Am I the only one who is tired of LS swaps?
- Thread starter MrSony
- Start date
- Status
Up until 1980 you Could've gotten a 350 Buick in a Regal. Was it a G Body? No. But close enough. Buick in Buick. Easy as pie. Easier than Chevy in Buick or vice versa unless you have 100% of the parts needed already.
Hmmm. Tired of LS swaps? Hold on tight.....they have just begun gaining in popularity. Not many guys in my area doing it but hoards of people on line see the value. Personally, I could give rats a$$ what people think about an LS in my car. While the 3 Olds builds I've done on my car have been fun, my next step to fuel injection and 500hp to the wheels would have cost me twice that with an Oldsmobile vs LS. The first Olds rocket was revolutionary when introduced in 1949. Old school v8's designs are all very similar and haven't changed much in the last 65 years......boring. The modern LS platform wins because it offers things like factory aluminum blocks, state of the art head design, VVT timing, fuel injection and a factory ECM that can be easily modded. I still like seeing purist builds with Olds motors in an Olds but Technology is what drives me. I will see you at the gas pump and at the track.
Well there is no denying that LS engines are far superior to their old school counterparts, but I don't think that is the discussion. I think a lot of guys (not necessarily myself) are a little upset that not many people are still building old motors. Everyone goes straight to the LS platform, and it becomes a little boring seeing LS after LS after LS. Not a lot of crazy swaps, or crazy builds on older engines anymore, at least not as much as there used to be. Anymore if you go any buy a 400 horsepower blueprint 383 and put it in, it's just a placeholder engine for an LS. No one wants to mod that engine for power.
At least the LS is still an engine made by GM, imagine how the poor Mustang owners must feel since guys have been swapping in Gen 1 SBC's for years and now LS engines in their favorite Fords.
I think more people ask questions about swapping Ls engines into g-bodies than other engines because they never came with an Ls, and g-bodies are lower budget cars than older muscle cars, lower cost of entry. People are doing the swaps themselves and not wanting to pay the premium prices for swap items. So they are asking around to try to find answers on doing things cheaper and easier.
I don't often see Ls swaps in person except for obvious professional jobs, in cars that have been in magazine features like this one
http://www.superchevy.com/features/sucp-0811-revamped-1961-impala-zo6/
I saw this car at a Quaker steak & lube locally. Most local muscle cars have close to original engines, maybe some dress up items under the hood. If you see a non-original engine, it is usually either a zz502 or 572 crate engine in a classic Chevelle, Camaro, Corvette, or Nova.
I think a lot of old school car guys got burnt out on working on cars as well. You can go out and buy something brand new with a warranty that is more powerful and more comfortable than any of the old cars. My dad got like that. And the prices they want for clapped out classics doesn't help matters either.
What is the definition of a crazy swap? Huge cubic inches? High dollar exotic race stuff? Something from a different manufacturer? Forced induction? Tough to pull off in inexpensive cars that need extensive mods; frame,drivetrain,brakes, and suspension, to handle that power within the budget of most of the g-body crowd.
I don't often see Ls swaps in person except for obvious professional jobs, in cars that have been in magazine features like this one
http://www.superchevy.com/features/sucp-0811-revamped-1961-impala-zo6/
I saw this car at a Quaker steak & lube locally. Most local muscle cars have close to original engines, maybe some dress up items under the hood. If you see a non-original engine, it is usually either a zz502 or 572 crate engine in a classic Chevelle, Camaro, Corvette, or Nova.
I think a lot of old school car guys got burnt out on working on cars as well. You can go out and buy something brand new with a warranty that is more powerful and more comfortable than any of the old cars. My dad got like that. And the prices they want for clapped out classics doesn't help matters either.
What is the definition of a crazy swap? Huge cubic inches? High dollar exotic race stuff? Something from a different manufacturer? Forced induction? Tough to pull off in inexpensive cars that need extensive mods; frame,drivetrain,brakes, and suspension, to handle that power within the budget of most of the g-body crowd.
Absolute sacriliege lol. There are a few fox body swap guys on LS1tech and they rub it in. Since the LS engine is what GM would be putting in a 2016 Oldsmobile 442 I have no issues with it.
Last edited:
That's me! I remember when I couldn't wait to install new parts. That was when I had time to waste. Now I have little time, even less patience, and no tolerance for bullshit.
- Status
