J, I like the rear wing and thats staying. Looks like Greg did the reverse, put GTS wide fenders on an S4. Same effect isn't it? I just don't like that red reflector strip running across the back of my car and most others feel the same. There is a pole (I could not find) on Rennlist asking viewers, and it came up approx 62% favoring the S4 bumper over the GTS rear bumper. There is a numbers matching 67 Corvette on ebay for a "Buy it Now" price of $ 1,967,000. There is another below for $ 219,999. These are rare examples but you can buy a nice, big block, mild custom, 67 Corvette that may not be all factory correct for between $ 60,000 - 80,000. That would be me, buying the tastefully done, mild custom for lets say $ 65,000. T

 

That's what I did on mine, I had the rear quarters widened, but decided to keep my S4 cover.
Sterling did as well.

Paul

 

T,
I applaud your willingness to change engines in the pursuit of more HP and performance! The value/HP is definately biased toward the LSx engines, and the benefit of less weight, cheaper maintenance, and modern EFI. I looked at this myself, and have decided to stay with my 4.7L Euro S engine, but change to Megasquirt3 for modern EFI control. I can see why others are saying "don't mess with a rare car", but to each his own! Enjoy the project, then have fun with the end result.

 

Just saw this one.

Figure it takes at a minimum of 4 hours to pull the GTS engine, then you have countless hours on the install/troubleshooting the install/converstion engine. You are looking at about 40 hours minimum for all of this. I wouldn't touch this job for less than $4k in labor alone. I sure wouldn't even think about taking a 75% pay cut to assist either.

 

"All systems go" from my understanding wife for what I am about to possibly do. I think the way to go is this: Keep the GTS Motor covered and on a pallat in our garage. The GTS motor wil not accumulate any miles, and is according to most everyone out there, just plain gold in value if we ever elect to sell this GTS way down the road. If we were ever to sell the GTS, we can offer it a few ways. Buy the GTS with the reinstalled, low mile GTS motor, or buy it with the LS3 motor. I wish I would have had those choices when I purchased his GTS. T

 

Ding Ding Ding! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

If you maintain the original engine (be sure to learn what the best option is for storing a complete 928 engine) and the other mods can be reversed, except paint, then I'm all for it.

The GTS is the last of a rare hand built supercar that is not in favor with the collectible crowd. Keeping all it's bits together is the right and most financially prudent thing to do in the long run.

I love the mods. Don't worry about clearance issues in the engine bay. The 5.0/5.4 litre engines are about the widest engines I've seen / worked on.

Like Landseer said (I think that was him) For cost/weight and performance I'd be looking hard at the new Ford Coyote engine.

Good luck with the engine swap. They never go as easily as one would hope. Lot's of gotchas integrating the electrical systems on the CE Panel. That thing is a bear in a stock car.

Regardless, this car should be a lot of fun. You might start thinkning about how you are going to get traction to the ground.

 

Is that an LSx-based engine? If not, I would suggest not going that route. The LS based engines like you are considering are all aluminum, have six-bolt mains and the blocks are known to support over 1000hp. No need for some engine builder to sell you a bells and whistles engine when the LS stuff already has it. It is extremely easy to make ridiculous amounts of power with one if you choose to do so.

An engine builder in that instance is more interested in selling you something they built rather than helping you achieve a goal you may want. You can bet they won't help with it going into a 928!

 

I think once the alternate power plant is installed, the vehicle is then modded past the point where reinstallation of the engine would bring the vehicle back into the higher price range.

Kind of like a supercharger. I discover one was installed at some point, it doesn't matter what countermanding maintenence was done to the engine and drivetrain upon removal, its out of my relevant set.

Nothing like paying 50-100K for a specimen and somebody posting pictures of it with a completely different set up in it.

 

most of those folks are killed and eaten....

 

too many little bones.



Use the search feature for the whole Rennlist site: "Renegade conversion" mostly 944 related stuff will emerge, but some 928 discussions. I've never seen a Dwayne-style write-up. Its probably ripe for somebody to produce that kind of build document.

