Thread: 71 Camaro engine choice advice

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LS engines are getting overdone, because they are easy HP.. SBC's still get done because everybody knows them and has at least a spare part or more..

So, take the easy out of it... I'd build a 250 I6 with a turbocharger. You'll get some decent numbers out of it. The 250's did come in Camaro's and it would catch everyone's eye

If you wanted to piss people off, you could use a Toyota 1JZ twin turbo engine which are dirt cheap right now. Course it won't sound quite right

Originally Posted by Mike P

Seth I’m more into the nostalgia/sleeper stuff so take this with a big grain of salt. Personally my first impulse would be to throw a mild Big Block in it.

My second choice (and the one I’d really more likely do if I was going to drive the car much) would be to use a 350 or 383 with a good set of cast iron exhaust manifolds (something like the repop Corvette manifolds by Dorman or the Sanderson’s. I’d go the sleeper look on the engine. If I went with an aftermarket intake and heads I’d grind off the manufactures logo on the manifold and paint it and the heads engine color. Then I’d either go with the stock painted valve covers and air cleaner or chrome aftermarket ones with a 307 or low HP 350 air cleaner decal.

Basically that’s the formula I used when I built my 77 Mustang II coupe. With the 302 Decal on the aircleaner (and 302 emissions decal on the stock painted valve covers) it looked so stock under the hood nobody picked up on the fact that it was really a 351W with Edelbrock heads and intake.

By the way if you do go the fist gen SB route those old A6 AC compressors are about bullet proof, they draw a bit of HP but will last as long as about anything else …..and a lot better than the R4s that replaced them.

Like I said just my 2 cents.



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I'm not really a big block guy, to me they always seem like their a lot of iron per horsepower vs small block. I'm still a little on the fence on what to do even though my mind was made up yesterday . I don't even know why I'm trying to figure it out already cause I got a lot of work to do to the car b/f I need a motor. It's kinda good to keep an eye out for parts I guess. Against all input I still haven't ruled out running a sbc for the nostalgic reasons like you said. I found out I can get a running 97 vortec about 2 miles from here for about $400 and that comes with the pickup. I found that I can put valve cover adapters the run the 4 bolt covers on the heads to hide the fact that their vortec heads, if they don't notice the intake. Then I would just put an intake, cam and long tube headers on it. I don't know what it is about this car but it seems like its not a cut and dry decision. Like you said , that old school A6 compressor is pretty awesome on there too. I'll go take my ADD pills and let you know what I'm thinking tomorrow

Originally Posted by Matt167

LS engines are getting overdone, because they are easy HP.. SBC's still get done because everybody knows them and has at least a spare part or more..

So, take the easy out of it... I'd build a 250 I6 with a turbocharger. You'll get some decent numbers out of it. The 250's did come in Camaro's and it would catch everyone's eye

If you wanted to piss people off, you could use a Toyota 1JZ twin turbo engine which are dirt cheap right now. Course it won't sound quite right

That would be cool and different, but I think I'd miss the V8. A Toyota powered Camaro, that's wrong on so many levels

A 6 cylinder with no spark plugs would be sweet. LMAO! Since you don't want to do that kind of work, that Vortec 350 isn't a bad idea. I was watching hot Rod garage the other day and they put on one of holley's newest fuel injection kits on a car. It is the HP EFI Stealth. The throttle body looks like a 850 Double pumper. It looks pretty trick but is kind of pricey. Another thing you could do is get a FItech set up and put a 4 barrel manifold on the vortech 350. Then you'd have a roller 350 with fuel injection. But, I don't know how many of your stock brackets would work then.

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

That would be cool and different, but I think I'd miss the V8. A Toyota powered Camaro, that's wrong on so many levels

Not really that far off.. NUMMI built cars jointly for Toyota and GM 1984-2010. The FWD Nova was a Toyota

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

But, I don't know how many of your stock brackets would work then.

You just rained on my parade, I never thought of that with the different intake mounts. The brackets were a key part of going with the sbc. If I do quick math in my head , keep it all looking old school, I'd have to rebuild the old 350 therefore making it a 383, aftermarket heads, roller cam kit, intake, Fi tech, I'll be well over a LS1 price and that ain't worth it either. I'll check into the twin turbo Toyota or a Cummins.

Do they offer vortec heads with old style mounting provisions? I know you have a welder, modify them to work.

How about a Ferrari engine in a Camaro? Well actually a Firebird. At least one of the prototypes for the 2nd Gen was actually shaped based on Ferrari styling cues and built with a Ferrari engine.

Here's a link to some pics and a story.

1971 Pontiac Firebird Pegasus Concept Images. Photo 71-Pontiac-Pegasus-Concept-DV-12-AI_01.jpg

Supposedly, when the GM brass found out about the Italian power plant, they wouldn't allow it to be displayed at any of the auto shows. That's not in the story I linked to, but I remember reading that somewhere. It's a neat car and I'm glad it wasn't destroyed like many concepts.

It does have an interesting feature that could be incorporated into the right car. The air cleaner is attached to the hood so that when hood is raised, nothing gets in the way of viewing the Ferrari engine. Could be a cool feature with the right engine.

That's a pretty neat car, I can sure see a blend of different designs that were used. I wish they had a pic of the rear to see if it had round lights or Firebird or later gen II

I think I'm going to put this whole motor thing on the back burner for now unless something I like falls in my lap. I'm finding myself spending too much time looking and trying to figure it out when It will be awhile b/f I need it. Thanks for the input so far though.From the info on here I think at the very least, a non roller came sbc probably won't happen and so it will be between a running Vortec or a LS1. Maybe I'll invent a quick coupler so I can have the LS down the road and the SBC when I show people the engine.

Go buy this and then think on it.

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts...225237265.html

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Go buy this and then think on it.

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts...225237265.html

I hate you Ok, educate me on the LT1, is it an orphan. I did look at them and their cheap but I know nothing about the Tuned Port thing. ( ps, gotta be an automatic, I got sick of shifting the T/A )

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

I hate you Ok, educate me on the LT1, is it an orphan. I did look at them and their cheap but I know nothing about the Tuned Port thing. ( ps, gotta be an automatic, I got sick of shifting the T/A )

OK, ok, I'll buy the 6 speed from you. Click this link and go about 3/4s the way down the page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevro...2.80.931997.29

I wouldn't say they are an orphan. They were used in a lot of street rods in the 80s-90s. These were the LS engines of that time frame IMO. They get really decent mileage as long as you have a 700r4 or equivalent trans, and were pretty reliable. These still used a dist instead of the opti spark like the 94 up ones. That is probably the worst part of the later LT1s of this ear. I've heard the only down fall is getting special tunes made since these require a burned chip but I've only ever messed with stock ones like these. I had a couple 95 up ones but they changed the intakes on them.

It isn't a real muscle car without 3 pedals is what I keep getting told.......

Man, this guy is crazy. Don't these things run hot?

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts...272950546.html

Here's another option for you that isn't too far away. Couple hours?

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts...207751175.html

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Man, this guy is crazy. Don't these things run hot?

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts...272950546.html

I think so, I wouldn't trust that guy I'll explain the mess to them

I bet the sbc in the Nova is getting replaced with an LS motor.