I'm planning on buying a 40x" short or long block and a whipple setup and a T56 all for a 68 Camaro swap. Right now, I've got nothing. I can get a takeout LS1 with accessories, computer, all sensors and T56 for 4500, but I would only be re-using the accessories and brackets and a few sensors.

Am I better off trying to piece one together starting with the short block and take-out tranny? Just finding front / rear covers, valley pan, oil pan, valve covers, coils, TB, MAF and all the sensors........might really add up. Plus, needing to source each bolt from the hardware store is gonna be a major drag.

Anybody tried it this way?

 

You have answered your own question already... ! get a take out and sell off what you don't want or need.. it will be more cost effective. Depending on the condition of the LS1 and what you can get it for and sell off.. you might recover a good part of your investement and still end up with what you need.

 

Getting all of the small parts will kill you!

 

I wanted to do the same thing but when I priced out all of the little stuff it was outragious. I picked up a 40.000 mile LS1/6spd for $4,300. I will do the swap with the stock motor then upgrade down the road. (my car had a 110 horse 229 v6, so the Ls1's 300+ should keep me happy for a while.

 

I probably need to plan on running stock for a while or I'm gonna get in over my head and break the bank. I'll set the car up for a larger displacement, forged motor and more boost, but I better plan on running basically stock for a while with 6lbs boost (I/C).

I'm just afraid that when I have 450 rwhp, I won't be able to justify the $6000 for a forged long block I'll need to get another 200 or so rwhp.

 

just come get this 5.3 combo I have here with only 8k miles on it. Spray it with a 150 shot and be scary fassssst!! The combo will get you started for a paultry $1800...hint-hint...lol

 

Getting a dropout is definitely the cheaper route. However my motto is "If its worth doing, its worth over doing". I figured that I would change the heads, put in forged pistons, new cam, etc. I also would have had to change the oil pan on an FB dropout. It just didn't seem to be the way to go for me. So I bought some heads, found a short block and the saga began. Have to use a GTO oil pan, wanted main and head studs, putting in a block girdle, needed a 200 amp alternator, etc. I now have pretty much everything I need to put together the motor and I have acquired the transmission and the front accessories. It is definitely a huge PIA trying to source everything, but in the end I think it will be worth it. I am basically duplicating a TPIS build and plan to have 500 HP at the crank. It will be going into a '95 240SX that currently has a RB25DET swap in it. The LS will basically double the HP and Torque to the rear wheels!