Might be necessary and prudent to factor-in production of a pictorial build document. This would add credibility to the quality of the build for resale purposes. Its a common thing these days.

 

The high dollar builds aren't a few guys with tools, conversion parts and a plan. Its multiple shops collaborating from Pro-engineer 3-D models, CAD drawings and CAM parts. Engineering hours and shop hours.

 

Haven't kept up on this thread complete, but I have a question that may or may not have been asked.

If T decides to store the GTS motor, installs the SBC, then put miles on the chassis/odometer...
and if the GTS motor is reinstalled at a later date...
there would be a mileage discrepancy which may heavily affect value.

Not that any of this is important to T because he will keep the car forever. Just hypothesizing.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking

I have a hard on for an AM Vantage but the early 07's are puny 4.3L 380HP. Would love to dump a new Jag 5.0L short block and make the Aston heads fit, but hell, I then thought yesterday of just putting in the new Ford 5.0L and upgrading it. I know they will eventually have more interesting engine packages based on the 5.0L updates, and damn is $7,000 cheap in comparison to other stuff. Then that 550HP aluminum block supercharged engine looks good, but 20,000 is a bit much.

now to find a blown motor AM Vantage with the 6 speed manual.....

 

T,

Now you are talking! The other nice thing is that the GTS rear bumper cover is the only one you can buy from the factory anymore. So for the most part if/when you were to ever sell the GTS, keeping the 5.4 motor a new owner would easily be able to convert it all back to factory. Exception being the shaved side markers, but I doubt anyone would want to put those back anyway frankly!

I like your latest plan! Good luck picking the right engine. You have had a bunch of Vette's and friends with custom's so I know you will find the powertrain that best fits your application here. I am with Jon, keep it simple. As long as that custom built job is based on LSx parts and such then it will still be an inexpensive motor to maintain, if OTOH it has all kinds of custom parts on it the thing won't be any cheaper on the parts front than a 928 motor.

Can't wait to hear more!

Chris,

The S/C or Turbo deal on an engine you are buying it TOTALLY DIFFERENT than this. T will be able to take this car back to completely stock (other than the things mentioned above and the color change...and yes those will effect value) but if you had an S/C or Turbo on a 928 motor, well, if things were not done right from day ONE (and maybe even if they were) then there is ALL KINDS of extra wear and tear on that motor and stresses that it was not engineered to take...not that it can't take them, but it was not designed with them in mind. So, yea, that would be a different deal to me for sure too. In T's case if he did nothing other than the interior mods and the engine and kept the originals of both and I wanted to buy his car but wanted it stock and he offered to put it all back, I would pay full value for a low mile very nice GTS. The shaved markers and color change would effect the "average" collectors decision and those are done now, but the engine and interior can go 100% back to stock as shipped.

 

Hey T I wish you a smooth install as it seems like your mind is made up on which engine you are going with.
I think it is smart to keep the # matching engine for if you sell down the road.

I have done more then a few conversions and experimental engines on North American iron.

327 and power-glide in a ranger(stupid fast). experimental 486ci stroker in a AMX Javelin (went like F*#n stink)
75 Cutlass supreme 425 crank in a 455 Bal Blu 7"rods ported 1080cfm holly dyno'd 667 Hor with no boost (latter bars hooked it up and I 1/4 mile'd it). many many 350 hotrods
to name a few.

Anyway, I have found that all NA iron engines that push the HP limit don't last more then a season or 2.
So I am going to be careful with my 302/5L 928 engine and slowly bring it up to a HP that stays reliable.
From what I read that is at the big block NA iron range (imagine that)

Another reason for me to stay with the original engine is that it is my first porsche and I am still in the bragging frame of mind.
I also like the cool overhead cam engine look, potential, and mod options that I intent to use up before I alter my 89 Euro to much.

Good luck, the Dart engine looks good, can't wait to see you on the street