I have a 96 LT1 6 speed, full bolt ons with nitrous. I was getting about ready to build a forged motor for it, but have been thinking about selling everything off to buy an LS1. Convince me why I should! I am torn, because I really like my car and I love the LT1, but the LS1 has so much more potential. Help me out please!

 

If you like your car and have the bucks to build a strong motor, do it. It will cost way more in the long run for you to trade up cars then mod the new one.

Now if you were tired of the old car then go the other way.

 

I've been in the same boat for a while here. I like my LT1 but I originally wanted an LS1. I paid $7k for mine with 103k. (NJ sucks with car prices), even a half decent LS1 with 100k+ miles goes for around 10k here. If I sold my car I'd be lucky to get 5k for it (It's only got 108k on it now). So that means I have to save another 5k just to have the same miles with a better motor, and THEN start modding from there. Yes the LS1 is better (as it should be), I won't deny it, but I'm a college student and $5k can be better spent on other things.

Of course when I get out of college and get a job where I make money, I'm getting an LS1 for a project car

 

your car right now will blow the doors off of an ls1...

why bother starting with a new car? you have already put a lot of effort in your current one

you will never get what you have invested in your lt1, if you sell it

ls1 parts are expensive

having an lt1, imo, is liek being an under dog. A guy in a brand new civic si was talking crap to my friend the other day. saying the "camaros with the headlights that go in" are so slow, he was beating them left and right, blah blah blah. I went down there and well.... let's just say I was starting off the line in 2nd gear.... I have countless stories like that... AND I LOVE THEM

 

I am also a college student. Being a college freshman sucks! I really want to build a 383, but dont have the cash for the machine work. I was thinking about just doing forged rods/pistons, but if I go that far I might as well go 383. I know after I build it, it will spank the crap out of LS1s. The only prob is I am from a city where 80% of the people are loaded and parents buy their kids whatever they want. There is a kid out here with a harley davidson f-150, full bolt on, built motor, supercharger, and about to go head/cam on it to, and I gotta be able to stay the fastest around here It is awesome though when you drive an LT1 and spank the crap out of people who think they are slow.

 

Giving cars that cost alot more a run for their money if not flat out beating them rules as well. Plus I never see any cars that like mine where I live. I like having a car that is "mine". Of course that is bad once you bring cops into the equation, but hey, I like being different.

 

do something a little more conservative then..... maybe a cam and injectors? that will wake the ole lt1 up a good bit

 

That is what I was going to do with my motor I am building. Forged pistons/rods, custom bret bauer cam, and a 150 shot Tryin to make 500 to 550 at the wheels.

 

oh stop being conservative... if your short block is forged, i'd go with a 200 shot ATLEAST. I wanted to run a 300 shot on a forged 355 le2-ish setup... but that engine got parted out...

i've seen people run a 150 shot on top of a cc306 on the stock short block.

 

The only thing I am worried about is I am staying with a stock crank, and 550 rwhp would prob be 600 fwhp, if not more, and I heard that is the limit on those cranks. I wanna do a forged crank, but if I was going that far, I would just go 383.

 

Exactly, when you lose, its ok because its what people expected, but when you win, it really throws them into a tailspin.

 

eagle is the only one who makes a 3.42 stroke forged crank for the lt1. if you are going forged rods and pistons, why not get the crank? doors will open, ls1's will bow to you, and you'd be one fast motha trucka

 

I would get the crank, but I am working on a budget. I wanna get new wheels and some nittos also(i will need em!) and wanna get some leather interior and still have some money left over to live off of next semester. Theres a guy around here selling a complete LT1 short block 383, just needs to be put together, for 1800. But I was planning on spending that much on everything for my motor, cam and valvetrain included.

 

Well here is my theory how many mid to low 12 second cars do you see out there...? not too many sure we see alot here on the internet but in reality there arent many out there and your not too far from there with the proper setup you can go much faster id stick with your current motor and mod it If you need insperation about modding an LT1 im building a 396 H/C/I single turbo car at about 15 psi we will see how most ppl like that

 

That will be awesome, I am hoping for a 12 second all motor/11 second n2o daily.