Would it be worth buying and 350 swapping?
Posted by Miserable-Cup-9310@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 43 comments
Its $1500 for a inline 6 nova, 66k miles, drives not sure how well yet. My goal would be to v8 swap it to a 350 next summer if I were to get it. I haven't done much engine work only fixed up beaters here and there but want to learn.
Murky_Welcome1636@reddit
Every single time
OOFMAN-1234@reddit
It'd be a cool sleeper if thats what you're going for, but i would because its not a desirable year,and its a 4 door
SirBobSwarley@reddit
There was a dude who turbo'd one of these a while back. Very much a crazy fast sleeper of a car and those motors will take decent boost
petflunky@reddit
https://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Inline-Six-Cylinder-Manual-Edition/dp/1931128278/ref=pd_sim_b_1?tag=jymob-20
I vote for keeping the six and souping it up a bit. It's ok to be different.
Phen117@reddit
Anything is good as long as you enjoy it.
hosalabad@reddit
Yes, do it.
RCMike_CHS@reddit
Heck yeah
Canelosaurio@reddit
An old friend of mine put a 454 in his.
Catatafish@reddit
Don't hate on the 6 banger. They side great. Slap some ITBs on it, a cam, and send it. Do you need a V8, are gonna race this? Are you will to throw 50k at the engine to make it keep up with a damn Cybertruck? Enjoy the smooth 6.
Tremec14@reddit
I believe this Nova would have the 250 inline 6. I have the 250 in my 1968 Camaro (with a 3 speed manual) and it has decent pep and runs very smoothly.
I’ve thought about some basic mods just to wake it up a bit, but wouldn’t want to do anything too extreme. They did some crazy things with the same basic engine in Brazil, and it was used by GM through the late 1990s/early 2000s I believe.
Revolutionary-Use136@reddit
$1500, I’d love to drive this as is. What a stupidly basic and yet obscure enough car
pistonsoffury@reddit
All engine swaps are hard and cost money. You can drop in a bone stock 5.3/4L60E for about the same cost as a 350 these days, and you get way more for your money.
greasyspider@reddit
I can hear it rusting
Olestrodamas@reddit
It's already got something begging for spooly noises....wake up that old 6
DeepNorthIdiot@reddit
For that price? Hell yeah. But maybe drive it around for a few months before you take the engine out. I had an old Ford truck with a straight six that I planned to swap but after a couple months I changed my mind. A lot of these old 6's really aren't as bad as people claim.
QueensGambit9Fox@reddit
Here's mine. May be a coupe, but i like it.
QueensGambit9Fox@reddit
Big-Energy-3363@reddit
Absolutely. I’d buy that in a flash!!
YousureWannaknow@reddit
Yes and no. Depends from condition if it's rust free, worth as long as other nova will use that engine if it's working, if it's not.. Well 😅
TNShadetree@reddit
No.
There are tons of 4th gen Novas out there for cheap with V8's already in them.
And most importantly, with 2 less doors.
I restored a 76 Nova hatchback. Put a cowl hood on it, painted it glacier blue with black SS stripes. It was a good project.
But a 4 door. Oh hell no.
pw76360@reddit
As a lover of sedans, respectively, eat a D.
stomperxj@reddit
4 door > 2 door all day. I'm with you friend.
TNShadetree@reddit
Fine, take your money down a dead end street.
pw76360@reddit
So..... Get into cars as a hobby. Perfect, and done!
lightingthefire@reddit
Agreed!
KneeDeepInDevils@reddit
For $2500 you can find the same year Camaro or firebird that’s already a V8 and probably just needs body work.
Story_of_a_snitch@reddit
It's still worth getting at that price if it's even somewhat complete.
Maleficent331@reddit
No.
JohnnyHopkinss7v8@reddit
r/lsswaptheworld
SoundMedal@reddit
Fuck yeah
SeymourBoobeez@reddit
Dude I want a box Chevy so fucking bad.
Educational-Cake7350@reddit
Do it. It might not be a 2 door, but it’s still a Nova.
If it drives the way it is, drive it around for a little bit before you tear into it. I wish I would of tried to get my Nova running with the straight 6 it came with before I ripped it apart 🤣
Overall, 350 swaps aren’t too hard to do, especially with older Chevys. Would be a cool sleeper build, that you can throw some passengers in and do burnouts.
(My 1969 Nova 4 Door. Currently in the middle of LS swap)
Educational-Cake7350@reddit
Dinglebutterball@reddit
Turbo the 6 banger
MechMeister@reddit
If its rust free try for $1000
Boilermakingdude@reddit
Ouuh a nova.
smithers3882@reddit
You could just run it with the I-6 for a while, they are absolutely bulletproof. I had one and blew an upper radiator hose about 25 miles from home. I had basically got the car for free and was a young dumb kid that was going to be late for work the next day/couldn’t afford a tow, so cracked the hood and just kept driving.
I think it took about 5 hours to cool off completely - next day I slapped on a used hose, changed the very black oil, filled it with tap water and it kept on running.
smthngeneric@reddit
Shit I'd buy it who cares if it's an I6. A 350 swap will be about as easy as a swap gets considering every part you need is readily available and there's like 3 wires to run the engine.
dav3y_jon3s@reddit
Be a bad ass sleeper. I'm pretty sure the swap is pretty straight forward on these I think new motor mounts and trans cross member. The trans in it I believe will bolt up to a sbc. The rad that's in there would also probably be fine for a stock to slight modified sbc but anything crazy I'd probably find something larger.
MoistExcellence@reddit
Absolutely
Square-Job5632@reddit
Everyone's going be like ' it aint worth it', but thats just opinion.
I personally like the l6 motors. But if you decide to swap keep in kind theres a lot more to it than just changing motors.
The motor mounts wont fit, wiring harnesses, ac lines, bigger radiator, shifter linkage, bellhousing patterns/flywheels etc.
Lots of little details.
Miserable-Cup-9310@reddit (OP)
Figured, might be more time than I have unfortunately. Thanks!
aliennick4812@reddit
These can be sleepers. I love how normal and boring they look.