The $20k is for the whole car. It needs a paint job and some interior work also. BUt I am planning on 500 at the flywheel

i have about 12 grand in the motor, efi, trans, and the other stuff under the hood.

If I was going to spend $30,000 on a car, I'd build a jet dragster.

you can't build or buy a jet car for 30grand.

and what does yours run 13's??you would think you were in a jet car if you road in an 8sec car....

Got the motor for free, between the top end rebuild, exhuast and all the lil details it took to get it done it the 2 weeks, I spent about $2500 for everything....And it was worth every cent. The little stuff if what kills you, I spent more on plugs wires adapter and little stuff like that, then I did on my whole rebuild...




http://sdd.speel3k.net/Camaro%20burnout%201.MOV

4,700 for LS1 drivetrain, mounts, harness, ect...
-3,600 in SBC parts (i sold my old SBC parts for LS1 money)
- 300 christmas cash (i guess im too hard to shop for now.. lol)
- 200 electronics sales (i made a few gizmos for my car, then sold em for a decient profit.)
0000 - trade parts for parts for parts.

LS1 swap cost so far: $600

projected additional parts cost for phase I (drive): $1200


projected driving date: spring.




:lala:

thats Damn awesome MrDude..

i think you are the only person that has had a cost effective LS1 swap...

i could never understand why people spend 8-10,000 just for swaping an engine.. thats just ridiculous.. its just an engine .. good lord.

but you've offset your spending quite nicely, which is what you should do. hats off to you for planning that out.

if only i could get 3600 for my engine and T-56.

My whole problem is " Ineedthatitis" . I keep thinking "Well , while you're in there might as well get this and that too". Some how , I've spent over 10g on this and still haven't bought everything I want. Oh, and Bruce@Hawk's where's my Christmas card????? Today , I bought a laptop JUST for the HPtuners program, this is gettin' outta hand! At least I'm not financing anything.......

^ Everyone has this problem! So who wants to see my top secret list of parts? Yesterday I sat down and added up the cost of all my parts and about fell out of my chair. If anyone thinks $10K is alot for a swap then they better just buy a 4thgen.

YsoFast

on the plus side, thats still less then a 4thgen, and if you did get a 4thgen, you have its price, plus more mods (and they usually cost more)



i have a slight case of "ineedthattoo" myself... i dont even have the engine running yet but i just bought a cam and im looking at dryshot nitrous options.

I dont have my engine in and I have everything. If I would have got a 4th gen I would have been ok but I have a feeling that the Iroc is going to be alot faster! I have AS heads, FM13 cam and almost everything else.

BTW this is YsoFast from LS1tech. lol

How in gods name did my post go to 60 since 1999?!?

Well I went from worn out 305 Or Fresh rebuilt 305 for arround 100 bucks.

Bought a 84 Z with rebuilt 305 for $500

Pulled motor out both cars. Took off odds and ends off the 84 that i needed Includeing hood struts and Sold the car with my old motor and shot trans for $500.

Im shure between oil and tranny fluid and those other lil ods and end I pulled arround $100. Cheap swap. But No real HP gains like the rest of you guys.

from my 305, t-5 to a 383, th350 setup has costed me about 7K so far give or take a couple hundred

I have $8K invested in mine so far, but the swap itself was cheap. A stock LS1 wasn't good enough for me, I put AFR 205 heads on, Comp Cams camshaft and LS6 intake. I also figured while it was apart, I would get the body straightened and throw in some new interior (carpet, seats, console, weatherstrip, etc...) My figure represents EVERYTHING.

heh, it runs and drives now... the projected total of 1200 was slightly off...

total worked out to be 1600 + some extra parts(mods) that i dont even have on the car yet, but i want to do.


basicly i have some headers im waiting on to get coated (+550)
cam ($200 used)
springs & pushrods($200)
misc : ($300....)

damn you guys make me feel like a sucker haha, i am at about $13,000 US (with a turbo 400 trans) and its not running yet.

dont feel bad.

its only a few months later, and as soon as it gets back from the body shop, im going to have about 10k in it....

Try doin the ol swap up here in canada.. i have more money in just shipping the parts up here that some people have in their swaps...

I was off to a good start and was gonna be in the price range of Mr Dudes swap..

bought a 99 TA parts car.. was going to sell all the parts to pay off the car but then i got retarded...

I also had a tubular front end and a-arms that I sold cause they didnt work on my car.. throwin money out the window.. and the mac midlengths that didnt fit either

tried to get 4th gen a-pillars to fit in the car but they looked horrible and gapped out everywhere.. another 120 bux (70 shippin.. see what fun we have here)

Heres all the parts ive went through:

Spohn Engine Mounts
Lokar Throttle Cable
TSP Ported Oil Pump
JSP Double Roller Chain
Ported Throttle body
Texas Speed Cam 231/237 w .600 Lift
Patriot Stage II heads flowing 300cfm
TSP Double roller springs and titanium retainers
LS6 Silver Painted Intake
37Lb Delphi Injectors
Fuel rail with adapter and custom fuel line
Stock 02 Camaro SS manifolds
Mac Offroad Pipes
Flowmaster 3" Cat back
3" cutout before axle
6 speed transmission
Aluminum 1LE driveshaft
Spec Stage III clutch
Custom Tuned with HP tuners
1999 Trans Am rear differential
99 Fuel tank and pump

Spohn Relocation brackets
Spohn Tubular Torque arm
Jamex lowering springs (front cut 1/2 a coil)
Spohn Tubular Torque Arms

New cross drilled and slotted LS1 brakes
custom front spindles modified for ls1 brakes
99 master cylinder and brake booster

99 Trans am dash
99 Trans am leather seats
99 trans am door panels
99 trans am steering console
99 trans am monsoon stereo

2000 corvette polished wheels - 17 x 8.5 and 18 x 9.5
Kuhmo Estca MX 245.40.17 and 295.35.18 tires
Front Aluminum wheel spacers
Rear ARP studs and 1/2" wheel spacers

All the hoses, clamps, adapters, sheetmetal, fittings, etc..

