Adam1203

iTrader: (5)

Yeah bad rep, older, higher millage. Generally speaking.


I dont know why people get so but hurt about the ls1 being a better engine. I mean what do you really expect that whats happens as time passes lol just like the ls1 will be surpassed by the next generation of engine.

Personally I just have fun tinkering with my car. I could careless if others are faster then me because their is always someone faster.

96z28_lt1

iTrader: (3)

Since i totaled my z i'll be getting a ls1 within the next month or two. There are several reason i am doing this.
1. the ls1 gets better fuel mileage, after i did all the work to my lt1 12mpg wasn't exactly ideal for when i just wanted to go out and drive around for no reason at all.
2. easier to get the horses out of the ls, my goal is probably to do full bolt ons and a cam and that should get me more hp then what my head cam lt1 was giving me.
3.ignition system, the opti spark if properly taken care of is good, when it fails it certainly sucks. Now thats fine and dandy, except the only way to get another decent opti is through gm or delphi which is 200+
4. the ls1 birds look damn sexy...
5.Had to part my car out to get a decent amount to put towards a ls so don't feel like starting over with an lt.


Now i will say this about my lt1, it never let me down mechanically. Only time i ever had an issue with it is when i put a shitty opti on it or my o2 sensor fried from a buddy welding near it. Drove it 1700 miles at a pace of 70 to 90 mph over the course of 3 days when it was stock. Also put on a really high rpm cam with a stock block and took it up to 6800 numerous times without a hiccup.

Regardless there both stout motors, it all depends on what you want. Stock for Stock the ls1 is still better, however you will get what you want out of a lt1 and probably save a couple thousand.

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

As far as I know, and I deal with a lot of people, the only "bad rep" the LT1 had I know of is the Opti. Most of those problems are self induced. Both of mine lasted well past 100,000 miles. Never had a failure until I started spinning the black car over 8000 RPM. Had one bearing failure. Fix the rotor and they are usually not a problem.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

I hate to admit it but the ls engine is pretty impressive, especially the LS3. I've run across some threads from years ago comparing the L98 to the LT1 and except for the engines the arguments are the same. Oh and the LT1 comes out on top!

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

I asked Coleman about his engine. Here is what he told me:
It is an ls7 block with cathedral port 245s. ..but the guys at t e a trick port are not there anymore.. the manifold is mast motorsports so I may need to find a little more...they flow around 350cfm at 650...

Build yourself a 400+" LT1 or LT4 with any factory castings, and run several 8.90s. He is wanting to get faster than the many 8.90s he has run. A good solid roller would probably do it. He doesn't want to cut up his car.

I still like the LT1, but realistic enough to realize it's not the fastest.

jrwilliams95z28

this argument is old and pointless, I can soup up a rice rocket and run 10s, nowadays you can make anything fast just throw money at it.

jrwilliams95z28

this is all why autocross is so great, you can throw money at a car and make it "fast" but when the time comes to turn, it shows who the good drivers are. not like point and shoot drag racing. Granted if your running sub 10's in a drag car your hanging on for dear life and that requires a considerable amount of skill, anything 11s and above is just plain boring. I had my LT1 running 12.3 @ 114mph with a zex 100 shot and bolt ons, which is slow I know but thats when I realized drag racing is repeatitive and I was bored of it.

plus you never get sick of the look on the BMW M3 drivers faces when you beat they're time by 2 seconds in a "old man's car" hahaha.

NewOrleansLT1

Ya the biggest you can make a LS1 to is 383..
And that's because all the 5.7 blocks started off as 5.3 blocks then bored out from the factory.. So there's not much "meat" left..

Adam1203

iTrader: (5)

Me and you are on the same page. I have over 100k on my opti. Ill run it till its dead to. Most people just assume its the optis and start throwing optis at the car and never check the rest of the ignition system. then they tell everyone how bad lt1s are because of bad optis.

hell I think I saw it twice in this thread.

ZFreie

~180k stock opti on mine, changed cap and rotor cause I had the front of the car torn apart and it was convenient, didnt NEED to be changed tho

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

I'm afraid you are mistaken. I tuned 418" & 427" LS big sleeve strokers before the bigger stuff came out. The LS7 block makes it easier and is stronger. Late 1999/2000.

