First, Are you freekin serious? There is nothing illegal about changing the motor in the car. As long as it is smog legal there isn't anything anyone can say about it.

Second, you gave the car away and now the guy is trying to sell you the motor back? WTF is wrong with that scenerio?

Third, take a look at super six motorsports for your build. It would be easier just to stick with the 3.8 and finding all the parts for the 5.0 (BUT for the money to power the 5.0 would be on top if you don't include what it takes to swap it into the car )

 

I've heard it is illegal to swap an older motor into your car, that wasn't offered in your car. You're saying thats false?

 

Where the hell did you ever hear or read that? MAYBE in Cali where EVERYTHING is illegal when it comes to working on your car. OR on high demand motors that have serial numbers or something like true JDM motors and what not. But as long as it passes smog tests then there isn't a problem. Even if it was, seriously, you drive a car that is a dime a dozen whos motor has been made over a span of MANY years and it to is a dime a dozen. Who is gonna say something?

Here I found this, again its F'in California for ya

As far as swaps go, if your state follows California Emission laws (CARB rules), engine swaps are legal as long as the engine you are putting in is from the same model year or newer your car was built (ie. my 93 5SFE, built in Nov 1992 cannot have an engine built from Oct 1992 or earlier) and all pollution control devices (EGR, OBD sys (if applicable), etc) are connected without any CELs. It also has to be certified by a Smog Referee shop to ensure that you did all the aforementioned hook ups.

 

Yes completely, as I am yet to find that law. The only problem that may arise is if you dont tell the insurance company, they dont have to cover anything that wasnt original equipment. I.e. if you swap a 5.0 into a 3.8 car and dont say anything, they will only appraise the cars value with thre 3.8 in it.

 

According to wikipedia 17 states follow the CARB emissions laws set forth by california. So in those states you must swap in a newer motor from your car. And no more serious issues can arise from swapping a motor in your car and not telling your insurance company, much worse.

Edit: Here are a few of the states...New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Florida, California (obviously)

So for us up here in New England, I could see how a rumor like that would spread that it is illegal.

 

It is in fact illegal to swap an older motor into a newer car. You can swap in an 04 engine into an 02, but you can't swap an 01 into an 02. It's illegal in most states.

 

Yes I believe all states that follow the CARB laws, but as of now thats only 17.

 

Lol, no, not all states follow CARB laws. Alot of them actually leave it up to the individual counties to decided if they want it or not. Indiana for example only has 2 out of 92 coutnies that have ANY smog requirements.

Synyster, find me some proof of that statement explaining what and why.

 

It's an EPA regulation that you can't swap older to newer. However, you can take apart the motor and build one out of parts.... the built 4.2L short block I had in my car was out of a '97 F150. Used my heads/intakes and then spec'd out the other parts new off the shelf. Passed all Texas standards legally... and they are almost as tight as CA.

 

So you put an older engine into a newer car and it was legal. Even though you say it has all new internals the numbers stamped on the block state its an older engine. So in this aspect you can put any v6 in a v6 car and any v8 in a v8 car and tell them its newer and they will believe you?