You're nuts, no offense, but I guess it's all subjective.

I'm actually willing to accept your explanation as to why a newer car that is better on paper didn't perform better for me

Good luck with your car OP. Formulas are my favorite F body.

We still haven't seen pics!

It will be mainly raced in street legals and quick eight races.  And a few grudge matches on occasion.  As of now,  it hasn't been raced in competition.

The motor is out of the 82 Camaro that is raced regularly.  It is a fairly stock 6.0 with GM 883 heads and a Holset HX60 turbo.  All the fasteners and studs are ARP.  It really is nothing special right now.  But it is fuckin' fast.



































ETA:  Oh yeah,  This was a powerglide.
The 6.0 murdered it.  

THIS!

Already taking the advice in this thread. What mods are you making first?

Anyone with experience with LS motors might get a kick out of this.  

They aren't slouches..

By far the most fun car I've owned. 450+ to the wheels with a pulley swap and bolt ons.

Now THAT brought an actual smile to my old man face! Do want!!

Wrong.

- LS6 intake - $250
- Headers + full exhaust upgrade - $1200
- Patriot stage II 243 heads (milled for compression) - $1000
(better yet, milled AFR 205's if you have an extra $500)
- G5X4 or comparable camshaft w/ hardened pushrods - $500
- CAI - $150
- 80mm TB - $200
- SVO 30# injectors - $150
- Random bolt-ons that I am forgetting - $500
- EFI Live tune from a highly regarded tuner - $500

All together should be good for at least 450 RWHP with the right tune.

These parts & tune alone can be purchased used for as little as $3,000. Of course you would have to do all of the labor yourself, because paying someone else to install your shit would easily double the cost.

So how did you prove me wrong again?
If you buy the right parts and want a true 450whp from a mustang dyno it's going to cost much more then $3k.
And like you said, if you're not well versed ripping engines apart it will easily double the price.
I see NO WHERE the price list anything about beefing up the drivetrain. Those factory clutches and 10 bolts are fucking weak.

Face it, most people will have $5-$6k to get an ls1 to 450whp and that's a shit ton of money.
And that's assuming they buy once, cry once. Most guys do a round of upgrades and down the road ditch those upgrades and go bigger.

Any gearhead with half of a brain, a garage full of tools, access to the internet, a knowledgeable friend and a refrigerator full of beer could upgrade his stock LS1 to 450 RWHP with $3,000 in the bank. I never said a factory clutch or differential would stand the test of time with the extra power, but it's a decent start if you only a few thousand dollars to work with.

A clutch upgrade really doesn't cost a fortune, and it's something that you can plan for in the future, while driving with the factory clutch. If he went A4, the 4L60E is strong enough to handle that kind of power without having to be immediately upgraded. After the HP boost, 4.10 gears would be the next best upgrade anyway.

You might as well go big the first time (if that's what you want), or else part out & sell the car if you are not satisfied with the performance gain after buying all of those mods.

Exhaust, cam, nitrous would get you that IF not more. That's maybe 3k.

Do you have a SHO?