cutty vert engine choice

[2bzbat]

hey guys...I've been entertaining the idea of buying a cutty convertible...preferably one of the later year models as I like the mini-quad headlight/foglight front end and the restyled interior...most I have looked at online are either the 3.4twin cam or the 3.1...wasnt one of these verts available with a manual tranny?...anyways, my main question is that I'd like your opinions on which engine to choose (all other things being equal of course)...I know the twin cam offers better performance but lots of headaches on maint & reliability...the 3.1 seems to be much more maint free but lacks the power...so which engine would you go for if you planned on swapping in a better engine later?...say a slighty modified 3400...I'm not looking for racetrack performance here, just something fun to drive on the street and wont devour me at the gas pump since we would probably be using this car for fair weather vacation trips...my present 2001GP-GT sports about 215 ponies and is very fun to drive...I know this may all sound trivial (lots o money & not much performance gain) but to have something that runs good and doesnt need tons of tinkering is appealing to me (especially in a good-lookin ragtop!)

[pepsi_coke]

none available with manual tranny .. theres giudes here to convert tho

gpse3400 took out his 3.4L DOHC motor in favor of the 3400 .. however I am no pushrod guy, but I believe you can bolt up the 3400 on top of the 3.1 ..

Good luck and keep us informed!

[2bzbat]

does that mean that the 3400 would be a bolt in swap with the 3.1?...if so that sounds like the best route to go...I could live with some lackluster performance while I bolted together a good 3400 in the garage...maybe a mild cam and some headers(if they make those for that engine)...that would be great! (of course we must procure a car first)...and I must be honest here, I also have the Mopar gene as part of my "carguy" blood...I have looked at a couple of Sebring verts...they are nice cars but they suffer from weak engines with no aftermarket support...the 01 and up with the Chrysler 2.7 is much better and can be had with a manual tranny (rare tho) but these models are still pretty new and "pricey" (and they dont hold their value well)

[geoffinbc]

Well if you can get one with a DOHC motor stock I would take that. More power than even a 3400. So you got a better base. Parts are more rare but it just takes some imagination.

[2bzbat]

I guess I'm just afraid of the DOHC engine becuz I've read so many maint nightmares about it...it doesnt seem like there is anything on it that is easy to do...I have a co-worker that used to be a Chevy mechanic and he says he would rather be shot than work on one of those engines...I just dont want anything that I'm going to be leary of taking on a long vacation or have to spend vacation time with my car in the shop somewhere...that would really suck (hasnt happened yet)

[SappySE107]

If you can build a motor, you can work on the DOHC. Its nothing hard, its just intimidating basically.

The 3400 however is a good solid choice anyway. Larger TB, higher compression, and a cam. Headers would have to be modified to fit the car since they were made for a grand am, but you can do that. The front one fits so its just the rear.

[2bzbat]

I seem to remember reading that the 3.4 uses an intermediate shaft where the cam used to be...can a cam be installed and the 3400 top end bolted on? or are there other major differences in the block itself? I also have to admit to not being crazy about the accessory locations on the 3.4...that alternator underneath where all the road gunk gets splashed up just doesnt seem good...I realize that a necessity with any DOHC engine strictly because of the large heads and timing belt...btw, is there any difference in the tranny between the 3.4 and the 3.1?

[geoffinbc]

No OHV valvetrains cannot be bolted on. There is no lifter galley. There is probabally not even the required oil gallies