Patman

I just got a brainstorm today. I got a new Firebird and Camaro brochure in the mail, and saw that on the Formulas now you can no longer get them with a hardtop. (I knew this before mind you) But it got me thinking. I wonder if anyone has picked up a used V6 car and converted it over to LS1 power? Or, has anyone bought a new V6 Firebird and sent it off to MTI or someone like that for a big motor? If you're gonna spend $20k on a motor anyways, why not start out with a V6 car in the first place and save some cash there? Does the V6 car have the same 4L60E tranny? What about the rear end? I see that the 3.42 axle ratio is optional on auto V6s, as well the limited slip diff. Is it the same one that's on the LS1?

I just figured that if someone really wanted a 2002 Firebird LS1 with a hardtop, instead of ordering a Formula they could order the base model and convert it over. Thoughts?

Speartech

iTrader: (14)

Although anything is do-able with enough persistence, by the time you covered all of the details to make everything work right, you would be checking in to the nut house for an extended stay. <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0"> I'm sure there are many suspension differences in springs and stuff, which may not cause a huge difference either way, but tracking down some of the wiring harness differences, changing the entire engine harness and PCM, the throttle cable, etc., etc. would be a big undertaking. Even the instrument cluster would need to be changed due to the 6 cylinder tach. And the transmissions use a completely different bolt pattern at the back of the block.
Maybe a better route would be to get the T-top car and have a good body shop cut off the roof and weld in a hardtop from a wrecked car. <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">
There's my thoughts.

ISERCASTiK

yep didit...99 v6 to z28 pain in the ***...but its a tight car with hardtop....i swapped every single wire head to tail, the rear end assy,fuel tank/evap/lines/cradle/radiator/cluster/gas pedal/it took a bunch of time.........only positive thing is i insure it as a v-6.......

later, Jeremy

Patman

That's one thing I wondered, would someone leave it insured as a V6? What about emissions though? You'd have to emissions test it based on the V6 emissions output, so it would fail most likely.