It really depends on how serious you are about competing. You can certainly get your feet wet with the 396 and see how much you like autocross. I'd at least put a quality pan on the engine. My car was pretty fast with the aluminum headed big block. Will the LS7 make you faster, of course. Less weight on the nose is always good. Enough to pony up 20k, that's hard to say without knowing how competitive you want to be. For 20k you can probably make more power anyway or make a little less for quite a bit less.
It really depends on how serious you are about competing. You can certainly get your feet wet with the 396 and see how much you like autocross. I'd at least put a quality pan on the engine. My car was pretty fast with the aluminum headed big block. Will the LS7 make you faster, of course. Less weight on the nose is always good. Enough to pony up 20k, that's hard to say without knowing how competitive you want to be. For 20k you can probably make more power anyway or make a little less for quite a bit less.
Good point Todd, it always helps to look at some things with someone else's perspective. Thanks!
If I were you I would go with a LS engine not because I don't like big blocks, but because it sounds like you have your heart set on a LS. If you have already splurged on the DSE stuff, you ought to go ahead and go with the Ls so you don't have any regrets. Regrets can be expensive.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Actually I must say, we have this entire car apart (as you can tell) and NO rust!
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