Yea, the 3L V8 sucked. The later 3L sixes made as much power and have much better aftermarket support. If you get any manual version swapping the tranny is very simple as is the engine. You can swap everything easier than you can get a nice 6 speed car. My next project is going to be finding a nice E39T and doing a 6 speed 4.4L swap. Finding a 6 cylinder car with a manual that's in perfect shape is easier to find than anything with a V8 and 6 speed already.