Motown has an aluminum 1st gen sbc for 3300ish out the door from Jegs.

If i wanted an aluminum block,LS1 wouldnt be what i did (partially because it would feel like im selling out the LT1),it would be the gen 1 with some big cubes and killer heads.

 

Hi,

Thanks to everybody for taking the time to post.

A number of good posts and related points where brought up.

I did not know that Donvan made or converted LT1 blocks.

The LS1 engine does make the LT1 engine somewhat obsolete.

LS1 to Lt1 is not an easy swap, but very possible.

The last time I worked for a foundry A356 aluminum was around $1.00 a pound.

So the raw cost of the aluminum would not be that bad. Perhaps $100.00.

The tooling and the machining would be the real costs.

The block would have to be redesigned to use aluminum, which would reduce weight savings. Since you would have to use more aluminum than iron.

The use of cold box type cores and plastic tooling could greatly reduce the tooling cost. Not the approach an OEM would take, but for a limited production engine, possible.

The market would be very price senstive, at around $1000.00 they might sell, but much above that and I agree the market would fall off quickly.

The current alumium blocks sound a little high priced to me. But tooling costs could really add up.

It doesn't sound like a sure thing.

Thanks

Z28

 

LS1= different bellhousing bolt pattern. No idea if the input shaft is the same or not. Driveshaft is the same between LT1 & LS1, though- which is why people swap to LS1 aluminum alot, since the steel ones like to vibrate.

Most people just say buy an LS1 car, it's really a pain to redo all the wiring.

 

serious? I thought the LS-1 cars still used the Same T-56 bellhousing.

 

You should make it so the LS1 heads can be used Make a bigger cubed block too. I'd buy one for around 1,500 or less.

 

If you made a stock cubed LT1 I wouldnt think the demand would outweigh the cost however if you could develope one that could easily be stroke out to a bare minimum of 427 cubes... now we are talkin.

 

How about a 454 LT1 guys? Maybe with revised cooling passages so you can run SBC heads but retain reverse flow cooling? Some Brodix 18* heads would really pump out some power on something that big.

 

Why not go 6 something :-p Where would we get the pistons though?

 

Donovan does not actually make LT1 conversions. that was a custom job done by the owner. I don't know how Jeff Green did it but it looks like LT1 front (in Aluminum) welded inplace.
That photo is from Anders Envall's web site. www.blackout.nu (best hot rod entertainment web site in existence)

I already posted and mentioned I'd buy one. I think you'll have more customers than what have posted here>

Karl Ellwein

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gripenfelter
I'm still waiting for someone to make a plastic LT1 intake.




Ditto. That and possibly even an iron lt1 block that would be able to go out to 430+ cubic inches. Or a plug and play (besides the pistons) 18 or15 degree head and intake conversion package where the work has already been done, and all that is needed is to possibly machine the current pistons or get new pistons.


I think the question is how much will they cost, and will they be worth it for the person that produces them, because I think selling these things would be no problem if the PRICE IS RIGHT. People would "come on down" ( I had to. LOL.) , but would it be worth it to do the laber and R&D.

The parts would probably be in demand, but I don't know if many people would pay 2000+ for and lt1 block. I mean,.... you can get an alluminum LS1 shortblock a for a few hundred now. And even for the people who want to keep theri LT1, like myself, I doubt most would spend that much for a Lt1 block, when the factory one can hold a good deal of power. You would save some weight in the front, but still.


Now if the block could be purchased for hundreds also, that would be a different story, but then .... WOULD ANYONE PRODUCING IT FIND IT WORTH THEIR WHILE? COULD THEY MAKE THE PROFIT THEY WANT, AND SELL IT AT A COST WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BY IT.

I think that's what it all comes down to. People WILL WAN'T these things, and there are those out there that CAN PRODUCE THESE ITEMS , but MOST won't by it even though they DO WAN'T it if they feel it cost tooooo much. Of course shops can produce these things. But can the producer make these things at a cost to themselves that will still allow them to sell at a price that the possible consumer will buy, while still making the profit that they see fit, or in some cases the greed that they see fit.

 

That's pretty much it. The LT5 was a great engine as well, but eventually gave way to the cheaper and more compact pushrod design. I'm keeping my LT1 because it's cheap, so a $2k plus LT1 block isn't really a good idea for me.

 

Heck you'd be better off just redesigning your own opti to bolt to the front of the gen 1 sbc blocks out there.

Miniram is the same for the most part as the LT1 intake, yeah the reverse cooling would be gone, but other than that not much trouble, run an electric water pump and the stock LT1 accessories will go right on.

 

price of around 1000, larger bore and stroke, sounds impossible to make a real profit

 

How about concentrating on making better LT1/LT4 heads? we have all the displacement we need, but our heads are somewhat lacking. Further improvements in ignition design (delteq) is a definite plus, but there needs to be further improvements in head design. Bring costs of head production down and make a superior flowing head than the current offerings (afr, stock LT1, trickflow, edelbrock etc). Most companies (besides afr i guess) haven't really brought great solutions to the table from what i've seen so far. Most companies feel that there's little market for the LT1 setup (due to the onslaught of the LS1); however, I hope Delteq will be a monument to how wrong these companies are (over 300 delteq setups in circulation at an average selling price of ~$500 - you do the math). I currently have a Delteq setup and thank God every day that it was created.

IMO a more constructive solution would be to provide competitvely priced AFR or other aftermarket(or your own design if you have the *****) heads/cam packages along the lines of what Lloyd Elliott provides. The fact is, if most people knew that they could send their bare heads with LT4 or LT1 intake to a guy like Lloyd (honest and reputable) and have a comparable setup to what LS1's have for around/under $2,000 including cost of the heads/intake - that would draw quite a lot of attention. Demand would exceed supply no doubt.

IMO - stop boring and stroking for your power and start putting that big brain of yours (and the machining equipment) into head design .... that's a much more lucrative proposition me thinks. I hate to bring this up again, but if an in-line 4 or 6 cylinder/4 valve motor can make ~100hp/liter normally aspirated, so can a pushrod v8; heck, LS1's are almost there!

just my $0.02

 

agreed , better heads