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Old May 3, 2008 | 02:41 AM
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what are the pros and cons of the LT1 powered cars? im only asking cause my next car MAY be powered by an LT1 if it doesnt work out with this LS1. im not looking to heavily mod it at all, just simple stuff, exhaust, filter, rims/tires. but what are some of the good and bad points of the motor?

thanks guys.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:03 AM
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the opti spark is probably the worst thing about the lt1 cars
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:08 AM
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Just get an LS1........LT1 are a pain in the *** to work on
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:09 AM
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ive heard of the opti spark thing, dunno too much about it. yeah id LOVE to get an LS1, but the money ill have available wouldnt really pay for one unless it had an ASSload of miles on it.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:10 AM
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lt1 t/a or lt1 camaro
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:15 AM
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lt1 pros
-Strong iron block
-good flowing heads
-under the right circumstances can make sum serious power
-Good power at low rpm's

lt1 cons
-Iron block=heavy as hell
-OptiSpark likes to go out sum ppl 2+ times a year $400ish each time for the part
-intake design is horrible "compared to the ls1's"
-not to much power up top
-older technology hense not as much available for them


ls1 pros
-aluminum lightweight and almost as strong as the lt1's iron
-Great flowing heads
-Alot of aftermarket parts and mods avail.
-makes great power with lil mods
-makes power up top

ls1 cons
-parts are fairly expensive since its still sumwhat new
-doesnt make so much power down low
-i have seen many lt1's outlast the ls1 but thats just my so called "opinion"


truth is they are both good motors people just favor one or the other. they both have 2 things in common. the shitty 10 bolt from the s10's and spark plugs are a bitch.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:43 AM
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Originally Posted by droptopT/A
lt1 t/a or lt1 camaro

whichever is availble when i have the funds available really. i favor the LT1 dumdumdumdum look over the bird, altho if i found a nice LT1 bird, id snag it before a dumdumdumdum for sure. imma pontiac girl at heart.

ssmokin, thats an awesome spread of pros and cons! thanks a lot! yeah ive heard about the opti spark crap. other then it not being an LS1 the opti spark is the other thing i dont like about the car lol. of course id prefer the LS1 over the LT1, but like i said, i prolly wont be able to find a decent LS1 for my price range. as for aftermarket availablity (i assume thats what you meant?) i dont plan on doing anything more then exhaust, intake, rims/tires, and tint if needed, and stereo really so im not too worried.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:47 AM
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I dont think its a bad choice to buy the LT1 car but dont waste your time on the motor.you can buy a clean LT and buy a LS1 for it for less than an LS1
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Old May 3, 2008 | 04:06 AM
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yeah, and i thought about that too, when the LT1 goes, just shoot for an LS1/6 swap. ive seen a lot of clean LT1 maros up for sale, but 98% of them are GREEN! i would like anything other than green lol. ive had a LOT of green cars. but im hoping it works out with this LS car. pray for me? lol. i was checkin out youtube vids of 383 LT1s and stuff, i can only imagine the money that went into those. i like the way they sound WOT, just sucks they dont have the power up there like the LS's.

lol this video turns me on! (and thats hard for an LT1 to do!)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CHF80ytTAwk
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Old May 3, 2008 | 04:12 AM
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nice i like the color sounds sick
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Old May 3, 2008 | 04:17 AM
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not big on the color, but MAN do i love that sound.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 11:02 AM
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cant talk smack on LT1's anymore if you get one V.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 11:15 AM
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**** the lt1! stay ls!
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Old May 3, 2008 | 11:46 AM
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I drive both. The simple truth is the LS1 is superior. But in an all out build, its pretty much the same.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by wsSIKK

lol this video turns me on! (and thats hard for an LT1 to do!)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CHF80ytTAwk
then mark 396 stroker will turn u on...or his car anyways haha
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Old May 3, 2008 | 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by SSMOKIN_Y2KSS
then mark 396 stroker will turn u on...or his car anyways haha
marks car is pretty bad ***
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Old May 3, 2008 | 12:38 PM
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LT's a good motor. Easy to work on once you get exposed to it. I've taken mine to a buck fifty a couple times, and it still had power. And I've won more races than I've lost by far.

But what SSmokin said is right on the money. It just depends on where your budget's at, and what you want. Any GM 350 block is fast when you throw money and experience at it.

Oh, and the optispark is truly a piece of $hit, mine's down right now because of it.
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Old May 3, 2008 | 12:46 PM
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we just built a mild 383 LT1 here at the shop but the dude went with a teeny tiny cam....so it wont realize its potential

there aint nuthin' wrong with an LT1...still a bad *** motor
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:28 PM
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lol, thanks guy, i KNOW the LS1 is slightly better, but i know that the LT1 isnt just junk. what exactly is the opti spark? never had to deal with that issue. lol when i say "opti spark" im thinkin.... flux capacitor?
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Old May 3, 2008 | 03:33 PM
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Originally Posted by wsSIKK
lol, thanks guy, i KNOW the LS1 is slightly better, but i know that the LT1 isnt just junk. what exactly is the opti spark? never had to deal with that issue. lol when i say "opti spark" im thinkin.... flux capacitor?
Optispark is the distributor. It's also called a "pancake" style distributor because it is flat and mounted flush on the front of the block. Its called optispark because the base of the distributor has an optical sensor with a shutter wheel that serves as the cam sensor to fire the injectors.

http://shbox.com/ci/opti_mounting.jpg

http://shbox.com/1/optical.jpg
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