No heater or a/c.

Also living 2 hours from the garage my cars at and traveling every other weekend to work on it as well adds up pretty fast

Total so far with the two cars is probably around 27k canadian. I still have a garage full of crap to sell but its not making me feel any better due to the fact i coulda just bought a 4th gen and kept the 92 stock.

It will be a pretty nice car when done tho

I have about 8k in my car now... in the motor swap i did i have about 3500, and the rest is in suspension, interior, stereo, and fluids and stuff. I'll have at least 12k in it before the end of it all.

HI Everone,
I did my 350TPI conversion to my 1982 Firebird back in spring of 1998 with all new parts. here are some pictures engine bay and car.

More pictures Engine 1982 Firebird 350TPI

Engine Pic2

Engine Pic3
Cost of conversion was ~$7000

Since alot of you guys have put so much
money and time building your cars, I would like
to ask your opinons on whats my best options
would be with around 5k to spend.

I bought an 86 z28 for 1500 on feb 05 my first camaro .
The previous owner put in a goodwrench 350sbc 250 hp.
and a rebuilt 700r4., 600 holley, edlebrock manifold and headers.

Decisions that I am facing
I would like to get into the 12s for 5 grand.
Can this be done?

Should I just buy another engine.
Maybe a zz4 or try to build upon the foundation that exists.
Intake manifold ,head, cam and carb.

thanks in advance for any responses.

might as well build what you got. you could get into the 12's for 5k, very easily in my opinion.

Hi
The goodwrench 350sbc 250 hp is the engine that I have in my 82 bird with the TPI. I think its a good match. It all depends on what you what to do with the car. I only have a 2.73 rear end and can easily break spin rear wheels from a stop. The Goodwrench 350sbc 250 hp is low compression motor (8.5 to 1).

The Service Shop Manager at the dealer that installed the motor was very impressed with the power that the engine made with TPI. This Service Shop manager has build race engines and estimated that the Engine with the TPI was making close to 300HP.

I don't think you can build the combination that you want to for 5K. And since you're asking the questions, I would assume that you don't have the experiance to accomplish the task.

When I did the TPI conversion, I did all of my own wiring. The dealer removed the old engin and install the new engine with the TPI on it. Labor cost was $600 dollers. Engine cost was $1200. The rest of my cost was TPI system, Dual Fans, etc.. My total cost was ~$7000. I did received a pre-made harness with the TPI system, but I had to modified it to work in my application. I used all new parts in the conversion. I am a Computer Engineer with over 20 years of work experiance. So wiring the new TPI computer harness into an 82 Firebird was an easy task for me.

As I said above, it all depends on what you what to do with the car. If you do anything with engine, you should restore the computer control system for the engine. TPI, TBI, or CCC-CARB. At a minimum you should at least beef up the suspension of the car with STB, Wonder Bar, and SFCs before you do any engine upgrades or modifications.

I would beef up the suspension before performing any performance mods to the engine.

i f looks on ebay for an intake, carb, and heads, and goes to summit for the cam and lifters, i think he can do 12's for 5g's. even with the goodwrench in there. most of your power comes from the top end, anyway.

Thanks for the response and advice guys.


I have 2.73 rear also and I can break loose the rear easily
with 600 holley from a stop, I think my rear is limited slip posi.
they dont spin together one or the other.

I have also removed aprox.. 200lbs of weight non rotational.
Next step I would like to get underdrive pulleys and alum. drive
shaft, aluminum heads would be great with a matching
intake and cam, and carb, but I would have
to get to rebuild or speed shop I have no idea what
should be bolted on and what shouldnt.

Im glad to hear that this is considered a good engine.

Ill stick with it and build up the suspension sfcs. etc.

thanks
again

let me correct you..... i never said it was a good engine, i just said you should build what you've got. the goodwrench 350 is a good budget motor if you're putting a new motor in a fleet truck or work van. it's really not suited for performance applications at all, and it's really only ok for bone-stock daily driver applications. otherwise, it's only good because it's a 350.

all that aside, i still think you can make it into the 12's under 5k. I'd find a good flowing set of heads, first. then find the intake to match. then see if you need to change carbs. if not, pick a cam. if you do change carbs, pick a cam after that.

a set of world or dart heads, a moderate camshaft, and a good edelbrock or holley or weiand manifold will put you in the 12's, even with that bottom end. this is assuming you do the work yourself. if you're paying a shop to do it, forget it. it'l cost you at least another 2k in labor.

I dont have experience with heads cams carbs.
I will buy at least one book on this subject.
I could do it if I get the right parts
and a good torque wrench.

Please place your questions about engine upgrades in some other thread. This thread is about how much you have invested in your swap.

i have $10,930 in the engine alone.

http://www.shafiroff.com/434_595_engine.asp

6.0 ls1 longblock-450
5.7 ls1 heads aluminum-free ( for swapping friends heads for him)
ls6 intake-free (see above)
painless harness- 479
ecm-free (wifes extra ecm off her 99)
motor mounts-85
conversion of fuel system-30
miscellaneous bolts and gaskets and fluids-150
coilpacks-80


knowing i spent less then 1200 on the whole swap- priceless