budget engine swap
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
budget engine swap
I‘m saving up to buy a 1989 corvette and do an engine swap to it to get atleast 400 whp street legal but i don’t know exactly where to start with the engine i should choose for the cheapest option. i just wanted some suggestions on what i should choose and how much i should save up for the swap
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,192
Likes: 750
From: near the thumb in the mitten
Pick a different car. Learn to drive a 400whp car before tackling a 400whp car with irs and no traction control to keep you out of trouble.
if you're determined a well built 383 or 406 can get you there.
The least expensive way is to save atleast 15k; then go find a already built and sorted car. They nearly always can be bought for far less than it cost to build. It's already to go so the hassle and expense of getting it to run right in traffic is eliminated. Many times disillusioned sellers will become more willing to negotiate before going to the trouble of parting their cars out.
if you're determined a well built 383 or 406 can get you there.
The least expensive way is to save atleast 15k; then go find a already built and sorted car. They nearly always can be bought for far less than it cost to build. It's already to go so the hassle and expense of getting it to run right in traffic is eliminated. Many times disillusioned sellers will become more willing to negotiate before going to the trouble of parting their cars out.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,925
Likes: 441
From: Albuquerque NM
A truly streetable drivable 400rwhp in a C4 isn't exactly trivial.
The necessary 485-500 crank horses is really pushing the limits of the volumetric efficiency of almost any gen 1 or gen 1.5 (LT1/LT4) small block, not to mention the tune needs to be up to snuff.
Even an LS needs to be built and tuned to output 485-500 crank horses.
Bottom line, there really isn't a motor you can just swap in and go... you will have to have a motor built or build it yourself, with some planning, to hit that goal.
Of course you can throw boost at stuff, but C4s are rather space restricted, and boost adds other engine management and setup challenges.
I personally am trying to hit 400rwhp in my 1991 currently, and I have been relagated to painstakingly saving money up because the parts are not cheap. The recipe I am trying to follow was done by a forum member here a while back:
383 Roller motor
AFR Competition Port 195 heads flowing 308CFM at 0.600" lift
1205 or 1206 port Miniram
Cam with more than 0.575" lift intake and exhaust, 112-113 LSA or so, and 228/236 or so duration at 0.050"
Right now my estimated total cost for parts and machine shop work and tune alone is around $8000
Good tune to match, and that should be around 400rwhp.
IMO to really guarantee 400rwhp and to get the most streetability and a non-peaky motor, without boost, an LS swap, or a large cube small block (396-408 cu in) is the way to go. 383s can do it, but you are on the edge and all the other components need to be sorta maxed out.
I REALLY wish someone made an aftermarket twin turbo kit for Gen 1 and 1.5 small block C4 corvettes which basically uses the Callaway architecture and design.
The necessary 485-500 crank horses is really pushing the limits of the volumetric efficiency of almost any gen 1 or gen 1.5 (LT1/LT4) small block, not to mention the tune needs to be up to snuff.
Even an LS needs to be built and tuned to output 485-500 crank horses.
Bottom line, there really isn't a motor you can just swap in and go... you will have to have a motor built or build it yourself, with some planning, to hit that goal.
Of course you can throw boost at stuff, but C4s are rather space restricted, and boost adds other engine management and setup challenges.
I personally am trying to hit 400rwhp in my 1991 currently, and I have been relagated to painstakingly saving money up because the parts are not cheap. The recipe I am trying to follow was done by a forum member here a while back:
383 Roller motor
AFR Competition Port 195 heads flowing 308CFM at 0.600" lift
1205 or 1206 port Miniram
Cam with more than 0.575" lift intake and exhaust, 112-113 LSA or so, and 228/236 or so duration at 0.050"
Right now my estimated total cost for parts and machine shop work and tune alone is around $8000
Good tune to match, and that should be around 400rwhp.
IMO to really guarantee 400rwhp and to get the most streetability and a non-peaky motor, without boost, an LS swap, or a large cube small block (396-408 cu in) is the way to go. 383s can do it, but you are on the edge and all the other components need to be sorta maxed out.
I REALLY wish someone made an aftermarket twin turbo kit for Gen 1 and 1.5 small block C4 corvettes which basically uses the Callaway architecture and design.
Last edited by yakmastermax; Oct 29, 2023 at 01:54 PM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
Pick a different car. Learn to drive a 400whp car before tackling a 400whp car with irs and no traction control to keep you out of trouble.
if you're determined a well built 383 or 406 can get you there.
The least expensive way is to save atleast 15k; then go find an already built and sorted car. They nearly always can be bought for far less than it cost to build. It's already to go so the hassle and expense of getting it to run right in traffic is eliminated. Many times disillusioned sellers will become more willing to negotiate before going to the trouble of parting their cars out.
if you're determined a well built 383 or 406 can get you there.
