Cascade Crew

91RSVert

Just as the post says. Trying to decide what to do to my car/motor this winter that wont kill my wallet.

Engine, I'm more for low end grunt tire frying power. Crate 350, tpi, 113 heads, lt1 cam, aftermarket runners, new injectors, 0411 ecm swap with tune(sure it could be better if I could find a place that would do it), march alumn pullys, msd coil, headers.

Anything else short of dropping boost or an LS style motor?

Suspension is done up fairly well. torque arm, panhard, lca brackets, sways, poly all over, del-a-lums, jamex springs, koni/kyb combo, wonderbar, sphon strut mounts.
Could do a bumpsteer kit. Debating on going with weight jacks?

Debated on carbon fiber driveshaft, but cant help think I could do alot more with that 800.

Thought about bigger brakes. I want them to fit under stock 16's.

Also looking to make anything out of aluminum to lighten the turd up.

QwkTrip · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:55 pm Post subject:

Take off the TPI. More power. Cheap.

iansane · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:51 pm Post subject:

big cam +

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject:

91RSVert · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:37 am Post subject:

I have no chip. But yea, I'm sure I could get more from tuning.

I drive this car around town to work. No drag racing, no high rpms. Occasionally take in on the highway.

aaron_sK · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:38 am Post subject:

Burn a chip first.

Do you still have 3.23's in it? If so get yourself some real rear gears.

iansane · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:01 am Post subject:

I think he just means there is no "chip". It's flashable.

aaron_sK · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:06 am Post subject:

Ahh, I see now in his original post he's on a late-model ECM.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:22 am Post subject:

Vortec heads and base. Of course that hurts the wallet but it's your only real tpi option.

QwkTrip · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:32 pm Post subject:

91RSVert · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:51 pm Post subject:

Yea, I'm on a late model pcm.

I have 3.42 I think in it? Not 100% on that, but it is NOT the 2.73.

Oh, I beat on it occasioanlly when there is no car infront of me at a light. I have this thing about other drivers snoozing at/off the light. So I make damn good n sure I'm not "that guy". Im suprised I havent gotten busted for jack rabbit starts. Ive almost clipped a few people running lights because of it.

How much would vortec heads n base cost. I'm thinking for not much more I could lsx this thing?

QwkTrip · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject:

Actually, the cost of 5.3L swap is pretty cheap if you keep everything stock and sell your old engine and trans.

I have a set of conversion motor mounts if you're interested. I didn't need it after putting in the tubular K-member.

91RSVert · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:53 am Post subject:

The 5.3 mounts are same as any lsx correct? If so, I'll likely get them.

I already have an 4l60e trans sitting around.
Already have a 0411 pcm if I want to make it run like an ls1.

5.3 would be easiest to find. I'd like to do a 6.0 honestly Twisted Evil

QwkTrip · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:22 am Post subject:

LOL! It sure didn't take much of a push to send you off the cliff. Very Happy

I think this has been rolling around in your head for a while already. Wink

I have the mounts that bolt to the K-member so you can use the engine mounts that come with the LS engine. I bought the mounts slightly used (2K miles) and will pass them on at the price I paid. Send me a PM when you get to that stage. I didn't plan on selling the mounts but I need to get serious about not hoarding stuff I'm probably never going to use.

The average LS1 swapper spends $5 - $7K. When I said "cheap" I was talking about a bare-bones basic build with a lot of wheeling and dealing to put money back in your pocket. You'll need a significant amount of cash up front but you'll get some back if you buy and sell smart. If you have the time and patience it might be best to buy an entire 4th gen Camaro and part out what you don't need. Even intact rollers are fetching $2K after the good stuff has been pulled for a swap job (that price boggles my mind). If you want to collect individual parts then getting a whole engine/trans dropout would be a good idea because you can sell the trans to help bridge some of the cost to put car accessories and intake manifold on the engine. A 4L80E trans can fetch up towards $1000. It seems a shame to sell a 4L80E but if you want bare bones basic then that trans doesn't work in the recipe.

There is a thread at thirdgen.org where people share costs to do LSx swap. Look at some of the lower cost builds and see if you can replicate that.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:37 am Post subject:

My thoughts on this (worth what you paid for them).

If you want quick power cheap this is the wrong way to do it. You can take that five grand and buy a decent set of used heads, an HSR, and a good cam. Then tune it and go and still have several thousand left for beer. Wink

From a mild SBC to a stock 5.3L is going to be a sideways move in both power and weight.

However if you want to build a platform that will actually go somewhere it is the correct move now as you can get the engine running in a mild configuration and then move forward as funds allow.

FWIW I am also a bit dubious of the 5-7K number. I don't think I have that in the turbo build including the price of the car and the chassis parts. That must be the buy-everything-off-Hawks budget, not the guy-in-a-shop-in-the-woods budget. Razz

QwkTrip · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:48 am Post subject:

Correct, it's not the guy-in-the-woods budget. We all know you're below average. Laughing

91RSVert · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:20 am Post subject:

Yes an LSx swap has been in my mind for about a year. I think to get some good decent power out of the basic sbc, I feel I could get into an LS platform that has more potential in the long run... for not much more.

This car doesnt have a numbers matching motor now, and has a few dings on the carfax.

Alphius · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:07 am Post subject:

If I had scrapped my basic truck head, carbureted 350 back before I did the fuel injection swap, aluminum heads and new shortblock, I could have done two 5.3 swaps for the money I've put into my engine. Or one 5.3 swap with a T56.