LSA Swap Gives this Daily-driven Chevy SS ‘ZL1’ HP to the Wheels
We can’t really consider the Chevy SS a sleeper. Those who know, know. Still, an LSA blower gets this one close to perfection.
One thing about the Chevy SS that we do like is its subdued styling. It wasn’t quite loud and in-your-face as the Pontiac G8 was, so it had appeal to an entirely new audience. But a sleeper? Tough to call it that. Enthusiasts don’t confuse these with a Malibu.
That disclaimer out of the way, AutotopiaLA had a chance to see a unique SS. Converted to Holden trim specs, this SS has an LSA blower, and that turns an already fun car into a supercar threat. Shawn Davis from Autotopia spoke with Anthony, the owner of this SS. Davis asks what kind of power it is making, and Anthony replies, “with this setup on 91 octane, it was about 550 to the wheels. I switched over to E85 and that got me to about 650 to the wheels.”
It wasn’t an entire LSA engine swapped in, though. Anthony did use an LSA blower, but used the existing LS3 block as its basis. With running a relatively conservative tune, the engine isn’t in much danger from the added stress of a supercharger. And the LS3 has been mostly left alone, too. “It has a stock cam and mostly stock pulley size, too,” Anthony explains.
Out on the road, Davis is in the driver’s seat and Anthony gives a clue to its performance. “It’s a high 10-second car,” he says. After switching seats, Anthony demonstrates exactly what this car can do. Between throttle punches, chirping third gear and impressive donuts, it becomes clear than an LSA swap really wakes up the already-exciting SS.
While the video seems to indicate most people don’t know about the SS, our audience here is very well aware of them. In fact, we’ve showcased a number of them, and sing their praises often. We’ve also shown love for their other Australian ute stablemates. But the SS does have a niche and very strong following. It almost should have it’s own version of the Corvette wave.
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