Thoughts on a LS1 complete drop in swap-any better bang for the buck?

[Wraith]

I have a running total on mine so far, I can total it up, the few missing pieces could be added.

 

[street sweeper]

Has anyone on this forum, or any g-body builds period, done a comprehensive, line by line cost/labor analysis of an LS swap?

And I mean...EVERYTHING. I'd like to see the cost of new everything (except the engine) to get an LS in and working correctly, even the tune.

Problem is skill, knowledge, thifty-ness, patience, level of quality all go into that.

If you find a suitable donor vehicle you can retrofit numerous things to work that would save you from buying new. Plus the people you know or the places to look will have a massive effect on prices.

 

[Wraith]

$1604.01 so far in support for the swap. Last car we swapped cost $550 for the custom dyno tune. I reworked my harness myself, last one we paid to have reworked was $275.

Fuel Filter/regulator GM Speedway $34.99
GN Fuel Tank Spectra Rock Auto $146.79
GN Fuel Sending unit/pump Racetronix $189.99
Upper Trans Cooler Line GM Rock Auto $18.53
Lower Trans Cooler Line GM Rock Auto $16.76
AutoKraft Oil Pan AutoKraft $500.00
Hooker LS1 Manifolds Speedway $300.00
Hooker Engine Mounts Hooker $150.00
Hooker Transmission Crossmember Hooker $150.00
Prothane Trans Mount $21.95
LT1 Swap ECU Emmisons removal $75.00

 

[gbodytoys]

Problem is skill, knowledge, thifty-ness, patience, level of quality all go into that.

If you find a suitable donor vehicle you can retrofit numerous things to work that would save you from buying new. Plus the people you know or the places to look will have a massive effect on prices.

that's the part that I wanted to get around. I'd want to see the type of lists that somebody who could simply do with nuts and bolts skill. No fabrication, no reworking of harnesses, no cutting this piece and welding that piece, no special discounts and searching the junkyard, etc...

Someone like me, who doesn't know crap, but I know how to order parts (new parts as cheap as possible) and I can take off some parts and replace them with something else. I'm not in the market to do this, but I think it could be useful for someone out there.

 

[fleming442]

That's easy: the less you can do, the more you pay.

 

[motorheadmike]

Has anyone on this forum, or any g-body builds period, done a comprehensive, line by line cost/labor analysis of an LS swap?

And I mean...EVERYTHING. I'd like to see the cost of new everything (except the engine) to get an LS in and working correctly, even the tune.

No - because that would be evidence used against me in my divorce proceedings.

 

[Wraith]

that's the part that I wanted to get around. I'd want to see the type of lists that somebody who could simply do with nuts and bolts skill. No fabrication, no reworking of harnesses, no cutting this piece and welding that piece, no special discounts and searching the junkyard, etc...

Someone like me, who doesn't know crap, but I know how to order parts (new parts as cheap as possible) and I can take off some parts and replace them with something else. I'm not in the market to do this, but I think it could be useful for someone out there.

Buddy that did one in his Volvo 2 series wagon had $5500 all in when it was done and driving. The car was fuel injected so nothing was spent on the tank/pump but he counted everything else plus he did all the work himself. He had $1500 in just for the engine/trans/harness pulled from a running truck in a yard, everything else was support parts.

LS swaps aren't cheap, they will nickle and dime you to death if done right. Cheapest LS swap would be to go carbureted and stick with a stock transmission as you reuse most of what you have.

 

[olds307 and 403]

The later 6L and a 4L80E or 6 spd auto, look in 3/4 ton Van's and 2wd trucks, much better than the no bottom end torque 5.3 and the crappy 4L70E.

 

[Wraith]

Stock, untouched, 03' LM7/4L60E, Hooker cast manifolds, dual 2.5 back to single 3" and Borla muffler dyno tuned by SNL Performance.

278whp/318wtq

 

[Texas82GP]

The 5.3 with cam and headers and the 4L70E with Circle D converter, Vette servo and Transgo shift kit feel pretty good in my 08 regular cab short bed Sierra. I think it would feel pretty good in a G-Body, which is much lighter than my truck.