I have a '91 RS Camaro that my wife and I have had for 17yrs. I want to put an LS1 in it and will have a million questions I'm sure. I have found a LS1 from a '99 vette that made 405rwhp. It has ported heads, cam, LS6 intake and a few other small things. It doesn't have any accesories or oil pan. I'm assuming all of that stuff will add up to $$$. The motor only has 21k miles on it and is local. The price is $2000. Just wondering if I would be better off getting a stock one with everything for around $3k?

 

That's kind of a difficult one to answer. For most newbs, I'd say call LKQ and get a good used stock LS1 with a 30 day warranty for $2000. Or an LM7 for $500. But this sounds awfully tempting. If you can get it with his computer, for the matching tune, for under $2500, and if you can live with the idle quality of the cam, then this is a good find.
even if you can't find any good deals, you can get a new stock F-car oil pan for under $250, and a reman water pump for about $125. Yes, it adds up, but you're still looking at a good deal if it includes the tune.

 

Thanks for the info. The engine will not come with a computer or tune. He used the computer and harness on his new motor (C5R). That's one reason I'm leaning toward getting one complete. I think that it is a good deal , but it will take time and money to finish it out. Where should I look for an engine and t56?

 

I checked one of the LKQs in Houston 2 weeks ago, they had an LS1 and a T56 from an '01 Trans Am. $2K for the engine, $1200 for the six speed. Spend some time searching.

 

That's cheaper than what I've found around here. I'll have to do some more checking around.