100,000 even 200,000 mile vehicle club

[noogies]

I purchased my 2005 Mazda Tribute 3.0/auto used with 36K three years ago. It now has 114K (six or eight trips to SoCal and all throughout the Southwest hauling my wife, me and two drooling, shedding muddy, sandy Golden Retrievers) and in that time, I've had to do brake pads and fluid service. That's it.

I got my 2002 Dodge Dakota 4.7/auto in 2012 with 78K and after I almost immediately had to put a new engine in it (due to the PO having towed with it in the hot Arizona sun while ignoring the temperature gauge), it has provided me with many more trouble-free miles. Currently has 169K. It was retired from long-distance duty in 2017 when we got the Tribute.

My '69 4-4-2 just turned over 80K, so that don't count, and neither does my wife's 2014 Mazda 2 with a piddling 42K.

 

[noogies]

When the Dakota gives up I'm thinking about dropping a 1966 220HP 283 I have in it and keeping the AX15 5spd.

Trade the Chevy for a Mopar LA block. You'll thank me for this unsolicited advice.

 

[55Redneck]

Trade the Chevy for a Mopar LA block. You'll thank me for this unsolicited advice.

I don't know about that Noogies, 283's are a damn fine reliable motor and you can get a few ponies out of them too. About the only Mopar block that I think could compete with a 283 for reliability is a slant 6, but I'd rather have the extra two cylinders.

 

[beat_truck]

I don't know about that Noogies, 283's are a damn fine reliable motor and you can get a few ponies out of them too. About the only Mopar block that I think could compete with a 283 for reliability is a slant 6, but I'd rather have the extra two cylinders.

I'm sure they are good engines, but why would you go to the cost and trouble of adapting one to a Mopar transmission, plus all of the rest of the fab work needed to get it in and running in a Dakota. Especially when those Dakotas came from the factory with 318s and 360s (IIRC).

 

[55Redneck]

I'm sure they are good engines, but why would you go to the cost and trouble of adapting one to a Mopar transmission, plus all of the rest of the fab work needed to get it in and running in a Dakota. Especially when those Dakotas came from the factory with 318s and 360s (IIRC).

BT, I wouldn't do that swap myself because I'm somewhat of a purist. I think a Ford should be powered by a Ford, Mopar by a Mopar ect. About a decade or so ago I was strongly involved in a Chevy website (Admin) and I bought a 65 Barracuda project, and all my online buds were trying to convince me to drop an SBC in it and I wanted no part of it and was dead set on keeping the car pure, it was getting a 318/904 combo. Unfortunately I had a stroke in 2013 and had to sell the project before completion. I cringe every time I see a mismatched engine swap, but many people out there dare to be different like the 56 Buick I saw for sale a few weeks ago with modern Hemi swap.

 

[Wildcat]

BT, I wouldn't do that swap myself because I'm somewhat of a purist.

I've felt that if someone is working from a shell of a really old car (maybe from the 40s or 50s), then it is pretty much all custom fabrication and you could go any way you wanted. Or someone building a wild one-off custom? Sure.

But yeah, once I get to the later 50s and beyond, I'd want to keep the car at least in the same family. I know in recent years it has been a common idea to "LS swap" everything, especially in non-GM cars. There are even conversion packages to do this, but I can't see them being anything but a major project with a lot of reworking to make it work properly.

I'm too dumb and poor to bother--as long as I keep my hooptie fleet running, I'm happy. Maybe minor upgrades here or there if I feel like it.

 

[gadget73]

Same sentiment. Not a fan of off-brand swaps. I actually have a car with such a driveline but if the BMW engine in there currently ever dies, I might replace it with a newer BMW diesel just to maintain the original hybrid status. The engine family that replaced mine makes more power, but apparently isn't such a complex mess that it can't be lived with.

