How different - 3.6 VRAM vs 3.2

[billjam]

I am looking at a new project involving a 1996 3.6 VRAM engine into an early 80s light-weight sleeper for some street and club fun.
I've modified and rebuilt a few 3.2s and my current 3.3 turbo motor, so I am wondering how different is the 3.6 motor as far as rebuilding is concerned?
On the face of it, the construction of the motor looks fairly similar (once all the plumbing is removed!), but are there any hidden traps that are unique to rebuilding the 3.6 engine?
Presumably, the 3.6 motor responds just as well to head porting and cams as does the 3.2?
Is there an accepted cam that is best for street and ocassional track use with an emphasis on torque rather than power?
As yet, I haven't settled on engine management systems yet - still researching!

[billjam]

Bump ... anyone?

[e3photo]

Well I'll get it started, and hopefully some more experienced folks will chime in. I have worked on a 3.2, as I own an 88 coupe, but never rebuit it. I have just recently started a 3.6 project. My ultimate goal is to put it in a 993 I figured that since I was building an engine for my next car I would "tweak it" The 3.6 is very similar to the 3.2, so I think you will be right at home. I have gotten some great input from Steve Weiner of Rennsport. I am going to go with RS valves, RS cams and then a performance chip and sport exhaust. Steve feels this will be in the neighborhood of 310 HP. These are the most popular and most bang for the buck options. You would have to go to 3.8 for more, and that's some serious money.
Hope this helped a tiny bit. Keep us posted on the project. If you do a search, there are tons of guys running 3.6's in there cars.
Rennlist is very popular with the 993/3.6 crowd.

Cheers,
Emerald

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by billjam

I am looking at a new project involving a 1996 3.6 VRAM engine into an early 80s light-weight sleeper for some street and club fun.
I've modified and rebuilt a few 3.2s and my current 3.3 turbo motor, so I am wondering how different is the 3.6 motor as far as rebuilding is concerned?
On the face of it, the construction of the motor looks fairly similar (once all the plumbing is removed!), but are there any hidden traps that are unique to rebuilding the 3.6 engine?
Presumably, the 3.6 motor responds just as well to head porting and cams as does the 3.2?
Is there an accepted cam that is best for street and ocassional track use with an emphasis on torque rather than power?
As yet, I haven't settled on engine management systems yet - still researching!

Unless you are going to rebuild the bottom end to much more robust spec, RS cams w/ either RS valves or some nice undercut ss valves w/ a stockish rev limit is the way to go. You probably don't need to port the heads, there is a school of thought that they are already too big.