1st gen CTS LS swap?
 

I can't find any recent forum posts, last one was from 2009.

With the 2nd gen V's holding their value above 30k and the 1st gen V's in the mid teens, the v6 variant 1st gen can be had for under $2000.00.

I know the suspension, cradle, rear end, brakes are different but so is all of those things when you swap a LS into xyz random car.

Any build threads on these? Seems more straight forward than a lot of swaps as the car came with the motor originally.

I like the idea of 4 door more than a coupe. I like the interior/exterior of the CTS.

1st gen V also have different front/rear bumpers and side skirts. The differentials are the same between the V and regular cts, they're complete shit.. Ford 8.8 is the way to go company called creative steel makes a bolt in application for it.

I had an 05 V and loved it until I blew 2 diffs and 1 axle. The driveshaft also sucked because the carrier bearing, so dont bother getting a used V driveshaft.

by the time your set and done, you could have just bought an original V. I've seen about 4-5 here locally in south florida for 7-10k.

As a guy who builds everything himself my only concern with a project is will the body / chassis I chose do what I want from a goal perspective. If it will, play ball. I don't know what your mechanical and fabrication skills are but I doubt there is going to be anything bolt in for it without parting a V8 car.
I really see no reason to LSx V8 swap a V6 CTS since a CTS-V exists with the same V8 architecture but it's your time and money. I also see no reason to LSx V8 swap a 4th or 5th gen Camaro for the same reason.
Mustang... I'd rather re-arrange my tool boxes.

I have an LSA supercharger on a project car and the worst part about one now is buying the lid. They used to give away the superchargers and lids until someone figured out they actually had power potential outside of stock. Now the lids alone are over $600 US which like a used T-56 starts making those setups financially unattractive. By the time you buy a supercharger, lid, fuel rails, injectors, accessory drive and miscellaneous necessary random stuff you have a mixed bag of used parts and aren't too far from a proven Edelbrock kit in a box.

Now if the primary purpose is to spend time with your pop and kids... hell, what are you wasting time asking us for? Get out there and spend time with them doing anything. He won't be here forever and soon enough the kids will be concerned with other stuff.

No, that makes sense.

I've decided I want a sleeper anyways. Looking at picking up a 5.3l in the GMT360 platform (Trailblazer, Envoy, Ascender etc) and boosting it. I can always grab Trailblazer SS parts from a junkyard and all the SS aftermarket suspension will work.

I found a clean one with leather, 5.3l and 110k miles for $2300.00. Slam it with some nice lowering springs/shocks, put some nice big tires out back and boost it. Would be a nice sleeper, especially in Isuzu or Buick trims.

I don't see a single reason why you can't grab some plates, weld your mounts, put a stand alone harness on a 5.3, and go do burnouts. It's the same as swapping any other car.

Everyone always get's all hung up on it looking factory and whether or not it'll sync their Spotify playlist and blow heated air up their ass like factory... When some people just want cheap thrills.

Most people don't want their install to look like a Neanderthal did it. Plus it's kinda nice when everything works right.