lt1 vs. ls1

[luciangage]

i dont want to start a fight here but have a few questions. for the money i am going to spend would it be better to completely go through my lt1,cam heads,bolt ons,ect. or buy a ls1?for the cost i'm leaning towards lt1.i want to change it to hei and have 600 rwhp. any suggestions please.also can use nitrous to get there.

[98_Formula]

how much are you plannin on spending... and i'm guessing ur goal is 600hp with either applicatoin? u wnat all motor, boosted, or u just dont care u just want to hit the 600hp mark...

[luciangage]

dont care just want 600 to the ground not at flywheel.the reason i'm shooting for 600 is most of your super cars corvette, viper, ford g.t.ect. have 5- 550.i will be using nitrous but probably all motor from there. thanks

[grandkodiak]

Well I'm not sure on what your plan was but if you intend on keeping your current car, transplanting an LS1/2/6 or whatever isnt going to be nearly as cost effective then to performance rebuild what you already got. if you are talking about ditching your current car for an lsx car, then i'd still say keep whatcha got.

Heads, cam, stroker to 383, all forged internals, longtubes open exhuast... you probably wont see 600rwhp even topped out... with nitrous or a super youll be right on the mark... but dont forget either way youll need a new tranny, shaft, rear end...

[Street Lethal]

i dont want to start a fight here but have a few questions. for the money i am going to spend would it be better to completely go through my lt1,cam heads,bolt ons,ect. or buy a ls1? for the cost i'm leaning towards lt1.

Stick with you're LT1.

i want to change it to hei and have 600 rwhp. any suggestions please.also can use nitrous to get there.

HEI???? Why would you want to go backward? If this is the case, just build yourself an L98... with AFR heads, Overtun cam, and MiniRam. You'll have yourself one nice little mid-low 11 second screamer. ;)

[koolaid_kid]

Heads, cam, stroker to 383, all forged internals, longtubes open exhuast... you probably wont see 600rwhp even topped out... with nitrous or a super youll be right on the mark... but dont forget either way youll need a new tranny, shaft, rear end...

I agree almost completely with grandkodiak. My only dissention is the open exhaust. The gist of his post is to build the internals to handle the power first. Then you can get the extra hp by whatever bolt-on means you want:
Nitrous is the cheapest, supercharger is the most popular, and a turbo can be the most efficient.
The last phrase is extremely important; once the engine is putting out this much power, you will immediately shred the rest of the drivetrain unless you build it to handle the power at the same time.

[luciangage]

see i found a 200 z28 for 3000. is has been spun and hit the driver side quarter panel. didnt mess anything else up. good glass lights and all. he doesn't want to fix it and said he would sell it to me only for that price other wise its going on ebay. and to make this situation better i work at a service first body shop so parts are cheap and labor is free the lt1 doesn't run so would i be better off with the ls1? thanks!!

[luciangage]

thats a 2000 z sorry

[koolaid_kid]

Without a doubt, buy it!
You have the expertise and the equipment to fix what is wrong with it, for a lot less than us non-body shop folks.
The LT1 would cost more just to get the engine going again, and you would be starting with a less powerful engine.
I must say, I envy your position.
Again, jump on the offer, if the rest of the car is in good shape.
Just my two cents worth.
kk

[Mr. CarelessAndImprudent]

just saw a lt4 conversion kit in the new summit catalog. thought you might like it. pg. 34 and it's gm parts

[koolaid_kid]

dont care just want 600 to the ground not at flywheel.the reason i'm shooting for 600 is most of your super cars corvette, viper, ford g.t.ect. have 5- 550.i will be using nitrous but probably all motor from there. thanks

BTW, these measurements are at the crank, not at the ground (a.k.a. rwhp). Manufacturers never give rwhp, because the numbers are always smaller.

[woodymaro]

BTW, these measurements are at the crank, not at the ground (a.k.a. rwhp). Manufacturers never give rwhp, because the numbers are always smaller.

Not necessarily my 1998 ls1 dynoed 311 at the rear wheels when it was bone stock and it was rated at 305 at the crank.

[koolaid_kid]

Not necessarily my 1998 ls1 dynoed 311 at the rear wheels when it was bone stock and it was rated at 305 at the crank.
I understand what you are saying; but I stand by my statement. Manufacturer's ratings are always at the crank; the numbers are larger due to loss through the trans and differential.
In your case, you have a car that outputs more than the manufacturer's rating. This is a good thing, you should be very pleased. If it is a 6 speed, you are probably getting 325 at the crank.

[5.0THIS]

I understand what you are saying; but I stand by my statement. Manufacturer's ratings are always at the crank; the numbers are larger due to loss through the trans and differential.
In your case, you have a car that outputs more than the manufacturer's rating. This is a good thing, you should be very pleased. If it is a 6 speed, you are probably getting 325 at the crank.


Every LS1 I have ever seen that was dynoed was underrated from the factory. It's an accepted fact that LS1s were largely underrated. By the way, 311rwhp DOES NOT equal 325 at the crank. More like 340-350 at the crank with a 6 speed, maybe more.

[koolaid_kid]

Every LS1 I have ever seen that was dynoed was underrated from the factory. It's an accepted fact that LS1s were largely underrated. By the way, 311rwhp DOES NOT equal 325 at the crank. More like 340-350 at the crank with a 6 speed, maybe more.
As you wish; there is no need to split hairs.
BTW, you do not know if he has a 6 speed or an auto, so he could be putting out even more. My point remains that the crank h.p. is always a larger number.