I would like to have a 14-15 second car. I would like to have a Bonneville as well, with boost. Problem is, I am emotionally attached to my 89, and I like the body styling better. Within a couple of months I will probably have the funds to fix her body up, which I have been planning to do for quite some time, but there is no real cost effective way to make my car fast. Turbo is out of the question (I just can't fathom spending $3000 plus on an engine with 220,000km'*, and the tranny in these cars probably just won't last since it will be my daily driver) especially since I have been told my UIM gasket is leaking, as well as my valve covers and oil pank gasket.

Option one...there is that swap, but I have neither the tools or the skill to complete such a thing, and I can't afford to fork over $1500 for someone to install it after I buy the drivetrain etc. The closest group of members to me is in Minnesota, about 8 hours away. With all that considered, my local wreckers are charging rediculous amounts of money for the engine and trans alone.

Option two...buy a SSEi. They are pretty hard to find for sale here, there are just mostly SE'* on the market. The good side would be I won't have to spend all that money on body work, or a swap. But I would have to buy the car...and then I would lose my body style and my beloved 89. Keeping both is not an option, I have no room or enough money.

Summary:
- Fix the 89 body wise, and do an engine swap. (Unless you guys have a way to make it do 15 seconds w/o turbo). If I can get the drivetrain cheap, this might not be a bad option.
-or-
Buy a SSEi, get rid of the 89, and do some bolt ons...pulley, CAI, exhaust, PCM....

I don't want to do the body work and end up getting rid of it in a couple months because I want the boost. I probably won't get more then a $1000 for her anyway.

WHAT DO I DO!?

you could always keep the 89 and then get an SSEi....because you prolly wont get anything for your car...

Pat has a point.

Or yank yours apart..do all the body..then have the 97 drivetrain installed

a s2 ssei can be held for awful cheap now a days though. Lots of options to get it in that time range

here is what I would do. I would keep the 89. I would place an order with Randy'* guy for a 97-99 SSEi from the salvage auction or find someone to get you one. Swap it with phone support from NEBF.

or, if you decide turbo, wait til the junkyard in binghamton to have a sale like this weekend with $49.99 transmissions. That way for $200 you can get 4 spares so that when you turbo the car, you have replacements when you start blowing them up. They also do $75 engine sales with 1/2 price accessories when purchased with an engine. For under $500 you can get 4 spares of each.

As much as I would like to keep the 89, and get an SSEi, I can't. I have nowhere to put two cars, and I can't insure both. As far as doing a swap, how much labor would be involved if I gave them all the information I had about the topic? I think my best bet would be to buy an entire wrecked SSEi w/a good engine. The closest wrecker around here asked $3000CDN for the trans, engine, and the PCM. I thought that was outrageous. How much did randman end up paying again?

Too bad I don't have a billboost and randman next door.

edit:

Hmmmm...thats an idea...how much does it cost to ship a car these days anyway?

whhhaaa!?

a 4t60e is over 600 bucks at any junkyard here (in unknown condition)

Depends on your connections. You could rent a trailer and truck or borrow one or both.

Personally, I would keep the 89. Such a beautiful car and for its age, its in awsome shape. When funds permit get a 2nd car.

Who told you that? The LN3 has a one-piece manifold

Under most circumstances, I'd say to get an SSEi, but I think you might want to hang on to the '89 for a while longer.

A quick lube tech.