Ls Swaped Cutlass
- Thread starter chenderson
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Your looking for an LS swapped cutlass? Why not just buy a rolling chassis and build a 5.3 for it? thats what im doing..
well im going to do one to both of my cutlass's, but im in school right now and dont have the time, nor place or space to do it myself right now. I can only do one thing at a time to my other one back home, and thats only when i get breaks at school. I jus either wanted to buy one for a reasonable price, or hav it done at a reasonable price.
No offense buddy but you have a better chance of pissing on the moon when you throw the word "reasonable price" in any of those two equations. If it were reasonably priced to do LS swaps we all would. Nonetheless Ls1 deals are few and far between, but they are around.. Couple months back ran into a brand new 0 miles ls1 create motor for 1200. Good luck
i agree ,its gonna be hard to find a reasonable priced ls swap,mostly depending on what you consider reasonable.
example: i am in the middle of replacing the 455 in my 87-442 with a lq9 6.0, not that the 455 did me wrong,it was a beast . A employee of mine did the ls swap on a fox body mustang and i was so impressed ,i wanted a "new" toy and undertook this project.
Let me throw a few prices at ya,and keep in mind i was building a street/strip car with the emphasis on strip.
low mileage lq9 from a wrecked denali---1250.00
i opted for the carb conversion for simplicity ,edelbrock conversion kit---750.00
headers -----ended up using fbody camaro and doing a little tweaking----250.00
carb--- 400.00
motor mounts-adapters---- 150.00
trans adapter plate 150.00
This ia all the basic stuff tour gonna have to have to just get started .
Alot of people do the whole engine transmission swap and go with the fuel injection and stock manifolds ect. ect. no matter whick direction you go-the dollar signs keep adding up.
I am doing just a conversion that is mainly for the strip with afew cruise nights added in and this thing has plucked my last nerve! custom grind cam kit with springs retainers ect---1000.00
electric water pump with all the braided lines and thermostat housing-800.00
this project has nickel and dimed me to death, and i installed a ac delete box and converted over to manual steering,that would be a whole nother expense with brackets and adapters if i had decided to keep the ac/pwer steering ect.
example: i am in the middle of replacing the 455 in my 87-442 with a lq9 6.0, not that the 455 did me wrong,it was a beast . A employee of mine did the ls swap on a fox body mustang and i was so impressed ,i wanted a "new" toy and undertook this project.
Let me throw a few prices at ya,and keep in mind i was building a street/strip car with the emphasis on strip.
low mileage lq9 from a wrecked denali---1250.00
i opted for the carb conversion for simplicity ,edelbrock conversion kit---750.00
headers -----ended up using fbody camaro and doing a little tweaking----250.00
carb--- 400.00
motor mounts-adapters---- 150.00
trans adapter plate 150.00
This ia all the basic stuff tour gonna have to have to just get started .
Alot of people do the whole engine transmission swap and go with the fuel injection and stock manifolds ect. ect. no matter whick direction you go-the dollar signs keep adding up.
I am doing just a conversion that is mainly for the strip with afew cruise nights added in and this thing has plucked my last nerve! custom grind cam kit with springs retainers ect---1000.00
electric water pump with all the braided lines and thermostat housing-800.00
this project has nickel and dimed me to death, and i installed a ac delete box and converted over to manual steering,that would be a whole nother expense with brackets and adapters if i had decided to keep the ac/pwer steering ect.
SX455, would like to see some pics & build info on your 442 in your picture album. With the 455 & the 6.0. What did you not like about your 455 setup? Click my pics button to see my 442 for examples.
dogshit,
I really had no isuues with the 455 setup. The 455 in the 87 had been a 10year progression that i felt had run its course,i wanted something different and the 6.0 swap caught my eye.
I bought the 87 new for my wife,the kids and real life took over and we got the proverbial "mini van" and i took over the 87.
Kids and business required me to one by one sell my "other" toys 70 442 -72 442 convertable-71 442-70 cutlass sx , but for some reason i held onto the 87,probably because it was by far the least valuabe and more suited for daily driver status.
