I have a 2011 Camaro. Runs fine. It seems like LS3s go for good money used. Let’s just say I was planning a stroker. I can see a mild build with the stock block and ported heads and factory intake you would be better off keeping the same engine.

What point does it become more cost effective to sell a good running LS3 and start from scratch. Like if you built a 416 with TFS heads and different intake for example.

will stuff like fasteners and little odds and ends nickel and dime it to be a wash? I’d still have to reuse things like accessories , coils, oil pan, timing and valley cover and so on from my current LS3 so it wouldn’t be exactly drop in ready for someone else.

 

Here's how I think of it...others will always different thoughts etc

New from GM LS3 Long block with covers & oil pan is $4,999 plus tax & shipping excluding any rebates.


Strip the heads off, remove all the covers, remove oil pan etc. Take another $1,500 of in parts...say $3,500 for a new short block.

Take another ~$1,000 to $1,500 off for use selling a stripped used short block ~$2000 to $2,500 with no covers, no oil pan. Maybe $3000 toward the 416 build that's going cost $11,000 to $12,500 depending on heads & options picked etc

Or buy 416 out right $9,500 with ported heads & cam using your block, covers oil pan etc.

There's ~$1,500 in difference give or take a little

If your handy, buy the above nee crate engine plus a 415 rotating assembly kit for $2,300 and rebuild the new engine as a 415. Get the LS3 heads ported & new valve springs for $1,000 plus $400 for a new cam

415 for $8,700 sell your old long block for $4,000

And be into a 415 for $5000 or so

 

Cool. I like the logic. I’m handy btw lol. Forgot to mention that. I actually want my kid to do as much of it as I feel comfortable with so he can be handy also.

 

It all depends on how rowdy you want to get with your build?

A forged 402/8/16 balanced stoker kit with high end parts (K1/Mahle/Lunati/Diamond/Clevite etc/ is ~3K from Texas Speed and other places. Summit branded kits are like ~2,100 and no option for balancing, you would have to take it somewhere, not a big deal.
Buying a 6.0 iron block (if you can even find one in stock anywhere) is at minimum 1,500. Throw another couple hundred bucks for honing and miscellaneous machine work, and you're right at 5K ish for a long block. Decent large bore heads are 2,500 bucks, you can see where this is all going. lol

Texas speed will actually let you pick your parts for your own short block and they'll assemble it all for you, I want to say that would be like 6,700 or somewhere around there. But then you say, isn't a Dart SHP 427 short block with forged internals like 7,200? So yeah, it all depends.

 

If iron is in the running L96 take outs in market place might be worth a look. $1,500 for a 6.0 pull out with intake, covers, coils & pan etc.

 

If it was me, I would keep the stock engine, heads, and intake. You can piece together your own rotating assembly for about $1600, or buy a pre-assembled one for about $2k. Either way, it has to be balanced for an extra $$$. You can get stock heads ported for under $1000, and they will flow better than as-cast aftermarket heads that cost twice as much. There's not much to improve on with the intake. If you do the work yourself, you should be able to turn your stock 376 into a 415-ish stroker for about $4k-$5k.

If you sell your engine, you will have to buy another one for about the same price as what you sold yours for. I don't see how there's any benefit there.

 

I agree with one minor difference - I would not bother porting the ls3 heads. Good Valve job and bowl blend and a mill for clean up and call it good.

 

please don't forget the SSR...the runner doesn't need anything. Anything over what Darin did in Port size is for a larger engine. Btw 264 cc for a factory ls3 head ran 11's in a gen5 basically stock camaro with a little wirk done...aka Darin & Big heavy @ 4k + lbs and his DD.
think btr cam was used & factory exhaust if I'm not mistaken. 🤫

 

Think of the convenience.

That's the benefit to buying & building the crate. You can still drive, enjoy and use the car while building the motor.

One can demonstrate original motor is in good to potential buyers right up to swap time.

Later over a weekend swap, sell original motor and be ~$5,000 into new stroker but only be down a few days. Sometimes building new motor takes few weeks/months/year depending on part availability and time availability.


I learned the hard way with my 72 vette sitting for 361 days at a shop during a motor build. Wasted a years worth of insurance, tag & battery waiting.

 

I didn't realize a new LS3 longblock from GM is going for that little!! That's a damn good price!! I actually looked at the posting date, as I thought it was from 2012, but it isnt!! 99BB, your post makes perfect sense.....

 

Honestly, LS3 is such a good price, I'm tempted to buy an LS3 for my 02 Z28 and use the LPE 58x to 24x box. Intake, coil packed, injectors, etc this one is pretty good too.

 

Just crazy how much everything got all jacked up from covid.

https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19432414.html

"It is possible new orders could be waiting 3-4 months or longer."

 

Just a thought. Years ago I had RED (Race Engine Development) out of CA sleeve a LS2 block so I could turn it into a 427 cube LS. I used a Manley stroker kit. It comes with either 24 or 58 reluctor crank. Maybe AFR heads?
Save what you need to make the new engine a bolt in.
Kind of fun to say you have a 427 cube engine in your car.

 

No replacement for displacement still rings true today..

 

I dunno man, this comes close, and they have two in stock....

 

I get what your saying but put that supercharger on a 427 and then what? That one would probably choke it some but supercharging a 427 would be an apples to apples comparison.

 

Oh, I was just saying go nuts and buy the whole damn LSA Crate engine. I'm kind of in the OP's same boat, trying to figure out what I want to do as well, doing way too much research on LSA Supercharger parts to build a FI engine, or go stroker route and build a 408.

Either way you're on the high end of 500 HP, just two different ways to get there.

 

I say build the 408 with future plans for turbocharger or supercharger unless I could afford to go even more cubes with FI.

 

OP, how fast do you want to go? That's the real question. If it's 9's-10's, then plan on a build. Deep 11's, cam and basic stuff will get you there.

 

The goal is loud and fast street car. No drag strip no track days. My last car never even hit a dyno. I didn’t want the disappointment. NO boost either. I drive boosted cars all the time at work. I sold an old school Trans AM that had huge family sentimental value recently. Dad always had big inch street cars so I want to build a stroker with my son.