Good deal on a 5.3 crate engine?
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Joined: Sep 2010
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Good deal on a 5.3 crate engine? I came across someone local to me selling stock crate 5.3L longblocks for $1000 each. He has probably two dozen of these, they are factory GM engines in the original containers. They have oil pans, valve covers, coil packs and exhaust manifolds, but no intakes or timing covers. These are iron block/aluminum head motors. I have been toying around with an LSX conversion to a first generation Camaro, and I was wondering if one of these would be a good starting point. I'm not trying to build a race car - just interested in a nice weekend car with decent power that I can take on a longer road trip and get good gas mileage. I realize that a 5.7 or 6.0 would probably be a better starting point, but I was wondering if anyone had done a buildup with one of these. I did a quick search on "5.3", but did not turn up a lot that directly discusses building this engine. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place.
If anyone has some info they can contribute, I would appreciate it.
If anyone has some info they can contribute, I would appreciate it.
5.3 is only a few cubes less than a 5.7L All the same parts otherwise. GM sold off a bunch of their engines cheap a couple years ago. They all went fast. I missed out.
Just a cam swap you'd get some decent power out of it.
Just a cam swap you'd get some decent power out of it.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 125
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From: Houston Tx
I've seen some crazy power made from those 5.3's u can bore them to a 5.7 I'm pretty sure GM made the walls real thick. Just ask your machine shop. Put a 4" crank in there and u got a 383. Even keep it a stock bore and put the 4" crank and u got basically a 6.0 ,good reliable power out of these. Super strong too. Sounds like a great starting point to me. Pretty good deal to.