Once we were on more stable ground with new business and family,i wanted another toy, well the muscle car explosion had happened and those cars i had sold several years earlier were now solidly out of my price range,so i opted to "hotrod " the 87.
I had unloaded a treasure drove of 455 engines,parts and misc stuff aquired over a 15 year period to a good friend,danny latimore,with the understanding he would build me a solid 455 when i got back on my feet.
danny being a man of his word,delivered a solid 455 built to the 1970 365hp 442 specs. that found its way into the car with all the accessories and manifolds--time went by and the car took on a different personality as i added headers,intake,bigger cam-trans with stall ect ect
the 455 never did me wrong,i just basically wanted something "different" ,and like i said earlier the ls swap really caught my eye when one of my employees did it to a mustang.
hopefully, it will be worth all the time,expense and effort when completed, i am starting to have my doubts! I think the "oldsmobile gods" have been punishing me for removing a perfectly good 455,because everything with this swap has turned into much more of a issue than it should be,some of course self inflicted. i wil try to figure out the picture thing.
I really had no isuues with the 455 setup. The 455 in the 87 had been a 10year progression that i felt had run its course,i wanted something different and the 6.0 swap caught my eye.
I bought the 87 new for my wife,the kids and real life took over and we got the proverbial "mini van" and i took over the 87.
Kids and business required me to one by one sell my "other" toys 70 442 -72 442 convertable-71 442-70 cutlass sx , but for some reason i held onto the 87,probably because it was by far the least valuabe and more suited for daily driver status.
Once we were on more stable ground with new business and family,i wanted another toy, well the muscle car explosion had happened and those cars i had sold several years earlier were now solidly out of my price range,so i opted to "hotrod " the 87.
I had unloaded a treasure drove of 455 engines,parts and misc stuff aquired over a 15 year period to a good friend,danny latimore,with the understanding he would build me a solid 455 when i got back on my feet.
danny being a man of his word,delivered a solid 455 built to the 1970 365hp 442 specs. that found its way into the car with all the accessories and manifolds--time went by and the car took on a different personality as i added headers,intake,bigger cam-trans with stall ect ect
the 455 never did me wrong,i just basically wanted something "different" ,and like i said earlier the ls swap really caught my eye when one of my employees did it to a mustang.
hopefully, it will be worth all the time,expense and effort when completed, i am starting to have my doubts! I think the "oldsmobile gods" have been punishing me for removing a perfectly good 455,because everything with this swap has turned into much more of a issue than it should be,some of course self inflicted. i wil try to figure out the picture thing.
Wow we chewed a lot of the same dirt. Wife kids business minivans. I bought my 87 GN new but had a hard time at that time deciding between it and the 442. Love my GN but always wanted a big block car also. So I eventually bought a Cutlass to put a 455 in. My buddy had a guy that he wrenched with that was moving to take another job and had a good running motor from a derby car to get rid of for the price of; "Come get it, I can't take it to the apartment I'm moving to". It turned out to be a Cadillac 500 instead of an Olds 455. After a lady pulled out in front of me bending my frame I ran across a 442 for cheap. So I saved it and moved the 509 I built over to the 442. No cutting no welding the vin 9 could go back in.
I knew I didn't have the time & skill to successfully compete in drag racing and was far enough down the hot rod path that I knew I didn't want an 8 mpg overheating gear bound race gas belching slicks & skinneys build that sits on a trailer. I learned its more difficult to get good advice on building a reliable semi efficient mid 11 street car that you can jump in and drive out of state than a low ten second race car. But I did it. In fact two; the GN with methanol injection and the 442 with good machine work, a 10-1 509, reasonable cam, Q-jet, overdrive, and a lock-up converter. I sold the 442 due to divorce and miss it as it was so much fun to drive was different and I built it. But have considered buying another G and doing a turbo 4.8 ls.