NewOrleansLT1

Ok ok I'll admit.. I almost traded my misfiring H/C LT1 car for a stock LS1 car the other day.. But after I talked to the guy he said it had a strange knock coming from the motor and that's why the asking price was so low. $3,000

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I had both LS1 and LT1 6spd cars for many years....LS1 hands down for a daily driver. Better gas mileage, more free revving (almost like DOHC engine), better reliability, 322 RWHP with just headers and a tune, better ignition system and far easier PCM to tune. LT1's do sound much better and have more "personality" ha ha....LT1 cars in good shape are somewhat rare around here, so there's the underdog/oddball engine factor to consider if that's your thing.

99monguse

I don't know what you're tlaking about...my old 1995 Formula was LT1 A4 bone stock with 2.77 gears:barf and no Z-rated tires: I used to take her to dragstrip and it went 14.40. I got a Hypertech reprogrammer, K&N air intake and went 13.9 in mid-August early afternoon. I had stock exhaust, stock everything except the hand-tuner and the air intake kit.

I pulled the console off and cut the rubber stop off the shifter so I could use 1st gear manually. With the speed-limiter of 118mph turned off, that car had made top-end for being stock...I buried the speedo many a time

96lt1m6

iTrader: (31)

Modern day technology GM has been making BETTER more FUEL EFFICIENT powerplants for ever there is a reason why they repeat certain models such as the Lt1,Ls6,Ls7 and they are bringing back the Lt1 and Lt4.
Personally, i love the advancement in technology i just happened to have gotten VERY involved with the Lt1 ..... i do own an Ls base powerplant that needs to be put in something eventually lol

NewOrleansLT1

^^^what he said... I own a 5.3 truck and it's pretty reliable. When my LT1 was stock it was reliable also. When you "hot rod" something reliability goes out the window. That's one thing about a "hot rod" is it can break down at any minute..

95Z28sixspeed

Back in the day my bone stock 96 A4 z28 went 14.0 so must be operator error on the previous post. And after putting 4" mufflex and cold air on the car it went 13.7. A few years after owning that car I bought an 02 z28 M6 and had that for awhile and now back to an Lt1. I like both and both have their pros and cons. Ofcourse the LS motor is better technology and makes more power but Lt1's are cheaper and if you can find one in really good shape like I did you can save some money and have a nice car.

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

Lol @ every defensive response to Shownomercy's sarcastic comment.

He has a turbo LT1 and it's f'n sick.

sbca96

Funny how these comparo threads tend to be pulled off topic by the LSx guys.
The OP was asking what was best for a daily driver on budget. That is easily the
LT1 powered 4th Gen, NOT the LS1 powered 4th gen in equal condition. You will
spend less IE "budget" for an LT1. LS1 prices are crazy, in or out of car. I have
put 265k on a '93, 180k on a '95 and have a 95 Impala SS with 240k. In those
miles I have had only ONE Opti actually fail, and two mis-diagnosed Optis. If you
live in a wet climate make sure to get a vented opti (94-97) for "insurance".

The 1999 Camaro SS has been MUCH more trouble than any of the LT1s, knock
sensors in the valley might have seemed like a good idea, but being my 3rd time
changing them - its really a PIA! LT1 has them on the sides - they eventually put
them back in later LSx engines.

Anyway .. NOTHING wrong with an LT1 .. and yes .. having had both the LT1 is
more "torquey" off the line, regardless of axle ratio. Enjoy!

Tom

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

Having never seen an LS1 needing knock sensors, I'd say you had a lemon or some mis diagnoses. As far as off-idle torque, my LS1 will blow the tires off much worse from a dead stop than either of my LT1 cars. All 3 cars with the same rear end. Your '99 may have been a turd to boot. I have had examples of both engines across my dyno that dynoed 50 rwhp below average.

Buy that LT1 car cheaper, have to buy more fuel to drive it every day, then have to spend more money and time on it to just make it run as fast as a decent LS1.

And, each newer version of the LS engines keep getting better. Flatter torque curves, more peak power, etc. If you can't afford an LS1, buy an LT1. Still not a bad deal.