Question for LT1 guys...
11-19-2011, 01:49 AM
#1
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Question for LT1 guys... Why is it that I never see turbo'd LT1 cars? Every other LS1 car in the country is turbo'd now, just curious why turbos aren't a popular power adder for LT1 cars? Discuss.
11-19-2011, 11:15 AM
#6
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Exactly. By the time FI started becoming popular the LSx platform was out and all attention was diverted away. There were plenty of blower applications, but nothing that was all that impressive except for those cars that had a **** ton squared put into them. Lots of ATI "no chargers" putting out less than mediocre numbers. Can you freaking believe at one time they designed the intercooler to go nearly parallel with the ground???
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11-19-2011, 02:16 PM
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Yea LT1s still make great power and are a lot more cost effective (especially to someone like me that is only 17) than an LS motor. I can go to AI or LE and get a nice h/c setup for less than aftermarket heads cost for an LS. Dont get me wrong, I love LSx motors to death, but LT1s shouldnt be put down the way that they normaly are...
11-19-2011, 02:44 PM
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Like an Impala:
11-20-2011, 10:45 PM
#16
No real point to build a turbo LT1 unless you already own a fairly built up LT1 or you had that car for a while. Most the original LT1 guys are long gone and the LT1 isn't any cheaper to build, some ways it's more expensive or on the same far cost goes, all for less options and power. An LT1 can make power, but reason and logic would tell you to pick a better motor if your starting from scratch. Look at the new 5.0 for example, Boss 302 Intake, tune and a cai, in a six speed it will put numbers damn near that of a cam LS1 or 98% of the strongest h/c LT1 cars would. I still like Lt1 cars, but it's rare to see any one do any big builds any more, few of us left though.
11-20-2011, 10:59 PM
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I'm running a turbo LT1 putting down a little over 600hp on 10psi through an auto and a very conservative tune.
11-20-2011, 11:18 PM
#18
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Thanks for the replies fellas. I never meant that they don't exist, but turbo'd LT1's are obviously way more rare than LS or even old styld SBC's. I personally think LT1's get a bad wrap, for what they are they run pretty well I think. I have a couple friends that have owned LT cars, one of them still has a 95 Formula. The formula runs pretty decent for stock. One of my buddies used to have a 97 Z28, that car ran damn good. Anyway, was just curious about turbo'd LT cars, thanks for answering my question guys!!
11-20-2011, 11:45 PM
#19
Superchargers are also very popular on the LT1 platform...
On my latest buildup, on my own 95 Z28 'vert, it is a 383, 5.85" rods, 10.8:1CR, 227/239 cam with ~.550 lift, 1-3/4" primary midlength headers and a Vortech SQ S-Trim supercharger with an Aftercooler and it put down >630rwhp showing 7.5# of boost @ 6500rpm. All done with a single 255lph Walbro with a MSD fuel-pump booster, 71# high-impedence injectors, Street Twin clutch and 3.73 gears in a built stock 10-bolt. It also has a Delteq ignition along with a MSD DIS-4 Plus ignition and MSD coilpacks. Those numbers were pulled through a catpipe and a Borla adjustable exhaust with the electronic cutout closed, so it was all through the muffler. The supercharger is pullied to run around 50k rpm impeller speed with a 6.66" crank pulley and a 2.95" blower pulley. All on the stock LT1 PCM.
I will say the big reason you don't see a lot of turbo LT1s is because you have to spend a bit to build a motor that can handle boost. A lot of LSx setups are done on the cheap with stock shortblocks and done with no longevity in mind. Alot of the LT1 setups are from the ground up buildups that cost just as much as a decent LSx buildup. Most people are choosing, with those options, to just go LSx to begin with. To do either a LT1 or a LSx with boost it will cost you damn near the same once you add in all the right parts...
Hell, I have over $15k into the 'vert I mentioned above in this last year alone, but that is rebuilding the rear end, the T56 transmission, the motor (with all the right parts like a Lunati crank, billet machined I-beam rods, 4-bolt conversion, etc) and complete supercharger/aftercooler setup. I only reused my CNC'd heads, rocker arms, lifters, pushrods, intake, throttlebody and Delteq setup from my previous motor buildup from two years ago, everything else was brand new including rotating assembly, headers, injectors, clutch, driveshaft, rear end complete buildup (axles/bearings/gears/diff/welded housing/brace kit), etc... **** add up fast no matter if you do a LSx or a LT1...
There are quite a few high HP LT1 boosted cars out there, but overall there are a LOT more LSx motors made than there were ever LT1 motors made, also the LSx motor was used in a lot more vehicles than the LT1 motors ever were offered in. Those factors also play a lot more into why you see more LSx boosted setups than LT1s.
On my latest buildup, on my own 95 Z28 'vert, it is a 383, 5.85" rods, 10.8:1CR, 227/239 cam with ~.550 lift, 1-3/4" primary midlength headers and a Vortech SQ S-Trim supercharger with an Aftercooler and it put down >630rwhp showing 7.5# of boost @ 6500rpm. All done with a single 255lph Walbro with a MSD fuel-pump booster, 71# high-impedence injectors, Street Twin clutch and 3.73 gears in a built stock 10-bolt. It also has a Delteq ignition along with a MSD DIS-4 Plus ignition and MSD coilpacks. Those numbers were pulled through a catpipe and a Borla adjustable exhaust with the electronic cutout closed, so it was all through the muffler. The supercharger is pullied to run around 50k rpm impeller speed with a 6.66" crank pulley and a 2.95" blower pulley. All on the stock LT1 PCM.
I will say the big reason you don't see a lot of turbo LT1s is because you have to spend a bit to build a motor that can handle boost. A lot of LSx setups are done on the cheap with stock shortblocks and done with no longevity in mind. Alot of the LT1 setups are from the ground up buildups that cost just as much as a decent LSx buildup. Most people are choosing, with those options, to just go LSx to begin with. To do either a LT1 or a LSx with boost it will cost you damn near the same once you add in all the right parts...
Hell, I have over $15k into the 'vert I mentioned above in this last year alone, but that is rebuilding the rear end, the T56 transmission, the motor (with all the right parts like a Lunati crank, billet machined I-beam rods, 4-bolt conversion, etc) and complete supercharger/aftercooler setup. I only reused my CNC'd heads, rocker arms, lifters, pushrods, intake, throttlebody and Delteq setup from my previous motor buildup from two years ago, everything else was brand new including rotating assembly, headers, injectors, clutch, driveshaft, rear end complete buildup (axles/bearings/gears/diff/welded housing/brace kit), etc... **** add up fast no matter if you do a LSx or a LT1...
There are quite a few high HP LT1 boosted cars out there, but overall there are a LOT more LSx motors made than there were ever LT1 motors made, also the LSx motor was used in a lot more vehicles than the LT1 motors ever were offered in. Those factors also play a lot more into why you see more LSx boosted setups than LT1s.
