Battery

Anyone running around with a aftermarket fuel injection system like DFI, AEM, or FAST on there other wise regular SBC, and if so, how much do you have into it?

Reason I ask, people left and right are wanting/doing the ls1 swap. LS1 is a cool engine and all, but in my opinion not worth half the money they sell for.

Just seems to me you could build up a bad *** SBC and retain reliability while having the potential for ultimate tuning for less money.

IE, Make more power, still be mild on the street, and cost less.

TexasLT1

By the time you build up a badass small block and get any of the aftermarket computer systems, you are going to have more in it than an LS1 swap would have been for the same amount of tuneability. With LS1 edit you can do all the same things FAST and DFI can do.

TA5LiterHO

I agree with Battery on this one. Parts are cheaper for a regular SBC than the LS1. It's not that expensive to get 320+ hp out of a SBC not to mention that much less money and time in fabrication to retrofit the LS1 into the car.

TexasLT1

I'm not disagreeing that SBC parts are cheaper than an LS1, but by the time you put an aftermarket computer system on it, you're no better off that with the LS1. Besides the fact an LS1 is going to have 320 hp when you drop it in.

TA5LiterHO

To each his own I guess. Personally I think the original SBC looks better, sounds better and has plenty of potential. Also, fuel injection is not the only way to have a reliable daily driver. It can be done with a carb also.

bes217

I want to see you get the reliability, power and fuel mileage that you can with an LS1, with a carb engine.

TA5LiterHO

Any day of the week. May use a bit more fuel, but a carbed engine can still be fuel efficient if it is tuned right.

Battery

If you really want to get into a pissing match about it.

I have just over 2,000$ including buying the CAR in my setup.

I will put down at least 50 more to the wheels then any stock ls1.

You couldnt buy the damn motormounts for that

83_1/2 L69

Talk about drifting OFF SUBJECT in a hurry.
The question is LS1 vs. SBC plus spending BIG bucks on Fuel Injection.
Just a F.A.S.T. box alone cost about 2 grand.

If I was going to the trouble and expense of changing motors, I would not install a motor with the stock camshaft. By changing the camshaft on an LS1, you add a lot more power then just a cam swap adds to an LG4 or LB9.
You would need Intake/head mods on a TPI to equal a stock LS1, and once you start changing parts, the LS1 responds better.

If you don't think the LS1 design is a BIG improvement over the original SBC design, do some more research. The intake port shape and valve angles (18* vs 23*) alone make this new motor worth it.

Plus any time you remove 80-120 lbs of weight from the nose of a car, that’s worth BIG BUCKS in my book.