V6 variations at lowest cost and fabrication requirements

[Jake720]

Have an 86 TBI 720 blown head gasket. Wanting to know if there are possible V6 variants that marry well with the 720 frame.

[datzenmike]

Fix the $30 head gasket. Don't go down that rabbit hole.

[Jake720]

Thanks appreciate it.

[datzenmike]

If you mention lowest cost and fabrication requirements,  and marrying to the frame well... have to say there was no V6 option in the 720 so everything would have to be custom built. Engine and transmission mounts, custom oil pan, custom driveshaft, exhaust past restrictive torsion bars, rad and cooling system, marrying the EFI wiring to the Carburetor set up stock engine harness, installing a high pressure fuel pump for the EFI . 

 

That said, anything can be done with enough money and time, .... and a wire feed wrench and some fabrication. If you want well done it's just more time and money. If you can't fabricate, more money.

 

 

Then there's the engine and transmission cost. Are they even worth putting in or do they need rebuilding? 

[Charlie69]

 I am thinking of putting a 1985 Pathfinder VG30 automatic in one of my 720 King Cabs.

[datzenmike]

At least it's a Nissan engine.

[Charlie69]

It is the only way to fly!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Hard to believe nobody makes a VG30 swap kit. While I never have liked that engine very much, they do make good torque, and are fairly inexpensive.

 

For the OP - if you have any skills at all, what are they? If you had a shop do the fab work to get the engine in place, are you able to finish the wiring, plumbing, linkages, etc? Placing an engine and making associated mods for things like the radiator and shift lever would only take a few days. For sake of argument, if you brought it to my shop, and had all the parts ready to go, I could probably get the basic fab work done for about $3000.

 

The rest of the job is what takes all the time.

[banzai510(hainz)]

cheapest is buying a used V6 truck or various manufactures for 3K