I'd have never guessed that the same motor mounted to the same tranny would involve interchangeable parts if they're on different platforms, thanks Captain Obvious.

The plan for my Twin Cam is a Supercharger once I get it paid off, so don't worry. As to why I'd swap in an ecotec (not "ecotek) is beyond me. Lower displacement, less power, more expensive parts, and it'd just be a pain in the ass to swap out the mounts to achieve less power.

Finally, why on earth would you bother boosting a pushrod if you could so easily fit in a DOHC 4-valve/cyl and boost that? Especially if going the turbo route, considering a pushrod get power on the low end versus a DOHC getting it on the high-end.

http://www.domesticcrew.com/chris/engine/realmegatron4.jpg

Like I said, all kinds of shit has to be moved around. Brake booster, possibly blower housing, radiator. Unless you're big time into cutting shit on your car you shouldn't be cutting, a 3.4 DOHC is useless. Especially considering you barely push over the 200 HP mark in the process. Any guy with two brain cells to rub together would sink that cash into a 3800 Supercharged (Series II or III) rather than a motor like that. Its possible, just really stupid and not worth it.

P.S. - This guy opted to move the motor forward instead of putting it back like he should have. I'd love to see you try to handle a car like that, all that weight up front would have you slipping and sliding worse than anything I've seen. Pulling the plugs on 2-4-6 involves pulling the motor, as well. That's always a fun thing to do to change some plugs.

http://www.domesticcrew.com/chris/engine/realmegatron4.jpg
P.S. - This guy opted to move the motor forward instead of putting it back like he should have. I'd love to see you try to handle a car like that, all that weight up front would have you slipping and sliding worse than anything I've seen. Pulling the plugs on 2-4-6 involves pulling the motor, as well. That's always a fun thing to do to change some plugs.

maybe you should learn how to drive like say start with muscle cars that was exactly what you described and will definatly out run your cavalier. As to why put an ecotec, thanks for catching my typo rather than my meaning to the post, in your car you should really pay attention to what Gm is doing with that motor because the options they are allotting are far more appealing than what is offered for a "Twin Cam" why does that remind me of nissan pulsars they had that on the quarter panel thats why. so when were you gonna get to the part about the factory's proof of this occurence you call impossible. wait you skipped that wonder why. now to clarify your miss calculation on Beretta engine bays. I have been doing collision repair for 25 years and these little cars are a pain in my ass but i have had to learn them to stay in business, mainly because kids like you get them gave to you by your parents and can't drive, but thanks for that because without people like you people like me would not be rich, basically thanks for your business. anyway my point a J body has the same front repair panels (frame rails) as a Beretta minus the core support which on a berreta is farther forward yes ,but the radiator is farther back where cavaliers are in the core support or with an 88 year core will go there. as long as you use te 88 only water neck or a pressurized tank off of a new year Gm any Gm cause the goofy muthers used the same parts over and over again. Have you ever worked on a 3.4L motor in any car? you can't change 2-4-6 plugs in them without dropping the motor in z-34 cars that were factory installs. Gm built the motor and then the car around it. as to why turbo a Push rod engine the reason for that is very simple a 3.4L could be turbo but the turboS would have to be under the car and well if it works for lingafelter guess it could work for me. thanks for the incentive to prove you wrong again now go back to your homework and get back to me at least i am opening your mind more even though you piss me off with your incolense. i'lll talk to you later and i'll see your mother tonight. peace!

The Twin Cam has been around for longer and has plenty more parts out there. After all, nothing beats a solid W41. The Quad 4 was pumping out number nearing 200 HP in the late 80's and early 90's and the design is nearly unchanged into the Twin Cam's. Yeah, the ecotec is GM's new love-child in the domestic market, who can argue with that. It still doesn't have an option to buy an aftermarket supercharger with factory warranties not being voided like the Twin Cam does. Unless, of course, you're counting the 2.0 ecotec, but that's still not as powerful as the cheaper Twin Cam with the bolt on SuperCharger.

Do your own research before you start claiming the superiority of the L61 or any other ecotec over the tried and proven LD9. Its a stronger motor, period.

As far as the effectiveness of the 3.4 DOHC - The motor is just plain absurd for usage in a J-Body. There are more powerful motors that have more support and are cheaper to mod/buy/repair.

As far as boosting, The Lingenfelter is a poor example, because its such a far stretch to compare to your average pushrods. I mean, any small block, especially from places like Lingenfelter, are built like absolute tanks using top-of-the-line components that are often highly-specialized. This is a far reach from the average tuner that has neither the money nor the ability to manufacture/install/maintain such a design. My point still stands, if you're dumb enough to install a 3.4 DOHC, then its your own fault for all the trouble you'll have for not going for something like a simple 3400 which is more compact, has better aftermarket, better transmission options, and is simply a better built motor pushing similar and slightly superior numbers.