 

[beat_truck]

BT, I wouldn't do that swap myself because I'm somewhat of a purist. I think a Ford should be powered by a Ford, Mopar by a Mopar ect. About a decade or so ago I was strongly involved in a Chevy website (Admin) and I bought a 65 Barracuda project, and all my online buds were trying to convince me to drop an SBC in it and I wanted no part of it and was dead set on keeping the car pure, it was getting a 318/904 combo. Unfortunately I had a stroke in 2013 and had to sell the project before completion. I cringe every time I see a mismatched engine swap, but many people out there dare to be different like the 56 Buick I saw for sale a few weeks ago with modern Hemi swap.

I mostly feel the exact same way, though there are some cross-brand swaps I've always wanted to attempt. One is swapping a Mercedes 5cyl turbo diesel into a small pickup like a Ranger. It should run really good and get incredible fuel mileage. Plus it'd be different... like me.

BTW sorry to hear about your stroke.

 

[Wildcat]

One YouTuber I follow did an LS swap in an early 70s Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. He passed the engine along to a nearby auto repair shop, who was going to put it into a classic '62 Chevy C30 pickup truck. (Apparently they used a GM transmission in the Rolls, so that engine would have bolted right up to the transmission in the C30.) But given how Kansas treats classic car registrations, he decided to leave the pickup truck stock.

 

[jocko_nc]

2003 Suburban 1500 4x4. 230,000 miles. It is a bit rough on the inside, but runs faithfully. My 84 year old father in law down in SC currently has it to drive to the store and run the occasional errand. He has about 650,000 miles on the odometer. That engine is smooth as silk. It has received only Mobil 1 since very early in life. Steering: Vague. Brakes: Poor. Handling: Waterbed. Body: Dinged. Hey, it has only broken down twice in 18 years and my daughter can still rely on it to go 4WD camping up in the mountains. Rust free.

 

[55Redneck]

I mostly feel the exact same way, though there are some cross-brand swaps I've always wanted to attempt. One is swapping a Mercedes 5cyl turbo diesel into a small pickup like a Ranger. It should run really good and get incredible fuel mileage. Plus it'd be different... like me.

BTW sorry to hear about your stroke.

The one swap I've always wanted to do is drop a high winding hipo 327 or 302 Chevy small block into an early to mid 70's Triumph TR6 with a 4 or 5 speed. Now that would be fun. P.S. thanks for your thoughts on my stroke, but I'm feeling much better now. If another one happens I'll be done I believe.

 

[beat_truck]

The one swap I've always wanted to do is drop a high winding hipo 327 or 302 Chevy small block into an early to mid 70's Triumph TR6 with a 4 or 5 speed. Now that would be fun. P.S. thanks for your thoughts on my stroke, but I'm feeling much better now. If another one happens I'll be done I believe.

That would be a fun vehicle.

When I was ~18 I put a 231 Buick V6 with a mild cam and 4bbl intake/carb and TH350 trans in a little 2 door Pontiac T1000 aka Chevy Chevette. Unfortunately, it was a junkyard motor that was obviously neglected, and the crappy external oiling system lost prime during the cam swap. The first time I started it, it had no oil pressure until I tore the oil pump apart and covered the gears in grease. By then the damage was already done. It ran like hell for a few hundred miles and then developed a rod knock. It sure would roast the little 155 R13s though.

If I could do it over knowing what I know now, I would have used a Chevy 4.3 Vortec and 4L60E trans with the fuel injection and all retained. The 4.3 is actually an easier fit in a ****-vette, better engine overall, more powerful, and the trans would have overdrive, too. I'm sure I would have had to swap in a stronger rear end in short order, too. I think the original had a 6.5" ring gear.

Maybe some day I'll build another toy like that. Gotta get moved to our new place and get it up to snuff first.

 

[gadget73]

Think I might want an aluminum Rover/Buick V8 in one of those. Less weight so better balance. Using the Rover engine would keep it more in the family too.

 

[beat_truck]

Think I might want an aluminum Rover/Buick V8 in one of those. Less weight so better balance. Using the Rover engine would keep it more in the family too.

