# Rebuild or New



## little68gto (5 mo ago)

I recently purchased a 68’ GTO. It has a 1974 Pontiac 400 in it currently. The vehicle starts up immediately. But, for sure has carb issues. IYO is it more advantageous to have the current motor gone through and rebuilt if needed or just go with a new motor all together. I’m heavily on the fence about this one. The motor isn’t original to the car so I’m not hard pressed to keep it. Thank you in advance for your opinions.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

In your situation, there's no real advantage either way... UNLESS, by the grace of God you were able to find the original engine, then it would definitely make more sense to swap it out. 

For now, do whatever is cheaper/ easier.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Going through the engine or swapping it is a little overkill to address a carb issue  What are the reasons you're considering such a drastic move?

Bear


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

BearGFR said:


> Going through the engine or swapping it is a little overkill to address a carb issue  What are the reasons you're considering such a drastic move?
> 
> Bear


Ironically, it's much faster and easier to chop your feet off than it is to change your socks and sneakers!


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

You have that 400 in your possession, running and in the car. That alone is a better starting point than some of us had at one point.
And, to emphasize what my fellow Texan, BearGFR, said, "If it aint broke, don't fix it." More or less.

There is plenty of good carburetor advice available here on this forum. If carburetor repair/replacement is all you need to drive and enjoy the car, it's best not to open the incredibly expensive can of worms that will come with a rebuild or new motor.


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

And I'll follow up, in case I misunderstood your question. Rebuilding a 74 400 would be my preference over a "new" LS swap if that's what you meant by "new motor."

If you have the cash on hand to buy a complete Pontiac motor, then check with Len Williams and Butler Performance.


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## PDub (Sep 8, 2019)

little68gto said:


> I recently purchased a 68’ GTO. It has a 1974 Pontiac 400 in it currently. The vehicle starts up immediately. But, for sure has carb issues. IYO is it more advantageous to have the current motor gone through and rebuilt if needed or just go with a new motor all together. I’m heavily on the fence about this one. The motor isn’t original to the car so I’m not hard pressed to keep it. Thank you in advance for your opinions.


I had a similar issue that you are facing when I noticed loss of performance in my 67 GTO. I did a compression test (I would recommend that if you haven't already done so) to check overall engine health. If you see some anomolies in the numbers then you can determine root cause. In my case, the engine block needed to be bored to remove some cylinder wall issues but my block was already at max bore. This left me with looking for a new engine block. Once that was done, you can decide whether to reuse your components or do an upgrade. I chose to upgrade and do a 468 stroked engine, which required me to get new crank, pistons, heads, manifold, etc. At that point, I found it cheaper to get a crate engine that is already built to your specs and dyno. Highly recommend reaching out to Len Williams. Butler was a 1 year wait for a crate engine. As some mentioned, if you are only having carb issues, fix the carb and start enjoying your new GTO. If not, be prepared for long lead times on parts and finding a good person to do your build. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## little68gto (5 mo ago)

Thank you for all of your responses. A decision hasn’t been made yet on the motor. Saying it has a carb issue wasn’t me saying I’m replacing the motor bc of that. This car isn’t all original as it sits. The engine isn’t original, the transmission isn’t original, the doors aren’t, I don’t think the hood or trunk lid is either. This was going to be a restomod from the beginning bc of that. My question was posed, to ppl who are way more knowledgeable than myself, on replacing or restoring. I’m not looking for easier. I’m looking for budget sensible.


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

little68gto said:


> Thank you for all of your responses. A decision hasn’t been made yet on the motor. Saying it has a carb issue wasn’t me saying I’m replacing the motor bc of that. This car isn’t all original as it sits. The engine isn’t original, the transmission isn’t original, the doors aren’t, I don’t think the hood or trunk lid is either. This was going to be a restomod from the beginning bc of that. My question was posed, to ppl who are way more knowledgeable than myself, on replacing or restoring. I’m not looking for easier. I’m looking for budget sensible.


Very few of us have all original cars. Mine has parts from several other cars: doors, fenders, hood, motor, transmission, rear end, drive shaft... I do my best to keep it looking original, but it's not. If you are budget minded and wish to keep a Pontiac motor in it (that's what I suggest), then look at the Len Williams short blocks and consider reusing your heads, intake, and external motor parts. That may be your most economical and quickest way to get on the road.


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