Engine Swap Cost

[das internet]

approximately what would it cost (labor hours) to perform an engine swap given the following criteria:




classic car



crate engine





figure crate 350 ~$2k labor ~$2k, can it go much over that? can you get it done much cheaper than that?

thanks

[Noisyninja]

I once heard a good rule of thumb is to figure out a reasonable estimate...

and then add $10k.

[MightyDSM]

If you must ask...

[200HP4dr]

Any chance you could be more vague? Assuming the classic car is that impala, and the engine you want to put in is a 350, it would be a simple swap if the car started life as a 283. Exhaust will be simple as well.

I'd budget $6k for the swap, assuming you want things like Serpentine belt, OD trans (used) fuel pump, water pump, intake carb, etc.

Chris

[Broduski]

If you have to pay a shop to put a small block Chevy into a Chevy car.

Stop. Just stop.

[Eightysixturbo]

these responses

[BattleRabbit]

Well, I'm going to assume that the classic car you want to use is a Borgward Isabella, and you want to drop the engine out of a Ferrari 458 into it.

If you budget for all the fabrication, the custom transmission, rear axle, and suspension... It should run you about tree fiddy.

[Vamped]

Try asking your local shops, or friends..........these douche loungers in here only talk miatas and hyundai's!

[LethaOne]

I'll do it for seven cherry gumballs and an awesome high-five.

Trust me. I can do it no problems. I watched that RB26 swap into a Mustang scene in Tokyo Drift at least 30 times.

[Noisyninja]

Try asking your local shops, or friends..........these douche loungers in here only talk miatas and hyundai's!

Your troll-dar is broke.

[bringtheshred]

If you have to pay a shop to put a small block Chevy into a Chevy car.

Stop. Just stop.

Pretty much this right here.

[das internet]

Any chance you could be more vague? Assuming the classic car is that impala, and the engine you want to put in is a 350, it would be a simple swap if the car started life as a 283. Exhaust will be simple as well.

I'd budget $6k for the swap, assuming you want things like Serpentine belt, OD trans (used) fuel pump, water pump, intake carb, etc.

Chris

thank you for the response, 200HP4dr.

If you have to pay a shop to put a small block Chevy into a Chevy car.

Stop. Just stop.

you have got some nerve.

Well, I'm going to assume that the classic car you want to use is a Borgward Isabella, and you want to drop the engine out of a Ferrari 458 into it.

If you budget for all the fabrication, the custom transmission, rear axle, and suspension... It should run you about tree fiddy.

good joke. is that from South Park, season 11?

[Murderface]

Ever consider a 2JZ swap? Might have to go to France to source one though

[das internet]

Try asking your local shops, or friends..........these douche loungers in here only talk miatas and hyundai's!

I am kind of disappointed here. the guy posts the jay-z pic and now I'm guaranteed to not get any legitimate responses. yeah, I get it, that engine has jay-z's rap handle in its name it's like a play on words. maybe because my original post was just posting pictures with no effort to show any enthusiast cred, so it's my fault, I brought this on myself, what's done is done. Make no mistake to those who are reading, this is a serious question, I merely wanted to see what would be considered a ballpark fair price.
I used a bel-air and a small block in my example in order to provide for the efficacy since I wanted to control for any of the complications that always arise when doing swaps on more modern cars. Perhaps someone has experience with such a swap, and, because it's relatively simple, someone has experience having it done on the cheap. However it is clear that I have erred in my judgment in asking this car forum for information on cars.

[Aonarch]

What engine, what car?

[Vamped]

Your troll-dar is broke.

I am kind of disappointed here. the guy posts the jay-z pic and now I'm guaranteed to not get any legitimate responses. yeah, I get it, that engine has jay-z's rap handle in its name it's like a play on words. maybe because my original post was just posting pictures with no effort to show any enthusiast cred, so it's my fault, I brought this on myself, what's done is done. Make no mistake to those who are reading, this is a serious question, I merely wanted to see what would be considered a ballpark fair price.
I used a bel-air and a small block in my example in order to provide for the efficacy since I wanted to control for any of the complications that always arise when doing swaps on more modern cars. Perhaps someone has experience with such a swap, and, because it's relatively simple, someone has experience having it done on the cheap. However it is clear that I have erred in my judgment in asking this car forum for information on cars.

Sucks man, good luck with your build!

[EUROTHRASH]

good joke. is that from South Park, season 11?

Now I'm going out on a limb here, but were you trying to be funny?

[BattleRabbit]

Is there any reason you couldn't have said "I want to swap X-model of crate motor into Y-model of car. Including all the necessary ancilliary parts, approximately what should this cost? My budget is Z-dollars. Can I do this within budget?"

Instead you post two pictures. If you wanted serious responses you would have put more effort into your original post. You came here asking for BS, and you got it.

