When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I like that idea also. I'm going to price it all out and see how much both way would cost. I think the stock junk is going to be the cheapest way to go about it but kills the old carb look.
I like that idea also. I'm going to price it all out and see how much both way would cost. I think the stock junk is going to be the cheapest way to go about it but kills the old carb look.
If price is a concern, just go with the stock parts and keep the hood closed. On the rare occasion that am at a car show with my GTO (I hate car shows), I just keep the hood closed.
I'm going to look at a 6.0/4l80 out of a 04 2wd hd this weekend. It would be cool to put the whole thing in there with a cam swap and headers. I might be able to buy this setup after hearing it run, yes it's still in the wrecked truck.
I want a certain look about it but my budget minded side says to go with a whole swap setup or build the motor I have(alm ls1) and use a stock ls1 intake and fuel rails and tb. I have all this stuff. But the motor overhaul and head work will run $2K-$2.5K.
And now this 700r4 will not work with a efi setup due to the tv cable(kick down). I guess a carb has to be made for this and a efi setup does not have a way to control the kickdown. So now I need to be looking at a 4l60 to go with the efi setup.
I think a stock looking truck motor will look right at home in this truck.
I am a body/painter by trade so I cant stand dirty look in some area's, like the engine bay.
I want to open the hood and people to be thrown for a loop at how clean and fresh everything is. And the stock appearing 6.0 truck motor. Other than headers and the sound of a nice cam.
Carbs can be reliable, but there are a few things to keep in mind. While it will always start pretty much and idle ok, temperatures still effect power and idle, with A/C its nice to have the idle up, but youll always know its a carb and have carb quirks. nothing wrong with that.
But with EFI you have consistency. It will also always start but it will always idle the same, it will never falter or be weird. A/C no A/C, cruise what ever you wanna throw at it. Period. The motor was designed with EFI, and its not a complicated setup. It can seem intimidating and it is more work, but in the end its worth it, no question. I would go EFI, anyone can slap a carb on something, anyone. But efi it and you have a driver thats so much more pleasant to drive. I agree with tipsy, its like a smart phone with a rotary dialer, its cool for a minute, but just becomes annoying after a while.
Autocomman, you nailed it! I have a 5.3 swapped into my ’73 Nova running an Edelbrock intake and Demon 750. The carb has been fun for the past 2 summers and 6000 miles. But now I’m over it. I’m tired of endlessly chasing an ACCEPTABLE tune only to have the weather change. I’m tired of the fuel smell. I’m tired of having to balance WOT performance, street manners and fuel efficiency. And most of all I’m tired of listen to the MOTHERF*CKING inline fuel pump wailing away like a router eating hardwood! So over the winter I am converting to a stock truck based EFI system.
Tuning:
Sure, maybe one of the storied carb gurus from “back in the day” could tune a carb to run as well as EFI. But I am not a guru, and I doubt you are either. And learn from my experience: tuning on your carb’d LS swap will not make you a guru (trust me…)!
Price:
A budget stock based EFI system or piecing together a carb system from used and rebuilt parts is going to come out nearly a wash...again, ask me how I know. Also in calculation for a carb, throw in an additional $250 in tuning parts. Jets, nozzles, power valves, bleeds, floats all those little parts add up! Oh and another $40 for a serial to USB cord for that MSD box. Unless you plan to lug your desktop computer in your passenger seat (thanks for that one MSD!)
The big cost with EFI is tuning. Either pay for an OK mail-order tune, big money for a professional dyno tune or buy a tuning software and learn to tune yourself. I am going to be picking up HPTuners over the winter so I can tune my own swap AND I got a few friends that would like to do a little tuning. Make them pay for the credits and re-coup some cost!
In the End:
Should I have gone EFI from the beginning? Maybe. I had many people urge me to go EFI when I started my swap, and now I understand why. But I am a stubborn guy and learn best from experience. Now I have to pay to do it twice.
Do I regret it? Maybe a little. But like I said, I’ve had a lot of fun with the Demon and I have learned a ton about carburetors, tuning and carb’d LS engines.
Either way you will love it! Cool truck, I’m looking forward to seeing it progress.
Your truck looks AWESOME, I love it!
Do you have some high-res pictures of the truck?
This bodystyle really goes great with these classic pinstripings in my opinion. Good luck with your build (and go EFI )
I'm looking to do this LS swap in a 54 3100 myself. I'm searching this site anybody know of a thread on this. BTW keep the fuel injection if your worried about budget.
I'm looking to do this LS swap in a 54 3100 myself. I'm searching this site anybody know of a thread on this. BTW keep the fuel injection if your worried about budget.
Your truck looks AWESOME, I love it!
Do you have some high-res pictures of the truck?
This bodystyle really goes great with these classic pinstripings in my opinion. Good luck with your build (and go EFI )
I do not have any high res pics, sorry. I would like to get some soon. I know a few photo people doing it.
I missed out on a 04 6.0/4l80 setup. Dud went the night after I talked to the guy and bought the whole truck for $1700. He was asking $1100 for the motor and a few hundred for the trans. It was a 95K mile truck that still ran but wrecked hard.
So now I'm think efi with a manifold turbo setup 5.3 or a 6.0. I have access to a few 5.3's with low miles $800-$1000 and a 6.0 with high miles for $500. I'm not sure what all I get with the motors but I can talk the guy out of a stock harness maybe.
I'm like the idea of about 750 whp to fry some tires and hurt some feelings at a stop light lol.
What if any would be a good harness to start with? Out of what kind of vehicle? Truck? F body?
There are ways to overcome all that. You can use a carb style intake with fuel injector bungs. Most people won't ever notice them. For a throttle body you can mount a DBW TB where the carb goes and have a super stealthy "carb" look, but with the advantages of EFI.
Andrew
True that, I saw a 911 at cars and coffee this weekend that has an LS6 swap, carb style intake with 8 injectors where they belong and a standard carb air filter on it
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.
) 
