Guest nosz350 Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Here we go again,i,ve got enough money to go LS1($3300.00 thats is every thing engine,transmission,gas tank,fuel line, and all bolt on)or I can keep it carb.I've got enough to build a damn good 355.the LS1 will make around 350hp with bolt on,a good 355 is good for making 400-450hp but will be hard to drive on the street.need to now what you think??????????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Nosz, When it comes time for any of us to put our money where our mouths are; only the individual can make that decision! When making that decision you need to decide if you want a mildly warmed over Z (which is really not that mild since the z is so light) or a weekend warrior that is barely streetable. Unfortunately this is a question only you can answer; congratulations on making it to this point....now the real fun begins! Dont forget the brakes & suspension! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Depends on what YOU want. Nothing wrong with the LS1 at all, IMHO you can buy more HP with the carbed 355/383/etc. The LS1 will save maybe 100 lbs (if that) and is'nt as well represented in the aftermarket as the old smallblocks are. There are also the complexity factor for the LS1 with all of its fuel injection wiring etc. To its credit, the LS1 is a more efficient engine, somewhat lighter, properly setup will have better drivibility and improved economy. It comes down to you, old school HP with a few new twists, or Modern horsepower thats a little more civalized requires a bit less maintenance. I personally wouldn't do a LS1 just to get a 'lightweight' engine, because the differences are not that vast weight wise. (LS1 guys, no hate mail, I respect your powerplant and your decision to use one, this is a personal opinion.). Good luck with whichever way you decide to go, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Hey, if the money is all there, maybe an LS1 is a great way to go! You know it will run well, it'll be streetable, and it will move like stink! Right now an LS1 swap is more unique than a carbed motor. However, the complexity of the LS1 (EFI) swap is greater--do you have the patience, time, and wherewithall to handle it? Take a good look at yourself and ask yourself, "self, what do I want to get out of this?" You have to live with the car--is it a weekend car or a daily driver? An LS1 can be a daily driver and deliver power. Sure, your 1/4 mile times with a higher hp 355 would be great, but will it be primarily a track car? Take a good look at what you want to do--neither is a bad choice; I just had to weigh in to keep things even..Lone David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 How about this.... Spend a little less on the 355 so that it's streetable? It doesn't need to breathe fire and heck, 400HP ought to be streetable shouldn't it? The LS1 isn't well documented. If $3300 is all you've got for the swap I wouldn't think that's going to cover it either. Maybe I've misread your post but it's going to take more than the motor and trans to make the swap happen. Lot's of little stuf bites you in the rear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Night_rider_383 Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 It might sound like old news to you by now but i'll have to say the same as the other guys did. Go with what you want and like best. I'm not big on EFI myself but needless to say the LS-1's are great engines for street/strip cars. Same with carbed engines like a good 355 etc. The carbed engine will come out cheaper and give you more hp for your money. The trick to a hi-po crabed engine on the streets is to build the engine on paper 1st, run it on something like desk top dyno, step back and look it all over again. Keep the cam under 230 deg. @.050'' lift, carb under 700 cfm, and make sure your heads it set up right and you want have no probs on the street. One more thing that count for alot. What do you know? Do you know the most about carbs or EFI? I'll tell you the truth man why i'm not big on EFI engines is cause i really don't know how to work on them, i dont under stand the EFI. I know at 1st this might sound dumb. Super tuning an EFI engine and a carb engine is about 150 times diff. That also goes for just about everything above the cam. I know pre-85 chevy engines like the back of my hand, same with any aftermarket carb, but not efi. So thats something to think about bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Go with what floats your boat! But I don't think a 400-450 hp 355 HAS to be unstreetable, although that term is different for everyone. I've seen enough write-ups in the mags that show 355s in that range with great low end torque. With the heads and cams available these days, you should be able to go with a mildish cam (225@.050, .500 lift, 112 or 114 lobe separation) and have a fat torque curve and good throttle response. If your talking old style heads, etc. this is tougher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 Having done an EFI swap w/ a late model engine, the "wiring nightmare" that most people seem to fear is not a problem w/ a little studying IMO. I enjoy the reliability and mileage that I get w/ EFI. I have a rather low HP engine (it was cheap) but enjoy good performance I think. As others have mentioned, tuning is a whole different deal w/ ECUs and chips involved, but one can get the equipment to burn their own chips for a reasonable price and then can very precisely tweak and tune. Just my .02, Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 12, 2001 Share Posted June 12, 2001 Where can I find info on burning these chips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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