IRONFIST

I am throwing around the idea of building an iron block engine for my car for next spring. I just honestly don't know where to start, I've looked at a few wreckers for blocks and they seem to be anywhere between 1000 and 3000 dollars depending on the engine being running or not.
Mean while a local tuner is selling old LS1 blocks for about $600.00
Is the extra bore really worth it? I am planning on just swapping over my mods I have now, which includes 243's, LS6 intake and a cam, but with forged rods.
I honestly need a ball-park budget as the future wife and I just today bought a new house...

pairof69s

I recently paid 1300 for a complete 02 Lq9 with 150,000, but they're kinda scarce where i'm at. I waited to find one locally so I could personally look at the motor,

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

Why are you wanting to go iron block? Unless something is wrong with yours and it's cheaper than a ls1 equivalent, I don't see the point unless you are going forced induction or are completely rebuilding it with higher compression pistons and boring/stroking.

If you are just talking about switching your stuff over, there is little to gain other than lbs on the nose of the car, a little tq, and making peak power at lower RPM.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the conclusion I came to when I had a chance to get a shortblock for a deal.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I paid $1150 for a 2004 LQ9 with 55k miles from LKQ corp.

IRONFIST

I want to go with the iron block because I don't think I could get much more power out of the stock block without breaking something in the bottom end. I want to supercharge the car.
My best option is probably and Lq4 right? WIth new forged rods and ARP rod bolts?

SKEETS63IMPALA

iTrader: (1)

If you are swapping everything over anyway, why not just go with a shortblock thats already rebuilt for forced induction?

IRONFIST

If shipping isn't a detterant, I'd do that? Right now I'm starting to think my best bet is a local LS1 block and a 383bottom end kit from one of the sponsors. Iron block would be nice, but for the price of a running LQ4 I can get forged rods, pistons and a crank for an LS1 block that I could easily source locally.

Unless there's a better option?