How much does good V8 power cost and how to get it

[crofty1984]

My dad told me about a C3 corvette he saw for sale. I'm a bit tempted to be honest, but it's probably a lower-power version at about 180bhp (it's a 5.7 litre 1980 model). If I wanted to get it somewhere near 300bhp what's my best route do you think? Tune the engine in it? LS conversion? What about resale value?
Help me Pistonheads!

[soad]

How much those C3 go for normally? £8k mark?

Can you really (almost) double its bhp output by some engine tuning?

[Pothole]

£7k according to this guy:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

"Engine: Complete rebuild on original engine with replacement Edlebrock package, cost of £7K" 344bhp

[crofty1984]

Sod it then. FI the mazda it is! (eventually)

[Truckosaurus]

300bhp+ Chevy engines for £3k-ish here => http://www.britishamericanengines.co.uk/chevy_pric...

[Kevin VRs]

Another alternative is a Mustang.

[clarksonisawilly]

Lexus V8? 270ish bhp as standard and not too pricey?

[balls-out]

get a 4th gen camaro z28?

[Jonty355]

If you want plenty of power, and better still, power to weight ratio. Surely its got to be a TVR?

Something like a Chimera can be had for about £8k.

[JakesterUK]

How much was the C3? A better choice for power would be a C4 or a fourth gen camaro/Trans Am with the LT1 V8

[crofty1984]

Jonty355 said:

If you want plenty of power, and better still, power to weight ratio. Surely its got to be a TVR?

Something like a Chimera can be had for about £8k.

I'd love a Chimaera. Because I'm not dead inside. But I think it's a little too close to my current car (MX5). Well, like a lairier version of it.
Made my mind up. I'm going to buy a BMW 320 instead. Seriously.



An E30 320, strip it, cage it, race it in Prod BMW

[TheMighty]

You're going to buy a german saloon car when you actually wanted a 300hp V8?

I wouldn't say you'll get a great LS1 Camaro cheap, but you'll get an ok one and there's loads in the US that have huge mileages on with no issues at all.

0-60 in 5 seconds and 13 second quarter miles in your new beamer?

Give it a second thought - You won't regret it!

[Speedracer329]

What about an XJR? 370bhp V8 for an absolutely scandalously small amount of money.
In fact such good value I bought myself one today, what a car!!

[ScottishSamurai]

No reply from 300bhp/ton yet? Maybe his head exploded?

Good luck though OP, even if its not tuning the original engine I imagine a swap would be relitively straightforward.

[theironduke]

300+bhp V8

Porsche 928?

[pacman1]

et voila..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1989-TVR-TASMIN-RED_W0QQitem...

[Grrrmachine]

Infinitely more class and style than a yankmobile, and for amazingly less cash: Mercedes W126 560 SEC.

272hp, all-aluminium V8, and current market prices of less than 5grand. There's one on ebay right now.

And I've got an E30 320. Even stripped, you won't get much power out of it.

Edited by Grrrmachine on Saturday 24th April 22:28

[JakesterUK]

Speedracer329 said:

What about an XJR? 370bhp V8 for an absolutely scandalously small amount of money.
In fact such good value I bought myself one today, what a car!!

Sounds nice, what year & ball park money? always fancied one myself

[jas xjr]

Speedracer329 said:

What about an XJR? 370bhp V8 for an absolutely scandalously small amount of money.
In fact such good value I bought myself one today, what a car!!

beat me to it

[Mars]

4.5 Cerbera