Hi all,

I've been on this board forever, I've owned and sold a 96 LT1 that I've owned for 5 years with many mods. I've all boltons, juiced, strange 12-bolt, performance tranny, mcleod clutch and flywheel, all the electronic goodies including scanmaster, 17x11's, it was a nice fun car. Ran 12's all day with slicks. I sold it because I needed money and was getting tired of the money pit, but I do miss it. Also at 100k miles with juice, I know it was about to go eventually.

Now, I'm getting the itch again. I own a truck and a bike, but I miss a fast car. LS1's are pretty quick still in my opinion, and I have plans for one. I really want a 2003 cobra but I can't afford it right now, and I always liked LS1 SS's with wheels and some mods. I fugure I"d buy one, work on it, and sell it in a few years and get a cobra.

My questions are...

1) Going from LT1 to LS1, is it that much easier to work on??
2) how much are 2000+ excellent condition SS's going for?
3) I would like to supercharge the LS1 and throw on a 12-bolt, does the LS1 like boost and what is a good amount to run reliably?
4) What are common things that break or to check on the LS1 as far as weak points? I know the LT1 was the rear and optispark.
5) What years are better/worse??


Thanks!

 

1) Going from LT1 to LS1, is it that much easier to work on??

bout the same...engine dimensions are nearly identical so "space" in the bay is comparable.

2) how much are 2000+ excellent condition SS's going for?

no idea...with the price of gas these days...i'm willing to bet people are getting rid of them.

3) I would like to supercharge the LS1 and throw on a 12-bolt, does the LS1 like boost and what is a good amount to run reliably?

the engine responds well to boost. but with the high compression you still have to watch out. if you really want better reliability, i'd try to track down some used truck heads...or you could always go aftermarket ported for a bit more power. with the 72cc chamber of the truck heads the compression will come down and allow for better boosted application. i've seen alot of guys running 450rwhp with basic boost setups.

4) What are common things that break or to check on the LS1 as far as weak points? I know the LT1 was the rear and optispark.

the rear end is identical. as is the auto trans. clutch won't hold power much above stock. beyond that...no opti to deal with.

5) What years are better/worse??

98s have different bolt pattern heads..which is a hassle. 01-02 had the ls6 intake which is worth 7-10hp on bolt on car. beyond that, not much difference.

 

1) Yes.
2) Around $10000-11000.
3) The Procharger P1SC or D1SC package will put you around 430-450rwhp on an otherwise stock motor. Add some used $300 LQ9 (317 castings) truck heads to lower the compression to around 9.5:1 for cheap insurance.
4) LS1 Specific = before 2000 had a weaker oil pump and rod bolts...(by weaker, I mean that it won't support a cam-swap and higher rpms over 6400-6500) some 2000 cars got upgraded rod bolts and oil pump, but they were in all of the 2001+ cars. Some cars have piston-slap. It's pretty hit/miss. Oil consumption. If you have excessive oil consumption (more than a quart every oil change), you might want to look into the LS6 PCV and LS6 valley cover.
5)97-98 LS1s had 28# injectors. 99-00 had 26#. 01-04 had 28# again. The 01 cars have weaker piston rings and are more prone to smoke over time especially with added mods. 01+ got the LS6 intake/241 casting LS1 heads.

Pretty much everything can be changed out. Every year has both drawbacks and advantages.

 

Where can I get one of these 2004 Camaros!!! I want one!

Any disadvantages to the 2002, from what I see it's about the best year that you can pick up...

 

2001 and 2002 LS1's got a different cam and the LS6 intake manifold. GM increased the horsepower ratings by 5hp, and from what I've heard, very low RPM (<1500) drivability is better with the new cam (which really only matters if you get an M6). I can cruise in my '02 Z28 M6 at 1000 rpm in 6th (45mph) and it doesn't bog or anything, even when I accelerate.

2001 and 2002 M6 cars also got the C5 Z06 clutch, which holds quite a bit more power than the '98-00 F-body clutch.

Kraest's price quote seems low to me. It'd doable, but you may have to work pretty hard to get a car at that price, especially if you you care about the number on the odometer.



He's talking about the LS1 engine, which was available in the Corvette and the GTO through 2004.

 

Ahhhh, slipped that.

 

IMO, I had rather work on the LS1 in my cramped engine bay as compared to the LT1 in the Imp SS that my dad had in it's huge engine bay. I'd have to go way back to pre-smog gen 1 V8's before I'd find one that I'd rather work on over an LS engine. Captured gaskets just make things way too easy.

 

I've heard that headers are significantly easier to install on an LS1 than on an LT1.

