Hi folks, it's been a while and got close to giving up on the dream of driving my own Corvette. I bought a 1985 and when I got it home I found te engine stuck. After freeing it and cleaning the tank, cleaning and repairing fuel lines, new injectors and fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, cap and rotor, it started but I had a couple cylinders not firing. Figured them to be cyl 7 and cyl 8. While runnig it it dumped probably- 1 1/2 gallons of coolent out the water pump wheep holes. Well I did a differential compression test and found most of the was going past the rings in cylinder 7 and equal, rings ang valves on cylinder 8. Compression was 58 on, 7 and close to 70 on cyl 8.. All the rest were good at 140 to 143. I figure #7 has cracked ring, propably due to me breaking it free.. About right there I lost interest. The owner had told me the engine was in great shape last he drove it in 2011. But it developed a heater core leak and parked it with all in tension of getting it fixed. Long story short, it sat there until I purchased it.. So not only did I lose interest, I ended up ripping out both right and left rotorcuff tendons in my shoulders.
I'm still broken down but in my travels being a handy man I came across a engine, transmission, with wiring harness and ecm for $250. It's a 1994 LT1, So that's where I am. I'm a 65yr old, disabled/retired Aircraft Inspector living on a fixed income. I'm not sure which direction to go now, strip the accessories off the Lt1 and use the bare engine and put all the accessories back on.
Or keep the Lt1 all together, tranny, and engine and accessories, it even has a new wiring harness for the car side. I haven't taken a close look but I think I'm capable of the swap. Kinda depends on my shoulders. I really want to drive this car, it's always been a desire but never could afford one. Still can't and that's why I'm here, thinking my labor would offset some of the costs. Any ideas?
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It's a personal choice, but I'd be inclined to see what's actually wrong with the engine you have before I bought something else that's unknown (assuming you haven't heard the 94 run). You gotta pull it either way.

 

I would have the original engine rebuilt or buy a GMPP longblock assembly. Trying to get the LT1 wiring to play nice with a L98 car could be more trouble than it is worth.
Before anything else, decide if you want to drive a car in Colorado without heat.