Ls1 conversion value.
 

I realize this might be one of those things you (I) might regret asking like "are those real" to your sister, but I have to ask this question because I've been thinking about it. Mostly in a 944 but lately even in my 911 widebody.
Question; would my car be worth more or less with a very well done ls conversion or with a nice 930 engine when if ever I think of selling? I don't know why I just asked that.
My engine is too valuable to just drive around anymore and I want to look at getting something else. I love the power it makes. I would hate to compromise there but an ls1 conversion would/could be wonderful. Or another 930 engine.
So which would be the easier sale at a higher price if you had to choose?
Both being equal and both being very powerful and fun. Both being very nice and non numbers matching Frankenstein monsters.
I've seen some pretty nice conversions on eBay but don't know if they get the money.
And would it be a compromise, I mean it's always going to have a little stigma attached I feel. It's not a real porsche. But $30 oil changes and 25mpg are nice too.
I don't know.
Thought on that wicked subject?

I didn't open this door ("are those real" to your sister), but after I stopped coughing, I'd say that the old adage in racing that there's an ass for every seat would apply. Obviously, the purists won't like the concept of a 911 conversion (nor a Porsche SUV) but would be OK with a 944 conversion. All things being equal(?), I'd say the 944 conversion would have a higher flip price. Don't hold me to that, I'm just one of the Bozos on the bus here.

If you only got 25MPG with an LS, something would have to be off. I pulled low 30's with mine.

I used to scoff at those swaps, even being a Chevy guy, but since you already have a Frankenstein, I'd say go for it!

4-figure horsepower with a big hair dryer isn't that hard. Generally, heads, cam, and intake/TB is all it takes. They're priced cheap compared to comparable Porsche parts.

I don't know, I'm assuming 25mpg. But the real nice thing would be simple no leaks, no real worries, assuming there are no issues with these conversions. I have no idea. The sound of both are really nice. The low rumble of the v8, the fan sound and then the burbles and pops of the 930, the loud yell on boost from the dump pipe or the 930 is hard to let go. And the rush of boost would be tough to say good bye to as well. The aircooled engines are a little finicky no? Gotta watch closely the afr's and the Oil temp as well. With all the oil cooling there is less room to add ac, but with water cooling there is a giant eye sore up front in the Frunk. There is really no room for my crap that usually goes there.
The ls1 is lighter. And more powerful too. I mean with 5.7-6.0 it better be right? But it's lighter.......soooooooo. And well packaged. Cleans up the engine bay well. But I like the look of the 930 turbo better. And it sounds cooler while running. Hmmmm

You have an awesome build. Why mess with that? Even if something catastrophic were to occur to the engine, it would still be worth a lot... enough to fund an SBC conversion. Just drive it and enjoy.

I know. But sometimes you gotta have a change. Especially in the hunt for more power.

Have you visited the Renegade shop yet?

Yeah. They're the best when it comes to the porsche hybrid.

If you want Chevy power, why not just get a Chevy and sell the Porsche that doesn't seem to be enough for you? Why bastardize the thing to the point where the Porsche crowd is not really all that interested?

I don't usually agree with you but you might have a point here.

I'm not sure what I was thinking.
The 911/930 is a flat six aircooled engine. I've seen a water pumper porsche 911 engine in an early car and that was cool too but didn't look good. Fast though. Sounded great too, cause it was still a flat six.
No, my 911/930 will stay flat six.

If I want ls Chevy power I'll put it in a 944. I truly hate the 944 engine. But the 944 is a nice sportscar.

This reminds me of discussions I had about adding a turbo to a 944NA. Always thought it was easier and cheaper to sell the 944 and buy a 951. The 951 was perfectly sorted from the factory and had an appropriate suspension and brakes for the increased power. Not that I'd left my 951 stock for long. But in this case, would you be better off waiting for someone else to sell an LS1 or other SBC 911 conversion and let them take the hit?

Years ago I took a ride in a Chevy powered 914, this was like 15 years ago. I had a 914 with a 1.7 in it 25 years ago. That drive was a hair raising experience. If I had the money and garage to store another car, I would get Chevy 914 over a Chevy 911.

Warning: this message contains my opinion. No facts were hurt in the creation of this opinion.

A 930 is a 930 due to turbo lag, burst of energy. Somewhat scary reputation. And will climb in value, because Porsche fans will pay big money for its performance, flaws, and character.

A LS conversion will likely be awesome. Exorcize all the flaws. And be "better".

However, IMHO you have removed the character. And resale will be to a much smaller crowd. And they want you to take the $$ hit. Speculative Porsche buyers will ignore it.

Just my thoughts on retained value.

My guess is a LS conversion would be a blast to drive, sound like a rumbling monster v8 and be pretty cheap to maintain. A cool concept.

I saw a 944 with a 2010 camaro engine. Wicked fast. Wouldn't mind that at all. Within character. Already a smooth water cooled engine, just better.

A 930 with a LS? No.

A twin turbo conversion with a big wing covering a too large inter cooler and shorty pipes blowing flames on trailing throttle. That'd be on the list. :)

It's your car and your money, do what you want.

MattR

I've been offered an amazing deal for my engine. Actually two. One is a fistful of cash and the other from another fine gentleman both who will remain nameless has offered me a.....well, a monster of a fresh build to my specs. Think large displacement single turbo cis for now but upgrade able. This is the offer I'm happy with most. Best of both worlds.

