Jordan Y.

Y'know, everybody on the board has jokingly talked the LT1 down so often that I started to buy into it. I was reading camaroz28.com today, and it seems that heads/cam 350/355's are good for ~425 to the wheels with the right heads, cam, and valvetrain to support the cam. Fess up, how many of you LT1 guys are putting down good power? Why is it the LS1 takes the lion's share of the attention when the LT1 is capable of numbers nearly as impressive while coming in older less expensive cars?

ponchoV8

Bolt-on vs. bolt-on an LS1 wins hands down.

An LT1 would need the following just to equal a dead-stock LS1, and I'm talking about '98-'00 models, the '01/'02s were blessed by God himself...LOL:

-cold air intake
-bigger throttle body
-1.6 roller rockers
-.500 lift cam
-shorty headers
-cat-back exhaust

All of the above components are already on an LS1 in stock form, on top of the fact that it has better flowing heads; it's stock air intake, bigger T.B., 1.7 R.R's, .500 lift cam, freer flowing manifolds, and better exhaust are superior to a dead-stock LT1. And by bolting on components onto an LS1 like a lid and LT's, the LT1 falls behind again by virtue of it's weaker flowing heads and Optispark ignition that isn't as good as the LS1's coil-per-plug design. Strength-wise the LT1 only has 2-bolt mains in F-bodies/4-bolt mains in Vettes, all LS-series blocks are 6-bolt mains. Some prefer the stronger iron block of the LT1 and it's easier to machine since it's based on the traditional SBC, but you can resleeve an aluminum LS block up to 455ci last I read, while an LT1 I've only read being taken as large as 401ci and that's maxing it. There are also iron-block LS-series engines as well. Plus the LT1 was only around from '92-'97 so as the years go by, some of it's more unique parts will be harder to find. The LS-series engines are the present and future, but dig into both the LT1 and LS1 and they are equally capable of putting serious #'s down.

Early LS1 cars are also getting to be within the reach of enthusiasts and are still in decent shape, while older LT1 cars, though even cheaper, have probably been beat to hell or are just falling apart due to it being a G.M. product.

My LT1 laid down 278rwhp and 302 rwtq with just a cutout and CAI on the former TuneTech Dynojet, then 2 years later it only put down 260rwhp and 281rwtq on the Hybrid Performance Dynojet with the addition of a T.B. foil and 160* thermostat, so I don't know which to believe. I'm still slow no matter which number I stick with...lol.

formula69

bla the ls1 is great and all but id take my caveman lt1 over it any day.

Congradulations you have a 6 bolt main block. if you really want you can get your 2 bolt lt1 block made into a 4 bolt which is plenty strong enough.. 6 bolt is overkill. OOO your ls1 has a bigger cam, rockers and intake manifold stock.. your most likely gonna get rid of that anyways so why waste your money on a motor that has larger stock parts?

as far as lt1s putting down serious power, im building a forged 355 with ported stock heads, supercharger cam and a roots style blower.. its gonna put down some serious power and be daily driven. The lt1 will be very powerful depending on how you mod it.. im telling you right now tho you dont need a bigger cam to beat ls1s.. the motor i have in my firebird right now has bolt ons (headers, exhaust, intake, electric water pump) and some weight reduction and i take down ls1s... i put over 320 hp and over 350 tq... thats more torqe than any stock ls1 comes with. if i were to put a cam and 1.6 roller rockers in id be duelin it with bpu zo6s not stock 02 ws6s

heres what you do. if you want a fast stock car, have the money to kill, and you are mechanically retarted and cant work on your own shit go buy an ls1. it comes stock very powerful, its a great motor and you will have a hard time breaking it.. put a lid and an exhaust on it and have fun..
if you want to make serious power on a budget, go buy an lt1, use the money you saved in difference from the big money ls1 you wouldve bought and mod the hell out of your lt1. lets say you pick up a high mileage lt1.. 5000 bucks.. you saved 10k over the 15,000 dollar ls1... 10gs can be spent like this:
ford 9in rear end and strong driveshaft= $2500
Stage 4 clutch and flywheel= $1000
nice ported stock heads and cam package=$1600
383 stroker kit assembled balanced and probably enough for install= $3000
bolt ons (exhaust intake etc)= $1000

and you have 900 bucks to do whatever with... that setup stated above with some sticky tires will put over 500 to the wheels with a good tune

now of course with the same mods, the ls1 will put down more power, but it will cost you triple what it costs for an lt1 so if your rich as hell go buy an ls1 but if your the average tamponricer.com person the lt1 is just more reasonable

Half Fast

LT1's have potential?

ZDriver96

Damn it Richard Stand up for your LT1 Vette.... may the lord have mercy if they run into yours

Basically if u can afford it get an LS1... Better intake system, better brakes, better engine design, better heads/cam stock.

As far as potential goes... when you add heads/cam to an LT1 it evens the playing field alittle more.. the gap closes some.
I have some heads on my LT1 from one of the notrious cz28.com head builders... I already put them on the engine but havent put the engine back in the car.

These heads/cam LT1's from AI or Lloyd routinely run high 11's-mid 12's depending on track conditions and trap 113-117 depending on supporting mods. were talking 93 octane, heads/cam/exhaust/TB/intake/decent tune. Some of those guys getting 400rwhp+ still used short tube headers or 91 california octane.

Half Fast

Well I think that high 10's are possible on the stock short block. We will see.

gator

all an LT1 needs is a blower or nitrous. IMO with the design of the intake throwing boost into the LT1 = heaven.

yea Half Fast's LT1 moves out.

DaTruth

I've seen cat's stop in the middle of the street take a dump and get out of the way of a LT1 moving at a supposed G-Tech 100mph when the LT1 car was only two feet away. Just kidding.. I use to have a very potent 95 TA. I had a built 355ci with a small cam, CNC'd heads with a Procharger. With 12lbs of boost I put out 565rwhp. LT1's can be very potent when done right.

Half Fast

uhhh-oh there's that darned done right thing again.