VK 308 or LS1

[losh1971]

304 efi was the other option but for me it comes down to originality of the 308 or power reliability of LS. Stroked to 355 would be awesome but bang for buck LS seems better option thanks

Remember 308 and 304 are basically the same, with different bolt-on's. 304 parts are quite well priced, quite a bit better prices on parts than I can get for my Buick. It would be fairly straightforward to drop one in and get it working with basic ECM from VN/VP.

 

[vc commodore]

LS seems to be the common swap these days.....Not sure about NZ, but LS's are fairly common 2nd hand in Aust now

304 you can go carbed with it, or EFI....So it does make the choice a little more interesting....

Going 304 and wanting more power and factory appearance, having that carb option makes things a little easier with fitament and allows more of your budget get soaked up by power improvements, rather than fitting of the electronics associated with EFI.

So a little more to consider

 

[waikato willy]

well I ran 12.8 in a very mild 308 at the fathers day drags a couple of weeks ago,
cost me $7,000 in parts and machining, I did the assembly and balancing myself(a long time ago)
This motor was built around 15 years ago
stock crank
stock rods
port matched manifold
stock valves
Quick Fuel 650 DP carb
Edlebrock duel plane manifold
big cam(cant find specs)
Larry Perkins ACL pistons(LOL)
ACL bearings
yella terra roller rockers and solid lifters
My rev limit is 7,000RPM and made 400hp@flywheel

so now LS motors are dirt cheap-$2,000-$3,000 its easy power and strong and reliable

saying that a 308 singing at 7,000RPM makes a lot of people smile, especially because the engine bay looks 20plus years old and I beat a lot of LS powered cars at the drags

 

[Deuce]

304 efi was the other option but for me it comes down to originality of the 308 or power reliability of LS. Stroked to 355 would be awesome but bang for buck LS seems better option thanks

If you are having the banana manifold showing, then I would go the LS. But if you are fitting a carby style manifold (single plane of course) then I would get a 304.
Like this (thanks immortality for the picture)

well I ran 12.8 in a very mild 308 at the fathers day drags a couple of weeks ago,
cost me $7,000 in parts and machining, I did the assembly and balancing myself(a long time ago)
This motor was built around 15 years ago
stock crank
stock rods
port matched manifold
stock valves
Quick Fuel 650 DP carb
Edlebrock duel plane manifold
big cam(cant find specs)
Larry Perkins ACL pistons(LOL)
ACL bearings
yella terra roller rockers and solid lifters
My rev limit is 7,000RPM and made 400hp@flywheel

so now LS motors are dirt cheap-$2,000-$3,000 its easy power and strong and reliable

saying that a 308 singing at 7,000RPM makes a lot of people smile, especially because the engine bay looks 20plus years old and I beat a lot of LS powered cars at the drags

In a VK?

 

[waikato willy]

In a VK?
[/QUOTE]


yep I got a silver 1984 Calais factory V8 its pretty mint interior wise but the silver dulon is starting to show its age so might give it a bomb with 2K soon

 

[keith reed]

There was a video on you tube recently of a vh that they fitted an LS1. The parts came to not far short of $10,000. The motor cost them $1800. No mention was made of whether or not they had tested the motor before they bought it. They did most of the work themselves so that made it quite a lot cheaper. Had I been doing the same conversion I certainly would not have used an LS1 when they have so much better later model motors. However that would have pushed the price of the parts closer to $20,000. If you like me did not have the ability to do the work yourself then you possibly looking at $30,000 for the total job. Just won lotto, no problem.

 

[Lex]

Just won lotto

Along with another 10000 people. No No. No new motor!

 

[Vin999]

Remember 308 and 304 are basically the same, with different bolt-on's. 304 parts are quite well priced, quite a bit better prices on parts than I can get for my Buick. It would be fairly straightforward to drop one in and get it working with basic ECM from VN/VP.

Conversions are not fairly straight forward as you think/say if you have actually done one/any.

Yes they sound fairly easy on google paper but reality is theres a bit of head farcqking around to get all things buttoned up to drive like a factory fittedV8 car.

 

[gtrboyy]

*crickets*

Pfft how hard could it be....

*crickets*

 

[Vin999]

*crickets*

probably very hard for people that never done any and write how easy it is to others who done know squat asking questions