Engine swaps–why we do them.
Big engines in small cars. Seems like a recipie for a lot of fun.
And I confess, it’s a subject that grabbed my attention at an early age. The very first car magazine I ever bought with my own money featured a bunch of cars, mostly early Fords, with Cadillac V-8 engines.
Now, I’m going to show my age. The magazine was “Rod & Custom”. The issue was January, 1957. (I still have the magazine.)
Since then, I’ve performed several engine swaps. Small block V-8 Mopars in a 1934 Plymouth and a 1941 Chrysler. Small block Chevy’s in a whole bunch of cars and trucks. And now, I’m swapping a 5.3 liter, all-aluminum, Gen IV, Chevy into a 1987 BMW 535iS.
Once again, a relatively large engine (5.3 vs. 3.5) into a smaller car (3200 lbs. vs. the 4400 lbs. of the donor Trailblazer).
Why do we do that? Partly, just to see if we can, partly to save a car I really like, and partly to have a car that goes as well as it handles.
Pictures and progress report to follow.
Wayne (also known as the Head Geezer at 1GeezersGarage.com)
