I don't know if any of you guys out there have gone this route or not to save some money but I am curious as to just how many people have just tried to track down a rolling chassis F-body without the valvetrain just so you can build up your own 408/441/454 etc. It's been about 5 years since my last WS6 N/A build and now I am back in the market for something new and improved. Any suggestions or advice is always appreciated!

 

Craigslist, eBay, your local paper and right here in the classifieds....hard times out there are making it a pretty good buyers market with a lot of people strapped for cash. Just keep looking for a while and take your time.

I love my 408 and the sound it makes at 8,000 rpms

 

I found a '94 V6 on Craigslist for $500. Car ran fine, but all I needed was the body, so I stripped the car and sold everything (engine, trans, exhaust, interior) for almost $1000.

I've seen V8 rollers on here (classifieds) for between $1000 and $2500.

 

Try to get one that originally had a v8. That makes putting another v8 in easier because there are several small differences between the 6 and 8 cars

 

Well I am just sure glad I am not the only one that has considered this route. I think going the v8 chassis would be better as the electrical harness, overall bay size etc would match up more closely. I just figured it to be a waste to buy a fully loaded f body with an ls1 for 8-10k when I could possibly snag a frame, chassis, electrical etc for super cheap then go on a spending spree on TSP's website Are there any known issues with going pre-98 like something that had or has an lt1 and dropping in a new 408 crate or should I just be lookin specifically for a 98-02?

Thanks again!

 

You also have the option of buying a truck harness/ ecu and cutting it down to a standalone...that way you could drop an engine/tranny of your choice down in any body you prefer.

Pcms4less has ecus for $99 and www.lt1swap.com has all the pinouts and step by step instructions on how to rewire a stock harness to make it a clean standalone.

For the computer/harness, or if you want to run the cars computer/ harness is look for a 99-04 because of tunability for the ecu. Or 99-02 f-body

 

Thanks for the information Mark! I guess I'll try to track down another '99 WS6 but this time one without the valvetrain. I got a couple local guys here that are decent with tuning with HP Tuners which is a bonus. It's time to be rid of my current 6.1L 300c daily driver slug and get back to some actual performance and unbridled GM horsepower.

 

Another option would be to find a good deal on a complete runner, then pull and sell the stock motor.

I run Hptuners on mine and love it, it is a great program to work with.