I've been wanting to do a LS1 swap into my vehicle for ages, recently sold a motorcycle to finance fixing up my car some and then found an add on craigslist for a LS1/4L60E combo. The engine looks complete in photos from intake to pan, aparently came out of a 98 formula. According to the add, the engine has intake, injectors, TB, accesories, pulleys, manifolds, harness, computer, etc...essentially a takeout engine/tranny combo. The guy is asking $2300, and it's local. I'm now entertaining the idea of buying the drivetrain before doing the body work and getting the car drivable...but haven't decided. I think the price sounds "ok" but would there be anything you'd want to look at to ensure this engine isn't going to need a complete rebuild, or was a boat anchor at some point?

I'm guessing, pull the pan and look...or do a cold compression check. Thanks.

 

Any idea how many miles are on it?

A compression check would be a good idea. I just turned mine over by hand, I found out 8 months later when I was getting ready to install it that it had eaten a lifter. I had asked the seller, "How did it run?" The response was, "It ran." Yeah, on 7 cylinders...

'98 isn't the most desirable year, but that doesn't mean it's bad. If the compression checks out, then it's probably a reasonable deal.

 

Thanks for the response, i'm probably going to pass it up and put my $$ towards body work and drivability initially, then I'll look into doing the engine swap a year or more down the road. The owner said it has 89,000 miles on the combo, they've never been separated, and he heard the engine run when he purchased it. But in his text he mentioned that he heard the engine run, however he purchased it from a guy who purchased it from a salvage yard...sounds shaky, then he's decided to NOT put the motor in his 55' Chevy because he prefers the inline six instead...Not knocking the original drivetrain, or this guy's plans but it sounds more fishy than I'm willing to sink $2000+ on. If anyone is interested, it's still on the St. Louis Craigslist, auto parts, LS1.