ford big block in 82 chevy camro

[mech1984]

I'm starting an project with an 82 chevy camro and I wanted to take the old small block chevy out and put in a ford 460w new eagle crank and supercharger and elderbrook intake/C6 tranny. I want to know will this give me the power i'm looking for. I have been told that the weight of the 460 will take away from power and I should get a 350 and fix it up and i'll get the same results from it as with the 460

[OverBoardProject]

Most people will think that your nuts to drop a Ford motor into a Chevy. They cost more for parts, and to build.

I would try looking into a Cadalac 502 motor if you want a monster motor to start with. If you can find a 1970 they are high compression

Any big motor will kill your handling

[kahjdh]

I would get an lt-1 and put it in there if you want power. It is a high performance 350 and shouldnt be that hard to put in.

[Aces0vr8s]

an Lt-1 would be nice but if you want big block power a 460 isnt the way to go get a chevy 427 one of the baddest motors on the block cant find one? of course you cant try for a 396 what no 396 either figures..get a 454 and de stroke it have a 427 and your good to go

[badasstour]

just put in a 351C or a 351M

[MagicRat]

Folks, a pushrod Ford 351C, 351M and 460 will not fit in the Camaro chassis.
They all have front sumps on the oil pan. The Chevy V8 is a rear-sump.
Therefore, the Camaro front cross member is right where the Ford oil pan has to go.
Stick a Chevy engine in the thing and save yourself a massive headache.

[trinogt]

It is blasphemy to put an engine in a vehicle from a different make. The Ford 460 is a killer engine, and has incredible bang for the buck... It is also easy to find in rebuildable condition compared to the chev big blocks.
For the reply about oil pan sumps, Ford trucks and cars had either a front or rear sump. Besides, since when does the need for a modified or custom oil pan and pickup stop someone from using any engine in a project car? It is not a big deal with a basic mig welder.

My advice is to stick with a gm engine in that gm car. Or, if you want Ford reliability and power that bad, get a Ford or Mercury car to build instead. There are many choices of great engines in the Ford stables. Some have been around in some shape or form for many years. Parts may be a little more money (unless it is a 5.0), but you will have a unique engine that not everyone in town will have. That's the beauty of a Ford. Not limited to a 350 or a 454.

[OverBoardProject]

Originally Posted by trinogt

It is blasphemy to put an engine in a vehicle from a different make.

This logic kinda screws me up with my rods.

It's a little tough for me to stick a rodded Essex or Hudson motor in my old cars. They just don't exist.

I think that this thread is a little old, and he's probably either done the job already or decided not to. Although if he's done the job I hope that he submit's the pic's

[trinogt]

It's a little tough for me to stick a rodded Essex or Hudson motor in my old cars. They just don't exist.



In your case, yeah, limited number vehicles are in a specialty class, in which almost anything goes as far as power train. I was talking mainly about the BIG american auto manufactures (the ones that are still around to this day). I am into restomods when it comes to old 30's cars, but if it's a '34 Ford, why not stick with a modern Ford 5.0? If it's an old chev, stick in a readily available smallblock 350? That's the idea. I know there are a lot of people who simply don't care, but the idea of an 'Updated Ford' or 'updated chev' (restomod), keeping the right brand name parts on each vehicle, is what seems to make the most sense.
Guys like Chip Foose seem to be really driving that idea home, and it really works for him.

Hey, I see on your car list you have a diesel Topaz... I have a '90 Tempo. How is that diesel doing? I heard they get great mileage and last a long time. (I got 220,000 on my 2.3 gas job, and it still doesn't use a drop of oil!)
I would like to find a diesel Tempo/Topaz some day (in good shape).

[OverBoardProject]

Ya the Diesel is one great car.
About 50mpg all around. I go about 600 miles on a tank.
I've got 180,000 miles on it, and it only used oil when the valve cover gasket needed replacing.
It's off the road for the winter.

I know what you mean about cars sticking to their own brand of motor. I also like to see a Chev rear end under a Chev, and not a 9"

But most of those 30's rods are just cheap copies of the real thing. So most people are trying to run the cheapest motor to build.

Your right, that is starting to change though. People are starting to use Ford motors in their rods, and the aftermarket companies are starting to make parts for our builds.
It'll easily cost me $5000.00 less to finish each of these cars than 5 years ago,since I won't have to get as many items custom built.

I'll hopefully get the (Chevy S10) frame for the 4 door after the holidays, and might start working on it. (If I can colect some of the oney owing to me)

[trinogt]

50 mpg Topaz? Wow, that is like the VW TDI, alright! Does it have as much power as the TDI? I assume no, if it's not a turbo diesel. Or, is it a turbo? Was it a small tank, like 12 gallon? I think that is what my Tempo has, as I have never put more than 11.5 gallons in it. I heard the TDI gets 1000 miles, so it must be a 20 gallon.
Is it pretty noisy?
I heard that Mitsubishi made the engine, but I also heard recently someone else did... Wish I could find one of these beasts!
I believe it was the same engine Ford used in the Ranger diesels. my dad had a 1983 diesel, non-turbo.

