79TATA

Howdy LS1Tech, very long time reader, and just beginning posting here.

I'm currently mid-way through building and restoring a Pro-Touring 1979 Anniversary Trans Am..

I've spent a ton of time researching and planning this build, and wanted to share the journey and build. I'm documenting everything and my costs down to every screw and cataloging here. Hopefully the build and things being put together can help someone else out down the line. I've got a combination of credit card rewards points/credit card discounts/dealership family discounts/parts from two previous builds that will help with the costs and budget here. I've offset about $550 off of parts laying around the garage from a 351w build.

Anyway, here's where I'm at:

-Block: LSx4u is assembling the short block. Flat top pistons, polished crank, new floating rods, new stock GM roller lifters. Great service from these guys, great price! $2,600 shipped and delivered. I should receive next week - will post pictures.

-Heads: 243 heads, unmilled. Port, polish, and valve jobs done locally. 2.02/1.60 valves, springs rated at .650 lift.

FLOW NUMBERS:
.100 73
.200 134
.300 205
.400 254
.500 290
.600 311
.700 318

I'm pretty happy with these numbers. I traded the cam/lifters I had laying around for my 403 for the heads complete, then another $400 to the machine shop. So we'll call it $400 for the ported and built heads.

-Cam: Pat G spec'd Texas Speed custom grind. 232/236 .600/.600 LSA 110+4
I wanted something that could make torque. Big heavy car, I want it moving fast. This seems like a strange profile, but I think it gets what I'm looking for. $360 for the cam.

-LS6 Valley cover. Reasonings for this are pretty obvious. The upgraded PCV for the notorious oiling problems. $90 at Summit. Still going to run a catch can too.
GM Part #: 12577927

-LS7 Water Pump: I'll be running a FAST 102, and the LS7 water pump is pressed together, and clears the 102 throttle body without any grinding! Also has slightly lower rotating mass. More or less chose this one because I don't want to grind anything. Great piece, comes with a t-stat cover and thermostat. $240.
AC Delco P/N #89018052

-ARP Head Bolts: $160. CC discount saved me $22, and points got me another $75 off. $63 total for the head bolts.

-ARP balancer bolt: $33 on Amazon. CC points saved me $15. $20 total for the bolt. VERY nice piece by the way. Sturdy.

-ARP Water Pump/Tstat bolts- $25

-LS Stock Rocker arms w/ Trunion upgrade. Michigan Motorsports. $220 but CC points saved me $50. $160 out the door.

-Head Gaskets: Running LS9 gaskets - $60 for the pair with discount at the parts counter. .051 compressed thickness 4.1 bore. Needed these for the compression numbers and fit the 243's.

-LS6 front/rear covers. $70 total from the parts counter with discount.

-Vengeances racing wires- they were on sale so I scooped em up for now. $85. Great pieces.

-GM Rocker Stands- $5 from the parts counter.
Part Number: 12600936

-AC Delco Knock Sensors & Wires: $36 each for the sensors & $44 from Summit for the harness.
Part numbers: 12591312 (sensors) 12601822 (harness)

-Nitrous Outlet Coolant Crossover: $169. Specifically designed to go around the FAST 102 for anyone that needs an option.

-Valve Covers: Stock LS used: $45 from a forum member

-Brian Tooley Racing 11/32 Push Rods: $109. Went with 7.425 for .075 pre load. Didn't want to splurge the extra coin on custom length.

In it a grand total of $4,412 right now with the short block carrying the heavy load of the price tag.

What else is planned:
-FAST 102/102
-F-Body Oil Pan & Improved Racing crank scrapper
-ATI Super Damper
-Corvette accessory drive
-1 7/8 Long Tubes into true dual 3" exhaust
-I'm going to run a fully built and "Race prepped" 4l65e (at the moment..) with either a yank 38 or 4000 stall. Leaning towards 4000. Big *** trans cooler.

This is the "to do" list as of now. I'll upload pictures tomorrow and continue updating the thread and this post to help others if they need concise information. I'm excited for this build!

