I want to build Chevy conversion 928...Anyone have the conversion kit laying around?

[bwmac]

hell i dropped a 327 out of my 67 impala, with the 2 speed into my bros 83 ranger.
was the fastest little truck in town.

set the engine aprox in place on stands or chains, climb under and take measurements.
lay under there and look around and think about how it should be done.

[SolReaver]

Fred, yea, have done the jag conversion too. not a big deal. IMHO the wiring was a Piece of cake.

BWMac: yea, that ranger must have been sweet, the 327 is a great mill.

But guys...We are talking about a 928 here. Not a Ranger, Jag, or MG. There will be issues and they will be big. You can shoehorn a mill in there with a plate and glue it into the frame with an adapter plate on the cheap, yes. But, to do it RIGHT and professionally will take some time and head scratching. Like I said, I haven't seen it done right so far. Not to say SOMEONE hasn't done it professionally and competently. Lord knows there has been a few years to do so.

Find a good example of the conversion and simply ask how much it cost. I am reasonably sure it is more than 3K if it even exists. (funny how no one actually addresses that little point) Further...TIME IS MONEY. Blowing several months of your life on a transplant project just doesen't make sense when it could be spent chasing women, drinking excessively, or whatever floats your boat.

But, we are digressing here.... My point is that to do it right would consume more time and money than a straight 928 engine swap AND a nice Detroit Iron project, say a Camaro. IOW if you want a 350, by all means have one! and if you want a 928, have one! Have BOTH! it is a semi- free country after all.

[Danglerb]

$12k for a swap is fair point to start from if you do the work yourself. When your done you still have a 20+ year old 928 to keep happy the engine rarely is the problem with these cars anyway.

[928gene928]

Here is some information about the swap: Porsche and Chevy V8s combined

I have converted both 928'S & 911's, with that said, all I can say is that it is the most cost effective way to get great performance potential. I'm sure we will agree that Chevrolet parts are available everywhere, and are inexpensive compared to 928 parts. The level of performance available is only limited by your imagination.

I certainly do respect and admire all the folks who have worked so hard to provide parts and ideas to improve the 928. I have owned several 928's continuously since 1980, and have a stock one as a daily driver.

[chesireIsugaree]

Originally Posted by SolReaver

Similarly, the Porsche v8s are now (relatively) cheap engines...IOW there is no logic to the decision. You don't GAIN anything

I don't know what anyone else would gain...But I would gain pushrods, and a huge (VERY AFFORDABLE) aftermarket.

There is no such (AFFORDABLE) aftermarket for 928. Show up somewhere with a tightened up 600hp small block powered 928 that doesn't have a huge hood or some other non-euro looking mods and now we're talking.... Heck , an LS7 is the boss... Who can dispute that?

[928gene928]

Mason,
There is really no need to modify the hood if you don't want to. Either carb or electronic FI will. It does sometimes take a little imagination to connect a fresh air inlet, however; these are also available. Just saw a show on one of the Hot Rod channels which showed the new low profile supercharger with inter-coolers from Edelbrock. Pretty slick, I may give one a try in the near future. It's a complete package and looks to be a natural with well over 500 foot pounds of torque. Just bolt on and go!

It is also very possible to make the torque tube adapter etc. if you have access to machine tools yourself. The parts are actually pretty simple. I did just that, most of these things were not available commercially until just recent years, let alone twenty. The only small pain was the oil pan, later I went to dry sump and eliminated that problem.

Hope you go ahead, you won't be sorry and will save many thousands of dollars compared to 928 parts, and get much more reliable power.

[SolReaver]

There is the second shoe dropping! present a problem (or a perceived problem) and then deliver your solution. WOW! how original! I have never seen THAT before...

Granted, sweet motors. But....Do you Really NEED 600+ horsepower? seriously? you will hand grenade the drive train. Your HP tourque curve will not match, the modified suspension will handle differently at speed and you will have a German car that sounds like an American car. Plus....It won't work right. There are always Gotchas on these conversions. You can't say it is a transparent and seamless job. SOMETHING will not work right. Don't bother debating the point. Just point out 1 (one) conversion that works right. Please don't direct me to a web site that has pictures. Tell me about a Daily driver that has many thousands of miles and NO compromises. IOW a transparent solution.

Aftermarket? If you really think that you need high performance parts for these cars you are missing the point. These Cars ARE high performance. If it isn't fast enough for you, It is most likely not running right.

Tell ya what...Focus on putting a proper domestic FI system on the OB 4.5. (Ford or Chevy, I don't really care) It is close enough to most American V8s that you could have LOTS of fun with that one and it is DO able.

And PLEASE do not degrade this thread with more advertisements for yet another Domestic V8 swap solution....It is getting stale to see. Renegade with all their faults at least has stuck around. All the rest tend to dissipate while the unfortunate customers are in mid conversion. I have seen it too many times to bite and potential victims of the scam should be aware of the deception. They are left with their genitals hanging out in mid conversion awaiting brackets or gizmos from a company that drops off the face of the map.

