TheNeedForZ Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I will be checking out a LS1 engine soon. I've talked to the owner on the phone and according to him, he believes the engine was pulled from a 2000 Corvette and the engine is made in 97 with odometer less than 25k. Apperently he bought the engine from somebody else as well. He said the engine is in spotless condition. He wants it gone because there is no space, and wants 3500$CDN(about 3050$US) for it and doesn't come with any transmission. The seller provided a list of accessories the engine has, but since I don't know what accessories the engine SHOULD have, I can't tell what's missing. He said the engine has the intake manifold but not the intake which I think is the induction pipe. He also said something about the drive-by-wire throttle which I know the Corvette uses. Recalling from memory, I think he said that he bought the engine to hotrod an European car, but didin't realize the LS1 has e-throttle and he purchased one for 500$, and now he's running out of space. Here's the list of things the engine has : low mileage complete motor new e-gas pedal all sensors hei coils waterpump manifolds injectors intake Didn't say anything about wiring harness or PCM computer so I will ask him before I pay him a visit. Here's the questions to you guys : 1. Is it a good price for an LS1 without transmission? Note this guy is local so I don't need to pay shipping. 2. How do I read the identity of the engine(year, car model) 3. What should I pay attention to when looking at the engine to prevent getting a lemon, since we know that all LS1s come from wrecked cars. 4. What are the essential accessories that must come with the engine so I don't have to spend huge $$$ buying discrete parts(like him buying the e-pedal) in order to make the engine work. Thanks. (Searched a bit but didn't find a "LS1 buyers guide" sort of thread) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Am I understanding your post correctly? A 1997 engine pulled from a 2000 vette? It sounds a little fishy already. 3 grand for the engine with no wiring harness or pcm sounds a bit high to me. Check ebay for comparison. Try Fbody salavge on ebay. You still need a tranny, wiring harness and pcm. Buy a complete takeout and save yourself headache and hassel. Or if you are really savy, do like a few members here have done and buy a complete car and part the rest. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 If it's a 97-98 ls1 motor with DBW then you can almost sure that's a C5 motor. However somone could have installed the C5 TB to mislead you. The C5 also has different acessories mouting location compare to the Fbody. On the C5s the alternator is up high on the driver side verses down low on the Fbody. The most distintive appearance piece is the oil pan. The C5 oil pan has the 2 wings sticking out which btw won't fit into the Z. Here is some numbers for you to compare: I paid $3500 for my C5 motor with 42K miles. This include the 98 PCM and wiring harness and a few other items. However no trans. I had to pay extra for the trans. My motor came with all the accesories to which I didn't use and I sold them them on Ebay. Since your motor doesn't have the wiring harness, PCM, tranny and other stuffs I suggest you to bargain it down some more due to the missing stuffs. Although the 97-98 PCM is kinda useless for a swap as I found out later in my swap. I don't suggest you to do a swap using a C5 motor but if you plan to let me know there are several important things you need to know before hand. It will be much easier using an Fbody drivetrain. #1. It's not a good price. You should pay lower than that. Maybe $2500 #2. Let me check with my SI manual and get back on this. #3. Don't know this one. #4. You can't use any of the C5 accesories except for the water pump. Check out my web site for more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSflyer Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 You really need to know if it was an auto or 6spd. The PCM harness will be different for each type. Also, see if all the throttle controls are there. Some of that stuff that seems so small can be very expensive to buy piecemeal. Check for an A/C compressor, alternator, smog fittings/hardware etc. As a reference, I got an LS1 with 8k miles from an F-body with the trans, steering column, drive shaft, gas tank, complete car wiring harness, air box, and a bunch of other crap I didn't need, all for $3500. I agree with the post above that you're way better off getting a matched motor and trans with all the accessories and wiring. AND, if you really want a 6spd, get one. Don't mess with switching from an automatic to a manual trans, no matter how good the deal is. That swap will cost you some bucks for clutch parts, and cost you mega hours of rewiring. Ask me how I know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Thats a terrible price given everything that is missing and the fact that is the least desirable year of LS1. Look at the price of the complete unit from a 2000 trans am in this ad http://stores.ebay.com/Fparts_LS1-LS6-LS2-Engines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwik240z Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 I paid $4000 for my 2002 LS1 and auto trans complete with all accessories, computer, wiring harness, exhaust manifolds, cats, etc. It had 20,000 miles on it. I have seen LS1 motors sell for $2000 and less for just the motor. Keep in mind if that motor was in a vette, you will need an F body oil pan too. Sounds a bit fishy to me too. When in doubt, pass. There is always another one out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS1 240Z Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 what you should know is that LS1s are overpriced. buy a 6.0 truck motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Just buy a brand new LS2 with a carb for $5095. http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/4152/Gen-III-Gen-IV-LS1-LS6-LS2-and-LS7-Crate-Engines.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grenade300 Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 i just bought my LS1 for $3300 with 6 spd tranny. There are usually engines with no tranny and all accessories for a little over $2000. Take your time in looking. If your in a hurry you will get screwed. Get all the accessories you can with the engine. The ECU and wiring harnesses for auto and manuel are different. #1 Not a good price for the engine as I said above. Shipping should be less than $400 if you buy from someone not local (Don't know about shipping to Canada). #2 If you want to know about the engine get the VIN off the bolck and call a chevy dealer. they SHOULD be able to run the VIN and tell you about the car the engine came from. If not, then ask them where you can find that info based on the VIN. #3 Ask owner if he saw the engine running personally. Where was the car wrecked. If on ebay look for feedback. How many miles. Ask if the engine ran good (knocking/pingine/sputtering). Look for warranty if buying from junk yard. Review the warranty paperwork #4 Try to get one with all the accessories. I think you will need the Alternator, ECU, UNCUT wiring harness (can get aftermarket from http://www.speartech.com), You will also need to source a clutch master cylender for the T-56. You may also want to try to get the A/C pump if you want to try to retrofit A/C. If you get a "drive by wire sys" then I would look at converting it to regular control (I don't trust computers that much), not to mention it may be cheaper and easier than trying to retrofit a drive by wire sys to your gas pedal. Did I miss anything? Remember, these are only my opinions. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodlefoof Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Thats a terrible price given everything that is missing and the fact that is the least desirable year of LS1. Ditto. You can get a complete LS1/T56 combo with all accessories and computer for about $4k nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNeedForZ Posted December 17, 2006 Author Share Posted December 17, 2006 Thanks to you all, I'll definitely ask for the details of the engine. I agree 3500$CDN for engine without the trans is kinda steep. If the owner is not willing to lower the asking price, which I doubt he will, then I'll pass. I actually begin to look into the idea of 6.0L LT1 also, since the gen 3 parts are all interchangeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodlefoof Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 The LT1 is actually a gen 2 engine. Unless you meant LS2, which is a 6L gen III. However, the price for those is still fairly high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNeedForZ Posted December 19, 2006 Author Share Posted December 19, 2006 The LT1 is actually a gen 2 engine. Unless you meant LS2, which is a 6L gen III. However, the price for those is still fairly high. Yeah you are right. I meant to say the gen 3 truck engine, LQ9 or whatchamacallit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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