I think the main reason that the Ford 9 inch is so prevalent in many performance cars, is that it really was one of the toughest differentials around for many years. It also does not use C-clips, which when an axle gets broken, will allow an axle to slide right out, wheel and all, while going down the track. (I've seen it, a chev camaro)
There are now modern versions of the 9 inch built by Moser, and all kinds of new companies, built for high hp and 4 link, reinforced all over for strength.
NHRA would not (and probably still does not)allow chev rears on 1/4 mile tracks in competition (depending on class).
It's a good thing there are so many 9 inch pumpkins at the junkyards. Ford used the 9 inch on all the trucks until 1980's.
Midsize and larger cars all got the 9 inch up to the early 80's as well. Some with disc brakes (Lincoln Versailles)
Mark

[OverBoardProject]

I'll answer the questions as good as I can trinogt;

A 5 speed VW TDI gets 65mpg. I'm not sure if that's US or Imperian gallons. There is a big difference between the 2. It goes 1200KM on a tank, so that's about 750 miles. This would all depend on the driver of course, and is also based on sea level air pressure.

It's actually a pretty quiet Diesel. It sounds like a gas powered Tpaz with a small hole in the muffler and tapping valves. I wish that it had a turbo, and it is a little guttless.

Mitsubishi makes good Diesels but you'll never find them in a Ford, unless it's aftermarket (which mine isn't) The Diesels found in the Tempo's, Topaz, and even some Escorts was made by Mazda. You can probably find them in the Mazda 626 and simular cars but I just don't know for sure. Plus they used a simular motor in the Mazda Pickup.

From what I understand they used the same motor in the Ford Ranger, as they did in the Mazda Pickup (2.5L compaied to my 2.0L, plus the pickups were a push rod design and mine is overhead cam)
However I was also told that Ford also used another Diesel in some other Rangers. Some were turbo charged, but not all.
The way to tell the Mazda motor apart from the other brand is they used 2 oil filters on the Mazda.

I'm in the middle of updating my web site, and I should have more pics added including the motors shortly after the hollidays ( My Topaz is at mom's 8 hours from where I'm living now)

[trinogt]

I've actually driven an A4 Jetta TDI. It was a new 2004 model, before the change. Very good power in this car! No downshift needed with that kind of torque. Very quiet on the road, with no diesel fumes or smoke. The direct injection diesel technology has come a long way to make diesels clean and whisper quiet.

You must be talking imperial gallons when you say 65 mpg. I am in the US, so 50 is the norm here for TDI's, although the new A5 TDI's aren't reporting as good on fuel, for some reason. (heavier car???)
I belong to a VW forum, and someone there gets 1000 miles to a tank. (1600 kms) When I lived in Canada, I remember a tv commercial that said you could drive from Lethbridge, Alberta, to Vancouver, BC on a tank in a TDI. Are you in Canada?

I remember knowing someone with a diesel Tempo years ago, but I didn't really look at it very closely. I now look to find them on ebay. How are parts to find (engine)? I know other stuff is relatively easy to get at junkyards.
I had to find my dad a blown up diesel out of a Ranger so he could get an injector pump for his own Ranger. Found it in an ad through the paper. (the pump was new just before engine blew... I think someone got the timing wrong)

[OverBoardProject]

Right now i'm living in Courtenay BC (Vancouver Island)
I just moved here form Kelowna area.

When I did a cross Canada trip in Feb I filled up once per province. Driving up to Winnipeg, then I flew from there and took the train back to Winnipeg.
I never used a full tank of fuel up, usually having about 1/4 tank left. Total bill was $300.00 Canadian

Things lile belts, waterpumps starters are either in stock or a day away.
The last time that I heard there was only 1 gasket set in Canada and I know the person that got it.

If I need a motor that 1 person wrote his car off shortly afterwords, and he has the motor and transmission sitting in his garage. He put a new head (not rebuilt) on it when he changed the gasket.

There's a company in Vernon that can re-build my fuel pump if needed for about $500.00 candian.

I don't really buy autowreck parts, unless I have to.
I get a pretty good discount on new parts, and if I figure that I might need several used parts I just get a parts vehicle. Then as soon as I get what I need I usually give it away. These people will always let me take more parts off if needed.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by trinogt

For the reply about oil pan sumps, Ford trucks and cars had either a front or rear sump. Besides, since when does the need for a modified or custom oil pan and pickup stop someone from using any engine in a project car? It is not a big deal with a basic mig welder.
.

While I agree with your general comments I take issue with this statement.

I stated 'avoid a massive headache'. IMO is would be a headache for a novice to make this swap and modify an oil pan
Yes, mech1984 is a novice, or else he would not post this question.

As for rear sumps on Fords, yes many Ford engines have rear sumps, but the 385 engine family (429, 460) never did, as far as I know.
If they did (and I am not being sarcastic) I would be genuinely interested to know the model and year.