Don't believe me? Crawl Fleabay and Clist for a while You WILL see the aborted aftermath casualties. Pick one of them up on the cheap rather than butchering ANOTHER 928 in dubious battle.

[Rob M B]

I put a Chevy LT1 in my 928 in 2000. The total cost was about 7K including Renegade kit, headers, rebuilding the LT1, all hoses, belts, fuel lines, cables, etc. All gauges worked flawlessly, as did the AC, even the warning system.
At first it had 347 HP and 330 lbs of torque.
Drove it for 9 years and had no issues with the conversion part of it. The Porsche radiator failed as did some other Porsche suspension parts.
Once the alternator stopped working on a Sunday afternoon. I picked one up at Pep Boys and was on the road again a couple hours.
The GM engine management system was PC based so I could tune it easily. I could also log all the various functions (AF ratio, timing adv. ret, throttle following, idle speed, temp, etc. quarter mile stats) as I drove and then flash the eprom with my laptop as I saw fit.
I never tracked the car except at a drag strip. The best time was 13.1. That was in 2003 or 4 I think.

In 2008 I had the LT1 bored, stroked and added LT4 internals just for $h_ts&grins. Ended up with a bunch more horsepower and loads of torque but sold it before I had it on the dyno.
Acceleration was neck breaking.

The OB 928s are underpowered. Especially the US version 16 valve engines. In 2000 there were no 928 superchargers or even turbos available and I wanted at least 350 HP. To me the Chevy conversion was no brainer.

The 928 is not in high demand and will not be worth much in my lifetime. IMHO, it was worth it then, and is worth it now. This point was debated on Rennlist extensively a while back. I don't think much has changed except that Porsche parts have increased in price and Chevy parts have come down. The Renegade kit is about the same.

The conversion is very easy and took the equivalent of two 40 hour work weeks. Nothing was cut. It was entirely bolt in. The old engine could have been put back it if I didn't sell it to a guy to use as a coffee table.

Some of you probably saw it at a few Sharks in the Mountains events. I sold it to a guy in Georgia last year when he saw it at SITM. He loves it and its still running strong.

[chesireIsugaree]

Damn Rob, I have a new found respect for you..... Well said. I like it..... a couple more commentaries like that and I'll have the gusto I need to take it on I especially liked the value of the 928 comment.... very accurate. I can only see myself using the LS7, it's the boss IMO.... so there is no possibility for any chatter. I would imagine the results will be conclusive :0 500/500 and less weight..... maybe 4" exhaust and the big cam for Z06.... would be untouchable. Funny.... This is where my whole discussion with the 928 began, talk about full circle!

[SolReaver]

Wow! a chime in from a success story with a low post count! Funny that the actual car isn't around any more to actually PROVE the statement yea, not believing it. Not even a little. Nice try though. ya see I have HEARD people say this stuff before. When the rubber hits the road the cars are a wreck and nothing really works. Removing the warning light bulbs isn't really fixing the problem. Until i see one for myself. I will maintain my position.

Yea, the OBs are not the fastest things around. hence, put a decent FI system on them. Somebody PLEASE! Hell a good 4 bbll Rochester if you really need to go domestic. Nah, let's just put a Chevy mill in there.

Guys....guys...Address the issues. and dispense with the BS. I AGAIN contend that for the time and money spent you could have a running 928 (whatever flavor) AND a nice Camaro with the LT whosis in there. Sorry to say you won't be selling kits to suckers around here.

Plus...you would not anger the Porsche Gods with your Sacrilege and Blasphemy.

Hey! lemme try! Did I ever tell you about my Turbo Nitrous Jaguar V-12 conversion for the 928? Man! that thing smoked! Sorry i don't have pictures or details on how it was constructed, but you could probably do it yourself in a weekend for a few hundred bucks. just pull your engine in the mean time and throw it away...i will get back to you...really.

[Danglerb]

If you visit a LOT of conversion sites, talk to a lot of owners, and I did, you will get a range of responses from "yeah, works great took a few weekends" to project for a few years then tried to sell. Physically putting another motor in and getting the mechanical stuff of the drive line sorted is bonehead easy, and pretty much nobody screws that up. No issues with the electrical side or gauges is dream to owners of stock 928's, so I have a hard time thinking mixing in Chevy parts will make it work better.

If you make much power, an automatic transmission is the only reliable option.

If you make much power, reliable operation, becomes a relative term.

OTOH, thinking it over a bit, yeah jump in Mason a Chevy conversion is a great choice for you.

[Rob M B]

Originally Posted by SolReaver

Wow! a chime in from a success story with a low post count! Funny that the actual car isn't around any more to actually PROVE the statement yea, not believing it. Not even a little. Nice try though. ya see I have HEARD people say this stuff before. When the rubber hits the road the cars are a wreck and nothing really works. Removing the warning light bulbs isn't really fixing the problem. Until i see one for myself. I will maintain my position.

Yea, the OBs are not the fastest things around. hence, put a decent FI system on them. Somebody PLEASE! Hell a good 4 bbll Rochester if you really need to go domestic. Nah, let's just put a Chevy mill in there.

