Project: LS1 Chevette

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Diamond Dave
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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by Diamond Dave »

OK, horsepower to weight ratio?

What you started with and the stock engine compared to what what it weighs now and the installed engine?

I have used this for a few years now, with a game I play.

The link is dead in just the last week. http://www.measurespeed.com/power-to-weight-ratio-calculator

Best guess or a dyno coming soon? https://www.google.ca/search?q=weight+to+horsepower+ratio+calculator&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=wjFKWIn1L8eg0wLl0qqoBQ

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

I have no idea what the stock HP was. I've seen a YouTube video where someone dyno'd their stock '79 Chevette and it was something like 29 WHP. That seems incredibly low but possible I guess.

As for the LS1 in my car now. Still a guess but here's an article I read a while back researching cams. It's to my knowledge a stock engine from a '00 running only an alternator through 1.75" headers so hopefully it is close to the 400.4 crank HP this engine was putting out. But it's a ball park. I'd expect less just from not knowing.

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/0701gm-ls1-dyno-tech/

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romulus22
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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

I picked up one of those cheaper style go pro cameras yesterday. Made a quick mount to see how well it would do with vibration and noise. I definitely need to rubber isolate the mount the camera is getting a lot of vibration feedback into the camera. And the quality is extremely poor cause it's a video taken with my phone of the video on my tv. I need to get all the stuff to do it right just wanted to post a short video of the car until I get all the camera stuff figured out.

[youtube]asX8MNuyFgs[/youtube]

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by Halgar »

Looks like it's time to call the guys at Roadkill and challenge them to a race! :wink: :mrgreen:
klavy69 wrote:... when I give you s&#t its a loan...I want it back!

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

No more guessing, I now have numbers to work with.



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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by RC10th »

Wow, 314 at the wheels, that's more then I would have thought. Good job.
I was old school - when old school wasn't cool !

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by sbcnyc »

theres a youtube channel i follow called sloppy mechanics, your chevette totally reminds me of stuff he's into, basically builds hysterically amazing ls turbo "beaters", all about super duper cheap, reusing head bolts, gaskets, rod bolts, he just pushed a stock 300k milled 6.0 bottom end to 992 hp on 21lbs of boost, that he drives every day...

just a lil inspiration if you dare to venture the dark world of the turbo ls grenade club! they host a super informative wiki page for ls everything... https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywiki/

https://youtu.be/D0Hh_nD0N1Q


cool build man! makes me miss playing real car...
Last edited by klavy69 on Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: fixed youtube link

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

Yeah I've seen plenty of there builds. The fairmont was my favorite. While they do some good work with little cash. I'd rather spend the money on new head studs and head gaskets and such when it comes to building an engine.

After speaking with RJ I finally made the time to redo my torque arm mount. Previously at its lowest point was 3" above the ground. Enough to hit speed bumps and driveway curbs. The car is still in the air but I raised the front a good bit. Here's a few pics of my fab work using .25" steel and a 110v welder

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Finished ugly painted part, previously I had the swing link thing on top. Just reversed it.

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Only managed to cut myself a little this time in the garage :mrgreen:

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by Diamond Dave »

You are getting really good at the blood letting. Did you snap the pic yourself as well? :lol:

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by sbcnyc »

romulus22 wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:16 pm Yeah I've seen plenty of there builds. The fairmont was my favorite. While they do some good work with little cash. I'd rather spend the money on new head studs and head gaskets and such when it comes to building an engine.
its everything cringe and goes against every silly magazine that has told us for years to buy stuff... proves reusing LS stock stuff is fine, swap a cam, springs, gap the used rings...go have fun.... love it!!!!

i think you need to find a more delicate barber...

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

sbcnyc wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:39 am
romulus22 wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:16 pm Yeah I've seen plenty of there builds. The fairmont was my favorite. While they do some good work with little cash. I'd rather spend the money on new head studs and head gaskets and such when it comes to building an engine.
its everything cringe and goes against every silly magazine that has told us for years to buy stuff... proves reusing LS stock stuff is fine, swap a cam, springs, gap the used rings...go have fun.... love it!!!!

i think you need to find a more delicate barber...

It's all cool to make power for cheap. But if you ever notice the big power for cheap usually comes at a cost of replacing/repairing your engine, a lot. I like the added insurance of using quality parts that engine builders and magazines have told us for years to use. Sure, when you're making 1000 hp nothing last forever. But with a proper tune that built engine will last much longer. I don't think I'll ever turbo my Chevette. It'll just be unusable power at that point. I'm looking to end up with around 450 whp. And I can easily do that without the added 50-100 lbs of a turbo setup.

Here's a cool article on how strong a stock LS engine is with a few tweaks.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-1109-stock-gm-ls-engine-big-bang-theory/

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by sbcnyc »

be careful, you go down that road, you end up like my close friend who "bought" into magazine hype, spent half his 401k to built a shaffrof (sp) sbc that does 12's.... all the quality parts. all that "bulletproofing" forged this, forged that, ti this, dart that, bla bla bla... all for that "piece of mind"

he could of blown up 20 junkyard motors and still have plenty of cash for the tow's from the track... a kid with a 200 truck engine, a 400 dollar turbo, a firm understanding of computer engine management, goes 9's and drives home

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by jwscab »

yeah, i cringe when I hear someone say they want to build it 'right' depending on how experienced they are building engines.

i recently purchased a top end LS1 rebuild kit (piece meal) with both versions of head bolts, because my car could be either (2004 GTO) and it was just around 200 bucks. figure the head bolt kits are 40-50, its not very expensive for good parts.

there is a comfortable median between junk yard and stupid $$$ and you get 98% of the power potential and 110% of the reliability.

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

I'm not sure about you but i enjoy driving not pulling engines. And when it comes time for me to build my engine I'll have the block checked, new gaskets, seals. Possibly higher compression pistons, depending which head I go with. For my goal of 450 hp I don't need forged, billet, titanium. But there's no reason I can't afford a new head gasket or head bolts, new oil pump, timing chain. To me it's just common sense to do it while the engine is apart. Turbos are fun and I love them. I just don't have the desire to turbo my Chevette. I could not touch my engine and make an easy 450 with a budget turbo setup that would last a long time. But I'd rather do it with heads, cam, intake.

Like jwscab said, you don't have to go top dollar to "build" an engine. Just smart about it. As I mentioned earlier in my thread. I pay extra for convenience and piece of mind.

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Post by romulus22 »

Diamond Dave wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:27 am You are getting really good at the blood letting. Did you snap the pic yourself as well? :lol:
Hey Dave I missed your post. I have a good habit of working fast. Unfortunately that means I sit up before I'm all the way out from the car yet. Caught the pinch weld sitting up and chunked it. No big deal though just another scrape.

I took that picture cause it's on top of my head. I can't see how bad it was so I took a picture :lol: it's still like that right now. Gotta let it crust up a little bit :D

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