LS Swap vs Chevy 350

[lilbowtie]

Any input you get is going to be personal preference. You need to decide what you REALLY want and put pen to paper as to the $$ to get you there. Then again you shouldn't go cheap for what you really want.

 

[fleming442]

The starting point matters because it affects a bunch of stuff- motor mounts, trans bell housing pattern, and as mentioned as a concern- overall cost.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

Can have overdrive, nice idle and decent mileage with a carbed 350 that can melt tires as well. Not knocking an LS swap, depends on the goals/budget as stated previously.

 

[ck80]

If it’s Oldsmobile power leave it olds power

(Insert hijack)
Realistically, in the early 80s they were churning out over 400,000 cutlass bodied cars a year.

Now ignore the relative scarcity in many areas where anything with a olds 350/403/455 was crushed years ago and there isn't much for builder motors let alone competent shops to build them.

There's plenty of olds to leave olds and still let someone else enjoy their car as they see fit. We're not putting a sbc into a hemi cuda.
(Close hijack)

Back to the question of the OP, it really depends on your budget and goals. It also depends what that sbc 350 is, and what it needs. A flat tappet cam stock carb 350 with smogger low comp heads needs a good bit of cash put in to wake it up.

What you car needs for each swap type depends what you're starting with, and what you want to have - working ac? OD trans? What rear end you need depends on the horsepower you want, the tires you'll run, and how you'll drive/use it. (Wide drag tires + burnout + horsepower = blown up stock 7.5 rear).

Then, as I said, you need info on what the 350 is, what it needs, and what it costs to get.

It's easy to say I'm a fan of sbc 350 or I like ls swap blah blah blah. The reality is budget comes first. Then inventory what you have. Finally square how the budget fits against the cost to get where you want to be - or at least as close as you can afford to for now.

 

[1320John$$$]

(Insert hijack)
Realistically, in the early 80s they were churning out over 400,000 cutlass bodied cars a year.

Now ignore the relative scarcity in many areas where anything with a olds 350/403/455 was crushed years ago and there isn't much for builder motors let alone competent shops to build them.

There's plenty of olds to leave olds and still let someone else enjoy their car as they see fit. We're not putting a sbc into a hemi cuda.
(Close hijack)

Back to the question of the OP, it really depends on your budget and goals. It also depends what that sbc 350 is, and what it needs. A flat tappet cam stock carb 350 with smogger low comp heads needs a good bit of cash put in to wake it up.

What you car needs for each swap type depends what you're starting with, and what you want to have - working ac? OD trans? What rear end you need depends on the horsepower you want, the tires you'll run, and how you'll drive/use it. (Wide drag tires + burnout + horsepower = blown up stock 7.5 rear).

Then, as I said, you need info on what the 350 is, what it needs, and what it costs to get.

It's easy to say I'm a fan of sbc 350 or I like ls swap blah blah blah. The reality is budget comes first. Then inventory what you have. Finally square how the budget fits against the cost to get where you want to be - or at least as close as you can afford to for now.

If it’s Oldsmobile power you won’t need any of the little things that add up and the exhaust will work

 

[Silent viewer]

I will back up what was said above. LS engines are cheap to buy sure, but they cost allot of cash to "properly" install them in a g body. Yea, you can get a LS bolted in with a truck pan, truck accessories and some adjustable ebay mounts on the cheap and a tune will make it run ok but that in "my" opinion is not correct. I have done more SBC swaps into g bodies than I can count and I did most of those back in my teens and 20s when I had allot less disposable income and was able to do some nice swaps. I am 7k into my 5.3 shop and I have not even bolted it in or even opened the engine up yet. Sure, some of my stuff is not must haves such as FItech efi for self tuning, ceramic coated headers and hooker stainless exhaust so it can be cheaper but that's just an example. A example of some of the costs is I paid nearly 400 for my oil pan for my 5.3, that is more than I paid for the whole engine in the first place but it is the only pan that works with the holley mounts. With all of the cool stuff on the market right now for SBCs, I am starting to with I would have done another SBC. They now have everything to do coil per cylinder ignition setups, the new TBI setups such as the holley sniper that you can get a complete kit with fuel system for 1000 shipped is awesome stuff. You can cheaply and easily turn a vortec 350 into 400hp and have EFI without going broke. Not to mention that everyone is selling off their SBC parts to do their LS swaps. Just my thoughts from a guy that swapped his first g body 25 years ago and has done both SBC and LS

 

[81cutlass]

The argument to why LS swaps work is that even though there is an upfront cost to get them running, likely something that exceeds the price of fixing the olds, buick or whatever that came out, the lead time to replace an engine when it fails is pretty low compared to building an engine.

Getting a $400 engine and paying $2000 and spending 3 months to swap it over the winter might be preferred than spending $1000 to replace the engine in it and then waiting 3 months to rebuild it ever time something wrong happens.

Although that LS swap cost $2500 upfront, $400 and a weekend its back running, vs $500-$1000+ and 3 months every time the olds/buick whatever has an issue.

There isn't a plethora of 60-70's engines around anymore, although LS stuff there is. The cost vs time is worth it for some people.

 

[Northernregal]

Early 90's vortec's are plentiful and dirt cheap. Slap a carb /intake on and an HEI. Easy swap.

 

[fleming442]

I look at it more as being different, and not jumping on a bandwagon.

 

[pontiacgp]