need help deciding on a new motor for my car
 

I might need a new engine for my car, its a 1966 impala, currently has a 283 in it. At the end of last summer my current engine was blowing white smoke like crazy. I am just waiting to pull it and go over it. In the meantime I am looking for possible replacements, just in case.

My two choices are a brand new crate 350 290hp or a 1970's rebuilt 327 that our mechanic at work owns that he claims is pushing just over 400 hp. the 327 is about $600 more than the new crate engine. my logical self says 'buy the new one', but my male ego says '400+ hp!'

What are your thoughts?

I'd want to see a build sheet and dyno sheet on the supposed 400hp engine,as well as how many miles have been put on it. Will he offer any sort of warranty on it? I always take people's hp claim with a huge grain of salt unless they have some sort of documentation to back it up. The dyno will tell the real story, and more often than not the numbers come up well short.

Had a 283 in my 65 Parisienne 2dr Custom Sport. Awfully tame.

Logic dictates the new 350, but I vote 327

If your 66 Impala has the original 283 CID v8 it should also have the 2spd power glide transmission, if so drivability with a 400 hp v8 will be really hard on gas and the old tranny may need you change the rear gears to be a performer,,,

I belong to a gearhead website for classic trucks, and that 290hp 350 has been discussed quite a few times. The overall opinion is that the cam in there is way too large for a 8.5 conpression engine with poor heads, and iirc it was rated at 326ft torque..not too great for anslightly weighty Impala (nice car!).

If on a budget grab the base 260hp crate and buy a better suited cam, or look at the piles of other crate engines available. If wanting to stay with GM the 350HO is a nice one, but gmpp sure doesnt give them away and you could probably get a local guy to build a similar one for the same coin.

Had a look at blueprint engines at all?

Just my 2cents..google "350 290hp crate cam too large" and you will find plenty of discussions on this.

Obviously this is not a all original restoration car, because if it were you would like it have all the numbers match, so I'd go with the new crate engine and have some warranty on the engine for a little piece of mind.

Yep , the 66Impaka won't be a 1/4,mile race car with either the 350 crate motor or the bubba 327 ,

Common sense seats the new crate engine,

On the other hand, the 66 Impala COULD be a 1/4 mile dragster ??
if you mount a Lincoln welder in the trunk??
and install a cummins 24 valve under the hood and jack it up and put 30 inch tires under it,,, :sHa_sarcasticlol:

Then it would be a dragster,,,,

Go with the new crate engine. If you want to go fast, put in an LS engine.

Have you considered a 296 I6?

+ a transmission to match horsepower

+ a set of gears and a traction loc rear differential

+ disc brakes( to update the piddly old drum brakes, front and rear) and suspension to work with a high performance engine

Way more work and expense to going fast than just more horsepower :)

Friend of mine shoehorned a 555 into an 81 Firebird years ago, had to cut the firewall and wheel wells to make it fit. Only thing that car couldn't pass was a gas station.

I'd go new 350 crate, at least you know what you're getting and should have some warranty to it.

It is an all original car, only 26000 miles on it. And it is a three on the tree transmission. last spring i replaced the brakes with OEM drum brakes all around and new exhaust.

I don't want to get into replacing the rear end, suspension, brakes, etc, if I don't have to.

Sadly, I don't have any knowledge about motors, and camshafts, etc, and what would work with what transmission. I feel like an IDIOT because I don't know anything.

My first preference would be to keep the original engine- I am hoping that it just needs new seals and there are no cracks in it.

Otherwise....its a new engine. And the allure of horsepower is tempting, but not if I have to replace a bunch of other stuff.

And the guy who appraised my car has told me that changing the engine won't affect the value of the car.

Thanks for all the replies so far, I do appreciate it, and I am learning a lot too!

What is the cost of the two motors? (327ci and 350ci)

A 66 Impala with a 327ci is more desirable and valuable than the same car with a run of the mill crate 350ci.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a 283 either, there are a cheap motor to rebuild. A 283 ci with a glide is one of the best eng/tran combos ever made.

If its blowing white smoke you could get away with just rebuilding the top end..ie. removing heads etc while leaving the motor in the car. It could also be a head gasket.

Sounds like the original just blew a head gasket and your getting coolant into the cylinders to make white smoke. If that's the case I would check to make sure you haven't gotten coolant in the oil pan. If you do then I would spin in some new rod and main bearings and install new head gaskets.

