87 chevy SWB

Ok I'm wanting to take my 1987 chevy swb and make it new school. I am wanting to make around 700 rwhp. Been doing some research and thinking about going with a supercharged too mount LS3 so I'm looking at around 900hp at the flywheel. Any comments or advice on motor I should use would be greatly appreciated. Right now I'm doing research not trying to build anything yet. Just getting answers thx

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

How fast a vehicle do you have experience with?

87 chevy SWB

71 Chevelle 383 stroker but not looking for a race truck looking for a nice *** show truck. Something that sounds good. But grew up around old school motors still learning on all this LS stuff

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

700rwhp will put a heavy vehicle with mediocre suspension solidly in the 9s needing a full rollcage. {Point being the 700rwhp number is a goal you should forget.

Far as what "71 Chevelle 383 stroker" means I don't know, was it a 15 second car or a 9 second car, probably somewhere in between but anything between those is what could be expected from a "stroker" in that car.

You honestly start aiming for a 700rwhp motor and you are going to choke when you find out what the fuel system cost and such.

A 400rwhp car will break performance street tires loose at 45mph IMO harnessing 500rwhp on the street is beyond most folks.

This is practical money saving advise and maybe even life saving advise. I have seen what happens when someone throws together a 550+rwhp car without working their way up to such a performance level. Luckily only the car was hurt and it had needed bodywork anyway. If the car had veered other direction though someone would have likely died.

ls68firebird

If your intent is only a "nice *** show truck" and occasional street cruiser then have a big lumpy cam spec'd out so it has a choppy idle, 400hp and then tell everyone it has 700hp. I agree with 96capricemgr on 700hp being too much. I have rode in legit 700+ hp cars and they are worthless on street tires and anything but new pavement. Put the extra coin into the paint and making it look trick.

1953/5.3

I agree with ls68firebird. I'm building a 1953 chevy truck with a basocally stock ls1 (mild cam, bigger injectors and throttle body) and the money ibdont putinto the engine is going into the chassis, paint and iinterior. These engines made good power from the factory and there comes a point where you're just wasting gas.

87 chevy SWB

i understand where you coming from and yes im working my way up to it. im doing alot of research on what block would be best for the supercharger. and while im looking into all this im tearing the whole truck down it has a cracked frame rail. its got alot of work till the motor is actually in but i have found some say 6.2 dont like boost so any idea on what block to go with??

88Fbody6L

iTrader: (5)

If you are serious about making that kind of power, 5.3 and a pair of turbos will suffice

badazz81z28

iTrader: (6)

I agree, unless your car is for competition use only at the strip, 700 rear ponies is too much. That's even too much for auto-x. You can have one hell of a show truck and live with 350-400 rwhp and save a lot of money doing it.

A stock LS1 with some minor mods should suffice and have plenty of power. It probably wont dip into the 11's on the strip, but seat of the pants will be nice. With alot of money in the body and paint, you probably wont even want to drive it.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

The supercharger will give you plenty of style points for a show vehicle and boost will make power.

No way in hell would I be looking at the 6.2l you will pay a big premium. If you just do a 5.3l those are dirt cheap you could easily buy a 5.3l and have the heads ported and give it a good valvetrain for half what a 6.2 would likely cost and then put a modest amount of boost to it and still have more power than you can use on the street. Heck you could save a whole lot if you just put a cam in a 5.3l with boost and don't even bother with porting the heads/ I just mentioned the heads because you could do all that for a lot less than the cost of a 6.2l.

87 chevy SWB

I understand what you mean just everyone and there grandma have 5.3 5.7 even twin turboed 6.0 are a big thing where I'm at. I'm old school like I grew up with my dad love the way a top mount supercharger looks and love the way they sound with a cam. So I decided a 6.2 cause not alot of people have them here I like to be different I know the cost difference does show like I've seen in my research. But if I down size might go 6.0 maybe thinking the LQ9?? What are your opinions on that. I just want something I can play with the boost a little and not worry about destroying the motor the first time. I'm planning on over building it to hold more then I actually plan on pushing 700 is a ruff number in all reality I'm looking around 6-650 after everything. People here drive twin turboed 6.0 making 1000 to the wheels as a daily and I agree that's insane but it's true here

87 chevy SWB

And I forgot to ask what would be a good supercharger to go with? I'm keeping it carbureted with the new intakes they have out.

Soul Crusher

Modern twin screw (top mount) superchargers are much different from the "old school" roots superchargers you might be used to. I've never heard of a twin screw with a carb and I doubt they make a blower housing that accepts one. I'd seriously suggest you reconsider going fuel injection.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

The LQ9 is a high compression 6.0l. Why would you want the high compression version for boost?

If you want a 6.0l then go LQ4 they are the same engine but with a dished piston and likely lower price.

87 chevy SWB

cool cool ill look into the blocks thx with that. and didnt have a chance to check the ratio on the LQ9 but did find some stuff out today so im going to look into what i found maybe post back later and thx again with the help

garygnu

check out a Texas speed 408 with ls3 heads.talk to BOB at brute speed .the right cam is important with a blower or turbo.go to the ls3 and boosted section for more info.buy the cam last after you have all the other engine parts.you want to get some thing like a procharger blower,a belt driven turbo.

ls68firebird

been in a truck with a 5.3 and a belt driven vortech. lots of punch at the bottom and would roast the tires at will up to about 45 m.p.h. It had a spec'd cam and valvetrain, ported stock 5.3 heads ( don't recall the casting #) but it ran nice... real nice. That s/c didn't have the whine like the old 6-71's but it was plenty. I still love a 6/8-71 on a bbc and a big ol' hairy cam that hunts around and chops at idle. In the long run it's all preference but there is a LOT of experience and opinions here. ask a vague question and get a thousand directions. Pick some real specific parameters ( c.i.d., boost/ no boost, injected carbureted, and not so vague of horsepower goals) and you will likely receive the best direction. Again, in the end, Goals are great, budgets are reality.

87 chevy SWB

I agree completely with you ls6firebird. It's all preference and I finished up everything I needed to know. I'm going LS3. Just spent the day with a buddy of mine with a SSRS camaro all stock motor with twin turbos and I'm not lying its completely stock motor been running a year already and put down 800 and he's fixing to go bigger so my 700 mark is feasible. But I'm more then likely keeping it regulated he races his but it did help me find a realistic mark to stay at but it it possible

ls68firebird

post pics. we all love pics and we all learn from someone else's build. Hope it goes together fast.

I don't know if you have started a build thread on the conversion and hybrids section, but that is where a lot of help lies in the conversions. That's also where you would want to post all the pics of the truck.