I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I try not to look down on anybody for their car choice. It could be their first car, or it may be all they can afford. Everyone deserves to be able to be proud of what they drive. I agree, some people may be overly boastful about it, but you just can't let it get to you too much.

In the full spectrum of cars and powertrain choices, it might initially seem that something like the ls4 is far more performance oriented than a turbo 2 liter. However, if you step back and look at some of the setups running these huge 600++ cubic inch big blocks, or some of the numerous 1000+ whp LS builds; they would say the same thing about the ls4. If the ls4 was so performance oriented, it wouldn't have: cylinder deactivation, less than 1 hp/cubic inch, a FWD layout, a transmission that can barely handle the stock power, etc etc etc.

There will always be someone out there with more power that can look down on your setup too.

 

You need a lot from the donor car like Jason was saying, however he neglected a couple BIG items.

You need the whole engine harness, and wiring. You need to grab the PCM/TCM/BCM from the donor, and you need to wire in all of the gauges from the LS4 car. You practically need the whole dash and wiring and gauges, because of how integrated the BCM is.

Actually, here is a thread about a member who has done the swap: https://montecarloforum.com/forum/en...per-ls4-26283/

 

Also it has the fly by wire pedal

 

I don't think you have the slightest clue as to what you're getting yourself into. You don't seem to know what you want other than it has to look and sound cool. IMO, and as stated above, don't waste the time and money swapping the LS4 in. Just buy an 06-07 SS. The swap would be a good learning experience yes, but you seem to only be concerned about what other people think. Other people will not care that you swapped in a V8 and kept it FWD.


The 3800 S/C has a lot of potential, don't down play it. You're making fun of others who think 240hp is fast, yet you seem to think 300hp is fast LOL. Someone will always have a faster car, and look at you the same way.


The best bang for your buck will be to buy an 06/07 SS. It will probably cost you the same. No headaches, easy to diagnose and fix (compared to a swap), and most importantly at the end of the day when it's time to sell, A FACTORY LS4 SS WILL BE WORTH MORE. No one will ever want your swapped car for more than what a base 3400 costs. You might say that you're never going to sell it, but the truth is you don't know what is going to happen in the future.


I'm not here to discourage, just to share my experiences and opinions. Take a deep look into what you need to do. Research, compare, put together a plan. Don't ask vague questions and get mad at anyone who doesn't give you the answer you want.

 

That's a good point. I remember when people first started doing the l67 swap in the 5th gen montes that there were a handful of cars that ended up getting sold for little over scrap value because the car turned into a buggy mess that either never drove right or never drove at all. Even the cars that do work well don't usually sell well unless they were done by a big name shop. There was one guy on mymonte that had a Northstar swapped 5th gen that got down to the low $2000 range trying to sell it and still was just getting tire kickers.


Two other points on the topic of cost for a swap car:
-you need to be able to do the majority of powertrain repair work yourself. It can be hard to find a shop that will touch a swap car with problems because of all of the unknowns. When you do find a shop that will mess with it, they sometimes quote high to cover the potential for those unknowns.
-insurance cost is also a factor. You definitely have the option to not tell them and keep paying your same rate, but if you total it, they typically won't pay for the parts you've put into it. That gets more important the older these cars get, and the lower their value. You'd hate to get a check for $2000 when you've got $4k in the swap alone. You could also tell them, but many will charge you additional premium for the extra coverage.

 

He said a 3400 will walk a 3800. Rofl

 

man this guy is quite cocky..... first off a 3800 monte WILL beat a 3400 monte/ impala. second the sc 3800 is slow? from the factory there not that fast but can be made quite quick with mods that are cheap and readily available. third you want all this big power from a ls4 and wanna turbo it but stay fwd.... what sense does this make? just remember spinning aint winning..... anyway, go swap your ls4 into your monte and come see me, i would love to show you a set of tail lights from a 3800 monte then turbo that ls4 swapped monte and come find me, at that point i will bring out my little turbo focus thats only meant for fuel economy and not performance (according to you) and have no issues walking you in that since all you will be doing is making a big smoke show while never moving forward.....

happy modding which ever way you choose and if i were you i would quit talking down on other engines/ vehicles..... you will NEVER be the fastest (neither will i) but unlike you i respect all vehicles and dont talk down on them lol