Been looking, but haven't found a thread that addresses this. I gotta 350TPI with just over 100,000 on it. I'm starting to see some white smoke on start ups (not all of them, just some) which I know typically is a bad thing. I've been dreaming bout doing the LSI swap for some time now, but as I get closer to D-Day, I am starting to question what route I should go.

Basically what is gonna give me the best bang for the buck? This will mainly be a cruiser, Sunday Driver type car, but still want it to roar down the road and blow any snot-nosed teenager with a lawnmower muffler on his ricecake off the dang line at the light if I feel like it!

Know for sure I want to drop the 700R4 for a Manual. If I go LS1, it'll be a T56, but if I stick with mine guess it'll have to be the T-5. Not sure about the crate combo (especially since I don't know what crate I would go with).

This is my dream ride, so money/time isn't a huge issue, just don't want to **** money away if I could have got the same, if not better, results with a less expensive set-up. Thanks....

 

white smoke on startup is worn valve seals, not a real big issue so long as it only smokes a bit on startup.

Two conflicting statements, "bang for the buck" and "money/time isn't a huge issue". Which do you want? Though it may sound a bit old, searching would help you out a big deal, people have done every manner of rebuild here and you can learn from their mistakes and successes..

The best bang for the buck would be to do something that works with your current setup, in other words a rebuild.

If you have the $ go for the LS1 and put heads and a cam on it before you install the engine, that will keep you happy for a good long time. My choice on that would be using the Perfect RPM computer and cam combo, with some heads.

Though if I could do it all again I would skip the LT1 that I am currently tweaking again, skip the LS1, and go with a Mitchell 454 small block, port the heads and throw a custom efi on top of it a nice streetable 500rwhp.

 

This is definitely the route that you should be considering. There is simply no substitute for cubic inches (since cash flow is a 'go' here), so you're hard earned money will definitely not be wasted. You can even adapt the "stock" TPI system to the bigger cubed small block, albeit, with ported plenum, runners and intake (and bigger injectors, of course)... until the Stealth Ram eventually finds it's way on top.

 

What I mean is I don't want to "waste" money. Basically, if I can get the same results (performance/reliability) with $6,000 if I go with a crate versus say $10,000 on a LS1 swap (totaly making numbers up, so don't stress on those) It would only make sense to go with the crate.

"most bang for the buck" Make sense?
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I have seen a ton of threads about rebuilds, crates, and LS1 swaps.

I haven't seen any discussion on cost efficiency (that bang for the buck thing) or a comparision/contrast of performance/reliability.

To narrow down the crate option, let's keep on the Mitchell 454 small block. What would be the best manual tranny to bolt on that?

 

Cost efficiency is really an irrelevant issue though, as this hobby is costly in every single way that you look at it. Whether up front, or down the road, it's going to cost.

As for reliability, this comes down to compression levels, cooling systems, charging systems, and quality work. So long as the engine, any engine, is given the proper conditions to run in.... it will last for many years to come.

Depends on how many gears you really need. I've driven with a Muncie mated to the big block for many years, before I swapped to the automatic... and it easily survived many months of thrashing. Any manual transmission can be built to handle excessive torque, again, it's how much you're looking to spend.

As for the 454 possibly being the best bang for the buck, it will be. The traditional small block will bolt right into you're engine bay without any problems, and will adapt to any 5.7 exhaust system. The one hundred and four additional cubic inches means a great deal more of power (torque) to take advantage of, without resorting to overly increased duration levels. Don't get me wrong, much power can be made with large camshafts, but with a 454, it really isn't needed for the street (yet another reliability factor)...

 

Again, I'm not pinching pennies here. By "cost efficiency" I mean don't spend anymore than it needs.

Basically, say two guys are selling a motor with 500 rwph. Let's say the first one's a rebuild and the other is a crate. I don't know which is cheaper/possible, so bare with me (if I knew, I wouldn't have posted this thread ) One guy says "I'll give it to ya for $7,000." The others says I can't go lower than $10,000." Which one would you buy? It would be more "cost efficient" to buy the $7,000 motor. You could put that extra $3,000 into something else......

Hope this clears up the "cost efficiency" thing a little bit. I know this is gonna be an expensive build, that's why I want to do it the best way
(for me) the first time.

I did some recent digging on the mitchell 454, and it might be more than what I'm looking for (rwhp)

I'm looking in the ball park of getting up to 400rwhp. Oh, I want to leave her fuel injected and w/the a/c and heater working. What's my best route using a 5 or even better 6-speed manual tranny?
Just looking for opinions of experience. Thanks

 

If you're only looking for 400 reliable horsepower (to the rear wheels), I would simply consider rebuilding you're stock L98 engine. As for dropping the 700-R4 for a manual, I would honestly think this through again. A shift kit, servo and stall, will make that automatic tranny have the advantage over any manual transmission at the track, and on the street. With today's lobes that are available through Comp-Cams, the sky is really the limit as far as how much power you want to make to the rear wheels...

 

Looks like you cleared up the bang for the buck thing pretty well.. the key is to get reliability and power you have to spend $$. Considering the $ outlay of my swap and the rebuild I am doing now, if I had ponied up the money for a Mitchell hydraulic roller 427 with DFI (sorry not the solid roller 454 I had the wrong engine) I would already be at the power level I am searching for now and cheaper.. Though it would of cost more money up front.. That is cost efficiency and a lesson learned..

A rebuilt or a used engine will generally be cheaper than a crate engine, chalk that up to new parts, markup, and sometimes a warranty.

There are many routes to go for 400rwhp.. a head and cam LT1, or a cam only LS1 can get there if not pretty close..

I love rowing my own gears so I would always go manual, when I originally did my LT1 conversion I had a stalled 4l60e, when I replaced it with the t56 it increased the fun factor by 100%.. Though it depends on how you drive and like to drive, they are harder to launch. Oh and the t5 will most likely act like its full of chewed pretzels if you bang on it too hard at a 400rwhp power level.

So after all that in sum, if you have 7-8k to spend, that should get you an LS1 with low miles, a t56, and a cam.. pretty close to your goals and a nice modern power plant. Though I am sure there are people that have done it for less and more.

 

LS1 is a great engine. I loved driving it in my '00 TA. But your looking at $5500 plus ECM and wiring harness and bellhousing to mate it, or you could get a 4l60e and a new crossmember, and of course labor costs and hidden whammies. But, there's your 320hp/330tq.

If you already have a 350TPI, rebuilding it with better heads and a cam that suits your rpm range would be far less expensive and be a very fun engine. SDPC has a crate tpi that makes 357hp/416tq with cam and vortec heads/intake for $3600ish.

Rebuild your 350 after the SDPC one and spend whats left over on suspension, brakes, audio, and wheels/tires, and rear-end.

If your looking for bang for your buck and an all-round great handling, great braking, and great driving car with gobs of TQ, the choice seems obvious to me. I just wouldnt let the LS1 swap fantasy get in your way.