Taking this to a step-back-and-think project model -- Buy a running car, like the red S4 5-speed from right by you Texas listed recently at $15k. Park it next to your '81 4.5l car with the blown engine. Drive the red car around a bit. Decide if it's worth doing all the cleaning and pretty-prep that you did on the '81. Drive the red car around a bit more. Keep looking at the LS conversion, talking with Tony about how much time talent patience and budget were consumed by his similar project. Drive the red car around a bit more.

---

Consider how you can buy a running car for less than the cost of a refurb 4.5/4.7L engine. We are at the odd point in car model life where finding good used pieces costs more than a running example. The Renegade conversion, done well and with all the ancillary work, costs way more than a running example. That said, if you have a car that has had all the rest of the car maintained perfectly, and you don't mind the future collector value being affected, and you plan to drive the car to get the value out of it.... Then hybrid resto-mod route makes perfect sense. Still, I'd budget at least $25k and at least a year unless the conversion is a full-time passion. Then go drive the red car around a bit.

 

Best perspective I've seen about engine swaps. Most engine swaps are started because it's cheaper....

 

Or buy an already moded car and let someone else take the depreciation.

 

Just sent you a PM about a possible 928 engine solution I may have for you

 

L92 ,, cheaper and 400+ out of the box, in my area its a 5500 dollar package with ECU/Harness/Pedal and what the vendor calls a refresh light, he opens it up checks for significant issues and puts it back together,, new head gaskets seals oilpan gasket etc.. The L92 is the Escalade motor.. and some Z71 trucks all aluminum.

But if you hang out on the LS forum,, youll see what guys that do it all on their own end up with cost-wise on Porsche swaps,, 15K out the door seems to be about average.. 17 to 20 if you can't do the work yourself. Significant wiring issues to make all the Porsche stuff work in the chassis ,, you have to turn the Porsche ECU into a piggy back if you want all the gages and body computers to do thier jobs. Model definitely affects difficulty..

I've built enough ground up race cars to know the last 10% takes 90% of the time and costs 2/3 the budget..

 

I will bet Tony has a lot more than 20 k in that engine swap.....

And you know he has done it right.....!!!

 

I use the 90/10 rule for stuff like this, plus even pro projects where someone has a 3-step outline view of a 2000-detailed-step project. The first 90% of the project takes 90% of the planned time and 90% of the budget. The last 10% takes another 90% of the planned time and 90% of the planned budget.

Look at some of the conversion cars here, and [gently...] ask about the total investment in time and dollars. Include the tinkering- and brainstorming-hours, the hours spent trying to source or fabricate pieces that otherwise don't exist. Don't forget all the WYAIT time & $$, upgrades to $u$pen$ion and brakes$, plus all the tuning and driveability work after the nuts and bolts are tightened. My working examples include is that black car in Florida that's been a multi-year project, Tony's cars, even Sterling's car that started out as a "simple" vario-cam adaptation. These are all labor-of-love projects that would stretch most owner's patience and budgets well beyond breaking points.

A casual associate back in Pasadena received a windfall project bonus for something he was working on. He announced to the group that he was going to have a Lambo Gallardo for the years of work. That turned into a 1000cc BMW two-wheeler, the change left after his wife's house-upgrade program and taxes. Moral: Make Sure your budget agrees with hers, especially when it expands/explodes.

 

Yes, Just Peachy, Empty Shell and my car are expensive builds.....probably $100,000 plus if you pay a shop to build them. What I don't understand is that people have no problem dropping 100k plus for a 69 Camero with LS and all the bells and whistles, but if you mention Porsche 928 being built in the same manner, all of sudden it is crazy.

A "LS" engine is a perfect upgrade for the 928. The kits and support for the swap are a phone call away. The option of LS engine to Porsche drive train is a simple kit from Renegade....very affordable. If you want to step it up and spend more money, then get with Carl at 928 motorsports and install the corvette drive train. Just like all builds, there is different levels and costs.

All I can say to the naysayers out there, is the LS conversion cars are a blast to drive, super reliable, any shop can work on them and parts are endless and cheap.

DonaldBuswell.....do your homework and don't be afraid of the conversion, you will love the outcome.

 

I think you contacted us to ask if we would bore just one cylinder and put in a piston. If it wasn't you, then I have another one in my voicemail asking the same question.

My answer is "No Thank You". The end result of just over-boring and replacing one cylinder is an engine inherently out of balance. Seven pistons of similar sizes, and one that is heavier than all the rest by a good margin. You can try to balance that at the crank, but its hard to take out the harmonic vibrations it will cause even if you do. I just am not a fan. Then consider 7 cylinders with old clearances and rings, and one cylinder that's tighter than all the rest with new rings. No thank you. I'm sure you can find a shop to do it, but I don't recommend it.

Maybe I'm just getting old and fussy, but I like to replace pistons in matching sets of 8 at a time.

 

Jimmy Wehl (Rennlist) put a 5.8L Chev motor into a '79 car.
Used a Renegade Hybrid kit - no issues.
Local powerboat engine builder produced a 485 crank HP engine.
Jimmy took me for a run on his roller coaster mountain back road.
I think my fingerprints are still in the centre console and dash. LOL

https://members.rennlist.com/1jim928/

 

Then you could go down a different path re an LS engine conversion: 6.0L turbo 6sp.
Dynoed at 800HP (Can't find chart atm. Grrr).

Charles is an experienced (and hands-on) mechanical engineer, so his approach is only for the hard-core committed.

http://www.haultech.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=586

 

flip side, for $500 each plus the cost of bore/hone you could just get the thing steel-sleeved and use new hotness pistons.

 

I like Eric's suggestion, which I will run to ground. I appreciate the time it takes to re engineer something, then, if successful, you have an aberition, nothing is proper, One lifter is locked up from rust, which I think I will retain the Porsche engine in a Porsche car, If I want a Chevy, my rich gf has a Corvette! lol And I did not expect this engine to be pristine.

 

I like easy access!

I actually like challenges.

Of course, a mess.

My buddy Mike has been after me for months to tear this motor apart, as he has 2x 944s. I always refused bc I wanted to do it and place things in proper bags and boxes, etc. Your buddy never does, just leaves a pile.




This really disturbs me, I would never do this, as they come out, they get layed down nicely and the rod caps and bolts and nuts and bearings goes back together as one unit. I now know with surety that my buddy will NOT assist in anything else in this manner!

 

Cool how the bearing numbers are stained on the crank!



Impressive work!