Rebuild or swap out?

seymore · 10-05-2013, 08:22 PM

I'm curious to the price difference in a good rebuild maybe switch it carbs.
Or swapping out for a newer or bigger engine. I have an 82SC. My goal is to have a nice looking engine bay, very clean and also get a little more power. So is it better for me to do one of these two things or just sell my car and get something newer? I love my car and I know the money I have already put into it I will not get back. And I don't mind putting more money in to it. So that's why i'm thinking of a rebuild or swap. Any suggestions? Thanks

poorsha · 10-05-2013, 09:12 PM

What about switching over to one of the EFI systems?

Ayles · 10-05-2013, 09:43 PM

I started this thread a while a back, I don't think anything looks better than carbs in the 911SC engine bay.

Show me your carburated SC

seymore · 10-06-2013, 04:47 PM

I love the look of carbs as well and its not a daily driver so they would be ok. Im just wondering if its worth dropping the engine switching everything over with new cams and all? Or just going to a 3.2, 3.6? I have a few dollars to spend so its not money its more for looks and performance.

Reiver · 10-06-2013, 04:57 PM

I've an 83 SC that had the 930-16 US motor (230k unopened) and I switched it out with an 83 930-10 row...24 more HP and with the SSI"s I have maybe 220(?)...I've also lightened the car so with 3/4 tank I'm at 2400 lb. Still use the CSI.
Outruns lots of US 3.2's and still has an SC engine, I like that and an easy drop in without changing the wiring for motronics.
That euro with carbs would be pretty damn nice.

IXjamesXI · 10-06-2013, 05:16 PM

One thing I have learned on this forum is that the first answer to almost any question is: Well, how much is your budget?

I think if you like your car, and you already have a lot of time and money invested in maintaining it, then you should keep it. Otherwise you are starting from scratch with someone else's car and who knows what kind of issues.

If you don't have a lot to spend, maybe 964 cams, SSI's and call it a day. On the other end, you could really go whole hog with new pistons / cylinders, (might as well make it a 3.2 while you're at it), raise compression, twin plug, and do something fun for induction like PMO carbs or ITB's with EFI. Maybe somewhere in the middle is re-plating your stock cylinders but upping compression a tad with some new pistons and a stock plenum EFI. I am taking a middle approach right now with my 82.. increasing displacement and compression, but camming the motor for EFI on the stock plenum. Maybe someday when I have a few bucks, I can stick on some ITB's and really have fun with a hotter cam. And the pistons, rod bolts, etc that I choose now can be compatible with upgrades at a later date.. that's my plan anyway. Good luck!

seymore · 10-06-2013, 05:28 PM

James, Im an amateur mechanic and do the smaller thing myself. I just dropped my HE's and changed the oil return tubes and that was probably the biggest engine repair I've ever done. So my question is What would what you are describing cost? Whole hog and middle of the road? I will probably get someone around me to do the work. Thanks for all the help guys.

IXjamesXI · 10-06-2013, 05:53 PM

How many miles on the engine? Someone will have to assess whether or not you are a candidate for a full or partial rebuild. Do you know for certain that you need to? I think a good top end rebuild these days can be 5k-8k depending, but maybe others can correct me if I am wrong.

I think if you want to change how you do your air and fuel, that can get very expensive and you would want someone who knows what he is doing.. carbs could be the most simple, and possibly the least expensive depending on what kind you can get. There are more affordable EFI options too, but whatever you don't spend in money, you need to spend in time on learning the system.. some are more plug and play than others. There is a user here tbitz who offers a pretty nice "bolt-on" megasquirt based EFI that many folks find to be very simple to install and use.. That would certainly allow you to clean up your engine bay and might even be a real improvement in terms of driveability depending on how well your CIS is running now. It'll also go a long way toward cleaning up your engine bay depending on which way you choose to install it. This of course would be an extra expense above and beyond your rebuild.

On the other hand something like getting your cams reground to 964 profile and sticking with CIS would add very little to the overall cost of a total or partial rebuild and would be a worthwhile upgrade from everything I have read by people who have done this.