LS conversion Cost???????

Nothing is cheap. You still have some power left in your combo. Going turbo LSx, you will be looking at easy 9 sec power, is the rest of the car built to handle it? That is where alot of money goes.
 
forcefed3.8's said:
Nothing is cheap. You still have some power left in your combo. Going turbo LSx, you will be looking at easy 9 sec power, is the rest of the car built to handle it? That is where alot of money goes.
Click to expand...
been doing a lot of shopping around.
Getting the engine to sit in my car is pretty cheap
Mounts under $250.00
Oil pan under $500.00
Complete engine depends on what you look for. I'll probably go for something in need of a rebuild -- I don't count this as part of the conversion. So let say $1500 on the high side as I will be looking to buy a complete running truck.
Everything after this would apply to any build.
Headers are going to kick my but but i think i am going to get lucky with my idea.
Not looking for 9s still targeting low 11s high 10s.

NOT saying it can't be done with my current set up. Just looking for a change my ADD is getting the best of me.o_O
 
dude you are shooting way high on the money. Use SBC mounts and adapters, that's less than $100. Dunno about a chevelle, but I'm using a truck pan which came on my engine, so $0 there. It hangs kinda low, but I don't go around running over curbs so no biggie.

An LS swap can be done cheap, I got an LQ4 on eBay for 750 shipped (high mileage). What costs is if you go turbo ls, then fuel system, hot side, turbo, ex wrap, etc. will cost some money. But to toss a used 5.3 into a car, I bet it could be done for $1000 if you do it yourself and are frugal. This is, of course, if you are going to reuse your current trans and converter.
 
There is no reason you can't run mid 10s all day long on a stock block motor with your mods if you tune it right. And I have to agreee with whats been said already, there is no free lunch, the more power you make the more you have to spend so the trans, converter, rear end and tires will be able to handle it.

I hear of all the wonderful ways an LS is cheaper but no one is putting up the dollars spent to get it done. Then there is this little detail of time and extra fab work to make it all fit.

I applaud the effort and dare to be different vibe in doing an LS swap but 25 years later, the little V6 is still the cheapest way to get in the mid 10s.

All out race car is a different story.

Good luck.
 
No way do you get a turbocharged LS motor up and running correctly for $1500. Make it all fit, headers, downpipe, injectors, accessories, ECM and tune it?

I will go shut up now........:)
 
anything behind the motor braking will happen with what ever engine i have so that is not a factor.
Not looking to set any records or to even go near the 9ns.
the target is still the same since i am NOT putting a cage/bar what ever in my car.
just looking for a change and for a no reason change the LS is the best way to go.
and Yes it will eventually be a turbo and N2O fed engine just because.
 
Go to carparts.com to find an engine. My friend here found an aluminum 5.3 for $450 and a 6.0 with a cracked head for $200, all within 45 minutes of his house.

The hardest part of the ls swap is the Fab work. Its not bolting parts on like lc2 is.
Do search on here of bmf_racing. Brad has the cheapest setup I know of. It works great too. He doesn't run it hard at all and has a ton of low 10 sec runs on a stock 6.0. My setup cost a little more. I bought parts I didn't need but look cool lol.
 
Reggie West said:
No way do you get a turbocharged LS motor up and running correctly for $1500. Make it all fit, headers, downpipe, injectors, accessories, ECM and tune it?

I will go shut up now........:)
Click to expand...

No, you can't. My setup is really cheap, but the turbo and 6.0 will mean that it will cost more than that. You could do a budget N/A 5.3 for less than $1500 though.

The turbocharger, engine, and fuel system alone will cost around $1500 (and that is if you buy cheap stuff), then you have to buy mounts, tuning stuff, intercooler, etc.
 
I am just a back yard hobbyist but i can
1- Do the installation
2-Do the wiring
3-I am going to try and prefab as much of the exhaust as possible then have a local welder finish it of for me.

My low budget plan for the hot side is to copy the Buick hooker headers --- starting with a set of shorty headers or even the truck manifolds as they are pretty compact , a "Y" pipe then back up the pass. side and have it look like a GN set up. Yes lag, but thats what N2O is for.
The tuning will be out-sourced as i don't have a clue.o_O
Just to make it clear again this build is for entertainment, show and ship talk purposes and the goal is to get it working LOL. Not looking to have a "race" car or set any records not even looking to go deep into the 10ns hoping to stay in the low 11ns.
 
