Prices?!?!?!
 

New guy again...having been out of the scene for a while I'm very much out of touch with today's pricing. I just called a guy about an LS1/LS2 install in a 66-67 Nova and he said he did one that ran about 20k?!?!?! This confuses me when I see things like the 350 Ram Jet for $4,900 (minus installation)...big price difference. I've had similar experiences with other calls. Are these guys blowing me off or what? Granted...I don't have the car yet and, yes, I feel bad that I am taking their time (I try to be brief and to the point), but I'm also not about to get myself into a project that ends up 50K over budget. I'm trying to be smart here and know what I'm getting myself into.

I understand cost is a sensitive subject. If I spent a ton of cabbage building my dream car I probably wouldn't want to tell people off the street what I paid either.

I can install and/or assemble the engine myself. I've done it before but these days I just don't have time. (I guess I could drop the Ram Jet in easily enough.) But this is frustrating. HELP! :eek:

on a 66, there are a lot of things that need to be changed to get an LS1/2/7/X in there. Mainly the gas tank if i remember correctly needs a return line to the gas tank. This means you either need a new gas tank/ or a custom sending unit with the pump installed in the tank.

$20,000 does sound a bit high... i hope that includes the price of a motor/tranny. But in fairness, it does take some work to do it right.

I failed to mention he did say that included the price of the engine tranny. And sticker shock made me forget that he broke it down...5K labor and 15K spent on engine and tranny. Should rebuilding and LS1 cost 15K?

I have a better shop in Rancho Cucamonga.. and he would not only be cheaper but do a better job (it's where I did my '69 Camaro)

$15k for the engine and tranny???? :rofl:

You can buy a new LS2 for $5500 and a new T56 for $3k.. that leaves $6500 for "incidentals".. and that seems like an awful lot of "incidentals".. has the guy done LS1 swaps before? Did the $20k include the fuel, cooling, mounting systems? Computer programing? Harness? engine accesories? new engine? used engine? rebuilt engine? All of those things effect the price.

Like I said.. I could help you get it done cheaper than that.. If you are looking at an LS1 then I am pretty sure you can find the engine and tranny for somewhere near $5k.. then you will need labor and some $ for stuff like motor mounts, wiring and such.

Email me at [email protected] :)

Sounds reasonable to me.

It all depends on what you want.. if you would be happy with a mainly stock LS1 (for now) then you could find a clean pull out engine by shopping around. Maybe you could toss a cam in it for $400. I bought my LS1 for $2800 delivered and it included a 4L60e trans, a T56 would cost a bit more. The key is to buy a pullout engine with all the accesories and wireing harness. Then you will need the following:

Wireing harness rework = $450 from Speartech
Engine mounting plates = (not sure on a Nova.. maybe ATS or you could make some.. lets say $300)
Computer reprograme = $350
Fuel system = depends, rework the factory tank and use a regulator from '99 Vette or buy a custom tank (~$800 from a place like Ricks) and use the same regulator.

Other incidentals will depend on what you want. If you want aftermarket gauges then you will need a few fittings and the gauges. A few hours to have them installed or do it yourself after the car runs.

Oh, and you will most likely want headers. You could make the factory exhaust manifolds work on the cheap or find some. Make sure when you get the pull out engine that you get the O2 sensors.

All the rest is just fluff.. you can use your stock radiator with a little work but you will need electric fans. AFCO sells an LS1 swap radiator for about $500 and the fan/shroud for $250 or you can shop around.

Did his price include all this stuff (cooling, fuel, etc)?? I would imagine those would be "upcharges". I would say you should be able to get it done nicely for $15k or less. Most of it depends on how much you spend on the doner engine/trans.

Poor man, there are always things that "ya don't think of" when doing these cars that bring the price up. Sure he could low ball ya then pump it up after your into the project. The quote was probably because he does not want you to be suprised when the REAL final # totalled up. What ever you think it will cost just double it usually, for me anyways, LOL.

Grrrr...can't email from work Steven. Will email you tonight.

Stuart...that's what I was afraid of. :(

Does anyone around here use the 350 Ram Jet? One of the car magazines put one in a 66 Nova and it seems to have been a pretty easy install (with a few mods) :rolleyes:

There's nothing wrong with a 350 Ram Jet (well, besides hood clearance).. but it's not an LS1.. :)

The LS1 install isn't "hard" but it does have costs and effort involved.

Like Stuart said.. if the guys price included EVERYTHING then maybe it wasn't so bad.. but you could do it cheaper than that if you tried. The problem is when you start doing the "while Im here I might as well..." You do that a few times and the costs really get up there. lol

20,000
 

20,000 does not sound so bad, If that includes the engine and trans. Ls2 5500, trans 3000, clutch and flywheel, 500ish, pedal assembly to run clutch400, drive shaft 350, alternator 200, belt system 400, radiator450, hoses 40, fan 100, shroud, headers 500 exhaust system 500, computer, 400, engine harness 750. motor mounts labor 1000.

Plus while you are there new brake lines since you did the pedal assembly, you will probabley need to do something to the front suspension, and on and on. From my persective 20,000 sounds cheap. I put a used ls1 in a 62 olds and have more than 20,000 parts and labor.

Rodger