im wondering a lt1 is a much better platform in terms of making this kinda power because we wouldent have headgasket problems like a ls1...
downfall is ls1 can easily get 420 cubes compared to us at a 396

id really like to make around 1000 rw and im stuck on weather or not to try a ls2 block built motor or do a lt1...
i hate the lt1 kits out, they are either look very homemade/crappy or are way too high priced...

either was this will be in a full weight street car...i like a bunch of things about intid8er(sp?) build and i think with a 383 (personally id keep stock bore)
and a pt-88 hung out i could see 930 or so from a 6 speed...

im also stuck on 6 speed vs auto..i think id like to do an 80-e but dont wanna mess with converting my car from a 6 speed to an 80...and i also dont wanna mess with a clutch trying to hold the power...im more interested in the motors...whos made this kinda power? what size turbo/turbos/kit/cubes/heads/intake

 

If you're starting from scratch, it's easier and cheaper to do it with LSx to hit the 800 mark. It's probably still going to be cheaper if you have to convert your car from LTx to LSx.

 

This car is.. http://www.ls1speed.com/intmd8.cfm

 

thats the guy i mentioned above INTMD8R or whatever......

from scratch i have a lt1 car converter to a ls1...but didnt modify the car at all only modified the engine harness...so i can simply reinstall a lt1 with an harness/subframe and be fine...im not worriied about converting more abot the motor...ls1 950 rwhp with a 6 speed is about it before headgaskets become a huge issue and thats with aftermarket heads

with stock heads about 750
so a ls1 to make that kinda power will cost you aftermarket heads which i think with a lt1 you should be able to use stockers

 

good luck trying to make 800rwhp through stock LT1 heads.

stock heads with a beautiful port job maybe, but you still are going to pay for that work. Yes, 5 bolts per cylinder will hold better than 4 bolts per cylinder, but things like intake and head flow (15 degree vs 23 degree), ease of tuning stock computer, better ignition all add up.

If you're dead set on LT1, then go for it. I'm just going on what I've seen from all the nuild-ups I've watched over the years.

 

well i figured i would get a decent port job...but to make power with a FI build you dont need badass heads...i know the heads will be kinda restrictive but that just means it wont make as much power per pound of boost...which is fine with me...as long as i get the number

 

yeah, but more boost means more heat, which leads to other problems...

why are you going for the 800 number? do you want a specific ET? have you driven anything with that kind of power before? if not, 600 rwhp? 500? 500 is pretty manageable, IMHO.

When I was up to 18psi on a 355 with good flowing (competition port/polish) trickflows, I couldn't put my foot on the floor at all in 3rd and in 4th, it depended on the highway surface (concrete yes, blacktop no). Track tires are a different story...

 

not bad for a homemade looking kit

 

no i havent driven anything over a 650 hp nitrous car...
i actually need somwhere around 1000....i wanna trap 160 in the 1/4...thats the goal...car weighs about 3450 plus me...
i see no reason why i cany put down 800 or so in 3rd and 1000 in 4th if it were a stick with decent suspension and tires...viper guys local to me are putting down 1000 in 3rd and 1300 in 4th on the stme streets...on bfg radials...
my car prolly make 750 ft lbs of tq at least on the spike and i can stick all of it from a 40 punch

theres a guy local to me that build ttt5 cars and other guys cars he builds kits that look like they are mass production kits perfect welds, he quoted me with v-bands throughout the whole kit...hot and cold side 1500 thats mild steel hot and aluminum cold...add a turbo wg and bov to it thats about 3300 then a ic on top of it...thats a complete kit under 4000 that will make 1000 rwhp...i dont know how anyone could pay more than 5500

 

I'd like to see a complete kit that will make 1000rwhp for $4000...

 

I'm just fnishing up my LT1 build and probably won't push it to 800+ hp but I've been told with the TC-78 I'm running, it should be possible.
Anyways, I love my LT1, but there's a reason the LSX motors are in the newer cars, and there's a reason why the aftermarket for these motors is so huge.
The primary reason why I would choose LSX if I were to do it again is all in the ECM setup. LSX ECM's are much more boost friendly, and the software available is very good (ie, HP Tuners). Sure, there are LT1's making great power on stock ECM's, but it is not an optimal solution.
ALso, for my goals, I could have kept a stock crank and stock heads on an LSX and still made a ton of power, although I'm not sure $ for $ what kind of difference there is between the two builds.

...and the $4000 kit may be possible, but i'd have to say that's an exceptional deal if it is a quality kit. I would be skeptical

 

well the guy makes good money making kits hes not out to make gold...he just likes seeing card go fast and hes good a building kits...

anyways...if i did it would be BS3 not the stock pcm anyways...

 

That's cool. I just know that I use all high quality parts (Vbands, watsegates, BOV's and turbos, not to mention how much piping and all that stuff runs), and $4k (for a PT88 kit capable of a 1000rwhp) would cover the costs of everything and not even extra enough to cover the rent of my shop for the month.

 

I always get the feeling when reading something like this that the OP does not have a good idea of what is involved in terms of time and cost building something like he is describing. There are reasons that there are so few street car based machines running 160mph in the quarter! And of the few that there are, most are not home built projects. They have had lots of professional help.

Anyway, on to the question. Either go back to a Gen I or go LS based, NO question about it in my mind. There are to many compromises that need to be worked around with the LT configuration. Why make an already difficult and expensive project even more difficult and expensive?

Rich

 

One other thing - you won't get a lot of answers from people with 800+rwhp cars. They re too busy working on them or working to get $$$ to rebuild them.

Rich