Got a car, LS1, and $3k.. what would you do?

Hey guys,

I haven't posted on this particular board before, but have been following all you guys between the different boards over the past 5 years or so, lurking and reading. I now have the means to make my project happen, and I wanted to get some feedback from the wealth of knowledge of the community in my build choices. Based on what I've learned, knowing both what I have, and what I want out of the car is important to know to make these decisions. I don't have pictures but I'll post them soon if anyone has interest in helping!

I've got the car already: 1986NA orig gold, now red w/gold engine bay. Engine has been removed. Rear hatch doesn't open at all, and theres a gap between gasket and frame. I've done the proper reading, and will dive into that job later. Interior is great, exterior is a non-issue for the sake of this budget, except for the turbo look front bumper for NA's. (about $400, but I think I found em cheaper somewhere, I have to re-check bookmarks) I'll need one of those. So rest of build $2600-$2700ish.

The engine I've had sitting next to it for 5 years: 2001 LS1 from a Camaro (i think, forgot mileage, but wasn't scary) Has PCM and harness. All accessories except AC compressor which I'll have to replace and then belt(s). I removed the EGR tube to the intake and put one of the GM block off plates there.

I would like to go down the dual remote master/Lexus LS430/Boxster S road, as I have connections in the toyota world and can get the calipers on the cheap.

I would like to make the car my daily driver, and so AC/PS and other comfort options will be slightly important, most important for me though is safety and chassis reliability. I'm a noob, and have aspirations of DE and track events with this car as I learn the art.

My instinct is to replace things like chassis and suspension bushings sooner rather than later, but I understand this can get expensive quickly. I had also read that there was a front end weakness.. control arms maybe? I seem to recall that was quite expensive, and I need to know how much of my shrinking budget I should throw in that direction, or is this overkill?

I have local machinists, and wouldn't mind doing some chasing on things like bh adapter and whatnot if it means I can make the budget go farther.

I'm in for a set of the v-band headers, I'll go find that thread and put in for that. Also curious about the tubular crossmember..

What do you guys suggest for a best-bang-for-buck $3k build? =)

First, welcome to the board and get ready for a fun project that gets better when you are done. It is a blast to drive.

Ok, 2600, since you decided to get a nose job. Wow plastic surgery before brakes, what kind of choices we making here.

My thoughts, other will chime in I am sure. How many miles on the 944?

Tubular cross member, LS1, allows for more room on AC side, running hoses, uses stock oil pan, so stock oil filter, motor mounts built in.
QT bell housing
Get the Throw out bearing, save the time to machine and get one
AC kit - Compressor, dryer, hoses, condenser, hose crimping - $300 or so
Steering rack - If you have miles ont eh 944, get a rebuilt unit from [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] $279
Bearings, tie rods and Bushings - make a list of all the ones
Make a list of all the parts you will need for the LS1 - Oil Temp, water temp, voltage, gas lines, heater hoses, ... these add up.
Shocks replacement
SeaFoam - since the motor has been sitting, -think about the injectors needing cleaning
Brakes - sounds like you like the Toyota LS 430 options, I like the Hydroboost, really grabs the rotors on a Daily driver.

So there is a good starting list for you.

Need to add radiator and Headers, how can I forget.

If you do run the LS430 Calipers on BMW Hydroboost with the stock master cyl I recommend you install 2 of these (1 for each front line) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] . I was going to go Manual brakes using Chops adapter, but because I left my rears stock it was going to cause a problem, so I had to put the hydroboost back on. The reason for manual brakes was to cut down on pedal travel and simplify my engine bay, alas it was not meant to be. The pedal travel on Hydroboost with LS430 is higher than you expect because the 430 pistons get brought back in by the seals so the residual pressure valves help keep 2psi on the backs of the pistons (which is just enough to not allow them to retract too far back and keep the calipers from dragging) and the brakeing works much better, a lot better pedal feel too. Now I have o figure out what to do with the manual pedal assembly 944 adapter and masters and a nice remote reservoir that has front/rear and clutch all in one.

