I have started a search for a stingray. I have found a nice 69 and 73 that need major work. both have no engines but taht doesn't matter. I am doing a complete restore and customization of the car. I was wondering if a bigblock or a LS1 would be better. i know there is a lot of electrical r the LS1 so maybe I should go with the big block. Any input on this. :cheers:

 

The LS1s are awesom motors with tons of potential...and it would be cool..if you decide to go that route you may want to check out some back issues of Vette Mag as they've been putting an LS1 in a 76 for some time....BUT there's just something special about a big block vette...and there's no replacement for the torque and feeling they supply! :cool: (Plus the average guy can work on them...at least I would feel more comfortable doing it)

Just my $.02

 

That was my though also. the ls1's are verry computer oriented and much more expensive. I want to also bolt the engine up to a T-56.

 

Do you want high tech or high torque? :) These days, hi-po big blocks usually start around 468 ci and go up from there. I don't know of any normal LS1s making 500 or 600 ft./lbs. of torque. I guess you know my vote!

The LS6 would be a little more tempting, but not much...


[Modified by Flareside, 5:40 PM 4/23/2002]

 

i hear what you are saying. It would be exrteamly sweet to have a big block for my daily driver car. i'll make sure no one knows its in there. :D

 

BiG BLocK ! - :D

.....it's amazing to see the look on peoples' faces when I open my hood ! :cool:

 

I went through this same dilema some time back. I came really close to building a fire breathing, earth shaking 502. But I instead went for the uniqueness of the LS1. When all is said and done, you will pay about the same for a big block that you will for an LS1.

 

What kind of problems if any did you run into when you installed the LS1? And how much electrical work did you have to do?

 

Take a look at the Vette mag web site, they installing an LS1 in a shark.
http://www.vetteweb.com/archives/tech/0602_tech01.shtml

tom...

 

I would go with an LS1. I beleive in fuel injection all the way. The carb days are over for me. The LS1 head technology is awesome.
Dan

 

There are two ways to do the electrical work. You can spend the money and buy a premade wiring harness from a place like painless wiring. That would be the easier way. Or you could do what I did. Get yourself a shop manual for the donor car and a soldering iron. Looking at the manual, you can figure out what needs to stay and what can go. You will also have to buy a fuse block,some fan relays and come up with a signal generator to defeat the VATS. It sounds pretty intimidating, but if you can read an electrical schematic, you should have no problems.

 

For me, it's a no brainer. I wanted to have control over my engine & not a computer. I wanted to keep things as simple as possible so I'm going retro BB. Plus torque, torque, torque! :yesnod:

 

Have you considered a multiport injected big block? I'm building one right now. 540 cubes to take care of the "no replacement for displacement" problem, and F.A.S.T. EFI that's as sophisticated as any GM computer and fully programmable on-the-fly ;)


[Modified by Flareside, 5:40 PM 4/23/2002]

 

NO comparison; BB is a BOLT-IN, plus it has TONS of neck-snapping torque! With aluminum heads it weighs about the same as a small block, too. Big Blocks are what REAL Corvette performance is about.
:yesnod: :chevy :chevy :yesnod:

 

A big block cant touch the weight of an LS1. LS1s are all aluminum. They are just as easy to work on as a BB, just diffrent methods. You adjust everything manually on a BB, and on an LS1 you do it through a computer. An LS1 is much more of a pain to install, but can be worth it. New vettes get between 19-23ish Gas mileage city and still have 350 brake horsepower.

It all depends on what you want. If you want quick, to the point, easy to access power with aceloads of torque cheap, Big Block all the way. If you want to be a little more high tech and have new age horsepower with quick and easy adjusting (via power programmer) Go LS1.

I am going to convert to an LS1 stroker with an Ati Procharger and 6 speed manual. My final goal is to make over 600 rwhp, pass emissions, and get decent gas mileage for all that power. Im also converting the suspension to the "New Corvette style" from vette brakes. I basically want a high tech car that is under the skin of a classic style car. And its gonna cost me way more than if i did a big block and a built 700R4.


[Modified by '79ProwlerOrange, 4:42 PM 4/23/2002]

 

I say save your money and get a small block....they are so cheap....build it right and put some nice heads on there and you will have a lighter, better handling car then a big-block, and it will have plenty of tire-roasting power....plus you will have some $ leftover for some other fun stuff. :D

 

Kinda depends.
If you want the kind of torque that'll absolutely squash anything off the line, I don't care if they're twin turbo'd super ricers or Porsche 911's, or Vipers, then it's hard to beat a Chevy 502 crate motor, both in price and low end torque. I guarantee you cannot build a big block cheaper than the 502 that'll make the same power figures.

If you want a trick handling machine in the vision of Zora Duntov himself, that accelerates better than any small block Corvette engine ever, and not too damn much worse than a big block, yet gets great gas mileage, then go for the LS1 fuelie engine.




[Modified by MoMo, 7:48 PM 4/23/2002]

 

The reason Big blocks are so great, is because the seemingly endless supply of power. many top fuel dragsters use Big block chevy engines to get the power they get. and i think 8000 horsepower is impressive. they may be bored, sleeved, stroked, be loaded with $200 a valve valves and have hemispherical heads, but there still Chevy engines to me. oh but anyway people like Merlin522 are completly off their rocker. :yesnod: A small block can give 600 horsepower easy which is pleanty for a street car, but small blocks pretty much top out at arround 1000 horsepower. unless your plaing with NOS. Merlin522 has a BB 522 cubic in. engine that, last i heard, is projected to make about 1500 horsepower. he will be able to eat any car on the road, at the expense of getting whiplash everytime he touches the pedal. :D

Lest say you put out about $5000 for a new motor. Just the block for a big block would be about $250-$500 and you can spend the rest on high performance internals/Heads/Intake/Exaust for an LS1.... its about $5000 for everything you need to drop it in. Quite a price differance. thee BB would be making big power and huge torque (especially if you stroked it) and the LS1 would be making 350hp and (i think) 370ft lbs of torque. but the LS1 would handle better and get better gas mileage. and either way Merlin522 will kick your azz. and out handle you. :lol:

 

Damn this seems to be a pretty popular post. I think I just might have to go with one of those Merlin engines. I have heard about them before but though they were a lil to high priced but it seems like they are worth it. One of my freinds who is 21 has owned 2 ls1's already a 99 camaro z28 and he currently has a 99 c5 hardtop. he programed the z28 the wrong way and it felt really bad int he 1/4. he should of been running 12.6 with the stuff he had but since he set his rpm to high 6,800 in a A4 he ran a 13.01. I think I am going to stick with a BB when I buy the project car. All together I am looking to spend about $15,000 when it is all said and done. between the purchase price and parts for it. Should I go with a lil older like 73 or get a lil newer like 78? I want this thing lodu and not have to worry about emmisions. Thanks for all the help you guys. If I do go with a ls1 i think i'm going to have to go to Zrated Motorsports in Montclair. They use Eastcoast supercharging's Shop to install their parts. Bill there would be glad to help with the install. and maybe I'll put a supercharger in there for a lil extra power.

 

I'm going for all aluminum BB for my next engine rebuild. Goal is around 600hp and same amount of torque. You can still be safe with that power. All this will be topped with EFI, so it'll take the power supply to the 21st century. Weight difference to LS1 is going to minimal so the handling should be the same. I already have best VB&P set up and 20" wheels. The coil over KONIs coming soon. But in the end the choice is yours! :yesnod: