---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!---
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 4,764
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From: Often Imitated Never Copied
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Cookwithvette)
IMHO that is a sad excuse for a big block... 21K for 510 horse?
For 11,500.00 you can buy a brand new alloy headed crate 528CID Hemi
from Mopar that churns out 670 horse... And spend another 10K on a blower
and some other goodies and.. Well you know what the outcome would be..
That is sad, deplorable, pathetic and every other word I can think of.. Such
a waste of a DAMN GOOD block!
For 11,500.00 you can buy a brand new alloy headed crate 528CID Hemi
from Mopar that churns out 670 horse... And spend another 10K on a blower
and some other goodies and.. Well you know what the outcome would be..
That is sad, deplorable, pathetic and every other word I can think of.. Such
a waste of a DAMN GOOD block!
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,847
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (LS1-Corvette00)
I think a lot of people are missing the point here. This is an all aluminum big block. Yes, you can make more power for the money with an iron Hemi, but so what? When it comes time to build a superlight car for a road coarse, the ZL1 will take it every time. It's all about what you want to do. If you want to go fast in a straight line & can simply add induction to make up for weight, yes - the iron block will be cheaper. If weight is critical & you want an old school setup with new technology - the ZL1 is a good thing. You are comparing apples & oranges here. I would venture to say there is at least 200 pounds difference in the two setups. That's a lot of weight.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 8,164
Likes: 0
From: ohio
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Cookwithvette)
man....i was actually planning to make a fuel injected zl1 for my 80. That makes things alot easier, pace hq is about a 25 minute drive away from me too....
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Often Imitated Never Copied
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Merlin522)
Steve,
Okay if you are road racing I fully understand the need for light weight but
my price point is still justified. Where is the 21K in this engine? The block
can be had just shy of 6K the FI system is what 3K ? Heads 4K ? okay it
adds up.... But I still think it should sell for less maybe 15K at the most.. :)
Hmm Light weight.... How about a Mopar Indy Max BRB Block fitted with Stave
V Engineering Hemi Conversion heads...
A good friend of mine built the above engine (light!) topped with a Hampton
18-71 and a NOS Systems Pro Shot Fogger and in his all steel 72 Duster
(2800 Pounds full tube chasis) laid out 1710 horse on Ray Barton's dyno.
What an insane car.. (Straight line only)
That would have been a real neat engine for in a 71 AAR `Cuda decked out
for road racing :)
Ahh yeah I am a Mopar guy.... I just happen to Love Vettes too :)
Okay if you are road racing I fully understand the need for light weight but
my price point is still justified. Where is the 21K in this engine? The block
can be had just shy of 6K the FI system is what 3K ? Heads 4K ? okay it
adds up.... But I still think it should sell for less maybe 15K at the most.. :)
Hmm Light weight.... How about a Mopar Indy Max BRB Block fitted with Stave
V Engineering Hemi Conversion heads...
A good friend of mine built the above engine (light!) topped with a Hampton
18-71 and a NOS Systems Pro Shot Fogger and in his all steel 72 Duster
(2800 Pounds full tube chasis) laid out 1710 horse on Ray Barton's dyno.
What an insane car.. (Straight line only)
That would have been a real neat engine for in a 71 AAR `Cuda decked out
for road racing :)
Ahh yeah I am a Mopar guy.... I just happen to Love Vettes too :)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 8,656
Likes: 0
From: Brooklyn NY
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Merlin522)
I think a lot of people are missing the point here. This is an all aluminum big block. Yes, you can make more power for the money with an iron Hemi, but so what? When it comes time to build a superlight car for a road coarse, the ZL1 will take it every time. It's all about what you want to do. If you want to go fast in a straight line & can simply add induction to make up for weight, yes - the iron block will be cheaper. If weight is critical & you want an old school setup with new technology - the ZL1 is a good thing. You are comparing apples & oranges here. I would venture to say there is at least 200 pounds difference in the two setups. That's a lot of weight.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 248
Likes: 1
From: Kansas City MO
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Cookwithvette)
For stupid light and stupid powerful, but not a whole lot cheaper, my money would be on a strengthend LS6 with a supercharger. Should be even lighter, and more powerful.
Although probably not as reliable unless you spend a lot on beefing up the motor. That easily gets you back in the $15k range if you start with the LS6 crate motor. But if I ever hit the lottery, that's what I'd want under the hood.
Although probably not as reliable unless you spend a lot on beefing up the motor. That easily gets you back in the $15k range if you start with the LS6 crate motor. But if I ever hit the lottery, that's what I'd want under the hood.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
From: Roanoke VA
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Merlin522)
I think a lot of people are missing the point here. This is an all aluminum big block. Yes, you can make more power for the money with an iron Hemi, but so what? When it comes time to build a superlight car for a road coarse, the ZL1 will take it every time. It's all about what you want to do. If you want to go fast in a straight line & can simply add induction to make up for weight, yes - the iron block will be cheaper. If weight is critical & you want an old school setup with new technology - the ZL1 is a good thing. You are comparing apples & oranges here. I would venture to say there is at least 200 pounds difference in the two setups. That's a lot of weight.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 1
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Crickett)
actually the bare small block tips the scales at around 190 lbs, not the 270 someone else listed. Also, I was just looking around and you can finnd bare aluminum big blocks for $3k. still a lot sure, but if money is no object, there is no way a small block will outpower a big block, and the big block with similar power to small block would certainly idle smoother and have a lot more torque. If I could score an aluminum big block it would be the start of a long term love affair!
Chris
Chris
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
Likes: 208
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Cookwithvette)
$21,454.00 :lolg: For that kinda money you can build yourself a EFI'd alu BB and buy a nice 6 speed ROD tranny and new set of wheels and tires.... :cheers:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 924
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (RJR99SS)
Light weight BB are good. You could put your own together using that block for less than what GM is asking. The GM engine is for serial number only. It's for collectors who want to say I have one, and most if not all will end up in show cars. This is kind of like the ZZ4 engine that GM sold with a serial number, but for a whole lot more money. They were sucessful in that venture, and I would expect they'll do better in this one.
mark
mark
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (81vette)
You can get the Ram Jet 502 for a little over 8K and it has the same fuel injection and makes just as much power. The only difference is the weight of the block.
AC
AC
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
From: New Wilmington PA
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (71roadster)
actually the bare small block tips the scales at around 190 lbs, not the 270 someone else listed. Also, I was just looking around and you can finnd bare aluminum big blocks for $3k. still a lot sure, but if money is no object, there is no way a small block will outpower a big block, and the big block with similar power to small block would certainly idle smoother and have a lot more torque. If I could score an aluminum big block it would be the start of a long term love affair!
Chris
Chris
Block weights:
Aluminum BBC-110
Cast Iron BBC-270
Aluminum SBC-90
Cast Iron SBC-190
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,844
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From: Pearland TX
St. Jude Contributor
Re: ---Ram Jet ZL1 crate engine!!!--- (Merlin522)
I think a lot of people are missing the point here. This is an all aluminum big block. Yes, you can make more power for the money with an iron Hemi, but so what? When it comes time to build a superlight car for a road coarse, the ZL1 will take it every time. It's all about what you want to do. If you want to go fast in a straight line & can simply add induction to make up for weight, yes - the iron block will be cheaper. If weight is critical & you want an old school setup with new technology - the ZL1 is a good thing. You are comparing apples & oranges here. I would venture to say there is at least 200 pounds difference in the two setups. That's a lot of weight.
Why do I picture you as seeing a $21,000 motor as *chump change*? :D
