I have a confession

[svauto-erotic855]

Slapping heads on an otherwise stock setup is silly.

Have you ever tried doing it on a car made after 1985? I have; the results are outstanding but as you said they could be better. I threw some AFRs on a stock low mile 89 5.0 5 speed car recently and it put an extra 63hp to the wheels. The LSs will respond the same way except with about 30hp more.

[Sleeper]

Call jason or john. Anything automotive in denton.

[Torinoman]

Have you ever tried doing it on a car made after 1985? I have; the results are outstanding but as you said they could be better. I threw some AFRs on a stock low mile 89 5.0 5 speed car recently and it put an extra 63hp to the wheels. The LSs will respond the same way except with about 30hp more.

A head swap on an LS1 as the first step in modding a car is impractical and unnecessary. Also, comparing factory LS1 heads to factory 5.0 heads is just ignorant. And claiming a stock LS with only a head swap will pick up close 100hp is just insane.

Edit: I tried to find some tests that support your claim but the best I could find is a Hot Rod test on a built 408. They got about 70hp on just a head swap, on an otherwise completely built motor.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-1012-ultimate-chevrolet-ls-cylinder-head-test/

[John -- '02 HAWK]

You have an audience here with people that have experience. Why don't you elaborate on what your goals and budget and someone here will give you some specifics and advice.

It's simple I'm looking to get 450ish rwhp (*/- 20 hp) with most of the gains in the middle to high. This is will a streetable weekend cruise car that I'll take to work every once in awhile. The budget won't be a factor, as long is not the gold-plated option.

I'm probably keeping the bottom end stock unless there's some easy power that can be added at the same time. It's an m6 car so not worrying about the tranny or rear end right now. but there will be budget for them

[svauto-erotic855]

A head swap on an LS1 as the first step in modding a car is impractical and unnecessary. Also, comparing factory LS1 heads to factory 5.0 heads is just ignorant. And claiming a stock LS with only a head swap will pick up close 100hp is just insane.

Edit: I tried to find some tests that support your claim but the best I could find is a Hot Rod test on a built 408. They got about 70hp on just a head swap, on an otherwise completely built motor.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-...der-head-test/

I got 109rwhp (Mustang Dyno, not a Dyno Jet) in a Trail Blazer SS with only a set of heads, cam, and a tune with stock everything else. Heads are where it is at on every production engine ever made. Try it and you will see.

Edit: My recommendation to the original poster was for a set of heads and a cam, not just heads. All of the other stuff will just make a good thing even better and it doesn't choke off performance as badly as you would think on a relatively low powered engine. By low power I mean one that is making less than 1.4hp per cubic inch; after you cross that threshold every detail matters a lot.

[Torinoman]

Heads AND Cam is different. I thought you were saying just heads alone.

[svauto-erotic855]

It's simple I'm looking to get 450ish rwhp (*/- 20 hp) with most of the gains in the middle to high. This is will a streetable weekend cruise car that I'll take to work every once in awhile. The budget won't be a factor, as long is not the gold-plated option.

I'm probably keeping the bottom end stock unless there's some easy power that can be added at the same time. It's an m6 car so not worrying about the tranny or rear end right now. but there will be budget for them

Pick up the AFR heads and the Compcams cam that I mentioned and that will get you about where you are looking to go. Add an intake manifold and a good exhaust at a later date when your budget allows it.

[svauto-erotic855]

Heads AND Cam is different. I thought you were saying just heads alone.

I may have said that but I was talking about both. It was very late when I was posting.

[Torinoman]

It's simple I'm looking to get 450ish rwhp (*/- 20 hp) with most of the gains in the middle to high. This is will a streetable weekend cruise car that I'll take to work every once in awhile. The budget won't be a factor, as long is not the gold-plated option.

I'm probably keeping the bottom end stock unless there's some easy power that can be added at the same time. It's an m6 car so not worrying about the tranny or rear end right now. but there will be budget for them

With a stock short block you'll need heads, cam, intake and long tube headers and full exhaust to make 450 at the wheels.

[SS Junk]

I may have said that but I was talking about both. It was very late when I was posting.

it wouldn’t hurt nobody if you’d admit you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re claiming every once in awhile.

[svauto-erotic855]

it wouldn’t hurt nobody if you’d admit you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re claiming every once in awhile.

I did this shit for a living for a very long time but have to admit that LSs were a relatively new thing when I got out of the car business. Now I just do it for my friends and some of my pool clients. I looked back over my earlier post and saw that I had advised on a head and cam swap but when I quoted power numbers for an LS I omitted that was with a cam swap when the heads were done. The 5.0 was just the heads.

[black50]

if you want simple

blower, nice conservative tune...and have fun

Done!

[Hell-Bent SS]

I made 440hp and 430tq on my SS 4 years ago.
Fast 90mm intake/throttle body
Cam
Mid length headers with X pipe and bullet mufflers
Stock ported and milled heads
Underdrive pulley
Tune (Sam)
They have came along way with all the new technology so I'm sure you can get better numbers. It's all about the tune

[Hell-Bent SS]

That's also through a 8.8 with 4.56 gears and a full spool. With 28" slicks. I spent my time and money on suspension parts. I was running 10.90s on motor and pretty much full weight

[svauto-erotic855]

I spent my time and money on suspension parts.

This is fantastic advice. On my first Fox body (an 86 Capri 5.0 that I bought from a fellow inmate while we were both sitting in the Denton County Jail) I got about .6ths faster in the 1/4 mile by doing through the floor sub-frame connectors tied to a 6 point cage, replacing the lower control arms, welding every seam, and relocating the bolt holes on the rear end for the lower control arms. It ran 10.9s also but when I got it on the first chassis dyno in the metroplex it only made about 360hp which told me that the chassis was pretty efficient.