Looking at picking up a new engine and transmission. Any recommendations on the best place to buy a unit??

Ideally I could find a wrecked ls1 car.

 

The LS or lt sub boards would be able to answer this better. My advice would just be to watch Craig's list or any local for sale or trade publications. Junk yards for an LS engine are always a shot in the dark. Usually the yard will pull them and sell them on eBay or Craig's list and not let it go out. Personal experience.

 

www.LS1tech.com and Craigslist are probably your best options. Junk yards in my area never have them and when they do they want too much for them. I bought the LS1 in my car from someone on LS1tech. There are still some good deals out there you just have to be patient. My Dad found a 99 LS1/T-56 complete running (not wrecked) car with 80k miles listed for $4000 recently. Got for $3250 to swap into his 92 Z28.

 

Where are you located? I have a 2000 Z28 auto Ill sell

 

ls1 engines are expensive. you're better off buying an LQ4 (6.0). of you can buy an earlier cast iron 5.3, and you can bore it out to ls1 specs and use ls1 pistons in it. the earlier 5.3's used basically the same head castings as the ls1 did.

later 5.3 HO engines came with aluminum blocks and ZO6 head castings. but I don't think you can bore them out as much.