[lorge1989]

Is there any reason you couldn't have said "I want to swap X-model of crate motor into Y-model of car. Including all the necessary ancilliary parts, approximately what should this cost? My budget is Z-dollars. Can I do this within budget?"

Instead you post two pictures. If you wanted serious responses you would have put more effort into your original post. You came here asking for BS, and you got it.

Yep.

[BattleRabbit]

Now I'm going out on a limb here, but were you trying to be funny?

You know how if you edit your response soon enough after you make a post it shows up without the little italicized "edited at: 97865893425" thingy? That's what he did. The first time I refreshed this thread after he made that post it just said "good joke "

I do believe, my fellow TCL'ers, that we are in fact dealing with a bada** over here.

[das internet]

Sucks man, good luck with your build!

thanks.

Now I'm going out on a limb here, but were you trying to be funny?

was he?

Is there any reason you couldn't have said "I want to swap X-model of crate motor into Y-model of car. Including all the necessary ancilliary parts, approximately what should this cost? My budget is Z-dollars. Can I do this within budget?"

Instead you post two pictures. If you wanted serious responses you would have put more effort into your original post. You came here asking for BS, and you got it.

I don't know the rules as well as you do, battlerabbit. There are plenty of message board on the internet where you can ask a simple question without having to prove that you are worthy to have a question answered, perhaps by someone with real-world experience instead of just the same regulars who post in every thread regardless of whether it's relevant to them. I am aware of the error in my ways and am rectifying this issue by asking people who don't post on message boards for all my car advice going forward.
However perhaps there is a reason that there are no threads already existing on this matter. The knowledge base isn't there with this board. You only see build threads made by non-regulars.

[clutch_dust]

I had a '69 Impala a long few months ago, and I swapped a 350/350 in there for about $750. Do your own research or you'll just look like a dumbass when you come here asking simple/vague questions such as this.

[das internet]

I had a '69 Impala a long few months ago, and I swapped a 350/350 in there for about $750. Do your own research or you'll just look like a dumbass when you come here asking simple/vague questions such as this.

Instead of putting more effort into posting I will just stop posting. I would like to know where that $750 went if you don't mind my asking, clutch_dust.

[BattleRabbit]

I don't know the rules as well as you do, battlerabbit. There are plenty of message board on the internet where you can ask a simple question without having to prove that you are worthy to have a question answered, perhaps by someone with real-world experience instead of just the same regulars who post in every thread regardless of whether it's relevant to them. I am aware of the error in my ways and am rectifying this issue by asking people who don't post on message boards for all my car advice going forward.
However perhaps there is a reason that there are no threads already existing on this matter. The knowledge base isn't there with this board. You only see build threads made by non-regulars.

These aren't rules. If you walked into a shop would you just say "how much would it cost to swap a crate 350 into an old car?" You'd give them details. You didn't even tell us if the "classic car" in your original post was indicative of the car you wanted to use, or if you wanted us to assume that it was what sort of engine it started with. These aren't rules, they're courtesies. If you wanted us to extend to you the courtesy of a good answer, then you should have extended the courtesy of a good question. It's not a matter of proving enthusiast cred, it's a matter of being a reasonable human being.

You didn't do that, and you're wondering why we're treating your thread as a joke. You posted something laughable. We're having a good time laughing at it.

Now, I'll be reasonable, just to humor you. The cost of the crate motor really depends on what you want. There are a ton of options when it comes to crate motors. Are you looking for a fresh motor with similar power to what your car(I'll assume the Impala at the top) would have come with stock? Are you looking for something that puts down 400 horsepower at the crank? That sort of thing dictates the cost of the crate motor. As for the labor, it depends on the labor rate at the shop you choose. I'd BUDGET for 40 hours of labor(I'm not saying it'll take nearly that long). Take their cost, multiply it by 40, and wha-bam! You have your labor cost. If the car is going from a 283 to a crate 350, it's not a lengthy swap. It's better to over estimate than underestimate on the labor. The worst thing that will happen is you'll be left with spare money at the end, and the shop won't hold on to your car.

[winstonsmith84]

I cut my teeth working on swaps like this way back in the way back days. I'm really out of the loop as to what this would cost, but from a labor standpoint, I'd be more than happy to do this swap for $2k. Assuming all parts on hand, I'll have it back to you in the morning

I'd guess the number of shops able to pull off something this simple has dwindled to a 2 mile radius around Harlin Kentucky.

[protzler]

Instead of putting more effort into posting I will just stop posting.

