Quote:
Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint
You missed the point. You could argue you made the same trip in a Model A Ford. You have a bone stock Pontiac as-built by the factory with components capable of a 100,000+ mile life and made be driven wherever a road is paved. You have by every definition a street-car that can be driven anywhere they sell gas but, does your car have the performance of an LS?
In order to match the performance of that LS, your car would have its antique behemoth of an engine propped up by a lumpy aftermarket roller cam and lifters, spring pressures to handle the aggressive lift and heavy valve train, aftermarket roller rockers, aluminum aftermarket heads, aftermarket distributor and ignition. Since the motor would no longer be tractable, a loose convertor, tall gears and a modified Turbo400 trans or an aftermarket overdrive trans would have to be fitted.
Try your trip in one of those so-called street cars and the average, weekend mechanic better keep Enterprise on speed dial, they pick you up.
Correctly performed, swapping in a modest LS engine provides the same level of performance along with the reliability of factory engineered components, longevity and real-world gas mileage. In the O/P's case in particular, the time he has spent behind the wheel would be measured in months instead of minutes. An LS swap can even be carbureted and run a small block Ford distributor if simplicity is your game.
I apologize for derailing the OP's thread and am sympathetic to his situation. Were I in his shoes, given his original goals for the use of the car, I would have "rode the LS wave" so I could enjoy driving instead of owning a garage/shop ornament.
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None of that is true. To match the performance of a LS ? Do you know how easy it is to get 450-500HP out of a Pontiac ? You can use iron heads, not so lumpy cam, stock intake, Q jet, points and it is FAR more reliable than a LS if you know what you are doing and spend the time and money.
More tech, more wires, sensors has its benefits but a downside. More things to break and you have to take the time to learn about fixing problems or pay someone big bucks to fix it.
And if you want to up the power with aluminum heads, roller cam, FI ect you can. And you car is still cool and not lame and weak.
IMO if you want to jack up your car and give it a soulless engine, stuff a LS in it.
Better yet, keep a Pontiac in it or sell it to someone with the intent of keeping a Pontiac in it.