Thanks, good info. That's what seems logical to me as well.

Win-win. Go for the turbo motor swap. That sounds awesome.

Have you ever thought of two small twins? Having nearly instant boost may give you the low end torque you're after.

I am one that dislikes when a Porsche has an American engine. A widebody 911 is a beautiful car and should only be considered to have a 930 engine as an upgrade, not a v8.

I completed agree on the cheap power, thrill of a drive, and maintenance; I used to have a WS6 trans am in high school and loved it. Sure, in a 944 drop whatever you like in them, but keep the 911 with the beautiful air cooled engine Porsche engineers designed. I for one would only buy a 911 with a v8 swap to "fix" it. I like taking the factory car and making it better with the same brand's parts/designs/ect... There are many cars out there that are better with a Frankenstein build; Mazda rx7 to give one example (even a non turbo 944).

The choice is yours, but I think down the road from collector standpoint when a car runs across the auction block and says it has a "Renegade V8 conversion" or an "LS swap", I will gladly take this time to get a drink and use the restroom.

We are all on the forums, because we love cars. We like to build, race, and preserve them like they are a child. I think doing different brand engine swaps is a short term gain, long term loss.

Good luck with your decision. It is your wallet getting lighter here, not any of ours. So, do what makes you happy and post pics!

I'm already going to have to buy another turbo, I don't want to buy two. And the added complexity isn't exciting at this point for me. Maybe I'll do that later if I find a great deal on a package of headers and turbos I can't pass up.

Yeah I'm going to keep it porsche though. I love the character too much to Lose it.

Quattrorunner, you may be able to find a turbo that needs rebuilt and save on the cost?

Well I'm looking at the newer borg products because that design is getting much chatter.
I love the BB garrets because they're light and fast spoolers but expen$ive. Looking at the BW s366 for a 3.6L engine. Thoughts? They're not too pricey.

I've always been a fan of the BW K27, but I am not the most knowledgeable on the 3.6 turbo set ups. I had one on a 944 years ago and it felt pretty good. I'll do some reading tonight and get back to you. I am sure someone will chime in between then as well.

Put a V8 in a 944 and you've made the world a better place.
Not so much with a 911.

Just my opinion as a long time 944 owner with a LS1 swapped 944 Turbo and an air cooled 911.

The chassis of the 944 is really what makes it special. The forgiving and predictable handling are the 'experience' There are plenty of engine choices from the 8v 2.5L n/a, 16v 2.5L n/a, 8v 2.5L turbo and 16v 3.0L turbo. All of the engines are good and offer different powerbands; however all of them are forgettable in the overall experience of driving the car. The powerband of the LSx engine in the 944 is incredible because the chassis handles it so well, the LSx swapped 944 comes close to the experience of the early 911 where you have a complete package; chassis and engine that makes for something very special to drive.

The 911 on the other hand; the engine is totally part of the driving experience and i think you loose part of the character of the 911 without it. While i could care less what the purist think of my 944, personally i wouldnt do it on an earlier 911. A 996 is a different story! I think you will definately alter the value of a 911 with an LS swap and i couldnt say it would be for the better. The 944 on the other hand will never reach the pricing segment of a 911 so i dont think there is much to loose on the value of one compared to a air cooled 911.

5.7L LS1 in my '88 944T. 380whp/360ft-lbs. It hauls ass :).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps60328f7e.jpg

Techno Duck- That is pretty cool. My 944T was 398 at the wheels with the original engine :) Lot to be said about the base engines handling heavy boost. These cars with a lot of power are a BLAST to drive...and I would love to drive an LS 944 for kicks.

No doubt the 944T engine is fun; mine was making just under 300whp @ 15psi and it was more than enough power even on the track for me. But speaking from experience i think once you pass the 300whp point the reliability really takes a sharp downturn. The LS1 is a big dumb hunk of aluminum with a single over head cam and push rods. At 380whp its hardly breaking a sweat; 400-425whp is relatively easy to attain with the right cam, ported heads and FAST intake manifold. It will never be a high or quick rev engine like a n/a flat-6 but you dont need that when you have 200+ft-lbs of torque at 2k rpm :D. One thing the 944T will never get over also is the turbo lag, this is part of the character of the car like a 930; but the instant (And predictable) torque of the LS1 with the 944 chassis is a great combination. Personally i think the 3.0L 16v engine from the S2 is a great combo. As much as i liked the turbo i guess at heart i am an all motor kind of guy.

I also like the look of shear confusion some have at the sound the car makes :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1eHJgcfcfk

Techno- I was just giving you a hard time. You are 100% correct and for the track, the predictable power is a benefit. The raw power would be fun to whip around the track!

you would get Dq'd from R U faster than a redneck lol No I think you can get away with a swap in a 914 or 944 or 928 but in a 911 it just seems wrong. As for value youll definatly take a hit because you are no longer appealing to the Porsche crowd. The person thats going to buy will be just a car lover that likes to go fast and maybe likes the sportyness of a 911. but they wont go for paying that Porsche tax

I miss that show. Can't believe it's not on anymore.


Techno Duck that's a cool car. Some day I'll get one but doing it myself is a little cost prohibitive, at least having it done. Doing it ones self makes sense I guess.