[das internet]

These aren't rules. If you walked into a shop would you just say "how much would it cost to swap a crate 350 into an old car?" You'd give them details. You didn't even tell us if the "classic car" in your original post was indicative of the car you wanted to use, or if you wanted us to assume that it was what sort of engine it started with. These aren't rules, they're courtesies. If you wanted us to extend to you the courtesy of a good answer, then you should have extended the courtesy of a good question. It's not a matter of proving enthusiast cred, it's a matter of being a reasonable human being.

You didn't do that, and you're wondering why we're treating your thread as a joke. You posted something laughable. We're having a good time laughing at it.

Now, I'll be reasonable, just to humor you. The cost of the crate motor really depends on what you want. There are a ton of options when it comes to crate motors. Are you looking for a fresh motor with similar power to what your car(I'll assume the Impala at the top) would have come with stock? Are you looking for something that puts down 400 horsepower at the crank? That sort of thing dictates the cost of the crate motor. As for the labor, it depends on the labor rate at the shop you choose. I'd BUDGET for 40 hours of labor(I'm not saying it'll cost that). Take their cost, multiply it by 40, and wha-bam! You have your labor cost. If the car is going from a 283 to a crate 350, it's not a lengthy swap. It's better to over estimate than underestimate on the labor.

You have to acknowledge that you are setting up a lot of hoops for the user to jump through, not par for the course on internet forums by any means. It's not like there are a lot of arbitrary requirements for the guy who posts the picture of jay-z. You're probably fine with him posting that and you've probably seen it like 300 times on this board alone. But since I'm the OP there's all these rigorous standards. Hey, I'd love it if I could search and see a thread made by 16v_43v3r where he tells everyone about engine swaps, but it just doesn't happen, you're more likely to find sidetracked 30 page political threads. I posted a picture of a bel-air, somebody says it's an impala and you know we're already way off on the wrong foot. At this point I don't even know if it's socially acceptable for mechanic shops to do engine swaps. Are they just going to say "swap a chevy 350 into a chevy? stop. just stop, how about like NAS and jay-z instead troll" after I show up with my checkbook and my "impala?"
Of course doing something like this is "stupid" but when you think about it it's a lot less stupid than buying a new Impala at the end of the day, just wanted to gauge what the costs were.

I cut my teeth working on swaps like this way back in the way back days. I'm really out of the loop as to what this would cost, but from a labor standpoint, I'd be more than happy to do this swap for $2k. Assuming all parts on hand, I'll have it back to you in the morning

I'd guess the number of shops able to pull off something this simple has dwindled to a 2 mile radius around Harlin Kentucky.

thanks for the reply winston, nothing beats that good old southern hospitality.


protzler, keep it up, i'm sure your mom and dad are proud of your derisive unsubstantial frivolous internet message board posts.

[bherman13]

These aren't rules.

Actually, in my year's worth of watching TCL, I have discovered that there are some unspoken rules that noobs do not know. I see how many trolls there are on this site and it's hard to distinguish sometimes, but I feel this is a legitimate question.

He obviously didn't know that in order to be a TCL member, you must be able to take every nut and bolt out of your car and put it back in with no outside help, otherwise you're a troll or a loser. Just another unspoken rule.

I understand that he didn't give specifics, but he wasn't talking about crubs, fents, bricks, burshes, or putting a nevar lose into a civic with mad stance. This seems like a question that he was 'just curious' about because he might want to pay someone for a mild custom car build.

But, then again, it is Car Lounge tradition to flame anyone at any possible chance, so, carry on.

[protzler]

protzler, keep it up, i'm sure your mom and dad are proud of your derisive unsubstantial frivolous internet message board posts.

[71DubBugBug]

from my experience, its all the little bits you will need that will add up
yes, its cheaper for an american car than an import, but it still ads up.
however a crate engine big block/ small block will be cheaper to wire than a lsx swap

[MKVmyfast]

Well, I'm going to assume that the classic car you want to use is a Borgward Isabella, and you want to drop the engine out of a Ferrari 458 into it.

If you budget for all the fabrication, the custom transmission, rear axle, and suspension... It should run you about tree fiddy.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

[airman401]

OP please stick to your original plan, and stop posting. Not to be a d**, but this thread is going no where. Do some research and do it yourself.

[das internet]

OP please stick to your original plan, and stop posting. Not to be a d**, but this thread is going no where. Do some research and do it yourself.

How many engine swaps have you done airman401?

[roadtripper]

i know there are turds on here. it's sort of the deal. but you should all get a life.

[das internet]

I hear that, roadtripper. Last night, I had come to the conclusion that posting on car message boards and having helpful or useful automotive knowledge were mutually exclusive. Then, on a whim, I posted the same question on another car forum. Tons of helpful advice from their knowledgeable regulars. I can't give the name out though or the mooks like battlerabbit will go over there and ruin it. This board jumped the shark a long time ago, right around the time uberhare made his 15th thread where he proclaimed he was 6'-8"

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ost75023085#78