Yeah Alek's old 355" was the reason I literally ran down to my parents house just to show my father what a really bad *** LT1 sounds like. Also Bolo's car is another one of those cars that just get under your skin. I remember also running down to my fathers to show him Bolo's video and that Starwars dark vador music came on and my hair on my arms raising while that LT1 screamed. I will think of those video's when Im in my death bed!

 

GM used Hypereutectic pistons for cost(mainly because its a casting not a forging) and the low coefficient of expansion(tighter tolerances). You do not want to abuse these pistons if you don't know exactly what you are doing. Unlike a cast crank these pistons are completely unforgiving.

 

We built that engine as a test platform. It was a budget build, but it still had ~12-14k in it IIRC. Making power with a small block is easy, it is doing it w/o sacrificing drivability and retaining longevity that becomes expensive/challenging.

Here was a fun dyno comparison I'd made for the guys who kept attempting to claim it was a top-end only engine w/ poor low rpm power. They universally agreed a bolt-on stock cam etc. LT1 had great area under the curve at low rpm, so it seemed a fair comparison:
http://www.advancedinduction.com/Dyn...ullBoltOns.jpg

Videos of that setup are in our favorites on our youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/AdvancedInduction

As far as the actual goal from the OP - if you have ~5k to spend on full exhaust, fluids, gaskets, tuning, etc. then one of our complete top-end (heads/valve train/gaskets/etc.) options is easily the best value for a reliable 400-430rwhp SAE that you can drive daily.

If you have a couple grand, one of the cam kits, full exhaust, tuning, & n2o will likely be the path. If you have less to play with then nitrous is for you... but keep in mind if you cannot afford to break it, you're flying close to the sun. Were I severely budget limited, I'd address the inlet/exh, and spend the next $ on gearing/converter.

 

For some reason that graph reminds me of the title wave scene from Armageddon...

 

Call advanced induction...they will hook you up.

 

ok, i have no problem getting another ls car. just thought i might buy a cheaper starter car and have more money for parts. but LS it is. thanks for all the feedback guys.

 

5 axis, what the hell you guys dont have a 7 axis yet?

 

Pretty sure mine would be somewhere around 450 if it had a manual trans. stock shortblock. sprayed lotsa nitrous through it without pulling a valvecover in the last 3 years or so.

 

Hah. It is a little shocking to see just how much air an essentially stock displacement short block can move with the OEM head and manifold castings. The difference is so dramatic some of the guys thought I had somehow photoshopped the curves from the bolt on setup. It is a good example of why the guys with super vics, giant heads, etc. are often outrun by OEM castings. The GM castings have more potential than people give them credit for.

 

Agreed my lil old gm heads put out 544 rwhp on my last dyno i think they do just fine

 

I put down 494 RWHP corrected in Nebraska, which is around 535 uncorrected RWHP. Stroked LT1 to 383 with D1SC procharger with twin intercoolers and methanol injection. Price tag 18000.00

 

We've also had great luck w/ the GM castings in power adder applications. There is little they can't work really well on.