97 fbody lt1 into...something

**RollingD** · 11-07-2011, 11:07 PM

About 6 months ago my beautiful, black, ram air trans am was smashed by an unlicensed female driver in a tahoe. By some amazing stroke of luck the motor itself was untouched, although the vehicle was totaled due to frame damage. So now I have this 383 lt1 motor that made 441hp 422tq to the rear wheels, along with a built t56, collecting dust in the garage. I have driven a grocery getter for LONG ENOUGH, I want my boppity bop car back. I have been searching for anything trans am or camaro 93-97, also looking at 92-96 vettes. I plan to swap in my motor, pcm, and wiring harness into whatever it is I end up getting. I've been googling and searching forums for hours but I'm having a lot of trouble finding out a couple of things:

1. Physically making the 97 fbody lt1 fit into a corvette. I have gathered that the accessories are the main issue, I could just swap those off the corvette motor though so whatever. I also know that I may need to get a new crank balancer to align them with. I did not find out if the fbody t56 is set up the same, or if the corvette uses a different oil pan, mine has a big Canton Racing pan on it. Also isn't the fuel system for the corvette and older lt1s returnless? How do I make that work? And is there anything I'm missing?

2. OBDII. I have seen some sites about rewiring and obd2 ports, so I guess I could figure it out on my own, it would just take some time. I understand the engine harness part, if i use my pcm and engine harness it should be peachy! The thing I don't get is how that harness connects into the body/lighting/accessory systems. OBDII talks to all the computers on the car right? So if I throw this PCM in a non OBDII/older car isn't everything gonna freak out? Related to that, the VATS system is a concern. I'd be super pissed if I finished my install to not even be able to start the car.

So if you gurus out there have any advice, reference material, or extensive knowledge you wouldn't mind sharing, please do! I think it would be super cool to put it in a corvette but that seems like the hardest swap and the more expensive/harder to find option. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

**93TransAm** · 11-17-2011, 12:33 PM

well, the vette idea sounds nice but is going to turn into a royal pain in the a**. my buddy tried a 350 swap into a 305 vette and it worked after 1300 bucks to a shop outa new haven to make it run. the OBD2 in a OBD1 is a no go. your best bet is to get 95 or newer trans am or camaro from a junk yard and run with it. if you have the mechanical abilities its

**93TransAm** · 11-18-2011, 01:59 PM

sry my post got cut somehow by my phone. its a relatively easy swap into the same body, same year range vehicle. all your harness are already there and ready to roll. hell get one that was slight rear damage and no front and you'll have any front accesories that were damaged there as well. if you need any help on reasembly you know where we are.