i got a 97 camaro v6. i gave $500 for it with a bad motor. the car overall is extra nice. i am going to retire my 88 camaro with a older carb. 350. the 88 camaro is old and beatup, but the 350 is strong. i would like to drop the 350 in my 97. i know it will take a mod or two, but thats allright. why dont you sell your car and buy a lt1 or ls1 camaro? "you say". what fun would that be. what i need to know is has anybody done this? and what parts can i use off my old car.

 

The 350 in your 88 is a gen 1 design. It has a distributor at the rear of the intake manifold.

If you put the Gen 1 350 in your 4th gen f-body you will have issues with distributor clearance. Something as simple as changing the cap and rotor will require removal of the engine. Removal of the distributor will require removal of the engine. Removal of the intake manifold will also require removal of the engine because the distributor must first be removed. This will make the car impractical to service if a simple tune-up requires pulling the motor.

The gen 2 350 (aka LT1) has a distributor mounted at the front of the motor behind the water pump. This allows it to fit in a 4th gen f-body without issue. If you are to convert your car to V8 it would really be best to use a gen 2 motor. I would recommend buying a wrecked / salvage V8 F-body to swap the parts off.

You will need at least:

-complete LT1 engine
-complete T56 6-speed trans or 4L60e automatic
-complete clutch / housing / and hydraulics or torque converter
-complete PCM (computer) and wiring harness
-1-piece driveshaft (your V6 has a 2-piece)
-complete rear axle assembly, to get the limited slip differential and rear disc brakes that most V6's don't have.
-front suspension K-member, with motor mounts
-radiator (reverse flow)
-front springs (to carry the extra weight)
-complete exhaust system - do headers
-complete fuel system - the V6 uses a different pump and lines
-Complete gauge assembly, possibly with the dash harness (the V6 gauges will not work)
-A bunch of lose pieces like all the radiator and heater hoses, replacement belt, new connections for the power steering.

Basically plan on rebuilding the entire car. The V6 cars and V8 cars dont have much in common mechanically.