View Poll Results: How much did your LSX conversion cost?
0-2,499
3
18.75%
2,500-4,999
4
25.00%
5,00-7,499
3
18.75%
7,500-9,999
2
12.50%
10,000-14,999
3
18.75%
15,000
1
6.25%
Voters: 16. You may not vote on this poll
How much did your LSX conversion cost?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,352
Likes: 654
From: Tampa, Florida
How much did your LSX conversion cost?
How much did you spend and did you go 'all out' or 'economy'. I know...that sounds like an oxymoron.
I was thining of doing the conversion and threw $10K at my brother he said it could be done for alot less.
I was thining of doing the conversion and threw $10K at my brother he said it could be done for alot less.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 24
From: Coastal Georgia
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
I got my LS1 and T56 for right at $3000, and I probably have another 2-3k in the swap itself. Compared to some of the really nice ones I've seen on here, that's fairly "economy".
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
but going to point him to this thread....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
I know people will disagree, but I could do a low budget swap for less than $ 1,500. It would be a fairly high mile truck 4.8 or 5.3 with the late model 4 speed auto, self built motor mounts & wiring harness, exhaust manifolds, and a basic stock tune on the ECM. You could knock off $400 or $500 if you only did the engine and used an existing transmission. I have a little over $1,400 in my 5.3 with TR6060 six speed. My 70,000 mile engine is in great shape, and the trans is like new. After working out all the other changes to my C3, I may build a 6.0 to drop in. You could also buy a crate engine, stainless headers, fabricated motor mounts and wiring, have extensive tuning and have brand new equipment for much much more.
Last edited by 74modified; Aug 25, 2012 at 09:27 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 24
From: Coastal Georgia
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
You can do it VERY low budget, depending on the amount of fabrication you can do yourself. The wiring harness, T56 crossmember, and hydraulic clutch setup alone cost me over a grand.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 24
From: Coastal Georgia
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids-28/
There is no better source of information for LSx swaps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
Point him here as well...
http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids-28/
There is no better source of information for LSx swaps.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids-28/
There is no better source of information for LSx swaps.
And the big Q always has thoughtful comments
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Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,558
Likes: 4
From: Oakland California
Interesting, is your son in school at Berkeley? I'm asking because I'm at school up here as well.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 19
It's pretty difficult to do a budget swap in a C3 for under $2500. You NEED things like the low profile inake/oil pan, low profile FEAD, electric fans, etc.
A lot of people "forget" about things like exhaust mods, fans/controllers, hoses, driveshaft/yoke, trans mods, CAI, specialty connectors/adapters, and the list goes on. Then there are the things you would be changing with any engine swap/rebuild, pretty much any rubber piece, clutch, etc. Then the cost of tools like NPT tap set to modify the water pump heater inlet/outlet or huge metric allen wrench fot the block plugs.
Then there are the "while I'm at its".
My 68 with a 6.0 LQ9, Richmond 6 speed, and Vintage Air was probably around $10k. But on my 72 442 with a 5.3 I was able to do it for around $2500 and reuse most of the truck stuff.
A lot of people "forget" about things like exhaust mods, fans/controllers, hoses, driveshaft/yoke, trans mods, CAI, specialty connectors/adapters, and the list goes on. Then there are the things you would be changing with any engine swap/rebuild, pretty much any rubber piece, clutch, etc. Then the cost of tools like NPT tap set to modify the water pump heater inlet/outlet or huge metric allen wrench fot the block plugs.
Then there are the "while I'm at its".
My 68 with a 6.0 LQ9, Richmond 6 speed, and Vintage Air was probably around $10k. But on my 72 442 with a 5.3 I was able to do it for around $2500 and reuse most of the truck stuff.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
The cost will also depend on how much of the work you can do yourself. The only 2 things on my swap that were done by others were welding the offset shifter mount and welding up exhaust pipes between the headers and the crossmember. I did all of the other work myself with the help of my 2 sons.
There were several of us who were "early adopters" of the LS engine swap in a C3 and all of us made many contributions to the giant LS swap thread. That thread probably contains all of the infomation anyone would need to put a LS engine in a C3 with plenty of variations for wiring, fuel systems, etc.
There are a lot more commercial parts available now for swaps so the need for fabrication is reduced a bit but no 2 installs are the same.
Rick B.
There were several of us who were "early adopters" of the LS engine swap in a C3 and all of us made many contributions to the giant LS swap thread. That thread probably contains all of the infomation anyone would need to put a LS engine in a C3 with plenty of variations for wiring, fuel systems, etc.
There are a lot more commercial parts available now for swaps so the need for fabrication is reduced a bit but no 2 installs are the same.
Rick B.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 34,454
Likes: 665
From: Republic of Texas
You can do it on the cheap, but what you save on the front end, you pay on the back end. By that I mean sure you can score a high mileage 5.3, LQ4, LS1 cheap, used sensors, etc but sooner rather than later those things will need to be rebuilt or replaced. I'd rather do it right the first time, and not worry when a high mileage engine, trans, etc will fail.
There are so also hidden costs many are unaware about.
There are so also hidden costs many are unaware about.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
You can do it on the cheap, but what you save on the front end, you pay on the back end. By that I mean sure you can score a high mileage 5.3, LQ4, LS1 cheap, used sensors, etc but sooner rather than later those things will need to be rebuilt or replaced. I'd rather do it right the first time, and not worry when a high mileage engine, trans, etc will fail.
There are so also hidden costs many are unaware about.
There are so also hidden costs many are unaware about.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 6
From: springfield ohio
Well mine got pretty expensive because nothing was left untouched, and I used very little from my original purchase.
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
Well mine got pretty expensive because nothing was left untouched, and I used very little from my original purchase.
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 24
From: Coastal Georgia
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
Well mine got pretty expensive because nothing was left untouched, and I used very little from my original purchase.
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
$4500 LS2/4L70E drop out unit with 6800 miles.
$4200 to rebuild motor to a forged stroker 402 because the low mileage motor spune a rod bearing.
$3400 for the LS2 Trick Flow head and cam combo top end kit.
$1000 for odd and ends for the motor.
$4400 for a new stage 5 4L70E transmission that will withstand the 600+ HP form the LSX.
You guys can do the math and see that this build become very expensive but the end result is a 600 + HP car that will put a smile on my face every time I take it out.
To do this same build over again I believe I could do it for half this.
Riggs
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 34,454
Likes: 665
From: Republic of Texas
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 6
From: springfield ohio
Yes, the best advice to save as much money as you can is research, research, research. You can make so many mistakes when you haven't done your research, but for the C3's there doesn't seem to be one set standard that is being followed and in some cases, work work for one doesn't work for the other.
I do have a lot invested in my LSx swap, but outside my original purchase of 4500 for the stock setup, I am glad I took it to the next level with all the high performance goodies that are in my setup. The car is a real adrenalin rush, its violent and sounds like war when you stand on the throttle.
There are also other cost that I didn't mention like the stainless headers and full stainless exhaust and much,much more.
Here is what it looks like at the moment and it not finished. This picture real doesn't do it any Justice
Riggs
I do have a lot invested in my LSx swap, but outside my original purchase of 4500 for the stock setup, I am glad I took it to the next level with all the high performance goodies that are in my setup. The car is a real adrenalin rush, its violent and sounds like war when you stand on the throttle.
There are also other cost that I didn't mention like the stainless headers and full stainless exhaust and much,much more.
Here is what it looks like at the moment and it not finished. This picture real doesn't do it any Justice
Riggs
