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Engine Swaps

Loads of Parts to Help Make an Engine and Trans Swap a Reality

Photography by Miles Cook
  • P5011 Image Large
    Shorty headers can do a lot to help make a swap possible. Various models are available from a variety of manufacturers.
    P5011 Image Large
    Shorty headers can do a lot to help make a swap possible. Various models are available fro
  • P5012 Image Large
    A little trim here, a little fabrication there...anything’s possible with some forethought and planning.
    P5012 Image Large
    A little trim here, a little fabrication there...anything’s possible with some foreth
  • P5043 Image Large
    A GN/Regal turbo V-6 looks right at home under the hood of Mike Cambio’s 1971 Corvette. Now actually a 4.1L engine (about 252 cubes), the hairdryer Vette runs low 11s.
    P5043 Image Large
    A GN/Regal turbo V-6 looks right at home under the hood of Mike Cambio’s 1971 Corvett
  • P5044 Image Large
    Robert Wright, whose 1965 Corvette was featured in the Sept. 1996 issue of CC, swapped a 1994 LT1/4L60E drivetrain into his Sting Ray coupe. For a trans crossmember, he fabricated a unit to move the mount 2.25 inches farther back than stock. The stock 327 Corvette motor mounts bolt to the new LT1.
    P5044 Image Large
    Robert Wright, whose 1965 Corvette was featured in the Sept. 1996 issue of CC, swapped a 1
  • P5045 Image Large
    Both shorty and full-length Hedman headers allow a 351W into all first-generation Mustangs. The shorty headers carry PN 88650.
    P5045 Image Large
    Both shorty and full-length Hedman headers allow a 351W into all first-generation Mustang
  • P5046 Image Large
    The full-length units carry PN 88660.
  • P5047 Image Large
    Ford SVO’s oil-pan swap kits include the pan, a dipstick and tube, and an oil-pump pickup. Shown is PN M-6675-A460 for 429/460 engines into 1979-1995 Mustangs or 1980-1996 F-series trucks. SVO also has a kit for 1979-1993 Mustang 351W swaps under PN
    P5047 Image Large
    Ford SVO’s oil-pan swap kits include the pan, a dipstick and tube, and an oil-pump pi
  • P5048 Image Large
    Moroso offers a 351W pan for 1979-1993 Mustangs. It has a 9-inch depth and a 7-quart capacity. Order PN 20520.
    P5048 Image Large
    Moroso offers a 351W pan for 1979-1993 Mustangs. It has a 9-inch depth and a 7-quart capac
  • P5049 Image Large
    The original 289/302 V-8 motor mounts work when running an EFI 5.0 mill in a 󈨅-󈨈 Mustang.
    P5049 Image Large
    The original 289/302 V-8 motor mounts work when running an EFI 5.0 mill in a 󈨅-R
  • P5050 Image Large
    Windsor-Fox is a pioneer in Ford EFI engine and overdrive trans conversions. This crossmember allows an AOD to fit in 1965-1966 Mustangs. Using a C4 trans-to-crossmember mount, an AOD is a bolt-in installation. W-F also has custom shift linkage for the AOD swap.
    P5050 Image Large
    Windsor-Fox is a pioneer in Ford EFI engine and overdrive trans conversions. This crossmem
  • P5051 Image Large
    This photo shows a standard Hemi mounting pad--you need a Hemi engine-support crossmember to make it fit. MP has come to the rescue in the next photo.
    P5051 Image Large
    This photo shows a standard Hemi mounting pad--you need a Hemi engine-support crossmember
  • P5052 Image Large
    That milquetoast 318 Barracuda (or any B-body) can now be a 426 Hemi ’Cuda bruiser with this new block.
    P5052 Image Large
    That milquetoast 318 Barracuda (or any B-body) can now be a 426 Hemi ’Cuda bruiser wi
  • P5053 Image Large
    PN SC004 from The Paddock allows swapping a 273-340 small-block into a 1963-1966 six-cylinder Mopar A-body.
    P5053 Image Large
    PN SC004 from The Paddock allows swapping a 273-340 small-block into a 1963-1966 six-cylin
  • P5054 Image Large
    For swapping an LT1/4L60E drivetrain into a 1967 Camaro, check out the Feb. 1997 issue. You can order brand-new crate engines for this conversion from GM Performance Parts . Or for used powertrains from wrecked donor cars, Graham’s Camaro/Firebird Salvage has LT1 stuff. Graham’s also stocks 4L60E and T56 (GM) overdrive trannies.
    P5054 Image Large
    For swapping an LT1/4L60E drivetrain into a 1967 Camaro, check out the Feb. 1997 issue. Yo

The reasons for doing an engine swap are numerous. Maybe you want to shoehorn brutal big-block power into a '62-'67 Nova, a '79-'93 Mustang, or a '67-'74 Dart. Or perhaps you're considering an upgrade to a modern-era drivetrain stuffed between the classic lines of an older car. After all, not only are EFI conversions getting popular, but the switch to an overdrive transmission goes hand in hand with these swaps.

