I just thought I'd chime in here since I have had both the SC and the 3L on a non-SVT set up... Not that my opinion matters as much as Demon's or anything...
The SC'ed 2.5L was enough fun with 212-ish to the wheels when you had enough room to run it up, or enough traction to launch at a higher RPM. I was a little disappointed with it too to tell you the truth. I was still able to walk heavily modded SVT's at SZ'01 though, even though I was pushing the exhaust through a stock single pipe SE set up! I had an SVT TB and gutted pre-cat as my only other mods at the time.
The bearing spun, yada yada yada, I got a 3L. $525 delivered, plus gaskets put me at just under $800 for the swap. Add a leaky exhaust, to large 24# injectors without any tuning (both make you run pig rich), and that put me at 180/180 at the wheels. The 3L, even not running right, was a
LOT more fun to drive, let me tell you. From just above idle in second gear it would light up the 235/40/17's and just put you back in the seat like no NA front wheel drive car should be able to. Every CEG'er who came to visit and got a ride giggled like a school girl during the test drive (or was it just Mikey boy???
). The 3L didn't quite get the Oooooooo and aaaahhhhhh that the 2.5 SC did, but it was more fun where it counted (under your right foot). I never had it dynoed after it was running right, but I would have guessed it around 200/195 at the wheels.
