Agrees on the Vintage Air. You're dealing with 40 year old parts. After a few fail, you'll be at the price of a VA system.

 

One more vote for the vintage air system. I have not gotten mine installed yet, but I did shave the firewall and it is so much cleaner. From what I have read from others the system works well. Between that and a hydraboost upgrade it really made some room. I used the VA controller and am doing an electric headlight convsion so I got to pull a ton of vacuum hoses out of the car.

 

Thanks everyone! I think I'll give vintage air a call and see if they can put something together for me!

 

Anyone in need of a GMPP LS3 525HP controller kit I have one never installed $1000 takes it. Email zeohsix "at" gmail "dot com"

 

A couple notes on VA with an LS swap.
I bought mine through a local dealer. VA shipping costs for misc parts is high, free to the local dealer.
They credited me for the SBC compressor brackets I didn't need. You might want to see if they have a deal on alternative brackets for the Sanden compressor. I bough a Classic Auto Air system for my LS 442, they offered the Kwik bracket at half price.
Have them substitute a trinary switch for the binary. It works great for controlling fans.

 

Well, more orders placed

Going to order the Vintage Air kit for a 71 with A/C later today. I'll sell the compressor and brackets but should be able to use everything else.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vt...model/corvette


Ordered a Hydroboost kit - I have hydratech's kit on my 70 Chevelle and love it.
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1968-1976.html



Ordered VBP's Performance Plus System Full Kit (less the Bilstein's I already have) so the suspension will be completely gone through during the motor swap.
http://www.vbandp.com/auto-parts/c2-...category_id=54


Purchased the correct SFI flexplate for the LS/4L80 combo (TCI-399754).
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-399754


Going to replace the lamp harness and clean up the engine bay when everything is out.

Now parts just need to get here so this project can officially kick off!!!

 

Does anyone know how much clearance there is with the LS and a borgeson box?

I know on a big block you have to dent one or two header pipes but can't find a thread specifically mentioning the LS motor and the Borg. box. The crate motor comes with the stock manifolds, which in testing appear to flow fairly well but I would rather see a nice ceramic coated set of headers (probably mid-length) under the hood. Certainly I can wait and see once the motor is installed but I am trying to get my parts list ordered so there are as few hold-ups as possible once we get started.

 

Here you go



here's the rag joint. Not too much steering column left but no cuts were needed.



I used the Kwik brackets - the plumbing was .... annoying. Multiple trips to Royal Brass in San Jose to get the pressure line just right. they actually do one off custom hoses for you while you wait at the counter. Cool!

Had to custom bend an aluminum pipe S-shape segment in the return line.

 

EXCELLENT!!! Thank you very much!!!

 

Wow, fleming23 your list of upgrades and new items is very impressive indeed.

I did some guesstimating in my head about the overall cost and I think you are probably close to $20k in parts alone without any labor to install any of the items you have purchased.

I gather you are doing most of the work yourself?

At any rate I think by the time you have the project completed you probably will be into it for maybe $25K or more in parts alone.

I think your car will be awesome and definitely a special C3. Please keep us up to date with your progress.

 

Well..... I did this with my Chevelle one thing at a time and ended up doing things over 2 or 3 times before I got to the point I am today. With this car I am hoping to knock out such a large chunk all at once I will not have to revisit things as I upgrade....wishful thinking probably.

I really haven't been keeping tabs (I have copies of the invoices just didn't do a spreadsheet like I usually do) on the total expense either but you are probably not too far off. I don't think it has crossed the $20k mark yet but should be getting close I suspect. The scary thing is going to be the paint & body this winter!!! That, I imagine, is going to put a dent in the wallet - I am worried what will be found when the window is pulled.

I am good friends with the owner of a speed shop that is 1.5 miles from my house and will do all the work there. I don't have the space, time or proper equipment to do a project of this magnitude at home. Having a lift also makes things 10 times easier! I'll still get stuck paying some labor but it is nothing like what normal customers pay. When I have a car in I usually try to stop by every day after work and turn some wrenches or help out however I can and typically just hang out at the shop nearly every Saturday so it all works out in the end. I also have a FAST EZ-EFI kit I bought on here a few weeks back I was going to use on the vette but will now use to barter with him since he wants it for his Carb'd LS Nova.

I am not sure he realizes how big of a project I have created with this one though

It'll be fun when everything is done!! I am hoping to have it back on the road by September (or 2-3 months after getting started, if not earlier.)

 

Today is National Splurge Day after all

 

Should have posted this earlier. I need to splurge some. I have not bought anything for my Vette in a long time. I'm feeling its about time to get back on it and get this LS swap done. Oh that's right I need to splurge on a garage first.

 

One note on the AC, Some of the LS compressors are variable displacement. The VA system will work with those but I've heard from several that they work at decreased efficiency. The Sanden they supply with their kit is fixed displacement. I would try to use the sanden if the one you have is variable. Kwik and Holley make a bracket for it.

 

Thanks for the heads up! The VA compressor I am being sent is most likely a v-groove compressor and will be sold. My plan is/was to use the compressor and brackets in this kit from Pace Performance.
http://paceperformance.com/i-5146492...r-package.html


Couldn't tell you what Sanden compressor comes in the kit other than the fact that it is a 508 series.

 

I used the Holley LS brackets for my swap. The stock power steering pump pulley will hit the upper A arm. You will need a much smaller pulley. I ended up using a Dorman 300-301 with a .660 bushing installed. I used the C5 power steering pump. Your water pump fittings and the alt brackets will be tight around the upper A Arms. You should get a Sanden compressor for with your VA kit. The fittings on the compressor are very close to hitting your hood when closed. I ended up have to swap the fill fittings with inline for hood clearance.

 

That is fixed displacement. If it's not too late, VA swapped out the V belt pulley compressor for the serpentine belt, no charge.
The Pace kit has the Kwik bracket, it goes for about $200. I think the new cast holley bracket looks nicer and is about the same price.

 

Donnie,

Thanks - I actually already have that Dorman pulley # ready to go from your thread but it is helpful to have here! Hoping that pulley with the GMPP Accessory drive system will work for me.

Gary - I am going to call later this morning to see if I can get the compressor swapped out for the serp with the rear exit. I wasn't actually aware they were using the Kwik bracket in the Pace kit but agree that the Holley bracket does look better. I guess I would just need an idler pulley separate and I could use that set up instead and not be stuck with an additional A/C compressor.

Edit - They are checking to see if VA has shipped the kit has shipped and if not, going to try and change the compressor. Also changed from the Pace/KWIK bracket to the Holley GM LS (Sanden) A/C relocation bracket kit. This will eliminate me having 2 compressors and looks to save me a little money in the process!

 

Also have them swap out the binary switch for a trinary. It's the best way to control fans.

 

One more thing I added to the list and ordered today is a 3qt Accusump

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ctr-24-006


and 20-25 psi EPC valve
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ctr-24-271


I know this won't be a substitute for a dry-sump system but I have read so many horror stories about the LS3 going boom on a road course that it can't hurt. If nothing else, this will prime the motor every time before starting. With the factory A/C box coming out, I think there should be plenty of room in the passenger fender area to mount it all. I would like to do a couple HPDE track days at Road Atlanta but worry about starving the motor of oil...... I will probably only run the Nitto 555 street tires but the stories are all over the place about stock C6 vettes blowing up motors during track days so better safe than sorry.