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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 07:12 AM
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Alright I'm in the army so I got plenty of time to do research but I know next to nothing about cars but I have plenty of buddies who are mechanic junkies and love working on cars so I have them to help guide me as well. They told me to come onto the forums to look into the build I currently want to do. So I want to do a 700 hp LM7 build I'm aware it is likely going to need to be boosted. To handle 700 hp what would I need to do to the motor. I've found online that the block is normally good for 800+ so what would need to be done with it. If its at all possible I would love to have a choppy cam. I don't really have a budget in mind currently because this project is going to be more along the lines of work on it when I have the chance and the money to buy the parts required I already have a daily driver so I'm not really rushed to get the build done. i want something that can handle 700 reliably. I currently plan on finding a beat up 77 Camaro or something similar to swap the LM7 in to. If i go with something older I plan on swapping drums to rotors but besides that what should I do to make the suspension deal with 700 hp. I would also prefer the transmission be a 6 speed manual
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 11:23 AM
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Get a 2004+ gen 3 engine that will have the stronger rods in it, and you won't have to do anything to it to make it handle 700 reliably. Even the gen 3 engines will handle 700 forever, but the margin for error in the tune will be smaller.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
What should I do to make the suspension deal with 700 hp. I would also prefer the transmission be a 6 speed manual
Bite the bullet and get the RideTech StreetGrip suspension package, plus get the Wilwood disc brake package. That car will handle great and stop right now.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by AwesomeAuto
Get a 2004+ gen 3 engine that will have the stronger rods in it, and you won't have to do anything to it to make it handle 700 reliably. Even the gen 3 engines will handle 700 forever, but the margin for error in the tune will be smaller.
Well what could I do to extend the margin of error. As I said I want something that will reliably handle 700 if the tune being off a little blows the engine than I'd rather spend a little more time and money to make sure the engine can handle the tune being a bit off.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by G Atsma
Bite the bullet and get the RideTech StreetGrip suspension package, plus get the Wilwood disc brake package. That car will handle great and stop right now.
I'll talk to my buddy who builds his cars about the suspension and disc do you have any recommendations for a 6 speed manual tranny that can handle 700?
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
Well what could I do to extend the margin of error. As I said I want something that will reliably handle 700 if the tune being off a little blows the engine than I'd rather spend a little more time and money to make sure the engine can handle the tune being a bit off.
Less aggressive tune, better fuel, a good intercooler, water/meth injection, various combinations of each, etc.
I've made ~900 wheel on an early gen 3 engine with the weaker rods that ran like that for several years before I pulled out the whole setup and sold it.
I ran it on E85 with a setup focused on top end power at the sacrifice of peak torque. I don't think it would have survived on pump gas.

I made similar power on a gen 4 aluminum block 5.3 with the stronger rods on pump 93 and water/meth, and that setup was all about making as much torque as possible.
It is a lot easier to trust the engines with the stronger rods, but that doesn't mean you should count out the earlier engines.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by G Atsma
Bite the bullet and get the RideTech StreetGrip suspension package, plus get the Wilwood disc brake package. That car will handle great and stop right now.
Originally Posted by AwesomeAuto
Less aggressive tune, better fuel, a good intercooler, water/meth injection, various combinations of each, etc.
I've made ~900 wheel on an early gen 3 engine with the weaker rods that ran like that for several years before I pulled out the whole setup and sold it.
I ran it on E85 with a setup focused on top end power at the sacrifice of peak torque. I don't think it would have survived on pump gas.

I made similar power on a gen 4 aluminum block 5.3 with the stronger rods on pump 93 and water/meth, and that setup was all about making as much torque as possible.
It is a lot easier to trust the engines with the stronger rods, but that doesn't mean you should count out the earlier engines.
Yeah from the research I've done it seems like a lot of people go for the older block with the newer rods. I also talked to one of my buddies and he has a 450 stroker block with a bunch of stuff done with it and it was pushing 600 to the crank with dual carbs which one would be more reliable and a cheaper route
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
Well what could I do to extend the margin of error. As I said I want something that will reliably handle 700 if the tune being off a little blows the engine than I'd rather spend a little more time and money to make sure the engine can handle the tune being a bit off.
I also couldn't find the drum brake conversion on that site.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 12:55 PM
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Go do a ton of research and reading and then ask questions

also if youre just getting into cars and have never driven anything fast you dont need 700hp right out of the gate
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by 1988montecarloss
Go do a ton of research and reading and then ask questions

