Two LS1tech Marketplace Listings Could Make One Wicked Firebird

Firebird roller and badly wrecked, LS6-powered Cadillac CTS-V can be snagged for just $5,500, all-in.

If you have set aside some money for a winter project with the hopes of building a 4^th generation Firebird, but you don’t have the car or any of the components for the build, you are in luck. While flipping through the LS1Tech Marketplace, we came across two cars for sale which could be combined to make a great street-and-strip car and you can buy them both for $5,500, but they could be had for even less.

Mangled Cadillac CTS-V

First up, we have a 2004 Cadillac CTS-V that was posted to the marketplace by “hooker2007“. The listing calls it wrecked, but as you can see, the body and chassis appear to be well beyond repair. However, it has an LS6 engine and a Tremec T-56 manual transmission; a drivetrain that was good for 400 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque in stock form.

“2004 CTS-V w/103,xxx miles, wrecked on passenger side rear

LS6 + T56, 1mo new water pump, 1yo new radiator, oil changes every 3k w/ Mobile1 synthetic”

Based on the details, the engine has been well-maintained and fitted with some new items such as the radiator and the water pump. The brakes may be reusable, but the body and chassis are trash, making this little more than a parts car.

Fortunately, we also found the perfect car for this V-Series drivetrain. And, frankly, with how much money people want for used T56 transmissions these days, this appears to be a slammin’ deal (pun only slightly not intended).

2000 Firebird Roller

If you are enticed by the idea of putting the Cadillac’s LS6 in a Firebird, but you don’t have the car, “98_LS1_WS6” has the answer in the forum of a 2000 Pontiac Firebird Formula roller. This car was being prepared for a big turbo setup, but the owner went a different route and has decided to sell the car without an engine, transmission or engine harness.

“It was originally an LS1, T56 Car. The engine, transmission, wire harness and computer have been removed. It has aftermarket springs, panhard bar, lower control arms, drag bags in the rear, aftermarket seats, very rare hood, soundstream flip out stereo, aftermarket kicker speakers, rear mounted battery, aluminum driveshaft. 3.42 gears. The car is being sold with the stock wheels and tires pictured. The seats need to be properly mounted. The front end of the car has been worked on to make more space for a large turbo setup. The bumper will need paint work and to be supported but the rest of the car is very clean.”

At $2,000, this car seems like the perfect vehicle to carry the LS6/T-56 drivetrain from the Cadillac CTS-V above. Buy the Cadillac, pulling the engine and transmission, load them into this Firebird, mount up a big ass turbo kit and break hearts with a car that cost $5,500 plus the cost of the turbo bits and the rest of the components needed for the build. Mind you, that doesn’t factor in labor, but if you are capable of doing the work yourself, the listings for this 2000 Firebird and 2004 CTS-V could be combined to make a great street-and-strip car.

If any of our members buy these two items and build a car, please let us know about it so that we can feature the project.

Join the LS1tech forums today!

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com