Aluminium Chevrolet LS1 5.7 v8.
Discussion
Does anybody know which sports cars these awesome engines will fit? They are about the same size, indeed smaller then the Rover V8 but really powerful. I am importing them for resale/buildup but need to establish the best market place for the product and to get one installed. They should fit into most places which will accept the Rover, thanks. Mike.
Ultimas and Cobra replicas are a ready market. Try and bring the 400 bhp Z06 engine in, as the LS1 is underpowered for most Ultima owners.
Make sure you undercut Jim Pace at paceparts.com if youa re importing them. Although if you can save the importing hassle, people will like you.
Remember as well that the LS1 is a fuel injected unit, and many kit car enthusiasts whack big Holley carbs on. Easier install presumably.
What about the Viper V10 engine? I'd like one of those - about 16k dollars if I remember.
Make sure you undercut Jim Pace at paceparts.com if youa re importing them. Although if you can save the importing hassle, people will like you.
Remember as well that the LS1 is a fuel injected unit, and many kit car enthusiasts whack big Holley carbs on. Easier install presumably.
What about the Viper V10 engine? I'd like one of those - about 16k dollars if I remember.
Thanks for the replies. I have had Vipers but they are hard to sell which is really surprising. I think it's the total length. The Cobra guys seem to like the older stuff with a carb on top, they probably have sva concerns but they could use a Rover for the sva and switch afterwards. As for the Z06 units I can build to any spec as I have new parts also, plus forced induction parts, custom plenums and exhausts on the way. Who will buy these engines if I build them. The stuff is on my website, www.chevroletls1.com. thanks, Mike.
but we all have a cost limit 
There are some costings on my site www.chevroletls1.com but I can also provide second hand engines from £3000-4000 but you will have to provide an aftermarket ecu and some other stuff etc. I can be fairly flexible with the second hand stuff. You can't compare these engines to a Rover, it's like apples and pears. Mike.
TR Mike - This is not a putdown, anyone trying to bring american muscle into the UK can only be one of the good guys. Your biggest problem is that your too expensive. As a kit car builder I can go to a company like American Speed ( www.amerspeed.com )and order in a turn-key engine for my Ultima with 535bhp for $11,000. (£7,333) And when I say turn-key I mean just that. All belts, air filter, the little plastic clips holding the leads neatly ... etc, etc.
Then when I get the car SVA'd and the engine block was manufactured in the year 200bc all it has to pass is a visual emissions check. No electronic trickery, no cats, no worries.
OK so it's a heavy old beast. But it's as tough as old boots and cheap as chips to maintain myself by feeding it lots of 20/50 gloop.
Not a putdown as I said, just telling it as I see it. When I build my next car I know which route I'll be taking. THE VERY BEST OF LUCK TO YOU MATE.
Paul
>> Edited by ultimapaul on Thursday 22 August 20:51
Then when I get the car SVA'd and the engine block was manufactured in the year 200bc all it has to pass is a visual emissions check. No electronic trickery, no cats, no worries.
OK so it's a heavy old beast. But it's as tough as old boots and cheap as chips to maintain myself by feeding it lots of 20/50 gloop.
Not a putdown as I said, just telling it as I see it. When I build my next car I know which route I'll be taking. THE VERY BEST OF LUCK TO YOU MATE.
Paul
>> Edited by ultimapaul on Thursday 22 August 20:51
I must say that I am mildly surprised that an Ultima builder would want to use an old fashioned heavy cast iron block engine in such an otherwise sophisticated car. I know the iron block/carburetted stuff is cheap but is that what Ultimas are about?
Also, as weight or rather lightness is such an important factor in getting the car off the line quickly, surely an all alloy engine such as the LS1 would be more appropriate for an Ultima ( I can see why the iron block engine suits Cobra replicas, the Jaguar suspension stuff is already so heavy that the extra weigh hardly matters)
John
Also, as weight or rather lightness is such an important factor in getting the car off the line quickly, surely an all alloy engine such as the LS1 would be more appropriate for an Ultima ( I can see why the iron block engine suits Cobra replicas, the Jaguar suspension stuff is already so heavy that the extra weigh hardly matters)
John
I looked into that.
There isn't a lot of weight saving to be made (compared to the vast cost) in using an ali block. There is a noticeable amount, but not a drastic amount. It is in the tens of kgs, not hundreds of them. The Ultima only weighs 1000kgs as it is, so a diet isn't too crucial here.
As for the sophistication - well, the Ultima ain't a sohisticated car in modern terms. It is beautifully designed and engineered, but it is pretty basic. No gizmos, no fancy touches. Just race-bred engineering. (I have been around the factory).
A carb'd Chevy lump helps an Ultima owner get 525bhp for around 8k. No, it isn't sophisticated or very efficient - but it works and it's cheap. When your kit is 40k, you have a budget for the engine.
Also, fuel injection units would be a more difficult kit build, as they will need engine management, and won't simply 'bolt in'. Any kit builder will want to 'keep it simple', whether a Cobra, an Ultima or a Locost.
Cheers
Domster
There isn't a lot of weight saving to be made (compared to the vast cost) in using an ali block. There is a noticeable amount, but not a drastic amount. It is in the tens of kgs, not hundreds of them. The Ultima only weighs 1000kgs as it is, so a diet isn't too crucial here.
As for the sophistication - well, the Ultima ain't a sohisticated car in modern terms. It is beautifully designed and engineered, but it is pretty basic. No gizmos, no fancy touches. Just race-bred engineering. (I have been around the factory).
A carb'd Chevy lump helps an Ultima owner get 525bhp for around 8k. No, it isn't sophisticated or very efficient - but it works and it's cheap. When your kit is 40k, you have a budget for the engine.
Also, fuel injection units would be a more difficult kit build, as they will need engine management, and won't simply 'bolt in'. Any kit builder will want to 'keep it simple', whether a Cobra, an Ultima or a Locost.
Cheers
Domster
quote:
"There isn't a lot of weight saving to be made (compared to the vast cost) in using an ali block. There is a noticeable amount, but not a drastic amount. It is in the tens of kgs, not hundreds of them. The Ultima only weighs 1000kgs as it is, so a diet isn't too crucial here."
The LS1 engine is about 80 kilos lighter than an iron block with alloy heads. On a 1000kg car, thats 8%. I'm not going to argue the cost per kilo saved angle, because that's a matter of personal choice. All I will say is that 8% may not be drastic, it is certainly very noticeable
"Also, fuel injection units would be a more difficult kit build, as they will need engine management, and won't simply 'bolt in'. Any kit builder will want to 'keep it simple', whether a Cobra, an Ultima or a Locost."
Sorry, not true. Many kit car builders might like to keep it simple, but many prefer the advantages of fuel injection, and as long as the engine is supplied with allthe FI bits installed and the correct ECU and loom, installation is pretty straightforward
>> Edited by johnelliott on Friday 23 August 20:55
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