LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

ever feel you went the wrong route?

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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 09:40 AM
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Default ever feel you went the wrong route?

im in the middle of an lt1 build ive bought all the suspension and a 383 shortblock (were freshening up) and im seeing all these adds for ls1 longblocks for the same as i paid for the short block. im startin to feel i should have swapped to the superior ls motor. maybe i need a little boost.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 09:43 AM
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nah.. LT1...383...NITROUS...
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:11 AM
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I was there recently and was told by everyone at the shop you can do an LS1 w/ H/C/I and make the same power.

I went with the LT1 since it's a fully built motor and will run with or better then a lot of LSx.eqpt. cars.

The LS1 ECU deal if it comes together will really open up things for the LTx crowd too.

!opti

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SD / 3 Bar for big FI builds
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:18 AM
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You can buy cheap LT1 longblocks too, but they aren't anything you would actually want. Hell on ebay I believe a company sells a new 383 LT1 longblock for like $2500, doesn't mean it is useable.

There are companies that can help you make the most of an LT1, and will certainly hang with the majority of LS stuff.

If I did not have an LT1 vehicle I would look at the LS1 as a retrofit or whatever, but IMO swapping an LS into an LT car is not a great way to go, the money spent on the swap could have gone into using what you already ad and the car would be a lot simpler.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:21 AM
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Everytime I think about how the LT1 won't stack up, I just want to get the turbo sooner.

The turbo will overcome any obstacle.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by 96capricemgr
You can buy cheap LT1 longblocks too, but they aren't anything you would actually want. Hell on ebay I believe a company sells a new 383 LT1 longblock for like $2500, doesn't mean it is useable.

There are companies that can help you make the most of an LT1, and will certainly hang with the majority of LS stuff.

If I did not have an LT1 vehicle I would look at the LS1 as a retrofit or whatever, but IMO swapping an LS into an LT car is not a great way to go, the money spent on the swap could have gone into using what you already ad and the car would be a lot simpler.
ive already bought a real nice 383 shortblock for 1400 forged except pistons that ima swap i hav a 9.80 goal.

the thing that makes me debate my choice is i watched a cam only ls1 run 10.70 throw a set of good heads on there and a 200 shot lik ill be runin and i kow itd be runnin faster.

o well know turnin back represent the lt1 crowd and beat up on some ls cars i guess
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by LSWHO
Fast lsx are a dime a dozen.
I feel I have to quote myself here.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by LSWHO
Everytime I think about how the LT1 won't stack up, I just want to get the turbo sooner.
The turbo will overcome any obstacle.
Really?
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 11:32 AM
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Hmm all the time.

BBK shorties
Flowmaster catback

OK so far I had only screwed up two items on the LT1 in the past.
Wish I had done at least a 12 bolt and koni/stranos knowing what I know now before anything else. Now those items are merely on my wish list knowing the car could be wearing a decent tire and also riding/handling awesomely.

I'm going to wait on if the whole LS computer can be used thing pans out, I tell people when this one goes I will swap to LS, but who can really say? Maybe one of the porters will have a setup for great power with the new TF heads or something.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 11:52 AM
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If I was in the market for an f-bod right now I would go LSx all the way. They have really come down in price a lot in the past 2 years. I bought my black car 5 years ago and the market for an LSx car was $10,000 just to get a bare-bones example, and the aftermarket wasn't nearly as strong. I would bet that most of us have had our LT1 cars for quite some time, and either we would lose our asses selling them to upgrade to an LSx car, or spend too much money on all the little bs itmes needed to swap an LSx motor into our cars. We are past the point of no return, lol.

Lucky for me, there aren't many really fast LSx cars around here, to hand me my ***. There are a lot of dyno queens rolling on 18" wheels rocking t56's, but a light LT1 car with some spray can handle that no problem.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 12:07 PM
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I love beating up on LS1s in my underdog!! Makes you feel that much better about your car! It also seems there is lots more things popping up in the aftermarket for us!
IMO there is no better bang for the buck over the LT1.
I had a 00 Formula that ran 12.80s@ 108 with just a few bolt ons still had stock manifolds & cats on it, but that car was just not as fun as my LT1s have been. The LT1 just gives me alot more satisfaction.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 12:32 PM
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well said AC
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:13 PM
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Stick with your path, you will be happy.

