LS1-powered Chevy Chevette stretch its legs on the dyno.
The LS1 engine offered official figures ranging from 305-345 horsepower and as much as 365lb-ft of torque – all of which was rated at the transmission. At the wheels, a stock LS1 is good for about 290-310 wheel horsepower.
This Dyno Blast video features a stock LS1 engine, but rather than a C5 Corvette or a 4th generation Camaro or Firebird, this V8 engine is fitted into a brown Chevrolet Chevette. The Chevette is an famously uncool car, as are many American economy cars from the late 1970s and 1980s. However, the addition of the LS1 engine makes this incognito Chevy much more interesting.
The LS1 in this Chevrolet Chevette is stock. Unlike a stock LS1 in the Corvette, Camaro or Firebird, the only belt-driven item on this little Chevy hatchback is the alternator. Things like the power steering pump and the air conditioning system are no longer drawing power from the engine. As a result, this LS1 Chevette makes a little more wheel horsepower than the average stock LS1 car.
This LS1 is surprisingly quiet, but as the engine gets up into the power band – this Chevette sounds pretty sweet. The 4-door Chevy makes solid figures of 314 wheel horsepower and 326lb-ft of torque, sent through a 4L60 automatic transmission. Using an 18% drivetrain loss factor, those numbers convert to about 382 horsepower and 398lb-ft of torque.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
