Colonel

A few people have brought up bang for the buck so I'd like to throw this out there for folks to chew on....

Running 11s NA with an internally stock LS1 is EASY. Yep, a good converter and few bolt-ons are all it takes. Talk about bang for the buck! Even mid-11s are becoming fairly common with internally stock LS1s. How much money does it take to run mid-11s NA with an LT1? And how does that mid-11 second LT1 idle and drive? MPG? Nothing like an internally stock LS1 I bet.

(Yes, an old and dumb argument this thread is but I couldn't resist.)

AZ_z/28

Have a LT1 vette and LS1 z/28. The LT1's torque peaks lower making it feel quick to the punch but it runs out of steam up in the rpms. The LS1 comes alive above 3k and pulls hard all the way to redline thanks to the higher flowing head design.

Had some minor issues w/ the LT1 - common rear main leak (early LT1s), overheating (vette in AZ summer) and the optispark problems. Haven't had any issues with the LS1, only aware of the piston slap issue.

LS1 vs LT1:
-Higher flowing heads
-All aluminium block (lighter, better cooling)
-More aftermarket performance parts
-Improved engine management system (tuning etc)
-Still in production and being improved upon

Just my 2 cents for what its worth

meangreen94z

So then why should V8_DSM_V8AGAIN go with a 6.0L block over the LT1? I know of quite a few LT1's that made/make 800-1000rwhp and never had any head lifting issues

firebatbird

I used to live in florida and had a 95 transam lt1 with flower master front to back and msd ignition and a stronger clutch and it was pretty quick, i now live in the uk and imported a 99 transam ls1 which is all stock and this car is a lot faster than my 95 with the mods, and the engine is so much better for reliability.

METALBEAST

iTrader: (1)

I think you hit the nail on the head with your post. Their both the **** in my book

bics56

I would say the LS1 is good for about .5 sec better et. So with that in mind they are both pretty close and I would just buy whichever one I thought looked better. LS1 and LT1 are both kick *** engines so you can't lose either way.

TanRchy

its all about the lt1 guys strugglin' for somethin to compare with. Prices? cmon your talking like a 5.slow owner."o yea? well stuff for my car is cheap and blah blah." hey if you like your lt1 fine, its better than a rice rocket but stop trying to compete with the ls1 its not gonna happen. all of you lt1 die hards need to get out of the stonedage and Re-read Nineball's post on page 1...

meangreen94z

How is the LT1 stoneage and the LS1 not?A little bit of factual info to back up your claim? 15* heads, aluminum block, and one coil per cylinder is pretty much the only difference of the LS1.

Both have their advantages but overall Id say their about even.

99C5JA

Umm the LS1 and LT1 share I think one bearing in common. Other than that a completely different design. They are both OHV V8's of similar displacement and that's about the end of the similarities. Having had a '96 WS6 I am familiar with the LT1. Stock vs stock and mod per mod the LS1 makes more power. It is certainly more expensive to mod. I'm still a member of an F-body club and many members run LT1's. They are certainly good powerplants, but they need more mods to keep with an LS1. My car with a cam and headers was able to beat a 94 Formula with headers, cam, RR's, 4.10 gears, and mildly ported heads. It was also .1 behind a procharged LT1 from our group. Even after adding the heads this spring I am still able to get 30+mpg on the highway. Again the LT1 is a great powerplant, I will never bash it. I just am of the opinion the LS1 is a more efficient design with better power potential for the average Joe.

meangreen94z

Where did I say the block was the same? I was making the point those were the only technological advancements over the LT1.

99C5JA

No idea. Never implied that you DID say the block was the same to my knowledge. And technical advancement wise, you are only hitting the tip of the iceberg as to the advancements made from one engine to the other. Do a little research on the net. You'll find that there are many worthwhile improvements in the LSx series of motors. Not all of them equate to power gains, but they are still certainly advantages.

rdavis93

No one has even mentioned the LT5 yet so I've got dibs. I'd take that monster over damn near every other engine I've seen GM put in a car.

GMCtrk

iTrader: (23)

a little biased???

myZ

Hell ya, i would love to have a lt5 in a 4th gen camaro just to see what it could do!!! Lotus/gm designed engine 32 valve v8....i read a review...i think in a popular mechanics that ran a 405 horse zo6 ls1 vs a lt5 vette and they ran the same time...or pretty close...something like the lt5 winds to like a 7200 fuel cut so it could finish the quarter mile in 3 gears instead of 4 giving it like a .2 tenths advantage due to shift time. Now i bet that is one expensive engine....4 cams...32 valves...heads...etc. so the ls1 probably wins for price...but i still hope to some day own a lt5 vette and twin turbo that four valve per cylinder monster, import style tuning...put a turbo on it when it has dohc...except i have four more cylinders!!! Which reminds me...i saw a eight turbo ls1 in i believe a 56 chevy bel air,700 horse and it sounded like a 3800 v6 at car craft summer nationals in minnesota, and 100's of vettes, camaros, firebirds, etc.....and not one lt5 corvette. ...I think the lt5's are really rare!!!
so to end this debate ls1 are soooooo much better if you have a lt1 ot lt5 shoot your self in the face just kidding
hey dont we have ford/mopar guys to debate whose engine is better... oh weight we know lt1/lt4/lt5/ls1/ls6....n/a 3.8 v6 is better anyway...hahaha
well i'm i sick of typing (with 2 fingers) see ya guys later!

V8_DSM_V8again

Well I tell you what when I TIG weld my cm tube chassis into the car I got for under $1k, drop all the forged fun stuff in the bare block I got for $50 (obviously before billet caps etc), set up the fab9 and four links. Your 12 sec car is welcome to stage next to me. The funny thing is that I will probably have spent less as compared to a modded LS1 car because of the initial price of the car and the expensive parts.. As for rice rockets I have a bright red one dropped 2.5" via coilovers, upgraded swaybars, weight reduction and sucks in air at 30psi ... I can run low 10's and pull over 1g on a skid pad with the same tires I run on the street...

I'm not biased.. I think a nice car with any amount of cylinders, rotors, turbo(s) or supercharger etc is still a nice car. I look at a supra/DSM/Honda and say nice or rice depending on how competently or tastefully it was done.. . I look at the LT1 and LS1 and think they are both nice.. I am actually looking at running larger diameter head studs even in the LT1. My machinist will do the surgery. Ream the head out and retap the block... Heads lift on DSM's all the time when people upgrade turbos and dont change over to ARP's.

Yes the LS1 is the best mass production small block GM has everproduced...If they had used a five bolt per cylinder head on the LS series I'd be building an LQ9 block.. But they did'nt... I'd have designed it with 6 but then again I don't think like an engineer of a mass produced product.