[weister1]

Well I passed on the motor and it's gone-no turning back-at least on this motor. I passed not because of any one comment but because I want to do a little more homework. The guy helping me with this project is an excellent mechanic that works for a chevy dealership so resources are reasonably plentiful. Let me pose a few other ideas-now I realize a lot of people snub there nose at a small block in a SS-but I want the advantages that an LT1 or LS1 give-soooooooooo-what ideas do guys have should I purchase a late model (89-93) 454 with a throttle body????? I priced injection systems for my original LS5 they're starting over 3k just a throttle body (holley) is 1700.00. How healthy can a throttle bodied 454 be built? Are there any realistically priced TPI systems for big blocks? I'm not going to race this car, (very much), but I don't want to get smoked by one those small blocks we're all thumbing our nose at either.

I'm back to the drawing board!!!!!!!!!!

I would really prefer to leave the original LS5 sitting in the garage and run another motor, but want some of today's ammenities! Somebody please throw me a line! Right now nothing is ruled out-no matter how crazy an idea let me know-you guys are more creative than me-what are thinking?

Thanks for taking the time to give your input and helping with my project--ALL--of you have been very helpful-even you guys who called me crazy-you made me look at things from a different perspective
Thanks again-
Dave

 

[68Malibu Blown 406]

If your gonna buy TBI inj, I wouldnt waste the money, put a carb on it.

If you are willing to go TPI, try looking into

Electromotive
Haltech
Accel
Arizona Speed And Marine

 

[Clint44]

Or pick you up a 96 or later Vortec 454 out of a Suburban or Dualie. With roller hydraulic cam,sequential port injection,and Vortec heads,they make around 300hp and 450ft/lbs of torque. That's what is going in my wife's 91 Chevy ext.cab truck when the 350 w/TBI ever wears out.(196K miles and still going strong)
Clint

 

[David Nafarrete]

I say forget the TBI motors. Clint has an idea that is worth looking into with the 96+ motors.

 

[Wally]

Dave, take it from one who owns a highly modified SS454, one of those engines you are talking about. In stock form they are not very impressive, the LT-1 is a better choice.

Hurting the original motor looks to me to be your main concern and adding a little more driveablity. If a rat is the look you are after you have lots of options. For the money you are talking about, you could build a nice 396 and plug it in complete. A 325 horse or 350 horse bullet is a nice street motor, easy to build, parts are all over the place, and would cost far less dollars than your other plans.

They run nice, get OK gas mileage and your wife could drive the car.

Yep, that would be me, a nice 396 with a Qjet on top, motor around on those little primaries, then kick it in the butt and dump those big narly secondary ports.

One other thing, don't worry about what other people think of "YOUR" car! Next time someone pulls the BS on you ask them where they parked their orginal SS car. Or do like I do tell them to rotate! When they pay the bills they can call the shots, until then rotate!



------------------
Wally
Gold #67
67 Malibu "Small Block"
90 SS454
71 Malibu "Small Block"
93 torch red vette

 

[weister1]

Clint, the specs you give is this for vortec 350 or 454? I sold my 97 suburban recently with a 350 and it reasonably healthy for the amount of weight it was pulling.
thanks
dave

 

[mild68ss]

i can see your interest in a late model fuel injected ride. i have a lt1 impala.
great drivability, very responsive and good mpg's.
i also have a 68 ss396 with the original 396.the car is restored and has nice options. ac,pw,tilt,blah blah etc. it's no rocketship and i drive it often. 13 mpg's on highway trips. i can understand your concern to save the motor and go with fuel injection,even on a small block.
to a few quick points.
do you really want to modify a real ls 5 car?
are you still doing a body off? getting it finished may be the first concern.
after it's all done and over with and your going to be driving that fuel injected chevelle would the chances be that the original motor wouldn't have lasted or some idiot wipes out the original body. then you have an ls5 motor with no car.
if you have a budget $3500 is great to have for restoration or extra gas money.
i'm certainly not trying to discourage you from doing anything you want to do. remember it's you car. if it's original
value you are after keep it that way.
good luck

 

[tom3]

Might look into Holley fuel injection for this. Not a good setup to start, but they've undated this into a pretty good system from what I read and hear. www.holley.com will get you started. Something to think about anyway. tom

 

[weister1]

I also own a car I don't know how many of you are familiar with, (I hadn't heard of one until a friend told me-their were not many made), a 1989 Turbo Trans Am. It looks just like an 89 GTA-but has a 6 cylinder-that's right! It runs high 12's low 13's stock! Really, I'm sure you've all heard of the Grand National's well this has an updated version of this motor-also the last version. On the hwy I get 20+ mpg-but I can still hotrod it a LOT and get 18 overall----maybe I'm hoping for too much out of my 70SS-after all of the discussion we've had I'm wondering If I should put the original motor back in and respect the car for what it is; afterall it's 30 year old technology?!
Thanks
Dave