my favorite test was a 406 smally put up against a 402 lsx of some sort, think ls2 based. both made similar power but i dont have the article hear for detailed specs. i want to say the 406 was a hot combo while the lsx 402 was abit more conservative as far as cam specs went. i'll have to dig that article up. i think hp was around 560 for both on crank that is. i know a 402 lsx is capable of 500whp so thats close to 580 on motor i'd say with a T56

I'm not FULL TILT, yet...

But there is certainly no denying the strength of this platform. I certainly don't have a reason to do any more high hp sbc engines. I'll sell that stuff and run the LS first.

there is some talk about the hp per dollar the lt1 vs the ls1 but it seems like the patriot cam/head kits got overlooked. and are priced just over a grand and up.

so far I don't see any lt1 kit in similar standing making anything close to what these ported stock head/ cam kits produce hp/dollar wise

Back when I was racing in Pro Stock, they would take those Ford heads and mill off the top of the exhaust port(all the way across) and install a block of aluminum. Then reshape the ports higher up, it worked pretty well. The aluminum block was held in place by the head bolts.
Earl Wade was the designer of that deal. Then they had to work on the oiling system because the lower end couldn't hold up to the power.

You arent taking into account the cost of the engine / trans and installation parts. For anything sub 430 RWHP, chances are the LT1 is gonna cost less.

425 RWHP by several of the online calculators should get you a mid 11 sec at 118 mph pass @ 3300 lbs, which isnt exactly hard to do with an LT1 while retaining a/c, ps, etc.
This is something that realistically consists of a $1000 LT1/auto, or 1800-2400 LT1/T56, $2k for ported heads and cam. Injectors, rockers and a tune, with supporting exhaust of course.

no, talking aftermarket mods

I think just about all of us can agree the lt1 is the cheapest vs best bang for the buck in stock and lightly modded hp

It may cost you a bit less to get a set of ported heads for the LS1 yes, however its going to cost you more for the engine itself, the trans, the required installation parts, and then for each of the supporting mods to install said parts, installing the heads / cam on an LS1 vs LT1 you're going to spend a lot less on rockers for the LT1.

While working on my 4.8 LS, I noticed something else I really like. This engine uses an old style 13/16 BOP oil filter! I actually had a PF61 Delco for one of my older Buick engines and I had a smile I couldn't erase for the rest of the day. It was also nice to see the oil pan scooped out with a nice, protected area for my filter. The PF61 was longer than the OE that I took off, but so what? The PF 61 fits in there like it was made for it.

The oil filter and the aluminum pan are two more pluses for the LS engine, in my opinion.

Do they use that aluminum pan for extra block rigidity?

Pretty much it's the same oil pan for all of the LS based engines just different depths since the LS1 came first and was all aluminum guess to keep tooling costs down.