also if youre just getting into cars and have never driven anything fast you dont need 700hp right out of the gate
Yeah I've been doing research but apparently not a whole lot of people are laying out their builds of something similar so I'm doing research and asking questions at the same time. I've driven decently fast vehicles I drove my buddies truck for awhile it's pushing 400 and it's a single cab. My other buddy has a speed 3 that he said he's gonna let me drive once he gets the boost leaks figured out and it'll be pushing right around 600. I honestly plan to drive the car pretty tamely until I get used to it but I still want it to have the potential of pushing 700 so I can drive it on reduced boost and gradually work my way up to 700. Since I want it to have the ability to push 700 I want to build it as if it's pushing 700 so that way when I'm comfortable I can push it to 700 and not worry about anything blowing up.
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Old Feb 3, 2025 | 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
Alright I'm in the army ............................................... To handle 700 hp what would I need to do to the motor......................
. i want something that can handle 700 reliably...............
l
... The MOTOR?? Motor only needs enough FUEL, and 15 pounds of boost. If you have 93 octane, or E85- the LM7 will make 700 horsepower until you break something else- probably the transmission.
LISTEN and Watch for KR, Retard spark until the knock is gone.
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Old Feb 4, 2025 | 07:00 AM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
Yeah I've been doing research but apparently not a whole lot of people are laying out their builds of something similar so I'm doing research and asking questions at the same time. I've driven decently fast vehicles I drove my buddies truck for awhile it's pushing 400 and it's a single cab. My other buddy has a speed 3 that he said he's gonna let me drive once he gets the boost leaks figured out and it'll be pushing right around 600. I honestly plan to drive the car pretty tamely until I get used to it but I still want it to have the potential of pushing 700 so I can drive it on reduced boost and gradually work my way up to 700. Since I want it to have the ability to push 700 I want to build it as if it's pushing 700 so that way when I'm comfortable I can push it to 700 and not worry about anything blowing up.
Its literally the most common build there is these days lol, turbo ls is in everything

cars also arent built by a recipe, you still have to know how to do the work and figure things out for yourself
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Old Feb 8, 2025 | 05:19 AM
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Originally Posted by 1988montecarloss
Its literally the most common build there is these days lol, turbo ls is in everything

cars also arent built by a recipe, you still have to know how to do the work and figure things out for yourself
LM7 doesn't seem to be a very common build from what I've been able to find especially pushing an LM7 for 700 WHP in a 77 Camaro.
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Old Feb 8, 2025 | 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
LM7 doesn't seem to be a very common build from what I've been able to find especially pushing an LM7 for 700 WHP in a 77 Camaro.
Keep looking.... LM7 is the most produced LS engine out there. Turbo'd LM7s are likely the most common turbo application of LS engines...
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Old Feb 8, 2025 | 06:04 PM
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Originally Posted by G Atsma
Keep looking.... LM7 is the most produced LS engine out there. Turbo'd LM7s are likely the most common turbo application of LS engines...
The LC9 is the most produced LS. And it's the most common swapped. It's as I've stated I posted this because I can't find good information to figure out what I need to do to a LM7 because either people aren't doing it, aren't really explaining what they did to it, or in forums someone posts to ask a question and some guy responds with "you don't need 700" or whatever
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Old Feb 8, 2025 | 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by sbrking
The LC9 is the most produced LS. And it's the most common swapped. It's as I've stated I posted this because I can't find good information to figure out what I need to do to a LM7 because either people aren't doing it, aren't really explaining what they did to it, or in forums someone posts to ask a question and some guy responds with "you don't need 700" or whatever
Holeee carap! You need to do more homework. The LC9 might be the most produced ALUMINUM BLOCK LS, but not overall.
There are far more cast iron blocks of both the Gen III (LM7 & L59) and Gen IV (LY5, LMG & LMF) persuasions. They all went into light trucks
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Old Feb 8, 2025 | 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by G Atsma
Holeee carap! You need to do more homework. The LC9 might be the most produced ALUMINUM BLOCK LS, but not overall.
There are far more cast iron blocks of both the Gen III (LM7 & L59) and Gen IV (LY5, LMG & LMF) persuasions. They all went into light trucks
I looked it up. Unless you have access to specific numbers from GM. What I could find said LC9 was most produced followed by LM7 and similar engines. But I'm also not gonna argue about metrics as I said I don't know **** about engines. I would also like to ask that instead of the people coming in here and saying "go do research" that's why I'm here I looked couldn't find what I needed so now I'm asking. I really couldn't care less about you telling me to do research when that's why I'm asking the question.

Last edited by sbrking; Feb 8, 2025 at 09:36 PM.
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Old Feb 9, 2025 | 12:46 AM
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What are your production number sources?
Among GM LS truck engines, iron block engine production is a multiple of aluminum block engine numbers.
You admit not knowing **** about engines. The same could be said about you not knowing where or how to research LS engine info, especially where it pertains to production numbers.
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Old Feb 9, 2025 | 01:44 AM
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Welcome to 2025, where "research" is looking at the nonsense chatgpt summary above the google search results.
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Old Feb 9, 2025 | 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by gametech
Welcome to 2025, where "research" is looking at the nonsense chatgpt summary above the google search results.
100% correct here. Don’t believe anything found on the webz these days replayed to AI or chatgpt anything. It’s gonna be fake news.
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