Well after thinking about it and looking around, i think that for my first car an LT1 would be my best bet instead of trying for an LS1.
a few questions.....
number one.....
I plan on getting the LT1, stroking it to 383, upgrading the internals not to like super expensive stuff but decent stuff.....
putting on some decent heads, a nice cam, intake, etc. What sort of power would that give me? loads of torque? what?

Secondly, i would eventually like to add nitrous (100 shot or so) and a supercharger....
is this a good idea?
lets say i got like a Paxton or whatever...(seen a few on eBay lately)
What sorta power without the nitrous would i be looking at? thx

 

You planning on buying a 4th gen? Can't help ya there...if you're thinking of a 3rdgen, just get a V8 car and build a conventional SBC, or stroke it...less hassle than converting.

 

well still......with like LT4 stuff on it, some good heads, cam, etc., what sorta power?
then if i supercharged it? thx

 

Could be anything...really, just think about it...you can add heads and cam to anythnig, and make nothing to an addition 500hp, all depending on what you're actually putting on.

"Cam" is very generic, as are "heads" (although maybe not as much so with the LT1/LS1's).

ANyweay, don't buy into factory-HP ratings and factory ET's from stock motors and assumje "hey, that's the best thing to start with".

If an LT1 or LS1 can be made to run 11's, so can a regular old SBC 350..

 

well i dont mean to be too general but like....you know....some fairly inexpensive new or used performance heads......like best bang for the buck sorta....same with cam...whatever will work best for the engine and whatever works best with the amount of $$ i can spend....

Is the LT1/LT4 intake the best way to go? what about super ram? whats best for $?

 

OKay, let's start all over

You plan on running a 3rdgen, correct?

If so, then what do you want from the car...i/e 13's, 12's, 11's, etc...

Assuming you had a car onhand, what's your engine budget?

Do you have emissions to pass, visual and functional?

Also, consider you suspension budget too.

 

Okay heres my story (should probably just put it in my sig haha)

My family is building a 2 car garage in our back yard for me and my dad to have a place to work on cars and stuff.....so i'll have a bay to myself, he'll have a bay for his stuff....We are also buying a nice big set of good craftsman or snap-on automotive tools, a nice big air compressor, engine hoists, stands...you name it pretty much.....

What am i looking to get from this car? Well i'd like to get at least an 11 second timeslip before i'm out of highschool (got 2 years to go). I'd love 10's but hey ya know? lol
I am willing to use nitrous, but i'd rather be conservative with that stuff and not use that to get to 11's.....i want 11's all motor.....i'd settle for mid-low 12's on all motor, but i dont want to just like drop a stock lt1 and use nitrous for that....

I'd also like to eventually supercharge it.....

Heres my plan...I'm going to try and build this with as little money as possible, meaning stuff that i can get from other cars from junkyards, or stuff from eBay and swap meets and stuff....

As far as emissions, i'm in massachusetts and i know i've got emmissions to pass, but i'm not sure about the specifics. I'm going to try and get a pre 84 camaro cause then i dont have to pass.....

Suspension? Well......some nice racing springs, shocks, maybe C5 'Vette brakes.... Whatever i really need/can afford after doing stuff like a roll cage, SFC's.....you need to tell me what i need lol i dont know whats needed with a car like that....

 

I didn't know exactly what i wanted to do either, until i did it. Ended up with and LT1 intake on a Small block, beacuse it was cheaper to build more cubes. Also built the shortblock for turbo/nitrous use. Stock LT1s have hypereutectic pistons, which don't hold up really well to over 100 horses of nitrous. I have a full forged bottom end, wasn't as expensive as i thought it would be. suspension is a MAJOR factor in getting into the 11s, i'm still not there yet (that's what the turbo is going to be for).

 

what about getting something like this for internals?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2440262683

 

that might be ok, but i doubt the crank is forged, and those pistons are hypereutectic, which shatter when a decent amount of nitrous is applied. ETs are directly proportinal to your credit card limit. if your gonna run 11s, or even 12s, why not go with a small block? it'll eliminate the standard LT1 problems, i.e. opti-spark.

 

well will the small block (non LT1) get decent MPG? like 25 on the highway or something? I know with alot of mods and stuff it will go down but pretty much anything above 20MPG will suit me fine...

BTW do you have AIM? i find it easier to talk about stuff like this through a real-time chat, but be forewarned.....once i start askin questions it takes a while for me to get tired of asking haha
:lala:

 

you can run TPI style fuel injection on the small block (I use the LT1 intake but a TPI style computer). You'll still get similar gas mileage, possibly over 25 if you get a t56. i get 19-20 with 3.73s and a 700r4. I don't have AIM, i use yahoo messenger.

 

A buddy of mine has a bone stock ls1 automatic car...runs high 11's. Motor is stone stock...didn't say he wasn't spraying. 150 shot of nitrous and a slp catback and its in the 11's...bastard

 

i know....ls1's are awsome....but i dont wanna have to do so much work, and parts are more expensive