This 2005 KIA Sorento Has A Chevy Big Block Swap
By Paulo Acoba
A New Jersey Resident managed to swap a 468 cubic inch Chevrolet Big Block motor into a 2005 KIA Sorento according to a report by Bring A Trailer earlier today (June. 4, 2015) and it’s currently for sale on eBay. According to the eBay listing, this particular KIA Sorento is “fully built” (no kidding.) Paired with the Chevrolet Big Block is a Turbo-Hydromatic transmission colloquially referred to as the 4L60, a strong transmission choice for this uncommon swap. As to the reasons why the owner transplanted a piece of Detroit muscle into such an uncommon chassis choice remains to be determined. Click here to check out the listing for yourself! And if the listing is down, check out this screenshot.
The 454 Chevrolet Big Block. This particular engine can be found in Chevrolet Muscle cars such as the 1970 Chevrolet Caprice, Chevelle, Monte Carlo and El Camino. It was also available on the GMC Sprint and the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette. The sole reason that enthusiasts will take a 454 and bump it up to a 468 is speed or racing applications. Most of the time, it’s just out of pure fun. Simply put, you’d take a regular 454 motor and swap in larger pistons (25.5 cc’s to be exact.) Commonly, you can buy crate motors with all the necessary modifications to a 454 done to it. Oftentimes, you’d swap your Big Block right back into the Chevrolet, but this clearly wasn’t the case for this KIA Sorento owner.
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Swapping American engines into KIA Sorento’s doesn’t seem all that uncommon. This owner swapped a V8 from a late-model Corvette into his (see video below.) And this owner on LSTech managed to also squeeze in an LS derived engine into his Sorento.
Apprently, the Lambda V6 originally placed into the KIA Sorento was notorious for its high upkeep, particularly it’s valve lash adjustments. Reliability wasn’t its strongest point. After some of these engines went kaput, with a gaping hole of an engine bay, it only seemed practical to swap in something with lots of aftermarket support for not a lot of money. Enter the American Yank Tank swaps.