Things I'd do different if I did another LT1 swap

A

Anonymous

Guest
I find myself now holding a wrecked '96 Caprice. I has LT1 and 4L60E that was just rebuilt. The engine has miles, but I know the history. It was not using oil.

My car has a smogged 350 in place of the smoogged 305 it came with. The transmission is now a TH350 with lock-up. My car is no longer subject to emissions testing. I recently talked to the fellow who put my engine together. He told me it's an easy 300+ HP if I get air in and out of it. I'll need an intake, carb, distributor, and dual exhaust. I'll also need a way to control the lock-up once I lose the computer.

I've been driving a Malibu wagon for more years than I can remember. I'm likely to keep it. What do I do with it? Do I get what's in there to run, or swap to the modern LT1/4L60E? I'd like to have an idea what the cost difference is. I'm clueless on the LT1 swap other than what I read in Car Craft.

As a side note, I travel full time on my job. It may require me to farm out some of the work.
 

jthawk71

Member
Thread starter
Mar 9, 2008
8
0
0
Fontana Ca
Lets see costs... its a tough one to answer because there are fabricator guys and farm it out guys but since you said farm it out in your post Ill assume your the later Ill forget something Im sure but here goes,and oh it sure helps that you have the donor car, 1. Fuel sys about $1000(rock valley tank a/n lines rear exit kit)
2. air cleaner assy $100(jtr tubes and elbows)
3. wiring $900 ( using painless and making up c/f relays)
4. cooling $800 (use a fbody be cool, used twin fans new hoses)
5. crossmember, d/shaft $400(shorten d shaft,new crossmember)
6. exhaust $300
7. throttle cable $70
8. p/s $100 (a/n fittings hoses adapters using imp res.
9. crap I forgot and do dads + $2000
man thats over 5k thats sounds high, but there it is, the cool factor is way worth it tho. If it were me and I had the donor car I would do everything I could to keep cost down using everything I could from the imp, I explained that in the thread. Man was it worth it lt1 is a great motor It just plain hauls A$$ I would and will do it again.
 

Doober

Moderator
Jun 2, 2003
14,704
1
38
Catalina, AZ
www.cardomain.com
jetmechmarty said:
I find myself now holding a wrecked '96 Caprice. I has LT1 and 4L60E that was just rebuilt. The engine has miles, but I know the history. It was not using oil.

My car has a smogged 350 in place of the smoogged 305 it came with. The transmission is now a TH350 with lock-up. My car is no longer subject to emissions testing. I recently talked to the fellow who put my engine together. He told me it's an easy 300+ HP if I get air in and out of it. I'll need an intake, carb, distributor, and dual exhaust. I'll also need a way to control the lock-up once I lose the computer.

I've been driving a Malibu wagon for more years than I can remember. I'm likely to keep it. What do I do with it? Do I get what's in there to run, or swap to the modern LT1/4L60E? I'd like to have an idea what the cost difference is. I'm clueless on the LT1 swap other than what I read in Car Craft.

As a side note, I travel full time on my job. It may require me to farm out some of the work.

If you want to keep it fairly simple (i.e. don't want to deal with wiring/computer), you can go with a carbureted LT1 intake and non-computer-controlled HEI distributor, and get a controller for the trans. I don't believe the LT1s had a pad for a fuel pump rod (at the very least it wasn't drilled), so you'd have to go with an electric pump, still fairly minor in the long run if you choose to go with an external pump. The intake isn't cheap, but if you plan to have all the work done, it would be quite a bit cheaper than having all the wiring, etc. done.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-24502592/?image=large

Far as the trans controller goes, it looks like they start in the $600s... also pricey but should be fairly plug & play as opposed to having the work done. You can get a crossmember to fit a 700R4, and of course have a driveshaft built to match.
 

stss95

New Member
Jul 25, 2007
2
0
0
IL
I have been thinking of doing an lt1 swap myself on my 86 regal.... i was thinking of getting a stock grand national gas tank and then just running some regular fuel lines.... couldnt you use the stock line going to the carb for the inlet and then just run a return line?

$900 for the wiring harness seems a bit high i would try and use the stock harness and modify it a bit.

i plan on buying a complete caprice or roadmaster and pulling everything. i am not worried about the AC so i thought i read before you can just run a delete pulley and not worry about notching the frame or anything.

are there any good write-ups out there on the swap?
 

jrdrag

Amateur Racer
Feb 8, 2007
182
0
0
Rochester, NY
I see no problem in using the factory steel line. They are rated to way more pressure than EFI will produce. I would only worry about any rubber lines in the system.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
What would be the advantage of using the LT1 if I was going to put a carburetor on it? I'm asking assuming the engine that's in the car can make plenty of power. I'm assuming that if I did the swap, and did it right, I'd have a more user friendly car with fuel injection. True?

Opinions welcome.
 

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