I just put a 2015 LS3 into my 02 convertible corvette. It was a 11,000$ bill so be prepared for the sticker shock. It was a brand new crate engine and a few wiring harnesses. If you just wanna drive it around on sunday then just get your engine rebuilt by a reputable shop. It will have warranty on it when its rebuilt. Then everything is still matched/paired properly. Dont get any weird cams or head work, just get a good rebuild and save some headaches. You'll save a few grand from the crate.

The good thing about GM is its interchangeability. Basically any GM small block will bolt right in and depending on vintage and options likely hook right up to existing wiring. As said by others the 283 is likely salvageable. If so, while its opened up, put in some mild performance parts. Rebuild it and you won't have to worry about it for a long dang time.

If an engine needs to be replaced and I had a choice between a 350 or 327, hands down its the 327. It is quite easy to produce 400HP out of ANY small block chevy. The numbers aren't unbelievable but I would have to ask what the guy has done to the engine to see if I would actually believe its a 400HP engine. The 327 is an over-square engine and it loves to rev!!!

They are very easy to work on and parts are easily attained. I would have no issues buying a used 327 compared to a new crate 350 that will likely give you one year warranty. If he is a decent mechanic I would bet he built it well. It sounds like you put 500 miles a year on this car. Even if that crate motor had issues it would likely fail outside your warranty anyways. So really you aren't going to be any further ahead by spending extra at the dealership.

As I stated earlier I would find a reputable engine builder and rod up that little 283 and keep it numbers matching.

If all the serial numbers are a match I would be looking into rebuilding the engine as the car is worth more if you are restoring it.

Rebuild the 283

Based on this being a untouched survivor, all numbers matching, fix the 283! Swapping out what's there will knock a ton of value out of that car should you ever choose to restore it. And the 283 is not an engine to be underrated. Pop into a few places that do work on older stuff, talk to the guys there and get their opinions. A rebuild will likely be comparable to the cost of swapping in either a new crate or a questionable "buddy built" deal. Also, 400hp out of a 283 is very achievable, and if built right, the lighter rotating assembly can rev to the moon!

As others have stated, you just lost a had gasket, very fixable, no need to go crazy with crate this and built 400hp that, it probably went from boredom from never being driven.... it really depends on what you want out of the car now and down the road in the future.

*292

Just rebuild your existing engine, a car like that doesn't need to be bubba'd.
If you've still got it in twenty years you'll be happy you kept it original, everyone's got a modified car, fewer originals exist every day, it's worth the money to preserve it.

I agree, and it is probably by far your least cost option.

I suspect a gasket set and a little shade tree mechanics is all that is needed.
I have not purchased a SB Chevy gasket set recently, but suspect <$100.

Good Luck, YMMV.

Intake gaskets as well

327!! No questions, a 350 is good but a dime a dozen. The 327 will make it slightly more unique. And " 400" hp won't hurt either.

The old three on the tree wont take a lot of horse power abuse. Nor will your rear end. And that cars fairly heavy. Your way better off looking into why its blowing white. Most likely a head gasket. It will be cheapest way to go to fix it. And it will be nbr's matching original survivor car. With only 26000 on it nothing else should be wrong. 283's are almost bullet proof. Will last you for nearly ever. I had a few three on the trees GM's in my day and believe me they aint real strong. Even broke one getting to rambunctious with a six cylinder so.

Get the 4 speed tranny that is stuck to the LS and call it good. No need to spend all that extra money, they already have stout rear ends. No need to go full resto mod just for a motor swap

Have you checked the Bow Tie Shop at your local GM dealer?
Lots of easy to replace engines for money that is better spent than trying to fix it a little longer.
Plus there are warranties for such engines.
But, if you want to rebuild then there is Lordco or Mo-Pac type places to get the parts and stuff to rebuild.
Go see your GM Parts guy and see what they can come up with.
Rob

I'm with xxclaro on this one. Actual HP output and claimed HP output are usually quite far apart. If the 400HP claim is what's alluring about the 327 I would look into the build and make sure that the claim is legitimate. IMHO, with a heavier car like yours, you would be better served looking for a bigger cubic inch small block which has the ability to build more torque within a usable rpm range.

That being said, if you have been happy with the power output of the 283, fixing it is likely the cheapest option you have. Small block Chevys are one of the easiest engines in the world to work on. Parts are cheap if you look in the right places and any automotive machine shop can do the work that requires specialty tools or equipment. Fixing that engine yourself would give you a better understanding of the inner workings of an engine and give some personal satisfaction as well.
Again, just my humble opinion, and good luck with it regardless of which way you go on it.

X2

Rebuild the 283. It will last another lifetime.