The least expensive way is to save atleast 15k; then go find an already built and sorted car. They nearly always can be bought for far less than it cost to build. It's already to go so the hassle and expense of getting it to run right in traffic is eliminated. Many times disillusioned sellers will become more willing to negotiate before going to the trouble of parting their cars out.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
ohhh okay yea ima most likely do that but i do plan to slowly mod the car as i get the money to so it shouldn’t matter too much which one i get since i plan to keep the car for the foreseeable future
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,874
Likes: 764
From: Sligo PA
So I know people will disagree with this but there are a lot of people who have done it (myself included). But hands down the cheapest way to swap in 400 hp is an LS swap. Get a 5.3l from a 2008+ truck and swap in a big cam. There done. You now have 400 hp for around $2000.
But it's a lot of work and you need the harness and PCM out of the doner truck. You will also need some other parts to fit in a Vette like an LS6 intake manifold. Keep the cast exhaust manifolds. If the car is an automatic you NEED a higher stall converter for a cammed LS. So that would put you closer to $2500 to $3000 total. You can't build a 400 hp small block for that.
But it's a lot of work and you need the harness and PCM out of the doner truck. You will also need some other parts to fit in a Vette like an LS6 intake manifold. Keep the cast exhaust manifolds. If the car is an automatic you NEED a higher stall converter for a cammed LS. So that would put you closer to $2500 to $3000 total. You can't build a 400 hp small block for that.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,925
Likes: 441
From: Albuquerque NM
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
400 rwhp is what i’m aiming for and i plan to build a block on the side so i can enjoy the car till i finish building that motor
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 823
Likes: 106
From: Somewhere near Fort Wayne, Indiana
A truly streetable drivable 400rwhp in a C4 isn't exactly trivial.
The necessary 485-500 crank horses is really pushing the limits of the volumetric efficiency of almost any gen 1 or gen 1.5 (LT1/LT4) small block, not to mention the tune needs to be up to snuff.
Even an LS needs to be built and tuned to output 485-500 crank horses.
Bottom line, there really isn't a motor you can just swap in and go... you will have to have a motor built or build it yourself, with some planning, to hit that goal.
Of course you can throw boost at stuff, but C4s are rather space restricted, and boost adds other engine management and setup challenges.
I personally am trying to hit 400rwhp in my 1991 currently, and I have been relagated to painstakingly saving money up because the parts are not cheap. The recipe I am trying to follow was done by a forum member here a while back:
383 Roller motor
AFR Competition Port 195 heads flowing 308CFM at 0.600" lift
1205 or 1206 port Miniram
Cam with more than 0.575" lift intake and exhaust, 112-113 LSA or so, and 228/236 or so duration at 0.050"
Right now my estimated total cost for parts and machine shop work and tune alone is around $8000
Good tune to match, and that should be around 400rwhp.
IMO to really guarantee 400rwhp and to get the most streetability and a non-peaky motor, without boost, an LS swap, or a large cube small block (396-408 cu in) is the way to go. 383s can do it, but you are on the edge and all the other components need to be sorta maxed out.
I REALLY wish someone made an aftermarket twin turbo kit for Gen 1 and 1.5 small block C4 corvettes which basically uses the Callaway architecture and design.
The necessary 485-500 crank horses is really pushing the limits of the volumetric efficiency of almost any gen 1 or gen 1.5 (LT1/LT4) small block, not to mention the tune needs to be up to snuff.
Even an LS needs to be built and tuned to output 485-500 crank horses.
Bottom line, there really isn't a motor you can just swap in and go... you will have to have a motor built or build it yourself, with some planning, to hit that goal.
Of course you can throw boost at stuff, but C4s are rather space restricted, and boost adds other engine management and setup challenges.
I personally am trying to hit 400rwhp in my 1991 currently, and I have been relagated to painstakingly saving money up because the parts are not cheap. The recipe I am trying to follow was done by a forum member here a while back:
383 Roller motor
AFR Competition Port 195 heads flowing 308CFM at 0.600" lift
1205 or 1206 port Miniram
Cam with more than 0.575" lift intake and exhaust, 112-113 LSA or so, and 228/236 or so duration at 0.050"
Right now my estimated total cost for parts and machine shop work and tune alone is around $8000
Good tune to match, and that should be around 400rwhp.
IMO to really guarantee 400rwhp and to get the most streetability and a non-peaky motor, without boost, an LS swap, or a large cube small block (396-408 cu in) is the way to go. 383s can do it, but you are on the edge and all the other components need to be sorta maxed out.
I REALLY wish someone made an aftermarket twin turbo kit for Gen 1 and 1.5 small block C4 corvettes which basically uses the Callaway architecture and design.