need advice- which ls?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 66
Likes: 1
From: Charlotte, NC
need advice- which ls? Hey all, been doing quite a bit of research on this but still undecided so help me out...
First off my questions here are strictly engine, not chassis related so I think this is in the right section(?) I'm looking for an ls to swap into my 54 Belair project, but can't decide which. Ultimately I want it to be making decent power, right around the 400hp mark is fine for now. I was originally looking into 5.3Ls for power + cost or 6.0L for power + potential + cost but when its installed I want it to have the vette look with the rail covers, etc. The more I look into that I'll have to swap out so much crap (intake, injectors, rails, coils, wiring, and some or all of the accessories), all of which will add up fast, and I probably won't be able to get much for the stock truck stuff being replaced, so now I'm wondering would I just be better off just finding a car swap?
thanks in advance for thoughts
First off my questions here are strictly engine, not chassis related so I think this is in the right section(?) I'm looking for an ls to swap into my 54 Belair project, but can't decide which. Ultimately I want it to be making decent power, right around the 400hp mark is fine for now. I was originally looking into 5.3Ls for power + cost or 6.0L for power + potential + cost but when its installed I want it to have the vette look with the rail covers, etc. The more I look into that I'll have to swap out so much crap (intake, injectors, rails, coils, wiring, and some or all of the accessories), all of which will add up fast, and I probably won't be able to get much for the stock truck stuff being replaced, so now I'm wondering would I just be better off just finding a car swap?
thanks in advance for thoughts
Well what is your budget?
I had to piece mine together..I started with a 6.0l bottom end I got for $500, then got the required parts I needed from here 'n there. Yea you are going to need a Car Intake and Fuel Rails & Injectors, proper Oil Pan, Accessories, Coils..etc. It depends on what you get to start with too.
Me personally if I'm going to put my LS Engine in an old car I'm going to put a Vic Jr. on it, keep it EFI, and run a 4-barrel Throttle Body with the old-school Air Fliter and Chrome Hat. I think that would look pretty sweet.
I had to piece mine together..I started with a 6.0l bottom end I got for $500, then got the required parts I needed from here 'n there. Yea you are going to need a Car Intake and Fuel Rails & Injectors, proper Oil Pan, Accessories, Coils..etc. It depends on what you get to start with too.
Me personally if I'm going to put my LS Engine in an old car I'm going to put a Vic Jr. on it, keep it EFI, and run a 4-barrel Throttle Body with the old-school Air Fliter and Chrome Hat. I think that would look pretty sweet.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 66
Likes: 1
From: Charlotte, NC
I'm trying to keep the budget as low as possible for now just so that I can put the funds into other parts of the car and other projects. But it does have to be something worth swapping in- lower in mileage, not excessively beat on, reliable with good power, etc. I just have too many irons in the fire right now to be building anything at this point. Plus the wife & I are moving out of state in 4 months so I either need to get something swapped in and running to be able to drive it down there or hold off on the whole thing till after the move and just trailer it. I was originally planning a nailhead build for the car, but I've always loved the vette ls motor look in older hotrods and an ls swap seems to fit the bill best at least for right now. I can always build something else and swap it in later on.
EDIT: if I do end up going with a truck motor, will I need to change all accessories to the car style or just the brackets and use the truck stuff?
EDIT: if I do end up going with a truck motor, will I need to change all accessories to the car style or just the brackets and use the truck stuff?
Last edited by stmotorsports; Jan 18, 2010 at 02:25 PM.
