Anybody consider a V6 swap?

I wouldn't bother with a 3.9 V6. If you're going to do that, you might as well put in a 318. I say this not because I think a V6 swap in general is a bad idea, but because my experience with the Dodge 3.9 has been less than spectacular.

My g/f had a 2002 Dakota 4x2 with a 3.9 and a 5 speed in it that she bought brand new off the lot. It never got the gas mileage advertised for the 3.9, supposedly 15-19, but even my g/f rarely managed better than 15 mpg, and never saw over 20 mpg even on the freeway. It only managed to do slightly better than my dad's 5.9 '02 Dakota, even though his was an auto, 4x4, and a quad cab. Power on the other hand was significantly less. On top of that, the 3.9 tossed a main bearing at 25,000 miles, and cracked one of the heads a mere 1,500 miles later. Both were covered by the warranty, but you wouldn't be. My dad's 5.9 has had no real issues in over 81,000 miles now. Now maybe I just had a bad experience, but from what I've see on the web the 3.9's are not highly recommended. As far as I can see, the only real reason to go with the V6 over the V8 is fuel economy, and the 3.9 was never known for it.

Converting your car over to run the 3.9 will be almost exactly the same amount of work as doing a 318 swap, and if you really want to skip rebuilding one of the engines you have you can probably get a 5.2 (318 ) or 5.9 (360) Magnum at the wrecker's for pretty close to what you'd get a 3.9 for. They even made a 4.7 liter V8 for awhile if you're shooting for gas mileage, although I don't really know much about them at all other than the got about the same mpg's as the 3.9 did while making more power. Not sure if they share the same mounts as the 5.2's and 5.9's, although if the 3.9 does I don't see why it wouldn't...

Keep in mind too that aftermarket performance parts are a lot easier to come by for the 5.2 and 5.9's!