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Austin, Texas-based lifelong rodder with a lot of questions about the best LS drivetrain for a first-gen Econoline van. Yes, it's going to get interesting.
Bear with me, haters.
This is a photoshopped version of what I'm wanting to drop an LS into.
Obviously, I'm not building it for cornering or drifting. It will almost certainly be running a Mustang II front end and the Van already has a Ford 9". Don't think I need an aluminum block. Want to run an automatic and would be perfectly happy to have 300 horses and enough torque to push a brick down the road.
I'd like the LS to be as compact as pssible and would love to lower the stock doghouse lid if possible so a low profile is desired. Also have width l;imitations so I'd like to know what configuration would work best. Also, the engine will be out of sight 99.9% of the time so other than a clean install, don't need a lot of visual goodies.
I'm researching pullouts and want to keep the hp numbers conservative and have a dependable daily driver than runs cool, stope well and otherwise doesn't call a lot of attention to its GM drivetrain.
So far, I think a car-based engine and an cast iron block make the most sense.
But if I had all the answers, I wouldn't be posting here.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. Own a website and FB page called Vinvanco. And a shift **** company callled hotrodshiftknob. Over and out.
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