Hi all I have an 85 corvette that I sent a little to hard at the drag strip blew my motor and tranny on my last run. I really want to get this thing rolling again and want a very cheap option so far I have been toying with the idea of donor car/truck with a 5.3 or 6.0. I just dont know how cost effective that really is when all said and done. The other idea is just to go out and by another l98 with 700r and drop it in. please let me know what you think and if you know the rough price of what the junkyard ls swap cost lmk, or if you have a different idea.

 

Find a 2003+ Chevy Express cargo van at your local pull a part. If you want to upgrade to a 4l80e then find a 2500 or 3500 van. If you want to go 4l60e then go with a 1500 van. If you want to do this on a shoe string budget then pull the motor and trans with the harness and PCM. Most (not all) of the 2500/3500 vans are LQ4 6.0L's. Most (not all) of the 1500 vans are 5.3L's.

So with a fresh pulled engine, harness, accessories, PCM, and transmission you need to buy an OBD adapter and use a program called PCM hammer to remove VATS from the PCM. You will also need to fabricate a C beam adapter. You will need a different intake manifold because the vans intake won't fit under the hood. If your keeping the factory gauges then you have a lot of wiring to do. I recommend selling the cluster and just going aftermarket.

If you can swing it I highly recommend a Holley Terminator X Max instead of using a factory PCM. They are so much more forgiving, especially if you want a bigger cam. But if you want a stock LS then don't waste your money. This swap with a factory PCM has been done for under $1000. It's tough but can be done at that price point. Just remember if you're going with a bigger cam you NEED a higher stall converter and new valve springs. Remember to add that to your build cost.