The cam only LS1, you KNOW the car or thats what the guy told you? Keep in mind it was probably a light car.

You do know there has been a cam only LT1 car run 11.19 right? And it wasnt very light.

To swap over to a LS1 engine you need a LS k member, harness, Ecm, transmission stuff and the time to figure it all out to get it hooked up.


I had the same thoughts when I was stuck in the 11.0x's for a while, I am glad I hung in there. My car has high 10.30's in it if I decide to go there and thats at my same weight. WIth a drag rear swaybar, looser converter and some tweaking of the tune I can get there.

Plus the looks you get at the track, boggles minds when I open my hood, no spray LT1 in there. WITH an opti and stock ECM. Priceless!
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:16 PM
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^^^^^^^^^^^That is priceless!!!!^^^^^
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:17 PM
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the cost to convert everything over to ls plus building a lsx motor is way more expensive than building up a ltx...your comparing apples to oranges...a stock lsx longblock vs a built ltx shortblock there really is no comparison there you have the better motor by far now take that lsx longblock you paid for then factor in a rotating assembly, heads, cam, etc just like you are doing for your car plus the cost to convert...no way your even in the same price range
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by transamws6_97
the cost to convert everything over to ls plus building a lsx motor is way more expensive than building up a ltx...your comparing apples to oranges...a stock lsx longblock vs a built ltx shortblock there really is no comparison there you have the better motor by far now take that lsx longblock you paid for then factor in a rotating assembly, heads, cam, etc just like you are doing for your car plus the cost to convert...no way your even in the same price range
YUP dont get caught up in the hype.

Plus any LT1 car is a better looking car than a LS car PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:45 PM
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thanks guys lots of good points. and the cam car i watched do 3 runs with a best of 10.7x it was and lt1 car and yes the interior was stripped. ill be stickin with it for now hopefully reach my goal and i hope thats fast enough if not ill give the lsx motor a shot (will be years from now) im lucky i have money to do wat im doin lol
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by FASTFATBOY
Stick with your path, you will be happy.

The cam only LS1, you KNOW the car or thats what the guy told you? Keep in mind it was probably a light car.

You do know there has been a cam only LT1 car run 11.19 right? And it wasnt very light.

To swap over to a LS1 engine you need a LS k member, harness, Ecm, transmission stuff and the time to figure it all out to get it hooked up.


I had the same thoughts when I was stuck in the 11.0x's for a while, I am glad I hung in there. My car has high 10.30's in it if I decide to go there and thats at my same weight. WIth a drag rear swaybar, looser converter and some tweaking of the tune I can get there.

Plus the looks you get at the track, boggles minds when I open my hood, no spray LT1 in there. WITH an opti and stock ECM. Priceless!


Very well stated. I've been stuck with the bang for the buck issues too, but there's no way you'll benefit better by switching over to an LS1 when you could sink that money into the LT1 and a ton faster.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 01:54 PM
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There's no arguing that the LSx platform is far superior than the LTx platform in every aspect. The aftermarket is also 10x bigger with a lot more options avaliable than the aftermarket for our cars. With that said many people have too much $$ tied up in their LT1's to just switch over. It also seems that the standard for good results for LT1's has been on the decline in the recent years. 110-115mph traps are now considered good results for h/c cars for some reason.

Don't get me wrong you can still get good results out of an LT1 if you do the research and don't follow the latest internet craze. With these forums a lot of shady and sub-par shops have come out to make some serious money, and they are doing that with aggressive marketing that the average person doesn't see past.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by speed_demon24
There's no arguing that the LSx platform is far superior than the LTx platform in every aspect. The aftermarket is also 10x bigger with a lot more options avaliable than the aftermarket for our cars. With that said many people have too much $$ tied up in their LT1's to just switch over. It also seems that the standard for good results for LT1's has been on the decline in the recent years. 110-115mph traps are now considered good results for h/c cars for some reason.

Don't get me wrong you can still get good results out of an LT1 if you do the research and don't follow the latest internet craze. With these forums a lot of shady and sub-par shops have come out to make some serious money, and they are doing that with aggressive marketing that the average person doesn't see past.
all i do is read and research ive pm'd a few of you on ur set ups and have talk to lloyd and AI gettin as much info as i can should be a good outcome in the end everyones right too i have alot tide up in my lt1.

im glad i posted this its a little boost to help me feel i am in the right direction
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