This is getting harder and harder to resist
On Graigslist two complete engines for $800.00 and two complete trucks one for $1000.00 and the other $1200.
 
TURBOPOWERED68 said:
I am just a back yard hobbyist but i can
1- Do the installation
2-Do the wiring
3-I am going to try and prefab as much of the exhaust as possible then have a local welder finish it of for me.

My low budget plan for the hot side is to copy the Buick hooker headers --- starting with a set of shorty headers or even the truck manifolds as they are pretty compact , a "Y" pipe then back up the pass. side and have it look like a GN set up. Yes lag, but thats what N2O is for.
The tuning will be out-sourced as i don't have a clue.o_O
Just to make it clear again this build is for entertainment, show and ship talk purposes and the goal is to get it working LOL. Not looking to have a "race" car or set any records not even looking to go deep into the 10ns hoping to stay in the low 11ns.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you'll be able to do a large amount of the more time consuming work yourself. Thus, saving BIG money! I'd use the truck manifolds. They're incredibly strong and really not all that unattractive.
There's no point in ever trying to set any records. There's always going to be someone with more money and a faster car. I'm the same way. I just want something that runs, runs well, and to have some fun in it. With that sad, I also want to have a pretty quick car.
[

TURBOPOWERED68 said:
This is getting harder and harder to resist
On Graigslist two complete engines for $800.00 and two complete trucks one for $1000.00 and the other $1200.
Click to expand...

Might as well get one of the complete trucks. I'd get whichever you can make the most money off of or get the most out of. If you buy intelligently, you may be able to get a "free" motor and transmission. Which model trucks are they? If one comes with a 4L80, that's the one I'd get.
 
Jump ship. I did (after looking into how much it would cost just to get around 450hp DD reliable with the stock motor, $9k). I bought a 4.8 with 50K miles for $400 (STUPID AWESOME local find on Craigslist), rebuilt 4L60E for $600, 3200 stall for $300, $400 on motor mounts/bushings/tranny cross member/shortened drive shaft, $500 on my hotside, $400 on a T76 turbo.

Already had a Hurst shifter and intercooler. Bought a $300 LS6 intake to replace the truck intake, already had a nice radiator. $300 ebay gauge kit. And a good $1000 in misc stuff (hoses, lines, fittings, fluids, etc...).

So far about $6K is what the total costs looks like it will be. WAY more than I thought when I started (figured $2k-$4k) but been using some nicer parts than originally planned and there were a lot of things we bought and then didn't use but I still think $6k will be the number when said and done BUT that is for around 550hp, totally streetable with working AC/Heater/Gauges, etc...

For me it was a no brainer. Been doing LS motors for 14 years, super reliable, easy to get RELIABLE power out of but I loved the GN. When I saw my crank pulley moved an inch when pryed against I started ordering swap parts that night.

Some people are diehard about the stock motor and I respect that but I have no such moral compass, lol. Still turbo'd, still a GM motor and it's our version of a "modern" GN and we're trying to "pick up where Buick left off". For example, stock rims but powdercoated gloss black (Buick was blacking out everything on the Regal to make the GN, why did they stop at the rims???), boom tube side exhaust shaped after the GNX vents, front splitter, etc...
 
Oh and I debated just getting another F-Body but I love the look of my GN and the fact I can fit five people AND their luggage in it, lol. Just wasn't happy with it power, drive ability and reliability but now that's fixed ;)
 
Update: My "budget build" is getting more expensive again. Blown head gasket on the "junkyard" motor so I'm porting (the exhaust on) some 317s, ARP head studs, LS9 gaskets, Edelbrock Performer intake, 92mm TB and custom cam.

I decided f@ck it, might as well do everything I wanted since I'm pulling the head anyways. Still under the $9k quote for a built and installed stock GN motor with bigger turbo and alky AND a solid 150hp-200hp more.

Budget sucks but outcome should be worth it...
 
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