Wow... I didn't think there was room in an LS1 block to get 455ci.

Is there?

Most of your post (#6) seems to have good intentions, but it looks like you've spent most of that four years of research wasting your time, or not asking enough questions of the right people.

I don't think $10,000 is enough to do it right, unless you're going the junkyard route, and good luck with that.

If you're buying things new and paying to have your machining done, but doing all of the installation yourself, I think you're looking at more like $15,000 at a minimum to build yourself a reliable car that can handle that engine. You could certainly pay more. And that's assuming that you already have all of the tools, including a lift, an engine hoist, and the zillions of other things you're going to need, as well as the skills to do it all.

Just a reality check. If you're going to go through with this, more power to you (pun intended). I just want you going along thinking that this project has a four-figure price tag.

 

When you say that a 455 has retro value, are you saying that you think having 455ci would increase the market value of your car, or are you just saying it would be cool to have a 455 Trans Am, because they had them back then?

Because if it's the second one, you know, it'd be just as cool to put 455 stickers on the car and set the displacement at something a little more common (which will lower the price on a lot of the engine work since you won't need so many custom-made parts).

 

What kit is cheaper adn just as good?

3.73' as opposed to the 4.10's

I believe it the aluminum drive shaft thats in that kit..........could be wrong on this one........i will check tonight when i get home

its just a faster grip kevlar clutch nothing special

I realize the strengh of steel but my whole idea was to make the car as light as possible hence the aluminium fork..maybe a bad idea

Vented flywheel to decrease weight again

not ghetto fab lowered but a lower suspension to decrease loss of traction on launch........and for a meaner stance on the car

thanks for agreeing with the brakes maybe im not crazy after all.......

What i am going to do is sure up the suspension and rear, then make the car as light as possible, then build up the motor. I would like to use light weight parts through out the build up but i can see the problems impossed by strenght limitations. I could use some opinions on what i can get away with being light weight and what i need to ensure is steel and heavy duty. Like crakshaft........i was going to get a drilled/lightened crankshaft......do or don't

I realize the common start off for most people is start with simple 5 min mods. i have help a friend mod his lt1 and i am familiar, alittle with modding the easy ones, i am just trying to have my ducks in line for when i start to get serious about the engine..........

Please understand i plan to start off slow with simple suspension upgrades and will slowly move into extracting more power from the engine.

That said i need help knowing what kinda what are do's and don't for a large cube small block built up.........especially with an aluminum block and heads

Thanks again

 

some thoughts...

1le was a option that included things like suspension, steering, brakes, and accessory deletes....depending on which year 1le option you are talking about.

3rd gens had the brake upgrades, 4th gens didn't. and there was a 1le aluminum driveshaft to replace the stock steel one in the 3rd and early 4th gens.

behind an engine like that...even the 1le won't be stong enough. you'll have to go to a custom made piece like the ones from Denny. my guess would be $500 or so.

as for your thinking you'll upgrade everything for $4000...no way.

driveshaft $500
clutch $500
flywheel $300 for alum (they don't vent fw's by the way)
12bolt $2500
rebuilt T56 $1500

that's over $5000 and i havn't even included things like Kmember, A arms, sfc, cage, torque arm, lca, or driveshaft loop

and lowering a car tends to HURT traction for launches. stiffer springs and lower center of gravity counteract weight transfer...which is what you want for launching.

 

JakeRobb: I mean it just has a small spot in my favor......i am not really interested in what peopel think. As far as just having a common package........i honestly would not want to keep a common trans.....i want a unique one.....one that is special to me...........in the next ten years i am going to make more than enough to "waste" 20k plus on this car. Price and time are not of concern..........on getting a 455ci naturally aspirated trans am that looks nice runs hard and has a large amount of centimental value to me. I just want to make sure i am buying th eright parts to do this right.

Please let me clearify what i am searching for............

I would like to know how you the reader would build a 455ci lsx motor.......and if the parts i have selected are reasonable.....

I appreciate the concern and the overwhelming care for my finances, but please understand that i am not as concerned with whether you think it is a good idea, but how would you do it if someone came to you and was going to pay you big money to build it.

