Deliver me from temptation - LS1 swap

Edelbrock makes a plug in kit. With the manifold the whole kit is about $750.

 

That is a great thought but the turbo V-6s don't get very good gas mileage at all. I had 2 87 Grand Nationals and they got about 14mpg on average for me.

A low compression V-6 hauling around 3800 pounds really doesn't work out very well. My experience has taught me that if you want good fuel economy, the more compression the better.

 

My GN gets awesome gas mileage. Only when my foot isn't on the floor. :TU:

 

I would like to kid myself that a nice dual exhaust sound is all I need for a cruiser, but I know that just isn't gonna work for me. I have had just too many fast cars. It is in my blood.

I won't kid you in thinking that I will feel the slightest bit of guilt about modifying such a pristine car. It is not a GS or anything rare or valuable. It is a plain Jane lark. So, for me, that just means that it will be that much less work and that much nicer finished project.

 

As a fellow GN owner, I don't have to tell you that keeping your foot out of them is nearly impossible. That magic carpet thrust the the turbo regals produce is just plain addictive. If they had the V-8 sound that I love so much, I would still own one. I just never got used to that tractor exhaust sound.

 

It is extremely tough, especially when somebody pulls up in a honda revving it thinking they are cool. I usually give into the temptation.

 

I have to do something about the "drone" in mine (86 GN) it drives me nuts especially with the windows up. Of course it is right at 55-65 MPH cruise. I here there is an add on cross flow muffler that works very well to take out the noise and makes it whisper quiet. I can take quiet! I have 3" Flowmasters on my GS and the V6 drone is much more annoying than the hugely loud Flowmasters. Peace, Mike D.

 

The first question you need to answer is what you are going to do with the car. If your going for all out performance, or just building a cruiser. You can slam together a 455 with a big cam and turn heads cheap. If your looking for quotes for a 455 build its going to be more than your LS1 swap. Your not comparing apples to apples. To qoute you," In my heart of hearts, I would rather have the 455", that answers your question dont you think. For the record, I like any Buick no matter what engine it has in it. This is a Buick forum so your gonna get some flack! Now I'll get back to cutting up my rust free GN! :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :TU:

 

I am not sure what "slam together" means for you. But to me this means finding an old used motor and doing a re-ring, gasket job and hot cam. That would be just dandy if there were lots of low mile used motors around.

We all know that those days are over. These motors are 35 years out of production. All that is around are 100k + milers, most of which have been sitting in less than ideal conditions for years.

I am not saying that type of build is not physically possible. If I had no clue about engines and machine work and did not know what happens to these tired old motors as the miles pile up I might entertain that idea. But, I know how it goes and what you would have when you are done.

You start with a motor with a huge lip on the cylinders, bad valve guides, hammered seats, out of spec connecting rod bores and sometimes stretched main saddles. If you can cobble it all together without vomiting, you end up with an oil burning, leaky cylindered, low oil pressure sad excuse that has so much blow by you need an oil catcher and a muffler on the valve cover breather.

I just can't do that. I have too many years of experience and truthfully, too high standards to have something like that in my car. I would lay awake at night wondering when it was gonna spin a rod bearing or how much power I was missing out on.

 

Well alright then..... Goodluck with your car.

 

leave the 300 in it for now and drive it around and still enjoy it. in the meantime your saving up a little :dollar: and build a 455.

Cody

 

You know, I just may do that for a little while. We shall see if my patience is better in my 40s than it was in my 20s.

I can do the paint, rear, tranny and disc brakes first then see how the 300" drives with 3.73 gears and an OD trans. It might keep me amused for a while.

 

If you really want to put the LS1 in it, you should not go the hybrid way with putting a carb on ....
I think there are only 2 ways:
#1: nice 455 build, keep it 100% Buick
#2: LS1 with taking advantage of all its technologie (keep the injection ...)

LSX engines are excellent motors. I put a kenne bell blower on my dads C5 corvette. The bottom end of those engines is (nearly) bullet proof.
But if it was my car, I would go for a 455 with OD tranny.

If you would need a new heart (I hope you never will), would you like to get a human heart from a good organ donation? Or would you accept to wake up and the doctor tells you "we took the cheaper way, but will work out fine for you. It came out of a pig."
Im sure you Buick wants to return as a Buick

 

buy a 1970 455 from a yard or someone selling one online say $500 used, freshin it up, $500 for cam and springs, and $350 for nitrous kit and you'll have more than 500rwhp all day long for even cheaper.

 

I don't know what your salvage yards look like in Ohio, but around here they do not even keep parts for cars older than 90. Everything else goes straight to the crusher as obsolete. As for finding a donor car, 90k would be considered extremely low miles if you can find one at all.

I don't think there is any "freshening up" a 100k mile motor. Most times you are lucky if a .030 overbore is enough to clean up the cylinders. Throw in some worn out guides, hammered exhaust seats and out of spec connecting rods and you are headed for the machine shop for the whole nine yards.

Unless I am missing a hidden cache of old Buicks somewhere, it seems to me the budget swap days are just a memory.

 

Just got home from the Power tour and I gotta tell ya, the LS motors ARE the new sbc. They are in everything. I don't know about others but I built a buick to be different and that doesn't mean putting a belly button motor in it. Just my 2 cents.

 

I have to agree with this. If you go LS1 you have to keep the FI otherwise it seems pointless IMHO. Find a wreck/pullout and use everything, engine, OD tranny, computer, etc.. Its not as hard as you think, and once you get that perfect start every time, great mileage, great power, super easy to tune you won't look back. Plus lighter as well so handling improves too (even iron blocks).

Truck engines are plentiful, robust and same basic design without having to pay a premium for that aluminum block. The 5.3 in my 07 Sierra is an impressive engine for its size and what it is lugging around.

They are reliable, parts are plentiful so long trips are not an issue (try to find 455 parts in a small town if you need something), and 99% of the time you are driving and hood is closed and nobody knows what is in there anyway.

All depends what you want.

 

I can tell you this (and I own both LSX & 455 powered Buicks) No matter what you build you will not make EVERYONE happy. I say build what makes YOU happy. You'll be the one driving it!

Most of us Hot Rodders swap out parts in some way shape or form - so unless your car is 100% factory stock we should be carefull what we say. I bet there are alot of guys out there running chevy 12 bolts. That seems to be ok though! Just something to think about.

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I figure since my car never came with a 455, it does not "belong" in there any more than the LQ9. If V-8 RWD Skylarks were built right now, the new corporate V-8 motor is what would be in there anyway. In fact, a couple of the Buick SUVs came with the new vortec V-8s. So why not?

Aluminum heads that flow nearly 260 CFM and are easily ported to over 300 CFM, hydraulic roller, 10:1, safe to 7000 RPM and an easy 450hp with just a cam and valve springs. Oh yeah, and a nearly endless supply of them in salvage yards for about $1000. Kind of like the old days with 455s. Sounds pretty compelling to me.

 

It has begun.......