I'm getting ready to buy a 93-97 lt based firebird (unless I can find a ls1 car for the same price) and I plan on taking out the lt1 and tranny and replacing with either a ls1, ls6, or lq4 - basically whatever I can find in the best condition for the lowest price...
I need a good starting point - as far as the swap goes I'm not sure if one is better than the other.

It's gonna be a side project that I do with my dad so money isn't really a factor cause it's gonna be a long project so I have plenty of time to save for parts or buy them as I come across them on craigslist or ebay.
It doesn't need to be overkill on hp or torque and will likely just be used as a weekend cruiser....
But, I would like to be able to roast the occasional ford lightning if the situation arises.....

Thanks in advance for the input

 

Big advice for you here and hopefully you take it and use it. Don't waste your time and money buying an LT1 car as a project even if the intention of he project is to swap it. It's going to be much cheaper to buy what you are looking for to begin with namely an auto or stick ls1 car. Even better is to buy someone else s project car that they either can't afford anymore or are just bored of and build off that.

 

I agree with said above ^^^

To add to that I would stay with an aluminum LS1/6 to keep the weight down. If your not looking for 1,000hp + no need to add 110#'s to the front end with an iron block.

 

I agree. Doesn't make sense to buy a lt1 bird because it's cheaper and spending more money into it with a swap. Unless you like the look of the LT1 cars better or you decide to do a 6.0 build and are planning to swap the ls1 out even if you buy a 98-02

I'd save up and buy a good ls1 to start with. Less headaches and will be cheaper in the long run.

 

I'm doing an LS swap in my 94 Camaro. It's not as bad a people think. You need to swap an LS K member, new wiring harness. Everything else will need replacement anyways, such as coils, plug wires, headers, starter,alternator, steering rack.

 

The primary reason I'm looking at 92 and up is the cost.... I'm looking at a nice complete roller for $700. And this is gonna be a long project. I'm not gonna keep track of what is spent over the long run cause I know it's gonna be way more than its worth.

So really it's about what I have initially to buy a project car and that's $1000 or less.
Plus, I had a 94 z28 back in college but always liked the look of the firebirds better....

 

Oh, and as far as engines go. How sturdy are the aluminum blocks?
I can get a ls6 block with rotating assembly for $250 right now...
He says it spun a rod bearing but who knows cause he didn't open it up.
My reasoning for the iron block is that I'm less likely to get a crappy block.
Cause there's also a lq4 from a 05 Chevy truck I can get for $500 and it's complete...

 

I'd agree that you should start with a LS1 vehicle. It's just less to do and work on. And the front ends of both Camaros and Firebirds look much better.

Block? LS2 4 inch bore.

 

Well, found my car.....93 trans am hard top...
Going to pick it up Saturday.

It's within my budget and not too far away

 

Alright, you've got your work cut out for you.

As it's gonna turn into a pretty big job on this Firebird, start a new thread in the Firebird section so we can follow along and toss out some tips.

 

I sure will. Probably end up taking me the better part of a year just to gather all the needed parts for the swap. There's no motor or trans in it but the lt wiring harness is intact. It's supposed to have front and rear adjustable suspension and for $600 bucks I couldn't pass it up. When I get it home I'll take a bunch of pics to show what I'm starting out with .... assuming I can figure out how to post more than one pic at a time

 

Now, back on topic....

I still have some funds in my budget for a couple of finds I stumbled upon...
There's a complete lq4 out of a 05 Chevy 2500 for $500 I can pick up...it will likely need some work
Or,
An ls6 block with pistons, new rings, and rods - it's been honed and surfaced for $450 possibly less - BUT it has 3 stripped head bolt holes. I assume I could heli coil them but not sure on that one
Or,
I can pick up a complete set of 243 heads for $500 and just wait for a good priced ls6 or ls1 block

Thoughts?

 

Your car will be happier with an aluminum block vs. an iron block so reach for the LS6 offering. It's easy work to have a machine shop take care of those stripped threads.

 

I'd start looking for a wrecked LS1 f-body or this project will nickle and dime you to death.
K member, steering rack, front accessory drive, computer, wiring harness... Them there are all of the parts needed to complete the motor, heads, valve covers, coils, coil brackets, throttle body, intake manifold, injectors, front cover, rear cover, vally cover, oil pan... This can easily add up to more than you can by a complete LS1 f-body for.

 

^^^^ donor car. Get everything you need in one shot.

 

Found a 99 ls1 automatic locally that I'm going to go pick up Saturday.
It looks like it will have frame damage but I planned on pulling everything and using it in the 93 body anyway unless it looks salvageable... I'll post some pics when I get it home so I can get some ideas on what I can/should do

 

LS1 vehicle doesn't need everything replaced. Mine has 145k miles on it and I reused everything but the water pump. Otherwise, the steering, coil packs, etc were all reused. That's a lot of additional cost to throw in there unless you're going to a manual rack setup.

 

Jake.
I'm confused about what you're saying.

I'm gonna use all the parts from the 99 wreck and put into my 93 body that is straight

 

My friend yesterday just picked up a 98 roller true SS clean title. 1200. That's cheap in my opinion but it is up to u

 

Assuming this 99 I'm picking up only has front end damage and no rear quarter issues would it be easier to just put my 93 front end on the 99?