I may go see it if I have time, I will update if I go.
+1 Monte. I think it is very interesting also, and would give owners another option if they wanted a lot more power with less maintenance.
Somebody is jealous..finally a 355 that can out accelerate a minivan without having to rev the living piss out of it..
Bolting a motor & trans onto a frame is the easy part. Computer management of the motor and F1 is the real challenge.
I think a competent tuner will be able to take care of that. I still can't see the sense putting a $20K+ motor plus another $10K+ in labor into a car that is now worth not too much more than that. Plus I would tend to think that no matter how good it is, the resale would be less than if it were original. Cool idea anyway.
Sometimes we just have to throw sense out the window and do what makes us happy. And I dare say this would be one of those times. Giggity Giggity!
I agree. I truly like the looks of the 355 and wouldn't hesitate to drop $30K to make this happen if it was very well done. I know at some point I would likely need to rebuild my engine anyway so that's when I'd likely do it then and hopefully it can be done so the car could be taken back to stock without too much work. I don't really think the 355 is going to be a "collectable" and will likely gain the status of the status of the 328 which was known as the car where they got it right, a really good car and hold their value and maybe go up slightly. They simply made too many of them. Having said that, I DO think someone would pay a little more for a 430 drive train if it were well done and wouldn't hurt the long term resale value.
For this to work, even with a manual box, he is also going to need the ABS unit, cluster, harness and a sensors ect as this car needs them for the e-diff and engine management. I wont be impressed with the engine install I will be impressed with functioning electronics. I would have chosen and challenge gearbox to do away with e-diff and go with manual shift. Form there the engine management will be tough with four cams to control, coil on plug and variable intake manifold configurations there are not many stand alone units that even have enough outputs. One reason the original 430 Motronics are used in pairs.
OK, so I spoke to the owner today - it turns out I know him... He says he has converted to manual shift using 360 shifter and he will be looking at an engine management system to make it work - he is in no rush so who knows how long it might take.
I have been think more along the lines of a Porsche Boxster S engine/trans/rear end transplant. A 355ster!
You'll still be fighting the computers and sensors. What would be easier is a carbureted engine. An old Maserati V8? Small block Chevy? Drivetrain from a Pantera? (drivetrain from a Fiero!!!!)
Paul, now you are onto something. Drivetrain from a modded 351 Cleveland Pantera or Ford GT. Power from either one of these would be greater than the 430 and much cheaper with minimal maintenance.
Are people that lazy that they can't shift gears? They put this really cool thing in the car called a 'transmission' that lets you very easily and quickly put the engine right into the rev range it needs to be to go fast. If you can't figure it out, they make these corvettes with big wheezing engines that have no top end and automatic transmissions that might be more your speed. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry..That is not my "speed"..that is one ugly Corvette, but it will still get ya at the finish line..sad to say.
Top end for sure not, but in the world of street driving, hate to say it, but it's got you beat. The vette does it the old fashioned way..torque, it what gets you moving. 400ftlbs at 2500rpm vs 275ftlbs at 7500rpm. But 3.5 liters making 375 horse is nothing to sneeze at. It just makes all of its power above 5k rpm. That little engine has to work very hard to put its number down. The vette just kinda does it in its sleep..although those years of vette feel like a truck to drive, and kinda sound like one to from the inside..
If you know how to drive the 355, it simply won't matter. Through the magic of gear multiplication, that 400lbs feet and 275 lbs ft end up much different at the pavement. The 355 is just a faster car unless you drive it like it's a vette, which I'm sure many former vette owners mistakenly do. If you're taking z06 it's a different story as then you have a race...
