NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
One of the things that got me in to doing swaps in the first place was building a truck that would last and be capable of DD duties including highway use well into the future. My OPINION is that the 6cyl, any of them in the 60/62/80 was not enough for the vehicle.
I will state again that this is OPINION. There is only one decent source for rebuild parts on the OEM motors and that is Toyota. The cost of rebuilding one right is north of $5K. Add labor to that if you don't wish to do the job. A pull out 5.3L Vortec swap runs north of $11K in parts the way I do them. It can be done far cheaper if you keep things like radiator, gauges and fuel lines etc.
The logic for me is that the LSX series of motors is so well supported that you can build one from the ground up with aftermarket parts. There are parts for them in every parts store in the country and a wrench in every town that can work on them. This will carry on long into the future.
I hear this a lot from "purist" types "I like to take it sow and see the scenery as I drive through it" I can not argue with that, I feel the same way. My response is generally along these lines " I agree with you, I like taking it slow and seeing the scenery as well, but I also like getting on an interstate at speed with traffic and being able to pass a guy at 65 MPH. I can slow down and see the scenery too"
It all comes down to how you wish to use your vehicle and how much you wish to invest in it. Invest being the key word. Whether you rebuild or swap you still have an appreciating asset, at least in today's market, that new Tahoe (think motor donor ) will lose half it' value in 3-4 years.
I'm happy we have the choice!
I will state again that this is OPINION. There is only one decent source for rebuild parts on the OEM motors and that is Toyota. The cost of rebuilding one right is north of $5K. Add labor to that if you don't wish to do the job. A pull out 5.3L Vortec swap runs north of $11K in parts the way I do them. It can be done far cheaper if you keep things like radiator, gauges and fuel lines etc.
The logic for me is that the LSX series of motors is so well supported that you can build one from the ground up with aftermarket parts. There are parts for them in every parts store in the country and a wrench in every town that can work on them. This will carry on long into the future.
I hear this a lot from "purist" types "I like to take it sow and see the scenery as I drive through it" I can not argue with that, I feel the same way. My response is generally along these lines " I agree with you, I like taking it slow and seeing the scenery as well, but I also like getting on an interstate at speed with traffic and being able to pass a guy at 65 MPH. I can slow down and see the scenery too"
It all comes down to how you wish to use your vehicle and how much you wish to invest in it. Invest being the key word. Whether you rebuild or swap you still have an appreciating asset, at least in today's market, that new Tahoe (think motor donor ) will lose half it' value in 3-4 years.
I'm happy we have the choice!