I’ve spent the last couple of months researching custom 1991-1996 LT1 builds. I’m looking to find someone who could fabricate an intake for a Gen 2 LT1 for a roots blower. I see everything in the world for pre-86 and LS1. I don’t want a centrifugal procharger. I want that blower and scoop sticking out of the hood. I’m building a retro mod 1994 black convertible. I have a great local shop working with me but I check with vendors like Borla, Holley, and several other places say they do custom work but they don’t do “custom” work. I know it’s probably never been done. I’m wanting to put a Weiand 144 root blower on. So if I have you by a stock intake and they chew it up so be it. If I’m able to go a blower I’ll get rid of the opti. If not I’m looking at a 405 and 415” stroker kit. Am I really that nuts? Please be gentle…I’ve been looking at this for a while and don’t need flamed being told to search.

 

..... You could re-drill the mounting holes on a Gen 1 blower intake to match the LTx and have ready made distributor access ... much cheaper than custom ... electronic fuel injection might be tricky but do-able .....

 

This guy has a cnc file for a whipple with LT1 lower

 

I’m not against that at all. Wasn’t sure if it was just the mounting holes or the cooling or what. If I get a blower I’m planning on getting rid of the opti. There’s an x24 coil conversion I read about that allows use of the coil system from an LS. As far as injection? Holley has a couple of systems that sound pretty good. Around $1k unfortunately. But considering I was thinking about an 8 stack Injection I’m better off being a bit more conservative. Corvette = conservative? How’s that for weird. 😁

 

the whole LT1 engine was just a stepping stone for GM. they were only in production for what? 5 or 6 years? they dumped that project quick

 

Yeah, the LT1 with reverse cooling was a bit unusual for chevy. At the time it was a big deal since the different cooling allowed them to use higher compression and make more power. But yep, I've heard many times that the LS1 was just a better engine with better/cheaper options to make more power. They put that damn lt1 in everything for those 5 years they made them, only the other lt1's were 2 bolt main and 275hp instead of a 4bolt and 300 at the time. What can I say? I like to do things a little different. My wife and I got married in 2017 and this was our "limo", so I'm a bit sentimental about it. But she's given me permission to go (a little) crazy on it. Interior is this winter with a new one-off center console I'm designing. I was going to go with an entire new cluster from Dakota Digital, but I'd have a bunch of OEM buttons on my dash that wouldn't do anything and I'm not swapping the entire dash out...just parts of it.Interior this year, probably airride suspension next year from ridetech, and motor work next winter. Should be fun. :-D

 

As someone who has built a couple of the baddest daily driven LTX engines on this board.... build something else. The only reason to remain LTX is because you don't want to rewire for a different ECM/PCM.... but then you are stuck with the optispark and a Commodore 64 for engine management that maybe 2 people in the whole country are competent enough, still have the equipment and maybe if you ask nice are willing to tune.... if you are going to use a Holley or whatever modern ECM, a GEN1 SBC or LSX bolts right in place of the LTX practically.

If you're just stuck on stupid - and theres nothing wrong with that, I was too for a long time - convert the intake bolt pattern on the cylinder heads to the old style Gen 1 SBC..... it's way easier than converting a Gen 1 SBC intake manifold to the LTX bolt pattern. I've done it both ways and converting the heads is much less involved.

I would offer the services of my engine shop but honestly we have more work than we can do right now and are booked up well into next year... also because of the crap optispark and lack of competent people who will tune them situation I have sworn off building another LTX.

Good luck.
Will

 

That’s actually a great point Rkless. I’ve been debating about keeping the LT1 thinking that it would hurt the value of the car. Part of my thinking s that Dodge puts their Hemi in everything and maybe that was why they were using the LT1 in other cars. There’s nothing rare about it. It’s a 1994 corvette convertible, black over grey (soon to be black over black), only thing unusual about it is I didnt get my corvette until I was 45, first married at 46 and am 51 now and it was in our wedding. So it’s family. I know the ls1 is a great motor…I just want to do something different that not everyone has. Not going to rice it out by any means…damn I’ve seen some ugly ones…but hey to each their own…it’s all about having fun. I’ll admit…the opti sucks whenever it gets dirty, wet, dusty, or whenever you have a dumbass attack and try to wash the engine. (3 Weeks after I got the car, put plastic over the area where the opti was and used low pressure at the manual car wash…a AAA tow and $900 later I’m back up and running. Horrible design! The only thing I know for sure is nothing is definite other than I’m getting work done on it. Already took out the entire Bose system and have a new alpine flat screen with all new kicker speakers (stock size) 2 750 watt amps, and a 10” sub box. New tuneup, wires, plugs, cat delete, headers, and full Borla ATAK exhaust with pypes electric cutouts. So we’re well into it. I’m a PM so we’re trying to plan everything out start to finish.

I have a great custom shop here with former race indy race car mechanics doing the work. We’ll probably do the motor last… I just cringe at the idea I wasted $2,400 on exhaust that I can’t use with the new engine. I think new heads, distributor and ignition is definitely in order and we may just use the block. Thanks for the advice!

 

That’s actually a great point Rkless. I’ve been debating about keeping the LT1 thinking that it would hurt the value of the car. Part of my thinking s that Dodge puts their Hemi in everything and maybe that was why they were using the LT1 in other cars. There’s nothing rare about it. It’s a 1994 corvette convertible, black over grey (soon to be black over black), only thing unusual about it is I didnt get my corvette until I was 45, first married at 46 and am 51 now and it was in our wedding. So it’s family. I know the ls1 is a great motor…I just want to do something different that not everyone has. Not going to rice it out by any means…damn I’ve seen some ugly ones…but hey to each their own…it’s all about having fun. I’ll admit…the opti sucks whenever it gets dirty, wet, dusty, or whenever you have a dumbass attack and try to wash the engine. (3 Weeks after I got the car, put plastic over the area where the opti was and used low pressure at the manual car wash…a AAA tow and $900 later I’m back up and running. Horrible design! The only thing I know for sure is nothing is definite other than I’m getting work done on it. Already took out the entire Bose system and have a new alpine flat screen with all new kicker speakers (stock size) 2 750 watt amps, and a 10” sub box. New tuneup, wires, plugs, cat delete, headers, and full Borla ATAK exhaust with pypes electric cutouts. So we’re well into it. I’m a PM so we’re trying to plan everything out start to finish.

I have a great custom shop here with former race indy race car mechanics doing the work. We’ll probably do the motor last… I just cringe at the idea I wasted $2,400 on exhaust that I can’t use with the new engine. I think new heads, distributor and ignition is definitely in order and we may just use the block. Thanks for the advice!

 

Will is competent....tpi421vette does a ton of LTx builds here also. Cant go wrong with either one

Value of a C4 shouldnt even enter your mind its not like they are any kind of collector car.
Unless you have a sub 10k mi bone stock car thats out the window.

If you wanna do a one off LTx go for it. If I could Id do a 565 big block, or SB2 in it. 700+hp NA sbc.
Not hard to put together a 700hp+ NA Sb2.2 they have gotten more affordable. Mseven had a 441ci small block that ran 9s NA HR cam

ITs not hard to make a weiand blower work with an LT1 intake; Marcella creates works of art that function as far as intakes go its not cheap though. Google him. Hogans is popular but I think youre "one off" goal is better suited to that guy