Crazy? Maybe. But I'd much rather have an LT1 sitting in front of me over a LSx any day of the week.

By no means is an LT1 better than LS1. It's a 50 year old design, they leaked like crazy, fell on their face after 5k, and had possibly the worst distributor placement on any engine. But, I'd rather no other pushrod V8. Why, you may ask? They are some of the most rewarding engines to work on that I've had my short life to lay my hands on. Sure, Any young kid can slap on a pair of headers, CAI, and chop off catalytic converters and have a 400whp LS1. Do the same to an LT and you'd be lucky to break 350whp. Mod for mod, an LS will simply outperform an LTx every time. But it's when the engine is getting built is where the fun is. Why do you think people like to swap L98s in trucks? Because TPI engines could pull like trains down low. The LT1 still possesses some of that low end grunt that any traditional LS could never get. Even with the biggest cam you can buy, and the best CNC'd heads, they'll still pull you around fine. You can make an LT1 a low end tractor that pulls like a diesel, or a 700hp, 9000rpm N/A screamer that could dominate a road course with a good driver and suspension setup, with the right budget. You will without a doubt extract more power from an LS with the same amount of money than an LTx could ever dream of, but who doesn't love blowing the doors off of fast cars with a built engine that's older in design than your grandmother? It takes some more creativity to make these old mules come to life. To me, they're some of the best underdog motors ever built, and both have so much potential. But the small block will always have a special place in my heart. Except for fords...😎

 

Well I think it's amazing that when you have an LT1, YOU HAVE AN LT1!! With them LS guys you just never really know whats under the hood and most of the time it's not an LS1..

 

Huh...whuut?

 

There is nothing an LTX can do that an LSX can't do better.

/thread

 

400whp out of a bolt on LS1? What keyboard racers have you been talking to?

The L98 is done at 5k, not LT1.

The only reason to build one of these is to make the LS fanboys butt frustrated.

 

oooooooooohhkay

 

400whp with bolt ons + tune, sorry. Besides, who doesn't love making fanboys angry?

 

I know a local guy Thad DDs a 2001 TA near me. Has an LQ4 short block, and a whole boatload of LS3/LS6/LS7 parts piles on top. So it's not at all LS1. I'd kill for that level of interchangeability on parts, though.

 

That's why I didn't call the article "why the LT1 is better than an LS1"

 

Stahp

 

I love my little LT1. It upsets LSx guys often. If I had to chose between the two though? LSx. Sorry. My car will never have an LSx, the LT1 WILL be a rare find one day and I'll have one with a T56 too!

 

So with your logic, you must love points and hate modern EFI?

Damn those coil packs, adjusting dwell is where its at.

Archaic old dinosaur motor is useless.

 

and yet you continue to give yours love and money.

 

And yet, you continue to associate some shred of intelligence with me.

Weird.

 

Meh. Depends on goals. I only want to run low 10s at the track. Why do I need an LSx?

 

I love the LT1 motor, but not that much. Or else I would have built a stroker 383 or 396. After weighing my options and budget, I decided to go LSX all the way for my next build. So, long live the LT1!

 

Main reason for me sticking with the platform is all the parts i've accumulated over the years would almost all have to be rebought and it pisses off everyone else when they lose to it.

There's just something rewarding about trying to make a bastard child motor fast, not rewarding in a financial or dollar-per-hp kinda way though.

 

Will you be my man-crush?

 

Personally yeah at the end of the day the advantages are all given to the LS1 but as many stated most of the time they have parts off there brothers lS2 LS3 LS6 blah blah blah, id love to be able to have the interchangeability like that.... However most of the LS guys i see in my town make them to be ricers and spend there money on paint, window tint, tint there tailights etc etc all that non sense. Meh i love my old choppy idling LT1, Still a pretty fast car compared to most people on the road. However like i said.. end of the day LS1 wins. I dont really wanna say it but i know all the people with LS style engines will be butthurt if i dont...

 

Nothing against LT1 cars... I just never cared for the LT1 head lights in the Camaros.