Whether your engine-swap project involves stuffing a big engine into a small car or retrofitting an old musclecar with modern-tech power, this story will dial you into some products to help complete your conversion. Included are oil pans, headers, motor mounts, transmission crossmembers and, in some cases, complete swap kits for making your hybrid street machine a reality.

We snooped around to find all the most helpful stuff, but there might be a few things we missed. And in the endless world of engine swaps, there’s no such thing as too much help. If you come across anything new, drop us a note--we’d love to hear about it. To get the information about your make, click on the appropriate link below. For the addresses of the companies mentioned in this article, please refer to the sources list.

SOURCES
Milodon Inc.
20716 Plummer St.
Chatsworth
CA  91311
818-407-1211
B&M Products
Chatsworth
CA
Rock Valley
800-344-1934
www.rockvalleyantiqueautoparts.c
om
Flat-O-Products Inc.
Salem
OR
Crites Restorations
Ashville
OH
McLeod Industries
1600 Sierra Madre Cir.
Placentia
CA  92870
714-630-2764
Howell Engine Development Windsor-Fox Performance Engineering
P.O. Box 2683
Apple Valley
CA  92307
N/A
Graham’s Camaro/Firebird Salvage
Calera
AL
TD Performance
16410 Manning Way
Cerritos
CA  90703
www.tdperformance.com
Mopar Performance
Mopar.com
Williams Low-Buck Products
Norco
CA
Hooker Headers Patrick’s Antique Cars & Trucks
Casa Grande
AZ
Innovative Engineering
1119 Border Ave.
Corona
CA  91720
Lakewood Industries Div. of Mr. Gasket Group
Cleveland
OH
Total Performance
10039 Prospect Ave.
Santee
CA  92071
619-562-9894
Paxton Products
1260 Calles Suerte
Camarillo
CA
Ford Motorsport SVO
44050 N. Groesbeck Hwy.
Clinton Township
Mi  48036
8-10/-468-1356
The Paddock
221 W. Main St.
Knightstown
IN  46148
765-345-2131
TCI Automotive
151 Industrial Dr.
Ashland
MS  38603
662-224-8972
www.tciauto.com
Street & Performance
479-394-5711
www.hotrodlane.cc
Capanna Speed & Performance (Wilcap)
San Luis Obispo
CA
Mantapart Performance Products
New Springfield
OH
Painless Wiring
9505 Santa Paula Dr.
Fort Worth
TX  76116
www.painlesswiring.com
Tilton
Ron Francis’ Wire Works
Chester
PA  19013-1430
Art Carr Performance Products
5301 Longley #46
Reno
NV  89511
Made For You Products J.W. Performance Transmissions Inc.
Rockledge
FL
Flex-A-Lite
8-00/-851-1610
www.flex-a-lite.com
MSD Ignition
El Paso
TX
9-15/-857-5200
msdignition.com
Hedman Hedders
16410 Manning Way
Cerritos
CA  90701
310-921-0404
www.hedman.com
Novak Enterprises Inc.
Whittier
CA
Holley Performance Products
1801 Russellville Rd.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
KY  42101
270-782-2900
www.holley.com
JVX Inc.
Memphis
TN
Moroso
Guilford
CT
2-03/-453-6571
www.moroso.com
Offenhauser Sales Corp.
P.O. Box 32219
Los Angeles
CA  90032
3-23/-225-1307
Advance Adapters Inc.
8-00/-350-2223
www.advanceadapters.com
Canton Racing Products
232 Branford Road, Dept. MMFF
North Branford
CT  06471
Autumn Fleet Sales
7301 Deering Ave.
Canoga Park
CA  91303
8-18/-340-9444
Lee Power Steering
Sun Valley
CA
Tubular Automotive
Rockland
MA  02370-0279
M.A.D. Enterprises
Dept. 5.0
P.O. Box 675
Springville
CA  93265
559-539-7128
www.mad-enterprises.com
Borgeson Universal Co. Auto Krafters
800-228-7346
www.autokrafters.com
Griffin Radiators
Piedmont
SC
Auto Rite Transmissions
Van Nuys
CA
S&W Race Cars & Components
Spring City
PA
Kennedy Engineered Products
Palmdale
CA
Hot Heads Research and Racing Inc.
Apache Jct.
AZ
Baer Racing
6-02/-233-1411
www.baer.com
Maximum Torque Specialties
Delavan
WI
K&N Engineering
1455 Citrus Ave.
Riverside
CA  92502
800-858-3333
www.knfilters.com
Speedway Motors
P.O. Box 81906
Lincoln
NE  68501
4-02/-474-4414
By Miles Cook
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