Hmmm My:

crank
rods
pistons
bearings
valvetrain
valves
valve guides
headbolts, rodbolts, main studs
timing chain

Are all plain old small block parts. Guess thats not much and just internals but % wise of the motor I would say its a lot.

That being said if you are starting out new, get the ls1 unless you find some unbelievable deal on an lt1. In the case its too good to be true, it probably is. Even though I am quite happy with how everything is going, I still want an lsx car now too.

Upkeep on a stock lt1 thats not abused too bad isn't hard. Start modding and beating on it and it will add up.

 

heres a good steal from thirdgen.org

Mechanically there are really only 3 major differences.

1. 4th gens have a double A-arm front suspension, while 3rd gens have a strut setup. In a nutshell double a-arms have an advantage in that they have a much better camber curve than a strut setup could ever have. Thats not to say that struts can't be made to work well. BMW has had lots of luck making struts work. The stiffer the suspension you use the less of an advantage a double A-arm will have, just for the simple fact that a double A-arm setup needs suspension travel to gain camber.

2. Weight, a 4th gen weights about 500 lb more than a 3rd gen. The 3rd gen also has a much lower center of gravity than the 4th gen.

3. Wheels and tires, 4th gens come with 17x9.5" wheels and 275 width tires. 3rd gens came with 16x8's with 245's. Keep that in mind when you start looking at how these cars performed in stock form. This isn't really a big deal because you can bolt the 4th gen wheels to your 3rd gen.

there really isnt much compairison. thirdgen FTW!!! you want a reliable cheap car, pick up a thirdgen and put an LS1 in it. you can find decent thirds for around 2000. find one with a blown motor for even less. put another 3-4K in it and you have an 11 sec car you can drive cross country!! not only is it a sweet uncommon ride but its also a TON easier to work on than its fourth gen brother.

Ill try to find the skid pad numbers for botht he third and fourth gens.....

 

Eh, yah I forgot internals are shared... aside from the crank LS1 internals aren't much more expensive anyways.

In the end, you'll spend much more on an LT1 trying to get LS1 #'s. Don't ask me how I know.. ugh.

 

Couldnt agree more, BUT you have to take into account the inital purchase price. The LS1 is about 3-4k more than an Lt1 car. take that 3-4K and dump it into a Lt1 and you are light years ahead of the stock LS1. 3-4k on a stock lt1 will get you into the 400-450hp range, maybe closer to 475 if you find the right deals. but with that said I still would trade my LT1 for an LS1 any day of the week. So I guess it comes down to how much you have to spend.....

 

Thats what it allways comes down to,

 

Gotcha,nice read. The third-gens really have a 500lb advantage? I remember my third gen definitely had a weight advantage, but didn't think it was that high of a margin. As for the wheels, the 4th gens for the most part came with the 16X8 wheels as well unless you had an SS or WS6 in which you got the larger 17 inch wheels. Also, wasn't the steering and braking systems of the 4th gen better then the preceding generation?

 

brakes on the ls1's were alot better the lt1's were marginally better. but then again what are you comparing? the thirdgens came with disc/drum disc/disc and disc/ aluminum rear caliper disc. so if you compare the 1le brakes to the SS brakes the biggest difference was the front rotors and calipers. the third gen had smaller front rotors which IMO SUCKED. BUT you can easily and cheaply upgrade your thirdgen brakes to C5 z06 Vette brakes so that point is kinda mute.

Steering system on a 4th gen is rack and pinion whis is more precise and IMO a much better steering system. the thirdgens seem to get "sloppy" and tend to have more play. there are a few ppl that have swapped out to the 4th gen rack and pinion but the swap isnt that grweat since you dont get the same wheel travel as you did with the stock thirdgen steering. so overall I would take the rack and pinion over the thirdgen.

Another thing nobody has mentioned about the thirdgen is the interior. 3rd gens interior no matter how clean and crisp looks dated. BUT you can swap in the complete 4th gen dash, consol, seats to upgrade the look and feel. but again this cost money and by the time you put the interior in, up grade the brakes and build the engine. you could of bought a stock LS1 car. BUT the thirgen will out perform the stock 4th gen given the same parameters.

 

94 and 95 have the exact same set-up and PCM. Both are OBD1. You have to have ascanner for either one.
If I had it to do over again, I would get a 95 as the A4 trannies will interchange from 95-97. 94 uses a specific year trans, plus has the non-vented opti.
However, both will work exactly the same.

If you have the chance, definately get the LS1 - these motors are as good as they are reported to be LS2=400 HP stock Plus they are at least a year newer than any LT1. As an example, I have a Silverado with the 4.8 that I bought new. Oil changes every 4000 miles currently at 111,000 and it runs like a top. I don't baby it, but I don't beat on it either.
I'm not knocking either one bottom line is what do you want to spend

 

no buy an LS1

 

I say LT1

They kick@ss

Might not be the fastest thing on the road anymore, but they definitely move. And if your not lookin to make it a crazy drag car, then it shouldn't really matter. If your just gonna put standard bolt-ons on the LT1 is gonna run just fine and put you back in your seat. Its not like the LT1s are slow by any means, and the exhaust note and styling is much better IMO than the LS1 models.

Your just entering college so I'm sure you dont have a lot of money like me...and LS1s are not exactly cheap yet. I say buy the LT1 and have fun with it, and then when you get out of college swap the engine for something bigger and make it a trailor queen when you have the money.

Chicks dig LT1s more than LS1s for some reason don't ask me why

Its a proven fact: www.chicksdigLT1overLS1.com

 

^lol..

 

Some 4th gens came w/ 17's. I thought the genuine ZR1 wheels were 9.5 whereas the SLP takeoffs were 17X9?
Don't know about the 500lb difference. My plain jane, bare bones '85 V6 weighed 3350lbs w/ me in it so the RS and Z28 3rd gens had to weigh more.

 

LS1 is a vast improvement from an engineering standpoint. Better Block, Better heads, Better connecting Rod angle or Rod Ratio, ( less piston side wall loading, ) Better High RPM reliability and durability. Handles more power.

LT1, the best small block ever built before the LS1, LS2 and LS3.

Bottom line, It was the very best till 1998. Still has better low end torque.

 

Thanks for starting an LS1 vs. LT1 war.

i would hope that the LS series is better... becasue it's supposed to be.

but the oonly reason the LT1 still holds it's ground, because it's the last engine model that caries the signature of the SBC.

 

Thanks for starting an LS1 vs. LT1 war.

i would hope that the LS series is better... becasue it's supposed to be.

but the oonly reason the LT1 still holds it's ground, because it's the last engine model that caries the signature of the SBC.