I mean i have made up my mind.......I AM going to do this........whether or not you guys can help elimate some of the more common mistakes you have seen others make it would help tremendously

Thnaks again

 

teke rebuilt trans with upgraded parts i selected..........700 something dollars

things are cheaper in texas man

they vent them in texas apparently......i help my buddy exchanges his.......held the thing myself

i see what your talking about on the launch and the physics make sense.......does a lower suspension have any advantages?

 

Talk to MTI . They build a 455. http://www.motorsporttech.com/ The other alternative is to go w/a 6.0 block. It makes 605hp and 610lb/ft. So I don't think lightening to the extreme will be needed to be fast.

Instead of BMR look at UMI, Spohn or Wolfe Racecraft (Wolfe is here in Arlington BTW).

LS1's come with the Al driveshaft. My SS is NOT a 1LE car and it has an Al DS.

With an engine built like that, you'll most likely want more gear than 3.73. then again, less gear will make it easier to hook. Thats why Hennesey runs the stock 3.08 gear in their Vipers. The Nittos won't do much for you with this combo. You'll need to look at the MT tires.

As Teke said, lowering hurts launching. So do short sidewalled tires. No 18's unless you don't like to hook.

Bigger brakes are a good thing with power. I just find it humorous when people run skinnies for "less weight" with a bigger brake combo because skinnny tires are going to make for longer stops anyway. Again, don't believe all the advertising propaganda about x-drilled rotors.

 

"teke rebuilt trans with upgraded parts i selected..........700 something dollars

things are cheaper in texas man

they vent them in texas apparently......i help my buddy exchanges his.......held the thing myself"

when you blow your cheaply rebuilt tran...and rebuild it again...maybe you'll realize you needed more than a $700 upgrade.

as for the flywheel. if you look in this picture


the flywheel is on the left, the dull gray material forms the friction surface, you know the part that the clutch disc is held against. along the outside of that is about 1" of material...in this case aluminum. now you can't take the friction material off for obvious reasons...SO WHAT THE **** DO YOU PROPOSE GETS VENTED????

not to mention venting typically refers to modifying to increase airflow...not to lighten weight. i mean you don't run "vented drag rims"...you run light weight drag rims.

as for the engine, we understand the reason behind wanting it now. but realize you're not talking about a common build up. there have probably been a handfull of 455 LSx based engines produced. i know i've never seen any one on this board with one. so logically asking us if it's gonna work and how to do it doesn't make much sense. about all we can do is tell you to talk to the people who might be able to do it. someone suggested MTI, you could also ask VRE, they may be able to punch out their 427ci engine to meet your goals.

you seem to be dead set on a goal, and you said yourself you plan to take a while with it. so instead of making some HUGE elaborate plan on every detail NOW. start with the things you already know and can do, both financially and mechanically.

get the car
upgrade all the suspension
put in a 12bolt
rebuild the trans

THEN...after the 3-4 yrs it's taken to do that (or more) start looking into the engine. who knows where the LSx engines will be by then. maybe by then a 455 buildup will be as common as a 355 or 383 is now. it wasn't long ago that 396 engines were the cat's meow and only in use by a handfull of guys. now you can get one about as easy as any other stoker combo.

get my point??

quit thinking and arguing....start DOING.

 

Thak you Greed: I will contact MTI

Sorry I have confused adn upset you teke i guess if you haven't seen it its not possible.........sucks to be you

 

"if you haven't seen it its not possible"

exactly...

glad you're finally understanding things.

i'm out

 

A good clutch set up alone will be $700...even in TX.

 

again pricing is not important just good deals............

i will leave room for what i just thought about............all my g** dam* pricing is for lt1........i overlooked the repricing for all ls1 parts adn services.........this kinda sucks..........but not detered

sorry bout dat pricin issue teke.......you guys might be right..........dam* it.

 

and here you almost had me convinced i was the one who was wrong....

 

I went checking and an upgraded pressure plate for an ls1 is not the same price as an lt4 pressure plate...........who would have thought.

I conceed......i can do a 455ci lt1 ws6 for around $10k

 

If you vent your flywheel just make sure you get some extra airflow onto it to take full advantage of the vents. I took my pistol and put some DIY "speed holes" into my bellhousing. Woo hoo!

By the way, if you're going to be making so much money in the near future that you're unconcerned about spending tens of thousands on buying vented flywheels and aluminum shift forks, you might want to invest in some spelling and/or typing lessons. Or stop being drunk all the time.

Abe