How crazy am I?

[runinapentastar]

Hey guys and gals, .I am going to WYO-TECH for custom street fabs on cars and trucks and learn how to build HIGH HP motors. Anyway heres my deal I have an 87 Ford Escort (front wheel drive 4 popper) that I was thinking about turning it to a rear wheel drive with a V-8 (318 stroked to a 350) the car weighs right now about 1960 with out driver and am going to try to keep the weight in that range if not a few hundred pounds heavier. And the HP on the V-8 am going to try to push in the 550 to 600 range. So how crazy am I?

[goose]

Sleepers aren't crazy, they're cool! I've seen some magazine articles on Plymouth Arrows that were converted to V8, also some people have made the K and L bodies RWD. Wyo Tech is sure the place to do it!!

Kinda reminds me of another wild sleeper project, check out www.wsu.edu/~426hemi

[Doug Wilson]

It would be fast. You aren't crazy, but there would be bunches of problems to solve. Wyoming Tech would be a great place to do it. My sailor Son may go there when he leaves the Navy.

[6pakman]

i think your nuckin futs! but what the hey, its your bank account!!!

[Ausydad]

Doesn't sound too crazy to me, but then again, I was one of a team that put a bored and stroked 383/833/9.0-4:88 into a '64 Triumph TR4....

[451Mopar]

Sounds cool, there was a guy here in Denver with a 340 stuffed in a Dodge Colt.
BTW, What does it cost for classes at WYO-TECH?

[scdanny]

My friend has a 82 Dodge Colt with a 360 stuffed under the hood. And yes, he's nuts.................

[kick_the_reverb]

The engine transplant doesnt sound so crazy - it's just very time labor and money consuming. And it would probably need to be a race car only.

451Mopar - last June I made the trek from CA to Wyo-Tech.
My wife and I toured the grounds, and then met with the school representative to hear more details....
Well - they have a core program you have to take which is 6 months and costs about $17,000 - 18,000. The core programs are either automotive technology, diesel technology or body repair and refinishing. Then they have some add on programs you can take like - Street Rod (metal working and custom painting), High Performance Chassis fabrication, and Trim & Upholstery.
Each one of the add on programs are 3 months long and cost $5,000 each.
In all the programs you get to use their tools but you pay for the supplies.
They have a very nice facility with lots of equipment. However, I wasn't really impressed (and believe me, I wanted to be!) for the following reasons (again this all relates to me, your views might be different):
The core programs are very basic. They deal only with late model stuff and are for someone who wants a job as in the repair/maintenance bussiness. I have already worked 2 years in the VW/Audi/Seat importer here in Israel, and I can say that I'm only interested in modified American Iron. You will probably learn nothing in relation to that in any of the core programs.
I asked if the add on programs are related to the core - meaning you have to take body repair and refinishing to learn the Street Rod stuff, and they said - no. That means that they teach you everything you need to know in the add on courses.
I asked if there is a possibilty to only take the 3 add-on courses (still a hefty $15,000), and they said maybe sometimes, depending on availability.
Then there's the fact that it's in Laramie, which if I (coming from Israel) thought was a one horse town (well, maybe a two horse town...) , you, as an American would probably agree. The place is very far from anywhere, it has winds up to 50MPH in the summer, the dorms they have for rent are very basic and not that cheap, the area has problems with cellphone reception...etc.
Oh - and there's the dress code - I don't mind wearing uniform, but if they're telling me that I have to cut my (long) hair, while it's ok for girls to just put theirs in a pony tail...I dunno, just seems a little outdated. My reply was that by the time i'll have money to pay for their school, I will probably be bald anyway

Don't get the impression that I'm knocking the school - it's just that for me the cons outweighed the pros.
If it was located in CA, and there was a possibility to only do the add on courses, I might have considered it.
Still, you can probably learn more starting at the bottom in a shop (you'll be mopping floors, but that's what they make you do at Wyo-Tech , also), and actually getting paid instead of paying...

Ran

BTW - if you want to hear more about the add on programs, shoot me an e-mail at burnman@netvision.net.il

[djswwg]

Crazy?-no. Certifiable?-ABSOF%#*INLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....djs

[b-1ken]

Since the escort is useless anyway, you might as well cut it up. I put a small block chevy in a '63 MGB and it was cool. If you have the facilities, and you can weld and fabricate brackets and headers and have a lot of patience it could be a fun project. If you don't finish, well, just junk the car. One thing I wouldn't do is spend money on the engine before you got the swap done. You don't want to sink a bunch of money into the engine and then decide to abandon the project. Engine swaps are pretty much a thing of the past, but they can be a great learning experience. And if you DO complete it, it'll be something you can be proud of. I'd say go for it!
P.S. My first Mopar was a max wedge 426 that I swapped into a '55 Chevy in 1965. It isn't as nutty as your swap, but ....

[451Mopar]

Thank's for the information on the school. I alaways see the ads, but wondered about the cost.
I have considered getting into the autobody / restoration bussiness as I know many people who are restoring cars, and even willing to pay good money. The problem around here is the good shops are either very expensive or backloged for over a year plus. The other shops still are not cheap, quality is usually so/so, and some are black holes where the car goes in and never comes back out.
Personally, I would rather have an engine machine shop, but it would be much harder to make money because the equipment costs are much higher, it takes a longer time to built the bussiness, and I think there are more potential customers in the autobody side compared to the engine building side.

[b-1ken]

With all of the prefab engines available from all across the country, I would think there would be a whole lot less competition in the restoration business (you said yourself how backlogged they all are). Also, you probably don't have to worry about some irate racer who: 1. engine blew up, 2. Doesn't make enough HP 3. Has a buddy who paid half as much to go faster 4. fill in the blank, with a phone call @ 2:00 AM at home.