You can get plenty of 500+ horsepower crates, or modified LS1's for $5 grand or less...


Why would I want to spend $5 grand with heads/cam/stroke/bore on my current one if I can buy a whole new engine for the same cost?

Doesnt the cost of performance seem... skewed?

 

You mean besides the fact that you can put together a H/C package for well under $3000 that'll put out 500hp ...

Tell me where you find a 500hp plus full engine package ... about the only thing I've ever seen in that price range is a stock forged bottom end short block ... you'll still need the heads, valve train and depending on vendor more than likely a cam too ...

 

You can get a 500 HP crate motor but its not even set up for fuel injection and it'll cost you well over 5,000 alone. Plus many of the 500 plus GM crate motors won't fit under the hood. Going with a carb will definately meen a new hood or cutting a whole in the existing one. The Ram jets are even bigger and more expensive. An LS6 service engine is just over $5,000 just for the motor and thats only 405HP (and you need some parts to complete the package although most could be taken off of your existing motor). As v6toz28 stated, you can get the 500 CRANK hp (or close to it anyway) for way less with your existing engine. Heads, cam, LT headers, aftermarket exhuast (and you can keep the cats) plus tunning and you will see around 400 to 430 (some people get more) at the rear wheels. Do the math and you are somewhere around 470 to 505 HP at the crank (with s guesstimate of 15% drivetrain loss - lets not get into this debate as any correction factor is a total guess at best). Its just cheaper and easier for the HC and you keep the daily driveability and emmision legal (most likely) aspects of the original car.

 

I agree with V6toZ28. There are some times of the year, when it is hard to find stock LS1s with trannies out of wrecked cars for under 3500 to 4500 bucks. I was checkin out Patriot Performance, and it is possible to buy heads/cam/intake lid/ throttle body/MAFS/Injectors/ and possibly even more parts for under $5000 and I might be wrong but all that should be at 500HP or more. When you find a highly modified LS1 with a supposed 500HP, email me i will buy it.

 

Here's what ya need

http://www.gmpartsdepot.com/store/pr...Product_ID=964

 

Expensive....... $13.800......

 

Because you don't need all the money up front. By putting the mods into the existing engine you can do it a little at a time. For example I can get lid and exhaust this month. Then in a few months I can get headers and pulley. Then I can save a few more months and get a converter and tires. Then I can save for a year and get heads/cam. Then If I want I can throw a mild N20 kit on a few months later.

That way I can gain here and there as I go along and see results. If I go with an expensive engine I'd need to save for a year or two with no results at all other then a growing savings account awaiting the big pay off day.

Plus I remember the big HP crate motors being 8-13k not 5k. But even if there is one for that it's hard for someone like me to save that much all at once when the above situation allows for big gains with every 1k I save and spend.

 

No its not. It's only $13,600 .