joelster

I forgot to mention you'll likely need a single plane intake setup to hit numbers like that.

n2oblkz

iTrader: (1)

It's not impossible and it can be streetable, but you're going to have to have a solid top
end as previously mentioned. Here's a link where they did it with project Thunder Chicken, it mighthelp you out some.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...o-results.html

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, but the car in question has an auto. 493rwhp is close but the A4 will lose another 30 (more or less depending on diff). Could also be a generous dyno. 500rwhp through an auto doesn't seem possible without SR cam, FI or spray.

KW Baraka

iTrader: (7)

No.....he won't.

Exceptions to this are very few and far in between.

KW

Masochist

iTrader: (1)

People have offered some great advice on this thread and I just want to throw out there that to my knowledge, 1 to 1.5hp(roughly) per cubic inch is a pretty realistic number of what power an engine is going to make of course there are several examples of cars doing a lot more than that per cube but many of those builds were max effort and expensive.

That said, shooting for 500 on an LT1 383 is going to require a set up that very possibly he will not enjoy driving on the street("streetable" is very subjective) and will guzzle gas like an Irish dockworker drinks booze at the pub. My Procharged 383 LE2 through a 4000 stall 4L60E w/ 3.73 gears was getting 10-12 MPG on a good day.

If 500hp and "streetable" is your goal you may want to consider a 355 or a 383 w/ a Procharger. You will have to build and stall the 4L60E of course but achieving that number with boost in my opinion will stress you out a lot less than getting a huge cam and a set of badass heads, throwing it all together in a 383 or 396 only to fall 10 or 20 hp short on the dyno for whatever reason. Leaving you with a car that probably hates driving on the street and doesn't even make the power you wanted initially.


I also want to throw out there that my stock cube LT1 w/ LE2 and large-ish(228/236) cam through an M6 & 4.11's is a bullet on the street and a blast to drive making only 400 whp. Dyno #'s aren't everything.

moehorsepower

iTrader: (3)

All this talk of horsepower but what about his suspension? is it all still stock?, once you achieve your horsepower level, be it 500, it will not do you (your friend) any good unless he can put it to the ground, a 400 whp with suspension will walk him from a dig every time...

Puck

iTrader: (17)

If 500rwhp auto LT1s were easy we would see a ton of them. I can't think of ANY off the top of my head that ever saw street duty.

If you want streetable big power, then boost is the way to go. Doesn't really matter what engine, cram some atmosphere in it and keep the fuel flowing and it will make power.

ElkySS

iTrader: (6)

My LT1 made 502rwhp and 455 rwtq. Of course, I'm also running a T56. Mine is a 396 with ported afr's, ported stock intake, 234/242 .582/.582 cam. It's possible but much harder with a manual. I'm not to familiar with 4L60E's but I think even a built one would be hard pressed to handle that much power.

cookseyb

Get a LS3 crate motor and add a Edelbrock Super Charger with Long tubes about 540 to the ground with a Mike Norris Dyno Tune, about 10 grand. Perfect road manners and about 26mpg. Most folks don't know what a 500 hp car even feels like!!

n2oblkz

iTrader: (1)

500RWHP (even NA) would be a breeze if he was talking LS swap. But it sounds like he's wanting to stick with an LT.

cookseyb

My point was he was going to spend a Sh@@ load of money to get someone else to build it. If you are prepared to do that go all the way...

n2oblkz

iTrader: (1)

I agree...it's what about every LT1 owner faces when they start modifying and LT1, spend the money on an engine base that won't make as much power or spend some more on an LS swap and be virtually limitless on what you can do.

cookseyb

True, I'm currently building a LT1` to go in my 94 GMC pickup, because I got the motor free and every thing "Fits" better than a LS does, motor mounts,tranny etc... It will be a great improvement over the gutless TBI motor in there now!

bp92gsr

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all of the feedback. It sounds like he has made up his mind to go ahead and proceed with his original plan to build the motor using the aforementioned shop even knowing it wont meet the 500 rwhp expectation. Some people just have to learn the hard way. Thanks again!

xDetroitMetalx

Why has no one linked this yet?

Ellwein documents all of his builds so you can see what it takes to get 500whp out of an LT1. You can also see how much one really costs. I would send an engine to Ellwein if possible.

http://www.ellweinengines.com/

Alex-chevy

That's awesome!! What AFR's are they? What do they flow? What compression are you running? Who made the cam?

Alex-chevy

Great man, and great engine building!! Karl Ellwein built me
​​​an awesome engine, and now we're making it even better!!!!
​​​​​​Ellwein Engines is the best choice for LT1s!!!!!

kgkern01

iTrader: (10)

I'm curious on this as well, I'm running similar, Comp port AFR 210's, LE LT4 intake, 12.5 comp on E85, but larger cam, 243/251 .614/.621, but it needs a good dyno tune to dial it in.

Alex-chevy

You could use PCM for less. They ve been great to me!!! You could do a torque head kit through Karl Ellwein and the car can be much better tuned.

Alex-chevy

http://www.ellweinengines.com