ok so heres the deal, I was looking in some other forums
and Ive seen some good swaps with this engine

I currently own a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
that taken, Im looking for a little more boost
and was thinking about a swap...

Would this be the best engine to do it with?
or is there something better... given a 5 Grand
Limit for Engine, Transmission, ect....

I would like to hear what you guys think so plz post me
and give me some suggestions, your opions are valued, but
plz dont tell me that its a sunfire and its a piece of crap
you can keep that to yourself... thank you

Dude, not to be an ass, but seriously, the question has been asked ad nauseum.... Yes, the swap can be done. it is not, however, cheap, or easy. It requires redoing the wiring harness to accomodate the ecu of the grand prix, or a standalone ecu. You also need to do some cutting/welding and miscellaneous fabrication to actually mount the engine.

Is it the best swap? "Best" will always be debatable. I think that motor has a LOT of potential and I'm personally a big fan of the L36/L67. You can probably manage to do it within your $5K budget, but if I were you, I would simply mod the engine you have. Since your registry is not filled out, I don't know if you have a 2200 or an Eco, but either way, throw some forged rods and pistons in, add a turbo, and you'll already have the stock power of a 3800 S/C and room to grow. The 2200 is a bit more of a challenge since you'll need headwork and a cam to get the most out of it (search for OHV, LN2, 2200 related threads in this forum), but its still more than capable of up to 280 whp, which, in a J-body should be good for easy 12 second quarter miles with a competent driver. Spare 2200's are also easy to come by in junkyards and will go for $200-300, so you can just buy a spare, build it up outside of the car, and then drop it in over a weekend when you're ready. Threads by Adler, Madjack, SlowoleJ, OHV Notec, Stevefire, and myself may be of interest and hold quite a bit of information that will be useful.

For the eco, all you'll really need is rods and pistons, which are easily available from allecotec.com. Slap on a turbo, invest in HPTuners software, and you're solid.

The 3800 would be a better route if you wanted to do something really crazy, as its stock internals can handle upwards of 500 hp, which, in all honesty, is more than a FWD street car will ever need or should have. If you're really dead set on this engine, search for threads by Raven, as he's easily got the prize for hands-down awesomest 3800 swap of all time.

Obviously, to hold any increased power, you'll also want to be investing in better tires, a stronger clutch, etc.




Arrival Blue 04 LS Sport
Eco
Turbo
Megasquirt
'Nuff said

I believe Raven actually Is selling the harnesses for the swap now. I know he is selling the subframe for sure.