Chevy Buggy Motors

[BamaTJ]

Those stock numbers were a lot lower than I thought, I guess I was looking at numbers after a flash. If I could find a cheap LS1 I would consider it. The one that that make me nervous is the aluminum heads and the oil starvation issues. I say Greg tear his LS1 on Rail Trail, and I think the cast iron blocks are stronger and would be more reliable. 75-80lbs is not enough to justify the $. Kelly, if you can find a 5.3 in March/April and bring it down to Gray Rock for XRRA that would be badass. Seeing the HP numbers, knowing I can add a cam and springs to add power, and the cheapness means I am gonna go 5.3. I want to have my buggy as light as possible, I think a 5.3 will be plenty

 

[cash talks]

5.3 = 285 HP
6.0/LQ4 = 300 HP
6.0 LQ9 = 345 HP
LS1 1998-1999 = 305 HP - NON SS
LS1 2000-2002 = 310 HP - NON SS
LS1 1998-1999 SS model = 325
LS1 2000-2002 SS model = 335
LS1 Corvette 1997-2002 345 HP

I consider the 5.3 to be almost equal to the performance of a VORTEC 350. Both of the 6.0 liters are good motors, but the LQ9 does pull harder and has better internals. Now comes the good stuff. The LS1 is hands down the sweetest motor made to date. These things will scream in stock form and blow the pants off of just about everything when modded. I would put a stock LS1 up against a heads, cam and intake old school V8 any day of the week. The performace of this motor is unreal. There are a few things to be carefull of though. The 97-99 LS1's have had oil pump problems and the rod bolts are weaker. The 00-02 have the upgraded pump along with the better rod bolts. The 97-01 motors also have the LS1 intake while the 01-02 have the LS6 intake. The LS6 is good for about 15 HP over the LS1 intake. All in all any of these motors a great and work well with good parts on/in them. My obvious choice would be the LS1 over any of the listed.

everything i have ever read on my LQ4 showed 315 HP

 

[blacksheep10]

and matt, you mean iron block, not iron heads. all the later ones had aluminum heads, which are the better ones. nothing to be afraid of there.

 

[blacksheep10]

everything i have ever read on my LQ4 showed 315 HP

curt's 2000 LQ4 had iron heads and was like 285/90 horse and your '03 had aluminum heads and was like 315, same as the hummers. Thats as best as I can recall anyway.

 

[BamaTJ]

OK I don't understand how an LQ4/LQ9 is different and why it is better?

 

[Marty]

LQ9's came in the caddys and I think 04 truck motors are LQ9s? Just more power stock, cant comment about internals I dont know.

 

[tonka toy]

i know alot of people at salvage yards so let me know when your ready and i will see what i can get one for

 

[YOUNG]

The LQ9 has flat top pistons, better heads(317's) and a little more compression. Those are the only difference that I am uware of.

 

[wontwork]

Go for a big block. Here is a pick of the motor I will be running whenever I get some tube bent.
502 30 over with rollers msd using the factory brain and o2s.
What I am saying Matt is why not go big?

[attachment deleted by admin]

 

[P]

Whats the weight difference between say... that 502 and a 5.3 / 5.7 / 6.0

Im curious now... laughing

 

[wontwork]

dunno Do all 5.3 have aluminum heads or just some of them?

 

[BamaTJ]

I think they all have the AL heads, so have AL blocks also I believe. I just don't want a big block, I think it would be WAY overkill for my little buggy.

 

[InDaShop]

I think they all have the AL heads, so have AL blocks also I believe. I just don't want a big block, I think it would be WAY overkill for my little buggy.

And think of the additional size of a BB. Keep it, now if you are building a Timmie style rig, well you've already got that thing stretch forward for the Rockwell Chunk, might as well go wide....LOL

Matt you need a 5.3 or 6.0. I think there were some car 5.3's that were all aluminum, and I think some '03 5.3's(dont qoute me on the last one). Also GM has started putting out more and more aluminum blocked motors to help with wieght and thus help them beat goverment MPG standards. Mike Colville was telling me about the new seats they are supposed to start putting in tahoes and suburbans. They are all aluminum, and very very thin, with recesses on the back to clear the rear passengers legs. Much more expensive than what they do now, but they save like 70lbs per seat.

 

[blacksheep10]

early 05 truck 5.3 al block. cars al 5.3. Still, stick with the iron block 5.3 from a later year and get an ls1 throttle body on the cheap to delete the fly by wire and rock out.

 

[tonka toy]

i can get a 5.3 out of a 04 tahoe for $1500 complete and this guy will throw in any little parts for free

 

[blacksheep10]

that's a decent deal at 5000 miles, at above 20K, that's a little steep for an 04 in our market up here. is that about the rate down there?

 

[tonka toy]

i have not priced anything in a long time so i am not sure but that sounds like a good price to me

 

[wngrog]

Having a mail order "FLASH" won't net more than 12-15 HP. A full dyno tune on a stock LS1 will only pick up 17-22 HP. This would only take it to maybe 350 HP. My 99 TA with a box stock LS1 laid down 303 RWHP and 313 RWTQ. My 99 VETTE laid down 330 RWHP and 342 RWTQ with a intake, headers, true duals and all the free mods. Tunes and "flashing" the computer as you call it is really for fine tuning the ruff stuff out of one. Setting the idle, the slow down and smoothing out the A/F ratio across the RPM range.

I am going by 2 things......one, what my builder is telling me (I should have a dyno sheet in April) and two, what Hot Rod Magazine did September 2007 in the article ''Building the Chevy 6.0 Smallblock'' Check out that article for the non-internal type mods that will get 390 hp ut of the 6.0 LQ4.

 

[cadpwrdyj]

I vote go big block...but i'm a bit biased. Supposedly my caddy motor if I would have but an aluminum intake on it only weighs about 40lbs more than a stock 350.

 

[wngrog]

Rockwells and Big Blocks belong together......spider 9s like Small blocks