man this stuff for the 3800 looks cheap and lots of power, I'm having second thoughts on the audi v8 I don't think I'm going to pull it off
The SC 3800 swap is very popular because the engineering has been done over and over, the availability of parts (stock and aftermarket) are plentiful and even the ECU programming has been figured out for multiple applications. If you're 500 miles from home and your car breaks down, will you be able to find replacement parts at any auto parts store and any local garage will be able to service it?
I don't think that anyone will debate that the 3800 engine was
one of GM's finest and it's considered by many to be one of the best V6's ever built, regardless of manufacturer. Taking all this into consideration along with an awesome power to weight ratio and the 3800 comes out as
one of the best Fiero transplants available.
Notice that I emphasized one of the best? As much as I'd love a BMW V12 sitting back there (and I did toss this around a lot) the SC3800 won out for practicality for me personally and it's one more piece of my build that I didn't want to complicate with the extra engineering and then long term maintenance and cost.For a fellow that intends on showing his car more and will have his engine cover up, the BMW V12 is a beautiful engine that really looks the part. For Dratts it was about horsepower and that twin turbocharged 3.4 really sounds like a force to be reckoned with on the track.
One of the awesome things about our hobby is we get to choose the paint for our canvas and every car is uniquely different which defines the term "hand built". Each car becomes a definiation of the builder and what is important to him or her at that point in their life.
I take my hat off to anyone building their project around another powerplant (I really admire these builds). For my project, I decided that 300 - 350 HP is enough power for my needs and I really wanted reliability in a car that I intend on driving 100,000 miles. I'm upgrading in a couple other areas so any money saved on the engine will go towards my six speed manual transplant (personally important to me) and anything left over will be reapplied to the overall finish of the project.
Chris