LT1 fanatic 9494

I'm trying to price out the cheapest way to get a 96 WS6 Formula to around 400 horsepower so any help would be much appreciated also the least labor intensive.

DeltaElite121

iTrader: (1)

You're not going to hit a realistic 400 HP without tearing into the motor in some way or form. FAST and CHEAP don't belong in the same sentence.

Valkyn

iTrader: (8)

Nitrous

ZFreie

Fast, cheap, reliable; pick two.

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Even swapping in a stroker won't guarantee you 400 rearwheel or flywheel horsepower. Your post just screams laziness. Before doing anything laborious you need to do research with a budget in mind. "Cheap" doesn't cut it. You need a dollar amount.

LT1 fanatic 9494

Ok I didn't mean cheap necessarily I just don't want to break the bank

slow96ss

This. have you done any research on what it takes to get an lt1 to 400hp or the cost of a stroker? to do this is definately not going to be cheap especially if you arent wanting to do much labor yourself.

VAformula

iTrader: (8)

Unless your piggy bank has about 10 grand or more in it, you're going to break the bank, I can expand the cost of it for you if you wish, ask me how I know? I'm building a 396 and built a 355 LT1.

BALLSS

you are going to have to translate the narrative into a $$$$$ amount.

"cheap" means Chineese cast crap and the lowest $ in machine work.....which may produce a running motor and even decent power......but it's life expectancy often is short

the "cheapest" way to make your car go fast now is nitrous....but it's life will be short

if you are a point & pay guy expect $10k for a forged well made 383+ motor for 400+ RWHP/RWTQ. All 'supporting" mods also need to be considered.

a quality head/cam package on a stock bottom end motor can easily make 350/350 RWHP/TQ

doing the R&R yourself if you have the skils and tools:

93M6Formula

A good AI heads and cam package will net you about 380-400hp provided all the supporting mods and tune is done correctly. A 383 stroker doesn't mean power, i've personally witnessed a poorly built "budget" 383 LT1 put down 324 HP.... Do you suppose he was dissapointed? No **** because he thought cheap junk and no planning was gonna net a badass motor.

Do some reading around here for what to do.

Figure for the stock shortblock...
$2500 +/- for heads and cam
$300-$400 for quality rockers
$100 +/- Gaskets
$100-$200 Lifters
$100 +/- pushrods
$200-$600 Tune
$500- Headers
$350 +/- Exhaust
$350 +/- injectors
$300-$600 Gears
$600 +/- Stall (if auto)
$300 +/- clutch ( if M6 )

It only goes up from there.... The 10 bolt won't last so plan on a 12 bolt/S60/9" $1500-$3000

It takes money to go fast and cheaping out on stuff doesn't usually get you good results.

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

I'll give you an example then. My 396 was done on a budget. It has an Eagle crank, Compstar rods and JE forged custom pistons. I had the machine shop do all the prep which included hot tank, torque plate bore, deck and a line hone, clearancing for crank and new 4 bolt main caps. They also put all new hardware (valves, springs, guides, seats, seals) in the LPE LT4 heads I already owned. It came to $4000, but that doesn't include the JE forged custom pistons, Eagle forged crank and cam I bought before sending to the machine shop. Basically after all was said and done to the point the engine ran was around $7000.00 using my heads. Lots of little odds and ends like gaskets, timing chain, etc...
After coming up with a budget you basically want to double it. Block prep alone can run up to a grand if not more.

merim123

iTrader: (11)

your best bet is to swap/trade for ls1 stuff or sell the car outright and get a c5 for cheap. 5k in a c5 will get you a lot more than 400 rwhp.

if you can't do that, spray it and have fun!

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

A "cheap" stroker wont make power without good heads and cam. Good heads and cam can take a 300rwhp bolton car to 400+rwhp a few even up over 420rwhp. Well done strokers might hit 450rwhp and that stroker shortblock cost as much or more than the heads/cam.

A stroker can add power by allowing more cam and maybe bigger heads but the HP per dollar cost something like 3+ times as much as the HP per dollar from heads and cam on a stock shortblock. That is based on heads/cam costing a similar amount to a stroker shortblock but the heads/cam being able to add 100rwhp but the stroker only being able to add maybe 30more HP to that for the same money.
As some have mentioned supporting mods get expensive too, if you want to start with a near stock car and drop a decent stroker not even a great one you are going to go over $10K FAST

bufmatmuslepants

iTrader: (3)

Boltons, a 150 shot from a plate kit, a 6AL and a tune and you are there. Plenty of guys have made 150 shots last on stock shortblocks. So figure:

used headers and Y pipe $300
bullet muffler hanging off the Y pipe $40
used LS1 lid and paper filter $75
walbro 255 with no hotwire kit $106
mail order tune $200
used MSD 6AL to pull timing $125
used nitrous kit $400
window switch and WOT switch $100
BRE7s or NGK TR6s $30

Or go new and get a GOOD kit and have less chance of failure
http://www.texas-speed.com/p-1745-ni...FUqk4Aod9QMA2g

So your at $1300-1700. Cheapest way to get 400hp. Might even be 450 on the 150 shot, but no more than that if you want to keep your shortblock alive.

But then you need tires if you want traction...and if you get traction youll blow your 10 bolt and need a 9"...and if you get traction and dont blow your rear end youll need a new chromoly driveshaft....and then you get traction, dont blow your rear end, and dont break your driveshaft youll need a clutch....then you get traction, dont blow your rear end, dont break your driveshaft, and your clutch grabs and youll need a new torque arm and LCAs....it just keeps going.

I shopped around well and set up my nitrous kit soup to nuts for $500, including window switch, WOT switch, walbro, tank, BRE7s, everything, and I already had the 9", MT ET streets, chromoly driveshaft, rod ended LCAs and tunnel mounted torque arm with relo kit, was ALL READY TO GO....Then bitched out and sold the kit.

KW Baraka

iTrader: (7)

1. Acquire all the necessary bolt-ons (if you don't know what they are, drop the project, sell your car and buy a Hyundai).

2. Buy a stout, 'blueprinted' long block ( http://www.ellweinengines.com/ ).

3. Have it installed.

4. Be ready to drop $12K - $14K on the project.

KW

NewOrleansLT1

Golen

Bow Tie Power

That's exactly what I was going to say. If you want it fast and reliable, it won't be cheap. If you want it to be fast and cheap, it won't be reliable. If you want it to be reliable and cheap, it won't be fast. You only get 2 out of these 3.

LT1 fanatic 9494

Im starting to think a procharger supercharger with intercooler, holley 58mm throttlebody, lt4 cam, longtube hookers and a borla exhaust will do just enough but not break the bank as much as the engine swap.

DeltaElite121

iTrader: (1)

LOL whaaaaaat. Yeah, sure... That's not going to break the bank or anything.

Bow Tie Power

NOOOOOOOO! Please don't go that route. Leave forced induction for the Mustang pussies. Remember: Built>Boosted.