Alright here's the rundown:
1994 C package, 150k miles with no maintenance records, I've had the car 6 months.
Front main seal (as far as i can tell...maybe the oil pan but my research has lead to me thinking thats not very common) has started leaking the past couple weeks.
Drips probably a drop a day so its not terrible, just annoying.

So heres the dilemma, fix the front main seal and timing belt since i am not sure the last time it has been done. Possibly fix any other problems that arise. Im guessing this will cost around $300.

OR

Buy a 99-00 motor and drop that in for around $900. This will cure the leaks that I have and, in addition, give me a little up in power and torque. I could go for the VVT motor, but my research shows that it is much easier for a 99-00 due to the wiring for the VVT mechanism. But not sure if that is work the extra gain in torque throughout the midrange. And here is why, my end goal is to turbo the car. I will be happy at 200whp with this car.

SO, since I am turboing the car, is the swap beneficial for me in the long run? Is it a waste of the money?

I am leaning towards just fixing the front main seal and whatever else I find since my end goal is to turbo later on. My order of upgrades would be, MSPNP3 first, injectors, then turbo kit. (of course with other components to match such as brakes, tires, clutch)

Just wanted to make sure I am not missing something very obvious in this. Thanks all,
Dan

 

Imo just fix the front main. It'll cost more than just the flat price of the engine to do the swap. You'd want to put all new seals, gaskets, timing belt etc on the new motor while you have it out anyway. Plus any miscellaneous wiring, connects, etc.

 

short answer is just fix leak and boost current engine, if you want to upgrade later it's still possible as most the stuff will carry over.

 

I opened it up and here is what I found...doesnt look too good. What do you guys think is the cause?
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

 

I can't tell what exactly is wrong from the pictures. Just looks old and worn out.

Dig in.
Front main. Water pump. Timing belt. Idler pulleys. New covers. This will make life of boosting in the future that much better and care free.

 

Pics don't look bad to me. I just swapped my front main and it looked worse than yours. Check your cam seals to make sure they're not leaking too. It'll be easier to swap them at the same time rather than coming back to them later.

Get to pull the front seal. I fought with mine a few days before I finally bought the tool and popped it out in 3 seconds.

 

Is that grease above the front main seal? If so, then it's the CAM seals.

Do the standard Timing Belt/Water Pump/Front Crank Seal/Front Cam Seals/Valve Cover Gasket. Rosenthals or Track Dog will have a kit for all the parts. Change the radiator hoses and all the little hoses while you have the radiator out, if they look old.