Please edumacate me on the Chevy V-6.

Looking at this. Thinking about ditching my full size truck for an El Camino, always liked them and those with a third pedal don't come up often.

To me a V-6 is a 350 with two pistons missing, any "class" problems, things you learn after you buy and all your friends say "Everyone knows that". I know some El Caminos hold mud in the frame just in front of the loop going over the rear axle causing rust to form in the bend; anything else to look for?

Thanks.

(that does look like an old Rover hiding doesn't it?)

Freshly power washed.

Friend of mine had that same elky (black) in high school. I remember the 3.8 being an anemic piece of E36 M3. Did not have enough power to pull a greasy string out of a cat's ass. Horrible fuel economy. I also managed to run it for roughly A Thousand Miles with no oil pressure to speak of and it didn't die. Other than that by the El Camino.

The Chevy 3.8L V6 is a 305 with 2 cylinders hacked off. Like the 305, it's a boat anchor, but in this case it's 3/4s of a boat anchor

Remember, a Chevy will run poorly longer than most engines will run at all.

I never knew there was a Chevy 3.8. I guess you never stop learning.

That left the factory as a real stripper. Built w/o AC and doesn't even have a fold down center armrest.

For that low price, you could add any engine size you want if you find you dislike the current engine.

That is one loooooooooooong upper radiator hose.

That sure is a clean Elky though.

Throw it in the dumpster and add v8

volvoclearinghouse wrote: That is one loooooooooooong upper radiator hose.

Almost looks like the hose and fan shroud were borrowed from a small block 1st-gen Monte Carlo

Radiator shroud...or half of a 55 gallon drum?

Appleseed wrote: Radiator shroud...or half of a 55 gallon drum?

One and the same.

Thanks guys. I've got a Buick 350/350 here, maybe I could parlay that into a Chevy 350 4spd.

Dan

A v8 swap would be simple enough, but you would need to find a new shroud at least and find out if the trans is up to the task. I think a fuel injected late model 4.3 would be a neat swap. It would have ample power and probably get decent mileage. Ooh also swap in the 5 speed from an s10. The engine would bolt right in, but you would have plumbing and wiring to deal with.

I also wold not toss out the idea of a 4.3L. They can make around 260-300hp N/A fairly easily with stock heads and rotating assembly. And even a mismatched Super Duty Ford turbocharger can push them to the 400hp/450lb-ft area. Hot Rod even built a centrifugally blown one that made 525hp. And with it set so far back in the engine bay, the weight distribution would be pretty decent.

Hey, cool, G-bodies! Something I actually know a little about. Rareness of a factory manual trans + coolness of Carter/Reagan era brown + tan color combo + relative lack of rust for a northern car = must buy.

That's the 229 V6. As NickD says, it's 3/4s of a 305. 115hp. It could be worse, though...in 1978 you could get a 200 V6 that made 95 hp.

I want to buy that and put a Vortec 4.3 in it. I know the 350 makes more sense, but for some reason a 195 hp Vortec 4.3 just seems right for this truck. I know, I'm weird.

EDIT: In this time it took me to type this, two other guys suggested the 4.3 swap. Maybe I'm not so weird!

I suspect that long hose and shroud are because the radiator was located to allow room for a V8.

In reply to iceracer:

Yeah, it's the same as in like the small block 1st-gen Monte Carlos or the V6 2nd-gen F-bodies. GM used the same transmission crossmember and radiator crossmember for all engines and lengthened the shrouds and radiator hoses to make it all work. I still think a turbo 3.8L in a 2nd-gen F-body could be a ripping combo

Live to be different! Grab GM DOHC 4 banger and a corresponding rwd manual transmission. I'm not up on the specifics for GMs, tho.

914Driver wrote: Thanks guys. I've got a Buick 350/350 here, maybe I could parlay that into a Chevy 350 4spd. Dan

I think a Buick V8 will bolt into a G body.

A 350 bolts right in with a different set of motor mounts, then all the accessories from the V6 bolts right up.. did that exact swap in an 80 Malibu i had back in the day (1994, to be exact)

But a 4.8 or 5.3 swap wouldn't be too hard, either..

Forget about the fan shroud and swap to an electric fan setup while you're in there.

These seem like an awesome platform to build on.

BrokenYugo wrote:

914Driver wrote: Thanks guys. I've got a Buick 350/350 here, maybe I could parlay that into a Chevy 350 4spd. Dan

I think a Buick V8 will bolt into a G body.

Would depend on the year of the motor. If Corporate block (when GM went to using the same block across all GM platforms) then not difficult. If before that then it would be more difficult and Buick V8 fit somewhere between small block and big block Chevy. I learned this years ago when I had a K5 Blazer w/6-cyl and a trashed Buick Apollo with V8. Learned the V8 wouldn't swap without a lot of custom made parts like motor mounts.

GM V6 goodness

wlkelley3 wrote:

BrokenYugo wrote:

914Driver wrote: Thanks guys. I've got a Buick 350/350 here, maybe I could parlay that into a Chevy 350 4spd. Dan

I think a Buick V8 will bolt into a G body.

Would depend on the year of the motor. If Corporate block (when GM went to using the same block across all GM platforms) then not difficult. If before that then it would be more difficult and Buick V8 fit somewhere between small block and big block Chevy. I learned this years ago when I had a K5 Blazer w/6-cyl and a trashed Buick Apollo with V8. Learned the V8 wouldn't swap without a lot of custom made parts like motor mounts.

A K5 blazer was never equipped with a non Chevrolet engine, the A/G platform was available at some point with every GM V8 produced from 1964 onwards besides Cadillac (Chevy, Buick, Olds, and Pontiac all had their own completely different engines well into the 70s).