Thoughts on swapping engine

[Fantasma]

So I have this old hunk of junk suzuki sidekick, and I love the thing. But the MPG sucks and with it's near 300k miles and instead of possibly rebuilding the engine  I was thinking of simply getting a modern engine put in it. I was looking and I think a new, small, economic engine would cost around 500-800 from a scrapper and install would probably cost 500 is my guess.

I'm just doing it to give new life to the car, not for horsepower and I'm hoping to get an engine capable of 30 mpg. Any thoughts?

(Also qoutes on just fixing the exhaust manifold have gotten up to 500, so I should do this instead and maybe if I buy the engine the scrappers will let me take the underhood noise proofing... because that car is essentially a tin can as loud as a motorcycle)

[Victor-933]

At that mileage I'm not sure it's wise to make extensive and pricey modifications like that. Remember, it's not just the engine with 300,000 miles on it -- it's also the transmission, differential, suspension, body, electrical system... Personally I'd just keep the money saved up for if something major fails.

I'm in a similar boat, I love my '96 Explorer Sport and I want to do a bunch of cool pointless mods to it but it has over 300k miles and every other year something major fails. Right now it's sitting in the yard until I can get the transfer case rebuilt.

[LazerMaster5]

Do an LS swap and do sick burnouts. Your car will have a meme engine, and you will outperform most vehicles on the road.

[#00Buck]

The engine isn't what wrecks the MPG.

It is the final drive ratio of the transmission. 

Keep the motor and change the final drive to something from another Suzuki product. 

Or junk it and buy a new car.

A motor swap is a waste of time and money.