Cool cars for sale that ain't yours!

[xvxax]

Why is Ls1 swapping so popular? It's easy and makes cool sounds? I'm not talking about the rx7 since they're unreliable, but in general. Let's take the rx7 for example anyway. So you put an ls1 in rx7, don't you essentially now own a c5 then with a $10,000 swap inside and no air conditioning? What does it do better than the c5? Be narrower and slightly prettier? I don't get it. Is it because it's unusual?

Seems like for like $10,000 total cost (approx, once you get all the adaptation stuff out of the way, ecu, etc.), there's gotta be other cool stuff out there, I don't know. 350hp/350torx doesn't really blow my mind anymore. This is especially true in otherwise not crappy cars, like the e36. 350hp can be made lots of ways in that car for $10k, like turbo/twin screw/s54/ slight motor work on the s52. Or, you could just buy a car that does that well, like a Corvette.

[ScottyB]

i have no LS1 vehicles and i'm not a GM fanboy, so i have no dog in this fight. that said,

no current engine package makes more power, more reliably, more easily, in a lighter and smaller package and is so easy to find. many LS1's also come paired with the T-56 which offers 6 speeds, huge overdrive ratios (28mpg highway and better) and lots of power capacity. for older, smaller cars, the small size of the LS1 is a huge advantage. keep in mind also that at 350 horses the LS1 isn't even breathing heavy ...you can go much, much higher without a huge cash outlay - domestic parts are often way cheaper than import stuff. bolt ons alone will make 450hp with little driveability issues. or just get an LS2 that makes 400 to start.

i'm not sure how looking at 2 RWD chassis' can work out to "its the same thing". there's alot more going on there than them having the same engine and transmission, obviously. size differences, suspension geometry, cockpit, weight, aftermarket, etc? the corvette isn't the only decent RWD chassis out there, and it has its own faults.

sure, you can make 350hp out of those parts combos in an E36, but you're going to be pushing the engine harder than a large displacement V8 at similar power levels and the power curve won't be as flat. would a turbo S54 be cool? absolutely. but if you want to reliably make that kind of power without any hassle and still have the sky as your limit for power later down the line, it makes the LS a compelling choice.

[JPolen01]

+1 to above. Corvettes are a dime a dozen these days. They are boring to look at. Why not take the heart of the corvette and put it in something better looking?

[D_Eclipse9916]

sure, you can make 350hp out of those parts combos in an E36, but you're going to be pushing the engine harder than a large displacement V8 at similar power levels and the power curve won't be as flat. would a turbo S54 be cool? absolutely. but if you want to reliably make that kind of power without any hassle and still have the sky as your limit for power later down the line, it makes the LS a compelling choice.

Peter,

Take a ride or drive an ls1 e36. 10x better than I6, turbo motor, supercharged, or otherwise. Its everything you like about an S52 (good sound, long torque band, smooth power delivery), with about 130 more horsepower. I too wasnt a beleiver in the LS in an e36 until I rode in one, and I cant beleive how smooth effortless and OEM feeling it made it seem.

Plus, fuck turbos/superchargers, and I hate the s54 with a passion. Id rather have my s52 over an s54 everyday even with the lack of power in the s52, I hate the power delivery of the s54..

PS- A/C is easy with an LS motor in an e36.

[Goodspeed]

Why is Ls1 swapping popular so popular? It's easy and makes cool sounds? I'm not talking about the rx7 since they're unreliable, but in general. Let's take the rx7 for example anyway. So you put an ls1 in rx7, don't you essentially now own a c5 then with a $10,000 swap inside and no air conditioning? What does it do better than the c5? Be narrower and slightly prettier? I don't get it. Is it because it's unusual?

Scotty hit all the main points. Almost faultless engine thats plentiful, plus lots of chassis-eseses out there that could use more motor and the two were bound to find each other. As for the RX7, I don't know, it just works. Smaller/lighter/prettier car that begs for torque and my god it is amazing. I'm still babbling about the one time I rode in one so it must work on some ethereal level.

[Steve85]

For me it's weight and cost, you can't build an all aluminum 400hp SBC for anywhere close to what you can do with the LS based engines. I'm going with an aluminum 5.3 out of a truck that comes with LS6 heads (L33)...complete for $700. I'll put a cam in it, probably a set of manifolds from an LS7 and a few other things to get close to 400hp, and still manage close to 30mpg all for less than $2K. An aluminum SBC (Gen 1) block is at least $3800 alone. I'm looking forward to shaving about 80 pounds off the front of my car, 100+ compared to what it came with originally.

[Goodspeed]

Now you've gone and done it.

2 V8 RX7's playing around - first car and flyby <------

V8 RX7 auto'xing <-----

[Evan]

project?
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[Goodspeed]

project?
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*falls over himself as he checks bank account*



Next time, FD gods...

[Levey]

Keeping the LS1 swap action going....

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[ScottyB]

stock 5-speed S14 that isn't a pile? a little overpriced at $6500 for 130k miles, but i guess they're really that rare now. with the painted valved cover i imagine its been turned back to stock after being someone's toy. but it sure looks clean.
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[Jake]

God. I don't think I've ever seen a stock 240. Ever. Like, I didn't know what they looked like.

[BLINGMW]

with the painted valved cover i imagine its been turned back to stock after being someone's toy

good eye. And the fact that he points out that it's the "stock engine". Hmmm.....

[ScottyB]

so i guess its pretty much true, stock 240s are basically extinct

[.RJ]

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[Kaan]

Do it rj!

[TorinoCobra070]

All the LSx talk on this page almost got me all teared up.

Very nice Yellowbird.

[caa337]

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Basically 300zx with upgraded brakes(R32 R-Spec brakes), bigger intercoolers,upgraded suspension, ecu upgrade and cosmetic stuff.

[Goodspeed]

47k mile mint Chrysler Conquest (Starion) for sale in MD. $7500.

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/2801905306.html

[Dave]

Wow, good looking StarQuest there.
But damn, punctuation is truly becoming a lost art...


In other news, I bought a 94 4-dr Accord 5-spd today - it's in good shape and only 107k, which is 107 times what I paid. I'll do a little maintenance and putz around in it for a little while and then should be able to flip it for double my money.