Anyway I asked about the 455 because I think most people build em with the rest of their car wrong for what they really want and need. We picture ourselves driving it enjoying it beating any challengers loving life. Not scraping to buy fuel sitting in your garage broken again with the wife bitchen about it and you. Most people still build old skool motored cars as they did in the 60s & 70s but we don't live their anymore. The LS series mod motors & Hemis in older muscle car including built g-bodys are great but I wish more people could get good info and input on how to build old skool g-bodys hot rods that actually achieve their real goals combing newer technology & upgrades. Hot rod builders still think they are going to put miles on that race carbed singled planed 3 speed high stall over geared car they are building.
I knew I didn't have the time & skill to successfully compete in drag racing and was far enough down the hot rod path that I knew I didn't want an 8 mpg overheating gear bound race gas belching slicks & skinneys build that sits on a trailer. I learned its more difficult to get good advice on building a reliable semi efficient mid 11 street car that you can jump in and drive out of state than a low ten second race car. But I did it. In fact two; the GN with methanol injection and the 442 with good machine work, a 10-1 509, reasonable cam, Q-jet, overdrive, and a lock-up converter. I sold the 442 due to divorce and miss it as it was so much fun to drive was different and I built it. But have considered buying another G and doing a turbo 4.8 ls.
Anyway I asked about the 455 because I think most people build em with the rest of their car wrong for what they really want and need. We picture ourselves driving it enjoying it beating any challengers loving life. Not scraping to buy fuel sitting in your garage broken again with the wife bitchen about it and you. Most people still build old skool motored cars as they did in the 60s & 70s but we don't live their anymore. The LS series mod motors & Hemis in older muscle car including built g-bodys are great but I wish more people could get good info and input on how to build old skool g-bodys hot rods that actually achieve their real goals combing newer technology & upgrades. Hot rod builders still think they are going to put miles on that race carbed singled planed 3 speed high stall over geared car they are building.
without knowing more info hard to even respond to this thread, i didnt know if he was looking for one stolen, or what, to vague... anyhow, for others reading too...sx455 said:
the 6.0 (or even a 6.2 which I love) is an awesome motor...
but you can also get, with budget in mind and some performance:
2003ish 5.3 $500, with pcm and harness and good mileage
sell the accessories off it (complete intake, ps/brackets, etc) -$200
total for motor $300
buy ls1/6 intake, with rails/injectors and injector pigtails, which you will need to change on your truck harness $200
LS1 (98-02 front accessories), if no ac, power steering pump/brackets, alt. brackets, water pump, idler, tensioner, balancer $300
LS6 yellow springs (brand new) $56
LS6 cam (5308) 150-200 depending on how patient you are
fuel system (wix filter, walbro inline pump, an fittings, hose, inlc braided etc.) from tank to rail $300
motor mount kit (set back) $70
adapter flexplate with longer screws for 700r/350 (or old style non electric) transmission $53
re work your own harness, NO COST and easy to do
nice fuse box and relay set up $100 (current performance can do this for much less though
computer reflashed $75 incl return shipping
brand new stock replacement aluminum radiator with provisions for steam holes $112
labor, do it yourself, cost of beers/liquid encouragement $100
36" lokar throttle cable $50
bto tv cable $150
net roughly=$2066
anything I missed, ask and ill add estimated price, or ill go back later and add, when i remember, but those are the basics
and that ls6 cam is a beast for the price, used roller cams usually stay in great shape and dont wear bad if at all with low mileage
cheaper than going carb (if you have the intake and injectors to began with) and inj is super easy to get to work
doing tons of research will save you tons of money and will be done right... I have done several of these swaps with my bro and am currently doing something with my project (a little less budget oriented though), so there are may people willing to help
$2066 isnt bad for a motor that will out perform a 350, it would cost more to rebuild a decent running 355, trust me. and there is money to be cut there too... but for a decent proj not bad... take off that ls1 intake/ls6 cam/springs/ etc. and it will be cheaper, the stock truck intake out performs the ls1 anyway... but may have hood clearance issues, if using a induction hood, like the one I have for sale, you dont have to do anything with the motor or accessories...
depending on how much you do yourself and what you know, it can be done for a reasonable price... as sx455 said, depends on your definition...ElkyHolik87 said:
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