Hey guys, I am new to corvettes and have a few newbie questions about them.

Long story short my buddy is looking to sell me his C6Z that is basically complete but without the motor. A previous owner removed the LS7 and the dry sump assembly but other than that it is complete. The price is right so I’m tempted to take it however due to having a bunch of money tied up into a couple other cars right now I’m looking to make it a cheap toy for a year or maybe 2, and then assuming he will be back on his feet and looking to buy it back to continue the build he originally had planned. Or not, or I might keep it, or I might sell it, really not sure at this moment.

if I knew for sure that I was going to keep it I’d probably just source an LS7 and do the preventative head work and have a good car. However because of previous financial commitments, the possibility of him buying it back, and that I am already planning to build an LS3 for my next project car, I am leaning towards dropping a mild LS3 in it with the goal of having at least 505hp at the crank just so it doesn’t feel too too blasphemous…

I’m sure all the Z guys are gritting their teeth and I get it, but because of various scenarios mentioned above I’m just looking to explore the LS3 option.

I don’t know a lot about these cars so hoping someone can share some knowledge on the following:

Would an LS3 from say a 2015 Camaro SS (manual donor car) bolt up to the Z06 torque tube?

Are the motor mounts the same?

The lack of dry sump is one of the main contributing factors for this option. Would a wet sump LS3 clear everything or is there extra parts on the Z that would prevent this?

The computer harness went with the engine. Would the harness from the LS3 interface with the car? Would all the electronics work and gauges work? I’m more of a carb guy so I’m lost on electrical items.

And I suppose while I’m here I might as well ask, if I decided to sell the car with the LS3 in it, how much less do you think it would be worth than a stock LS7 car? I’m assuming the amount I “save” now with an LS3 will be less than what the future owner saves buying this Frankenstein car. I would likely swap a stock LS7 back into it to sell it if my buddy decided not to buy it back but just curious what the mark down would be so I can decide which route to go now. The LS7 plus dry sump will probably add $10k to the build. Would it be worth 10k less, or would it be more like 5 or 15 less.

Thanks for the help!

 

Problem is finding a dry sump LS3 crate motor to put in the car (so you don't have oil starvation in longer High G corners), and at that point, may as well just stick a LS7 dry sump back in isntead. The fact that it missing both the motor and the dry sump system parts, looking at more than $10K for the replacement parts, and unless you can get the rolling chassic cheap enough to justify the cost is going to get it running again, would be cheaper to just pick up a clean title Z06 that is running isntead.

Also, have you check to see if the ECM has been removed to use with the other car, since it that is missing, even more cost to replace and get it flashed to the car as well.

Bottom line, can't see someone pulling a motor out of a good Z06 in the first place, unless the car is salvage titled,, flood car, or just destroyed in the first place, making getting the motor and needed parts that way cheaper than picking up a used LS7 motor instead. As for even with a clean title Z06, you stick a LS3 in it, and it just lost any resale value to begin with.

So my advice, if you want a clean Z06, then go find a clean Z06 clean title car. When it comes time to sell the oem Z06, will still have it value, verse some bastardized parts car that the motor/oil system is not correct instead.

 

Thanks for the input. I agree that if I wanted a Z06 to keep I would do the LS7 but I don’t have any real intention of keeping the car, I’m just helping a buddy out until he can buy it back, hopefully. The price is low enough that it peaked my interest. I’m looking at it as a 1 year toy to have some cheap kicks with before moving on to something else. I don’t foresee any track days with it, just a summer daily while my other car is still being built.

If I did put a dry sump back in, what is the best bang for the buck? Used oem or is there decent aftermarket kits?

Anyone able to comment on the previous questions? Thanks

 

Why wouldn't a wet sump LS3 work? All the dry sump stuff being removed. Making 500 engine HP with an LS3 is the easy part. Smedium cam and all the bolt ons will get you there. A little bigger cam and cheap head work gets you to 550.

 

Yes, would get you the horsepower'ish, but not the torque.
Note, way easy to make 650hp on a LS7 with not much work, while to get a LS3 there, would need to boost isntead.

Hence reason that the LS7 is so good around the road course track, is the torque that allows you to come out of a corner in lower gear to control the back end better grunting, then having to try to play rev ranger out of the corner in the meat of the power to control the back end instead.

As for wet sump, pretty easy to oil starve such a motor in a Z06 to float/break valves, even on street tires on a road course track if the Higher G corner is long enough.

 

Dano, I agree that a dry sump LS7 would be optimum for serious road course work, but I didn't get the impression that he was after something like that. I think "cheap toy" was mentioned. Buying an LS7, fixing the heads, and buying all of the missing dry sump bits is going to cost two to three times what just putting in a wet sump LS3 would cost.

I've been to a road course a few times with a wet sump LS3. I had a blast. With no roll cage, I wasn't going to drive it hard enough to need a dry sump rig.

 

Yeah I have no intention of tracking the car. Maybe a Friday night street legal quarter mile run but there isn’t much road courses where I am. It would be strictly a street car as I’ve never owned a vette so thought it might be fun for one summer.

are the blocks the same for torque tube mounting? I assume a wet sump pan would still fit as that is what the non Z cars run? How compatible are the electronics?

thanks in advance

 

The block is the same externally. The physical mounting of the engine in the car shouldn't be a problem. Now, the electronics end of things is above my pay grade. I'm guessing you would need an ECM from a wet sump LS3. A good shop that specializes in Vettes should be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Yes you could even just get a crate wetsump LS3 and drop in there. ECM is easy to get if it's not there and if it is, easy to find a factory calibration from a LS3 to drop right in it.

 

I have a wet sump LS7 in my C5. Bolted right in. I'm sure a wet sump LS3 would bolt right into your C6Z, too. But you'll definitely need a tune.

 

I have a wet sump LS7 in my C5. Bolted right in. I'm sure a wet sump LS3 would bolt right into your C6Z, too. But you'll definitely need a tune.

 

Huge understatement on tune, since the OEM tune that is going to be flash in from the vin to the ECM in the first place, is going to be totally wrong, so lots of work to change that OEM LS7 tune to aftermarket LS3 tune to even run the motor in the first place.

 

Nothing that could not be fixed with HP Tuners. They use the SAME ECU so you could literally go on their website and download a LS3 factory Calibration and just copy and paste the tables over that you need.