LS vs old school Opinions

[swampratt]

I do like the hot rods and LS or old school small blocks or big blocks thrill me as long as they can deliver the goods.

My old school heavy car with a 350 has bowl ported 305 heads and 268H cam 1.84-1.50 valves RPM intake and 750 carb. Iron ex manifolds Ported.
It ran a best of 14.1 so far.
I have 2 buddies with trucks that are within a couple hundred pounds of my vehicle one with a 5.3 with a different cam and LS6 springs with a tuned Holley injection system on it and another with an Escalade 6.0 with RPM intake and 750 carb .. both have headers and big short exhaust.

I have 2.25" exhaust and full length out over the rear end.
From a dead stop I will win in the 1/4 race.
From a roll the 6.0 will pass me at 100 MPH the tuned cammed 5.3 will get me by 2 lengths by 90 MPH.

Man the LS with it's aftermarket support is looking really good.
BUT I just really like my old school stuff.. I am way down on power compared to these guys.
But that is peak power.. I do not know about average.
A few more tiny tweaks and I will be in the game but I trump them in the MPG department.
My buddies 6.0 gets 9 MPG and I get 17-18

The tuned 5.3 made 330 HP at the wheels my 305 headed plugged up 350 made 247 at the wheels.
Fun stuff.
What do you guys like??

 

[FRISKY]

Unshroud some bigger valves, headers, torque converter (if auto) and you will be in the hunt from 2000 to a max of about 5000 RPMs...

 

[doctorjj]

I’m new school all the way. Good 350 cores are harder to come by. 5.3’s are cheap and everywhere.

 

[zghorner]

torque converter, trans, rear end gear ratio??? you know better than I do that theirs more to winning a drag race than HP/TQ.

to me the LS stuff really shines once you get into turbos. Lots of guys with cheap Chinese on3 turbo kits hauling serious butt. the LS motors handle big power well with minimum mods...injectors, valve springs, MAYBE a cam if you want to get fancy, fuel pump and regulator, maybe an intake if the stock one is too tall. Convert to e85 and go make reliable 700hp. If the motor blows go yank another 5.3 out of a truck and swap your parts on and do it again.

The issue I ran into is that YES what I said above is the reality...big power is not much of a challenge out of LS motors...but the other stuff will eat you up: tranny to handle it (I would want a 4L80E), torque converter, stout rear end with good enough axles, brakes that will slow you down in a hurry, etc...

 

[Buzzgun]

I recently put a 2002 LS1 and T56 in my '68 camaro, debated long and hard about building another old school small block, but the injected LS won out. With 4.11 gears and a 26" tall tire, it turns 2000 rpm at 75mph in 6th gear. I have a vette geared the same way with the same final drive ratio and it gets 26 mpg at 75 mph with the A/C on......no way you will do that with an old school sbc.

 

[elwoodtrix]

lead me to a cheap 5.3!

 

[918evo]

Look around on craigslist and salvages. I have sold a few of them for $500 on craigslist, and just sold an iron block/iron heads 6.0 for $900 with wiring and ecm.

 

[KOPBET]

Mine's an LS4. Not so great, but hey, not everyone has a 454.

 

[swampratt]

Yea I am old school on prices also.
I would not give you 500 for the entire vehicle with a 5.3 in it.. unless i could flip said vehicle.
Last year I had a truck given to me with a 5.3 yes it ran and drove fine and had less than 200,000 miles on it but not my cup of tea and I sold it.
I thought about the engine swap .. but the way the heater tubes come out and the lack of mechanical fuel pump were a turn off for me.

I have put oldsmobile engines in trucks and buicks into fords and fords into a chevy and chevy into dodges.. so swapping is a non issue.. just something about the LS for now is a turn off for me.
I suppose if it had a carb intake on it already and mechanical pump and was like 125 complete for a core it might be more appealing.
I have bought drove home many cars for 75 bucks and suppose i still live in that era in my mind.

 

[SPDguns]

Tough question. I have a 6.0 in my truck and an LSA in my car. Nothing beats performance and drivability like a modern tuned FI , but I miss the morning cold startup smell of an old school carbureted V8 running a hair rich.