Guys....guys...Address the issues. and dispense with the BS. I AGAIN contend that for the time and money spent you could have a running 928 (whatever flavor) AND a nice Camaro with the LT whosis in there. Sorry to say you won't be selling kits to suckers around here.

Plus...you would not anger the Porsche Gods with your Sacrilege and Blasphemy.

Hey! lemme try! Did I ever tell you about my Turbo Nitrous Jaguar V-12 conversion for the 928? Man! that thing smoked! Sorry i don't have pictures or details on how it was constructed, but you could probably do it yourself in a weekend for a few hundred bucks. just pull your engine in the mean time and throw it away...i will get back to you...really.

You don't know me nor have we had the occasion to enter into discussion before this. So I won't take offense to the inference that the facts as stated by me have been made up.

While I owned that 928 I received many favorable comments, some from staunch Porsche folk. Never did I get anything beyond a slight head shake when I showed the engine to be an LT1 Chevy.

The car was at the Frenzy in DC 2 years ago and at SITM in 2007 and 2009. And I'm told it was at SITM in 2010 with the new owner.
It was at Sharks in Hell, 2007 and 2009.
Too bad you didn't see it yourself.

There's some old pictures here
The Porsche Hybrids Board Gallery :: 928 Chevy Power

If you do a search on that board and Rennlist you'll find a lot of information including some past debate on replacing the 928 engine with a Chevy engine. Much of which I participated in.

While I concede that more conversions end up wrong than right, I know for a fact that a 928 can be done right.

If the proof you want is the actual car then I have none, only my word.
I find that regrettable. I really miss that car.

[Landseer]

Rob, is this the car? Pictures taken in June. Folks told me this was the former Rob Budd car with the LT1, but I ddin't get a chance to talk to the owner.

Next to a nice early silver car from Canada:

[SolReaver]

Glad you don't take me seriously. I have just seen too many bad conversions it seems. As I said previously, I am sure someone, somewhere has done it right. It doesn't surprise me that there MAY be a few good ones out there. There are exceptions to every rule it seems.

However, there are a LOT of aborted projects and the average conversion is not pretty Or well implemented IMHO. This could be the skill and expertise of the converting mechanic, as is the case with Jaguar conversions I will just stand with the statement that the time and money could be better spent. Continue the statement that an abandoned project is the place to start for saving dough and not violating an existing 928. Of course the pre - molested aborted projects are PRETTY scary, and so I can see Nancy girls running for the hills on that one.

I will Also maintain the opinion that it will take AT LEAST 8 grand, by the time you put a good motor in there and have it working right. As this nice man has done it, and apparently done it well, It seems reasonably accurate. That Doesn't include Labor, give that at least 200 hours of head scratching and down time securing parts. Probably more.

And PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Finish what you start! It is so sad to see the projects come up for sale halfway through. So...Do what you want....But, KNOW what you are doing and don't quit half way (or less) through.

[XLR8928]

Well, all this engine swap talk has inspired me. I think I'll start taking measurements on that old cummins 4bt I've got laying around. Maybe even install a stack!

[stick1975]

Wish I could find one of those "aborted" projects. I believe Rob. If it makes anyone feel any better, this car was last tagged in the 90's, was bought for a parts car, and is not complete, so I don't feel the least bit bad about gutting it, and putting what I want in it. Better than being sold for scrap, isn't? As far as my experience, I have been involved with swapping two different Toyota Land Cruisers to SBC power, don't think they were DD, but prob-lee could have been. Then we also did a few Jeeps to SBC power. Wish I could claim all the credit, but I just worked there, so I don't feel I can claim doing the conversions by myself. As far as compromises, I've had 300 degrees duration cams, and solid lift cams, and 3000 stall converters, would want to drive them every day, but could have. Still got the Camaro, and a Mustang, just want something different. Would you rather see one parted out then on the road?

[Danglerb]

If you visit the conversion sites its easy to find a 90% project with only 90% left to go.

[XLR8928]

What about an OB with a hybrid DOHC 5 liter Porsche engine?

[123quattro]

I know Rob and saw the car several times he is talking about it. It was very nice and well sorted.

[Danglerb]

Originally Posted by XLR8928

What about an OB with a hybrid DOHC 5 liter Porsche engine?

Not really much of a conversion if it can be done completely with factory Porsche parts. With an OB, 78/79 CIS car using the Euro S 80/83 cis intake, its going to be hard to tell it isn't factory without looking at the numbers on parts.

Mechanical part of conversion is almost always simple.

Building a hot rod is simple, as long as your OK with a light switch on the dash to start it, PepBoy gauges with the wires running out the window, wire nuts under the hood, radiator sticking out of the hatch, etc etc.

Hard part is getting it to a turnkey level of operation, starts right away hot or cold, all the sensors work, all the gauges work, drives smooth, nothing dripping, nothing making funny noises, and no amateur plumbing projects under the hood. In short behaves like a normal car except fast.