fixing 91 camaro

ok guys, bear with me, i am not a car person, so i'm going to put this in "chick" terms. my husband has a 91 camaro RS that has been sitting for the past 2-3 years. he thinks it is the transmission that is broke.

he is being deployed to iraq and his brother and i would like to get it running again before he gets back. the car is a V6, but he has always wanted to make it a V8, which he says requires a new transmission anyway.

i would like to know where to begin. i know a few guys who can help me out with the labor and someone who knows how to paint it (i think).

how much do you think it would cost to change engines and transmission? paint? where do i get the parts? any suggestions on what else to do to it?

thanks so much for your help
shawlyn

Cost is something that is highly variable , but as far as changing from a v6 to a v8 is a job. You will need a new engine(for obvious reasons) new transmission, new drive train, new rear end, and i believe you have to upgrade the suspension(stonger springs in the front at least). Now as far as cost goes it really depends on where you get these parts and who installs them, if you have someone that will do it for free or cheap it wont cost a whole lot if you buy used parts. I know my local salvage yard will sell an all the parts needed for $500 give or take some. As far as paint it really depends on what quality paint job your looking for. Maaco will paint a car for as cheap as $300 assuming no prep work to do, or you can paint it for a few thousand dollars. Now from what your saying about knowing someone that can paint it you can get it painted for relatively cheap depending on the paint you get. A decent looking paint will run you $100-$150/gallon but you should only need one gallon for that type of car. or you can do the really easy thing and just give it to me :)

Check out this thread http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=597797

It tells you pretty much everything you need to know about swapping a v6 to a v8. It would be more cost affective to buy a v8 camaro.

how much is he attached to this car and what is your price range? if youre price can go possibly as high as 7K or so, you can do a LOT to it.

if it is about that much, as others have suggested, and hes not attached to it, get a mechanic to help you-and go look for a v8 camaro of about the same year

if he is attached to it, find a car guy who you trust.

such lazy suggestions. a decent used motor and trans can be had for around $500, you'll need the computer and engine wire harness to go with it. the rear end won't need to be changed, neither will the driveshaft. just the motor mounts and I've heard ppl say the V6's came with different springs and struts, still parts that can be had for a decent price. more specifics of what type of V8 will be needed to give you a better idea of cost and other parts needed. Yea, it's cheaper to just buy a V8 car if you plan on paying someone else to do all the work, but if you do it yourself, then you'll be saving a bundle.

i hope u arent talking about an ls1 and a t56.....be lucky to find the tranny at all and the ls is still going for over a G...now a lt1...hell i picked up my second block for 250 to get the 396 started ...im sure u can do it and not kill yourself, its just what u want the finished product to be able to put out...ive done that swap on a friends car, and almost done on my old v6, but i wrecked the car right when the tranny and engine work got completed....5 days away from the swap lol....

i didnt even think of the wiring harness...im used to my carburetor

The cost is going to vary depending on what you want for an engine and transmission and induction system.
The difficulty will be a constant if it is going to be a DIY (with help) project.
First is going to be removal of the old engine, transmission and engine wiring harness. The engine & trans are removed as 1 piece and is pretty easy. The wiring harness you need to be careful not to remove too much. It would be best if you had someone that knew what all goes to just the engine and had them remove it.
Next remove the old engine mounts and bolt in new ones for a V8, they cost $20-$25 each at an auto parts store. After that, remove the front coil springs and install new ones for a V8, about $35 each at the parts store. At this point I would rebuild the entire front suspension including new front struts. This can be expensive, $260 for the front end kit from PST and about $120 each for struts. Those won't be high performance struts, just plain jane struts.

Now is where the prices go up, engine and transmission. Scoggins Dickey has a very nice TPI replacement engine for around $3500 + shipping. It is rated at 360hp and comes with ALMOST everything you need. You'd need to get a pair of runners, a throttlebody and a plenum ($150 on E bay for all of it) to complete the induction system (it comes with the base manifold). For the transmission, check E bay for a seller out of N.C.. He does good work on his rebuilds and is very easy to work with if there is a problem. Be sure to tell him you need a transmission with the plastic speedo gear in the tail housing for a 91 Firebird/Camaro with the electronic speedometer. His transmissions (that will handle the power of that engine) run about $1000.
The engine wiring harness is going to be hard to find from anywhere other than Painless, $270 from Summit for the correct speed density harness. You can pick up a 730 ECM off E bay for around $50 and your local Chevy dealer can order you a Memcal ( PROM chip and carrier) for around $100.

Little things you'll need:
Distributor $50-$80 on E bay
8 injectors....about $200/set
Knock sensor for a 350...$40
MAP sensor...$40
Throttle position sensor...$35
Idle air control motor....$40
Coolant temp sensor...$7
Air inlet temp sensor....$7
Trottle cable....$30 ish
Transmission crossmenber/trans mount..a few $ at a junkyard, new trans mount for X member ..$20
Upper engine mounts (bolt to engine) about $15 each
Coolant temp SENDER (for gauge)...$15
Oil pressure sender/switch...$40
Get your sensors/senders at Advance auto or the like, not the dealer and don't use old used ones.
There are other things I'm sure I'm forgetting, but as you can see it adds up quickly.

I, personally would stay clear of junkyard engines and transmissions, you are just buying a time bomb, sooner or later its gonna blow.

Paint and supplies you can get for around $400 if you use Omni paints. Check the local paint supply stores.

All of this is going to get expensive, especially for a military man/woman. I know they don't get paid much (unless he is an officer), at least we didn't when I was in 14 years ago.