frederic

Hello,
I have a '78 anniversary standing there for over 15 years. The engine and gearbox needs to be rebuilt. If I have to rebuitt it I go for more than 500 hp.This will cost a lot if I have to buy all those parts. I was thinking about a stock c6 engine with electonic injection with an other camshaft and a performance chip and a gearbox that will fit under. Is this possible and what gearbox do I have to look for. It is an automatic now, but may be with a conversion kit I can make it into a manual gearbox.
Some body can give me advice?

Durango_Boy

There is actually a sticky at the top of this Tech section about LS engines and their installations in C3s using many different kinds of brackets and accessories and transmissions and such.

Have a look through that thread, and do a search for LS swaps and find out if anyone's particular case matches your goals.

I think if the HP goal is your biggest goal, a 540 BBC might just be the best way to get you there.

GDaina

you can get a small block for half the cost of the big block conversion and achieve the 500 hp output.

GTR1999

That's what I was thinking as well. You can get more then 500 hp out of a sbc. Of course items down line may start to come apart in use.

Durango_Boy

I was kind of splitting the hair with my way of thinking. Yes, a SBC can be built to put out 500+ HP but it seems that at those levels the cost of the parts starts to get up into or above big block parts. Since big blocks make big power easier I figured it might be a similar cost plan to build but using heavier duty parts normally found in big block builds.

timgman

Super charged LS series... bring your wallet and get a tremec 6 speed as well....

Bee Jay

A big inch small block is the way I hope to go someday. A 396 cubic inch small block should make 500hp with AFR heads, headers and exhaust, Performer RPM intake manifold, 900 cfm carb or fi, and a stout hydraulic roller cam. Z06 power in a steet C3 is my goal. Your results may vary.
Bee Jay

TERRY CLARK

Horsepower = $$$

GDaina

That's true, but the items changing from a small block to a big block will add to the cost

bashcraft

Yes, but it may not be as much as some people think. I swapped in a ZZ502 (500 hp out of the box) and my biggest expense was the exhaust, which I needed to replace anyway, and most everyone would when they go from a stock motor to a 500 hp motor. Other than that I bought:

Oil pan - $150
Pulleys from Summit - $50
Alternator bracket from Summit - $80
Fuel pump - $80

I reused everything else including the radiator, shroud and clutch fan. The radiator hoses even fit by shortening the bottom hose a couple inches.

captl27

check post below.

captl27

check post below

panic

Get an ''american speed'' 550+ brutus small blk chevy...i have one since 4 years (and nearly 7.000 miles on the clock) and have never ever experienced any prob...top quality engine and huge customer service, at a pretty affordable cost (about 14.000 usd turnkey...).

Get an M22 4 speeds trans...

captl27

I just finished a close to 500 hp small block 400 according to Crower cam engineering. I backed of the 500 mark for driveability but I am very close. here are the numbers.
$3000 machine work, pistons, rods, flywheel, and balancer
1500 195 afr heads
1200 hydrolic roller cam,lifters, rocker, push rods
500 for good used intake and carberators
another 500 to 1000 ignition and odds and ends
3500 richmond 6 speed plus clutch

Garys 68

Do you have pics of your Richmond crossmember mount?
I'm thinking about buying one for my 4 speed 68, non-removable crossmember. Any unexpected problems?

spedaleden

Just a thought, but like others said bring your wallet. I would go buy a C3 ZO6 with a supercharger already on it. you can pick up these cars very reasonable and go have some fun. No wrenching just driving. No matter what you do to a C3 and how much money you put into it. It won't run or handle like a modern day vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I love my C3 but I put 40K into the car and I should of put 20K into it and spent the other 20K on a C5

Just my 2 cents

TopGunn

I think you meant go buy a C5 Z06 but I agree with you. After all is said and done, the chassis engineering is still almost 40 years old and leaves allot to be desired in the handling dept.. OK if you're going in a straight line at the strip or just running around town smoking the tires.

IcemanZ06

That's where all the fun is!

IcemanZ06

You're looking at 10,000+ USD to accomplish your engine/tranny/iginition swap goal.

Why not just buy a 454HO crate engine for $5500 and change the cam or throw some nitrous on it (fully forged internals)? For less than $1000 in additional parts you can be done and the big block will sound sooooo sweet

fugawi

www.golenengineservice.comcheck these guys out. they did right by me. mine is 500 hp/500ft.6000 hard miles and no problems.