Pontiac t1000 chevette doppelganger

[Thesimplestoner]

Hello all a few months ago I bought a 1983 t1000 5door for 60 bucks ran and drove just didn't stop I'm working on the brakes got them mostly there but I was wondering about what engine  would be the easiest  and best with having to swap less other parts ie drive line 

[Ringo64]

First off, 

Are you looking for a Pontiac motor or any motor?

[Thesimplestoner]

Looking for anything

[Frosty]

Stock Chevette / T1000 / Acadian motors over the years include the:

1.4 L OHV I4
1.6 L  I4
1.8 L diesel I4

 

I would avoid the diesel as it was notoriously under powered. The 1.6 is your best bet for a stock motor replacement. 

[JUSTA6]

As this is front wheel drive, is it a stick or automatic trans? How many miles on the stock running motor? These cars are seen even less than my Sunbird.  Can't even remember the last time I saw one.  Best bet is to keep it stock. There isn't a performance upgrade.  Rebuilding the stock motor would be your best bet. Shouldn't cost more than 700-800 if needed.  If its running as you said, enjoy your rare find!  BTW... Rick Dobberton is famous for his build of a PRO ST build of one of these. He even had Revel make a model of the car made back in the day.   I think it was the J2000.  Car Craft Magazine parked us together @ the St Machine Nationals.  He wanted my blower motor in the worst way for that car.  The folks at BDS were there also there with a booth and I hooked him up with them.  I had worked with BDS to build my motor (the 1st street package) and was on display with the BDS booth for the rest of the weekend.  Lost touch with Rick in the 90's after an ISCA Autorama show we were both at.

[Stephen Young]

Isn't the T1000, aka in Canada the Pontiac Acadian, being a version of the Chevette, a rear wheel drive? The J2000, later Sunbird, after the Chev Monza-like Sunbird was discontinued, and later yet the Sunfire, were Chev Cavalier front drive kinfolk. Some  Sunbirds , and maybe J2000s, used an OHC  L4, maybe 2 litre. My cousin had a turbo GT, and it had some git-up-and-go available.

[Frosty]

Sorry for the delay in answering.

Yes, the T1000/Chevette are RWD platforms. The later J2000/Sunbird/Sunfires were all FWD. The J2000 had a Turbo 2.0L as a FWD platform for a couple of years. The Sunbirds/Sunfires did not have the turbo option unfortunately.

[JUSTA6]

Actually I'm thinkin the 90's Sunbird GT with the flip up headlights was turbo'ed.  Guy at work had one and dang I liked that car.  I could be wrong of course.  Still liked that car!

[Frosty]

On 11/3/2016 at 4:44 PM, Frosty said:

Sorry for the delay in answering.

Yes, the T1000/Chevette are RWD platforms. The later J2000/Sunbird/Sunfires were all FWD. The J2000 had a Turbo 2.0L as a FWD platform for a couple of years. The Sunbirds/Sunfires did not have the turbo option unfortunately.

I stand corrected on my earlier statement. The J2000 name was replaced with the Sunbird name in '85 and a turbo 1.8 or 2.0 was available thru 1990.  My bad.