I assUme that you are replying to me.
Length would be a huge issue with any V8. With the back of the Buick V6 less than an inch from the firewall, there was no room for a fan between the radiator and the snout of the water pump. And putting a Rover/Buick motor in a Chevette would be more in the family than using a newer Chebby motor?

 

[gadget73]

I was more thinking about the Triumph with a Rover V8 vs a Chevy. Both are English. Forgot to quote for context.

If the V8 won't fit, maybe a Jag XK engine would. Not sure if width or length is the bigger challenge in a TR-6.

 

[55Redneck]

I was more thinking about the Triumph with a Rover V8 vs a Chevy. Both are English. Forgot to quote for context.

If the V8 won't fit, maybe a Jag XK engine would. Not sure if width or length is the bigger challenge in a TR-6.

If a person wants to bad enough you can make almost anything fit. Ever seen the vid of the guy that put a 396 BBC into a Smart car?

 

[gadget73]

Fair point, just thinking about weight balance and possibility of service though. Not real interested in having to yank the engine to change spark plugs

also i just like the sound and feel of an I6 motor.

 

[Mark W.]

I'm sure they are good engines, but why would you go to the cost and trouble of adapting one to a Mopar transmission, plus all of the rest of the fab work needed to get it in and running in a Dakota. Especially when those Dakotas came from the factory with 318s and 360s (IIRC).

Well the over riding reason for my choice of the 283 is its sitting here in my shop with nothing to do. As to adapting the AX-15 to the Chevy thats super easy. And being I know chevy's and like Chevy engines. And know that with the gears the pickup has and the 283 I would be in the 24-26mpg range (the 3.9L gets 18-20) The extra 45HP (with no mods to the 283) and extra 75HP (once I got done with it) would be a nice bump.

Since I would be able to do all of the work myself aside from the Tranny adapter and a Clutch As far as the drive train goes I would have little cost. And in case you haven't seen what I can do heres my 48 Willys Jeep engine.







The Dash of said jeep

 

[mech986]

One of the most popular cars to get an engine swap is the 1970-1976 Porsche 914, especially because they had VW 411 based 1.7-2.0 liter 4 bangers with very temperamental fuel injection. Sure, there were some big bore 2.0-2.4 liter hot rod kits but they typically didn't last very long with out a lot of oil cooling added. So for a 2200 pound car, the popular swap was putting in a 289 or 327 small block Chevy and putting down 250-300 HP. Quite a few attempted, many completed, made possible by a few makers of swap specific parts like motor mounts and oil cooler plumbing parts, plus adapters to the Porsche 901 transmission. Later swaps include the Mazda RX-7 rotary engine and lately Subaru WRX 4 cylinder boxer motors but water cooled.

The ultimate is to recreate the Porsche 914-6 that had a true 6 cylinder Porsche motor. The original -6 had Porsche's lowest power 911 engine from the 1970 911T which only had about 120 hp. Popular swaps include rebuilding the original motor to 2.2, 2.4 911E and high revving S specs, and 2.5 short stroke motors, to fitting later 2.7, 3.2, and 3.6 engines from as late as 1993, of course with additional engine cooling and electrical work to make the fuel injection and computer systems work. When properly done, a 914-6 with over 275-300 HP at the wheels is a blast to drive, but properly upgrading the brakes, suspension, tires and wheels, plus beefing up the transmission always results in massive infusions of cubic money.

Power costs, how much do you want to spend?

 

[noogies]

I don't know about that Noogies, 283's are a damn fine reliable motor and you can get a few ponies out of them too. About the only Mopar block that I think could compete with a 283 for reliability is a slant 6, but I'd rather have the extra two cylinders.

Trust me, the headaches incurred by trying to swap a small-block Chevy into a '90s era Mopar truck are really best avoided. Can it be done? Sure. Should it? Maybe, especially if you're a masochist.

A 5.2 liter (318) is usually good for hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles and depending on which era it's from, is a bolt-in.