Doing a couple of LS3 builds right now. First one is a 4.030 bore iron 6.0 block, main studs, ARP head bolts. SDP CNC'd ls3 heads. It will get the Holley Hi-Ram manifold port matched and polished in house.

It will have a stock crank, Callies Compstar rods, diamond forged pistons. This is a pump gas engine, will be a tick under 11:1. Camshaft I have not yet fully mapped out, I am playing with a couple different combo's right now and will decided here shortly.
It's backed by a L5 4l60E and it's in a 99 Trans Am. I'd like to see it make 480+ to the tires, and it'll get sprayed with at least 200 on a pretty consistent basis..

The second engine is going to be my new project, an R & D project if you will...
We are going to put a 4.125 crank in it, with a 4.030 bore. It will have Callies Ultra H beam rods, with Diamond forged coated pistons, compression we are shooting for is 12.5-13:1.. I will still drive this on the street(perks of having barrels of race fuel) mainly just to cruise nights and maybe to softball on a Thursday night.

I am going to get a set of bare ls3's and port them in house, Ferrea severe duty valves, Pac Valve springs, the cam is going to be the very experimental part. I am going to put an N/A cam in it at first, make some dyno runs and track time, and then put the nitrous cam in it..
It will still use ls7 lifters, stock coated rockers with the trunion upgrade. I believe we are also going to stud the rockers and possibly make a stud girdle to brace the valvetrain a bit more..
It will also use the Holley manifold, and Holley EFI

We don't really have a set goal for this engine, more so just to see what we can do and where we can push the envelope..

 

If you want you can send me a set of in house ported ls3 heads and I'll test them.

 

Ha, I'm sure you would. I'll make you a good deal on a set, can't do em for free though!

 

I see our cam discussion the other night has valve events dancing through your head now Steve. LOL

 

Martin I always have **** going on in my head for sure! Had a customer come in and wanted a good set of heads but didn't want to spend a lot.. So we settled on the LS3's.. And I've always got cam combo's bouncing around in my head, just gotta put pen to paper on ONE and go from there..

The customer still wants a street car though, so it should be a fairly basic cam design. I'm guessing somewhere in the 238/246 and the .620's...

 

im excited for this. ive always loved ls3's.

 

Good Nick, because you're going to need to start coming in and working on these too if I stay this busy!

 

Not on that LS1 you won't.

 

^^truth^^

 

You will be surprised how well that cam would work on nitrous LS3 with a 112-113LSA.

 

In for results..

 

Nick and I went and picked up my new project yesterday...

Details coming soon.... As soon as I figure it out...

 

should fly we have one of the fastst stock bottom pump gas n/a 9.84 head and cam ls3 3100 race wight putting 200 on it should run it this weekend if the rain holds of

 

That's moving pretty good!
I'm going to build it as a 408, high compression, and put an N/A cam in it at first. But I will build the pistons for spray, thick skirts, low top ring, heavy wrist pins... Might hurt be a little N/A but I don't think much.. There is a few cool 9.50 index classes around here I'd like to try and run with a N/A LS motor.. Just to show another side of our business..
Then I'll switch cams and spray the beejezus out of it! ha

 

I head that can't Waite to drop some more wight and but a lot of dop on it

 

New info, my cousin had a 97 Trans Am and really wanted an LS1 body car.. So he bought the 98 from me that I just bought..
So I am building him a 408, 12:1 compression, custom hydraulic roller, LS3 CNC heads, vic jr manifold, and a induction solutions nitrous kit..
Car will have a th400 with a brake, 12 bolt with 3:73 gear.. It will roll around on 17x9.5 C6 wheels on the street, and Champion wheels for the track with 28x10.5's..

 

I've been doing a lot of these lately as well. Pretty much same set-ups as Stroker TA described.