 

thats only because you don't have to deal with the steering shaft.


"2001 and 2002 M6 cars also got the C5 Z06 clutch, which holds quite a bit more power than the '98-00 F-body clutch."

that's news to me.....since when did the ls6 clutch go in the fbody??

 

it is true... Ls6 clutch...It's not THAT great, will still need aftermarket with any addition of serious power...

Camarrows over Y2k will be between 1$ and 100,000$ +/- But generally in the 12-17k area depending on miles...

supercharging is fun, initially high cost, but good nonetheless...I still prefer a H/C/ nitrous car...

01+ cars are the best due LS6 intake and whatnot, also no EGR, and some other crap...

But it's hit and miss, just get one that looks good and with low miles and you should be ok...

 

Since 2001, like I said.

It's a lot better than the older clutch, but it doesn't have anything on most of the aftermarket upgrades.

 

Could have bought mine - sold it a few months ago.

 

Good thread

 

THanks for all the replies, lots of good info here.

Based on what I know, it looks to me to get the latest model I can find/afford is the best bet. I'm closing on a house June 1st, so maybe a few months after that I'll seriously start shopping.

Here is my plans for the car, a LS1 T56 SS.

-new wheels/tires, 315's(haven't decided on wheels yet)
-Eibach pro kit
-pro-5 shifter
-supercharger(not sure which one yet), ignition, plugs, maybe injectors
-heads for supercharger
-put money aside for new clutch, strange 12-bolt, and tranny from t56rebuilds.com when I blow it up (destroyed all that in my LT1 with nitrous, even stripped the input shaft of my tranny using a mcloud street twin!)
-full exhaust (catback, off-road pipe with O2 simms, mid-length headers)
-CAI (not sure if I need it, SS has ram air)
-custom Tune from pcmforless of madz28

Think thats about it, looking for a low 12 second car I think I can do that with the mods above and throwing on some ET streets. I'm estimating 25k for all this including the car, doing all the work myself.

 

Your goals and the way you want to get there don't quite match up.

Just the rears, I presume? I think a set of Nitto 555Rs would be appropriate.

If you do go with a supercharger, I think the ATI Procharger D1SC is probably the best choice.

The LS1's stock ignition will be fine. You'll definitely need bigger injectors and a fuel pump to go with your supercharger.

All good. Except it's McLeod.

Mids? Is that a concession to NJ emissions requirements?

Forget the catback. Build yourself a set of custom true duals with an X pipe.

All you need is an airbox lid. Some SS's already have them -- it was an SLP option. But if you're installing a supercharger, it changes the entire air induction system, so forget it.

Good call, but you might want to spring for a real dyno tune... you do not want to be running lean with forced induction.

Low 12's? Done properly, a supercharger and heads could put you well into the 10s (or faster!), depending on exactly which parts you choose. It'll also put your engine in danger of burning through a piston every time you drive it (unless you have saint-like self control and can keep the boost under 5psi), unless you want to install a forged rotating assembly too.

Also, if you're capping yourself at 25k and buying all new parts, you'll never put together all of the parts you listed. 30k would be more realistic:
$12,000 for the car
$5000 for the supercharger kit
$3500 for the heads (assembled) and a matching cam
$2500 for the 12-bolt
$1500 for the McLeod Street Twin with flywheel
$1500 for the tranny rebuild and shifter
$2000 for wheels and tires
$1000 for the exhaust
$300 for basic bolt-ons (lid, pulleys)
$500 for a dyno tune

Add in a grand for little things here and there (fuel lines, fasteners, etc). We're over 30k, and the engine can still only stand a couple PSI. A forged rotating assembly (or better yet, a complete shortblock) would add a couple grand more. I also didn't include a driveshaft, a boost gauge, an a/f gauge, a gauge pod to hold said gauges, a driveshaft safety loop (and possibly roll bar) to make you legal at the track....

So, let me save you ten grand. Just buy the following, in approximately this order:
1. Pro 5.0 shifter
2. exhaust
3. valve springs
4. a good cam (the high-lift F14 that Kraest is using would be a great choice)
5. Dyno tune
6. 12-bolt w/ 3.73s and a posi
7. clutch
8. a rebuild from SixSpeedsInc.com (formerly T56Rebuilds)
9. ET Streets

There are a couple supporting mods you might consider. Underdrive pulleys, the airbox lid (if you decide not to supercharge), and if you buy a 2000 or older car, an LS6 intake manifold.

Also, throw some C5 brakes and chassis/suspension mods in there. Subframe connectors are a must. LCAs with relocation brackets are another good call. Personally, I think I'd like to buy one of just about everything BMR makes for my car.