ws6jesse

iTrader: (2)

i just bought a 68 camaro with a 396 in it. either i build up the 396 a lil more and put a 4 speed i it or i drop a hads and cam ls1 in it with a six speed. my goal is to make the car haul *** and handle prety well too. whats cooler in an old camaro? old school big block or new school LS1? or MAYBE and LS2???

thanks
Jesse

dragonrage

I'm going to have to say new school.

Gary Z

Confucius says "your willingness to abandon the old and embrace the new will be well rewarded".

98Z28MASS

iTrader: (6)

If its a numbers matching all original car I say build the 396...if it isnt then rip the heavy 396 out and toss an ls1 or ls2 in there. I will lighten the car and will look pimp under the hood. How much are you willing to spend for an ls1/ls2?

98Z28MASS

iTrader: (6)

also youw ouldnt have to deal with a carb anymore...EFI is very nice and although tuning it is a little more difficult its well worth it in the end.

WhiteStripes

iTrader: (1)

I'm definitely feeling the LS2. Depends on your budget though.

jmm98LS1

iTrader: (28)

If you want to make it simpler, stay with the big block. Tuning EFI can become a nightmare if you're a vaccuum gauge + screwdriver old school type of guy. I've had a pretty steep learning curve with HPTuners coming from my pile of jets/metering rods.

My thoughts:
BBC/4spd--
-there's no sound comparable to a nasty big block with big ol' heads/cam/carb
-the whole "no replacement for displacement" comes to mind
-bbc/4spd in a 1st gen is a cakewalk swap
-you might as well hire a tanker truck to follow your big block around
-aftermarket bbc stuff ain't exactly on da cheap

H/C LSX--
-ridiculous power potential
-waaaaaay better gas mileage & reliability
-"cool" factor of new tech in old ride
-gotta know what you're doing with tuning, else pay someone a few times to get it right
-some fabbing will be required to fit, might need custom headers & such
-parts aren't a whole lot cheaper than BBC stuff

Just my $.02

EchoMirage

iTrader: (3)

Keep the big block. You'll be happier in the long run. Like the above post says, there is nothing like a big, nasty, carbed V8 loping out of dual flowmasters. I have a 78 TA, and even the the previous owner fucked up the engine so it's not 100%, I still can't believe the sound and feeling you get when cranking over old school torque. My 02 TA is faster of course, but the feelings are different. The 02 feels like it wants to take off and fly. The 78 feels like it wants to rotate the earth.