Okay, I'm starting plans for a buggy and want input on what is the best motor swap for a buggy. I'm looking at GM motors mostly because of availability of parts, but am open to suggestions.
Are the older motors easier to swap in and wire?
About the same, IMO. The newer Gen III motors have about the same amount of sensors, perhaps 2 or 3 more than the older Vortec engines.
I'd love to do a newer 6.0, but will it work with a 700r4?
Yes, there's a simple kit that you'd need to buy from Advanced Adapters. It comes with a small spacer for the converter and a stock Gen III flexplate that has been modified/redrilled to work with the 700R4/400/350 converter.
Will it need the ECM reprogrammed? Who does that?
Yes, you will need to have a programmer disable the VATS (Vehicle Anti-Theft Sys) and they can upload a performance tune. Since it will be a buggy motor, you can specify that it will not be street driven, therefore they can reduce the emissions controls & program the ECU with a more aggressive tune for more power.
What is the best wiring harness?
The stock one, modified & stripped down for what you need. Don't use
Wait4Me, I did & have been disappointed.
Jims Performance comes highly recommended. I went with Wait4Me due to the price difference & now wish I would have spent more for a quality product. Both of them will re-tune the ECU & do the wiring work.
How tough is it to do the drive-by-wire thing?
Very simple, throttle pedal assembly has a sensor on it, wires that run to a small computer, then go to the throttle body on the motor. It all unbolts from the donor vehicle. Make sure to get the throttle pedal assy from donor vehicle.
Probably, but how much are you willing to spend?
Better motors for the money? Probably not. The 6.0 can put out TONS of power with a ECU tune. Call Jims & see what kind of numbers they can pull. A decent intake filter & a set of headers will improve on the power that's already there.
When I was building muscle cars, aluminum heads & a roller cam were the hot ticket for a very quick car that made power all over the RPM range. Now GM is building the Gen III motors with those parts...
STOCK. For the price and the kind of power & efficiency these motors make, I don't think there's anything else comparable out there. Plus the aftermarket support is huge for them. And if you need even more power you can swap on LS1 parts, more aggressive cams, etc, etc.
Do some reading on here, you'll like what you read & see about these motors-
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/
They have a 'engine conversions' forum that has been very helpful for me.