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like a plan. I'll be looking forward to the pics

98znasty

Sounds good so far.what size engine 5.7? 6.0? More? Haha. my bad, says lq9...

axld

sounds like a good build. I am doing one now, 370 , but with a LS3 top end.
expected power levels?

79TATA

Yeah, sorry. 6.0. Started life as an LQ4, swapped in flat tops. “Essentially” an LQ9.

Thanks man. Haven’t gotten to the hard parts yet but I’m excited for the build. Nice build yourself!

I really wanted a torque build with not much emphasis on peak power, but more usable power under the curve. I’m hoping to see somewhere around 550hp (not sure if this is a stretch) at the wheels. Vengeance in Atlanta will be getting the nod for tuning so I’m sure they’ll squeeze every bit of power I can get out of it.

fastlt1

iTrader: (4)

What is cc discount

G Atsma

Sounds like an Amazon thing.....

79TATA

Yes sir. If you pay attention to amazon every now and again they’ll throw a discount banner at the top of the page for certain vendors.

Out of town for work all weekend...just got my heads back. Should have a truck load of pictures Sunday.

Suncc49

Are you going to do the trunnion upgrade to your rockers? Don't want needle bearings all in your engine. Check out the straub kit

79TATA

Already done! The set I picked up from Michigan Motorsports has the Trunnion upgrade already.

cookseyb

I bought a set from Michigan motor sports too, got them installed but not used yet, they look like a good quality piece. Let us know how they work.

axld

+1 on the MM upgrade . I looked back at your parts list, and RWHP goals. I was expecting for around 450-470 RWHP with my build , 370 cu.in. 11.0:1 , LS3 top end with 92mm TB ,TSP 227/236 .600 lift.

79TATA

Alrighty, back to having time to share some stuff. I'll have some pictures up this evening of the short block assembly. It's clean. But for now, here's some of the stuff I've got in:

Here's some of the work done on the heads..

I'll be getting out in the garage Sunday to get some stuff mocked up and moving...need to get the crank bolt/pulley they sent on the block off, going to double check cam degree, and have a few measurements to take. We'll see if I can get enough time to get the heads on this weekend.

axld

pics of the short block yet?

79TATA

Yup, here we go. Not a fan of the black paint. I’m painting the whole thing Corporate Blue before it goes in the car. The original engines in these cars were Corporate Blue so it only seems right. Also I’ll be replacing the valley cover with the updated LS6 cover. And the oil pan will go to an F body pan.
It appears they did a good job assembly. Cross hatching in the bores is nice. Everything measures out right.

79TATA

Well...I guess I ended up with a 2004+ block, thought It was an 02....hit a standstill last night, gotta wait on the new head bolts to come from ARP this week before getting the heads bolted down.

79TATA

Did some more measuring tonight...looks like they used Silvolite p/n 3517hc-std in this with floating wrist pins. 1.328 compression height. Puts them .021 out the hole. I'm going to run a feeler gauge and straight edge this weekend but...with the 0.051 LS2 head gasket that's a tight quench at 0.031. Compression at roughly 11.58:1. All pretty tight and high, but I've got plenty of good 93 octane and plan on having the best tune money can buy.

To be continued...

claybob

Subed! Looking to do the something similar.

79TATA

Right on let me know if I can help...

Looks like I'll get he head bolts in Saturday - heads should be bolted down Sunday and measured for push rod length.

79TATA

Spent Thanksgiving getting some stuff done on the build. Heads went on, and took all my measurements. Got the water pump on too, and the valley cover swapped out to the correct one.

MEASUREMENTS:

PTV came out to about .171 on the exhaust side and .0147 on the intake sides. Plenty of room, with plenty of compression. I'm not upset about the numbers. Checked this two ways: Feeler gauges under between the rocker arm tip and valve stem, and then with the dial indicator. All checks out.

Pushrods measured out - 11 turns on the comp cams checker. Math here: 11 x .050 + 6.8 to get 7.35, and I want to run .090 pre load (LS7 lifters). Going to have Manton put together custom 7.44 3/8 pushrods on Monday.

Pictures to follow...