I didn't realize machining of the T/O bearing was necessary if you got the QT bellhousing. 944v8's pricing for that part is great to begin with, so that's probably the route I'll take for the T/O. Thanks!

-Dawgz That's priceless info man, thanks. Should that be added to the wiki if it hasn't already?

Budget is now $3000 - $750 headers = $2250 remaining.

At first $3k felt doable. I realize headers are one of the biggest hitters, but I still have BH, brakes, and crossmember (amongst other tidbits and chassis freshening) to buy under the proposed build.

I've printed the shopping list from the wiki, and am going through sourcing with prices next to each item. This will get a lot easier once I've got all my data organized in one spot. This is so much better than Christmas ever was.

Don't forget custom exhaust.... 6-8 bills.... I think you're going to need more than 3000$

Aside from the headers, I built my custom exhaust for under $300 (incl. muffler, cat, and pipes) in parts and $200 at the machine shop for a nice weld job. If you are good with a welder you can forgo the machine shop. My exhaust is 3" end-to-end.

I would agree that $3k is unlikely to do it.

I think when I sourced all the parts for my build I might have been able to keep the bottom line in excel bellow 3k, without the engine etc. That was with a lot of my own labor to build custom parts though. It certainly is higher than 3k now though

Have you thought about suspension upgrades and other parts of the car that should be modified in order to take the extra power with grace?

I certainly have! Unfortunately it's more of a priority to get it on the road before we relocate from Maine to Texas. It will def get some major suspension attention, and other track bits once we're settled. Ideally I'd like to drive it down there under it's own steam at the end of the summer, but it could end up on a trailer if I can't figure out how to stretch my bucks that far. I'm trying to flip a couple toyota's in my spare time to leverage enough extra dough to make this happen. I recently quit my job to do this project before we leave. Exciting..

Nice, that's dedication. I'm in Maine too, but not moving to Texas.

Haven't heard any news about the tubular ls1 crossmember from Eric, and can't do much without it. Thankfully I picked up a Camry with a blown engine on CL for $500 yesterday and dragged it home, this should pay some bills while I'm sitting around unemployed and dreaming.

You can do everything without it. You just will need a modified oil pan, motor mount up rights, ans some spacers for the existing cross member.

Haha, I should have known that was coming

What I should have said is that I'd prefer to have all my big stuff in hand before I dive in head first. The crossmember solves the job of 3 challenges in 1 part, costs $250.00 less than the necessary individual components (assuming it's priced in line with the LT1 version) and overall feels like a "cleaner" approach.

Chopping the oil pan, extraditing the oil filter, and welding up uprights seems silly since the tubie negates the reason for these and costs hundreds less.

Don't get me wrong, the work arounds that have been designed by everyone are stellar. If this product wasn't around the corner, I'd go down that road without reservation.

you are moving to texas? if you are and still need help, i can help, just be close to me

where do you pick up a tubular cross member for a 944 turbo, without exchanging both kidneys. I need one of them.

You can't, I do not have the LSx cross member for sale just yet, and it'll cost an arm and a leg!

I'm confused.

You cannot get a tubular crossmember for a 944 turbo, or you can't get one yet?

It sounds like you have a bit more reading to do, or maybe we are misreading your question. :-P

If we're talking the engine cradle/subframe crossmember, then those are engine platform specific. They both fit turbo or NA. (i believe) There is currently an LT1 crossmember available, and an ls1 version is in development by TPC. I believe he is hanging on for our first shipment from S&P to make sure that the headers fit with Texas Performance Concepts current design.

If we're talking about a bar that spans your radiator support area across the nose, then those are purchased at Texas Performance Concetps for $57.99. There is no indication that it's for either particular platform, so I'd assume it'd work just fine for the 951. You could check with Admin to find out for sure.

I think I was the one confused.

It sounded to me like the question was: "Where can I get a tubular cross member for a 944 turbo?" and the answer was "you can't get one."

It sounds like the question was actually "Where can I get a tubular cross member for an ls1?" and the answer was "Nowhere yet, but I will eventually have one for sale."

Sorry for the confusion, and keep us posted on this crossmember.