89 911 LS1 Conversion

[Yan2947]

Jeff, you could try a 90 degree elbow right after the TB and see if that works. Not sure but engineering something to solve all of these issues can't be too difficult.

[Yan2947]

I've attached the 930 wing. It still has work to be done. It functions perfectly. We are going to do some work at the back where the turbo base ends to make it appear longer and wrap around the back. Hopefully it will look respectible.

[pplkook]

I remember seeing an aftermarket turbo wing where the wing itself was almost the same as factory, but the base went straight down from the rear rubber to accommodate a bigger inter cooler.

Maybe someone has a pic

-Jack

[Yan2947]

Jack, they are usually solid fiberglass. Wait till this is finished. It should have similiar characteristics. I will be keeping the rear bottom portion of the wing open for air flow to exit the fans and out the back. Everything is cooling wonderful but... it is winter.

[drmatera]

i would love to take a ride in that. My buddy has a 2000 SS Camaro with heads and cam that makes 420rwhp thru an auto trans. It's run 11.6 @ 121mph weighing 3600 pounds. Your car would be a 10 second daily driver with some simple mods.... Brutal

[not_hans_stuck]

Originally Posted by Yan2947

My car has been weighed. Filled with gas, spare tire, tools, etc it comes in at:

2612 pounds.

The wheel well height is as follows:
LF: 26 1/8"
RF: 26 1/16"
LR: 25 3/8"
RR: 26 1/8"

which we shall call 25.92 or 26" height from level ground to wheel well.

My 2002 LS1 Camaro motor is here. It had 65K miles.

The conversion begins

Howdy,

How about "after" measurements?

I'm very interested. I think the naysayers will be surprised.

H

[Yan2947]

Still have to put on the rocker panels. Its been a long winter. I actually think I may have to add some weight to the rear. (Which I won't of course) Everything is sitting a bit higher. I will take out the tape measure soon. The weather is warming up. Can't wait to take it out again!

[not_hans_stuck]

Don't add weight. Just reindex your torsion bars. If I were you, I'd take it someplace and have them do a proper corner balance with scales.

I think I may go the same route. I'll install the radiator in the front though. Cutting the car - again - isn't a problem for me. I've learned that I can weld back on anything I cut off. So hack away. Plus, I still don't understand why so many people say that cutting the car for an LS1 conversion is bad. Most of these people are impressed by "atrocities" like in the pic below. Also, what does that engine weigh compared to an LS1? What's the HP to weight ratio? Plus, how driveable is it compared to an LS1?

H

[Yan2947]

It does seem like a lot of Porsche 911's get hacked for 911 engines but put a ls1 in and its the devil's work! I think the weight overall is down - perhaps 50 lbs or so. Once I get the car all loaded I will have it weighed again. 99 percent of the swap was from the rear. The exception is taking out the oil cooler/fan on the front passenger side along with the lines and the oil tank in the rear passenger side. Nothing else in the front. Good luck!!!!

[jackb911]

As another guy who loves Porsches and Chevys (note the '67 Chevelle in the back of my basement), I really like what you are doing. No one seems to criticize Alois Ruf's V-8 powered 997. What an amazing machine that is!



My brother and I also took some of flak here for "cutting up" what was a really nice G50 coupe to convert it into a IROC-style widebody. It turned out nicer than we hoped and garners a lot more attention than it did in stock form.

You are doing yours right and the bottom line is that it is your car...to do with as you want.

I'm looking forward to seeing it finished. Those LS engines are great. Had a '06 GTO with a 400 HP LS2. Ugly car, fabulous powertrain.

Kudos on a great build!

[Yan2947]

This is what happens with lots of torque and a couple people in the back of a 911 going for a 0 to 60 run! Somehow, the torque was just a little bit too much. $250 dollars later with a new oil pan and all is well. The pan hit the pavement. Not sure how that is possible. Thought maybe a snapping turtle got in the way but it was pure pavement. Torsion bars may be in the future. A skid plate is being added...

[Yan2947]

The car has been running very well. Temp has not gone over 200F. Fan kicks on and drops the temp to 180F. Temps here in NY have not been over the mid 70's yet. We shall see how this monster cools when the humid summer air hits.

[mkingham]

Great build! Just subscribed. When do we get the 'after swap' numbers?

Mike

[hcoles]

subscribed and question
Aren't there companies that make trans-axles that can easily handle the torque and fit in this type of conversion? Some reading on this and it seems that even with a G50 or 930 tranny the result has iffy capability. I read somewhere that at 930 tranny can be modified to be bullet proof but the cost was huge ~ $10k. Maybe the aftermarket or racing trans-axles are also similar cost.

[lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by Yan2947

This is what happens with lots of torque and 3 spanish women going for a 0 to 60 run! Somehow, the torque was just a little bit too much. $250 dollars later with a new oil pan and all is well. The pan hit the pavement. Not sure how that is possible. Thought maybe a snapping turtle got in the way but it was pure pavement. Torsion bars may be in the future. A skid plate is being added...

Seems kind of strange that you would increase the hp so much over stock and not bother to have upgraded the suspension and brakes to match. I guess you just learned why it's needed. lol.

[jurhip]

Very neat.
I am always amazed that people poo-poo the engineering marvel that is the Chevy small block, especially from people that like the "engineering" of Porsche.

I can't think of any other engine that has reliably filled as many roles as it has. They may not be placed in the best cars, but small blocks are great motors.

[dabald]

I've been following your build for some time now, and I like the car, I like your attitude, and I'm glad your plan was not changed becasue of some the negative comments you've gotten. I bought an 80 911SC a few years ago and really considered the V-8 swap early on. My friend who was a Porsche factory mechanic talked me into a total rebuild back to stock. I've loved the car ever since but have often thought the swap would have been great. I've got a 750 HP Mopar, I've put a 350 in an RX-7. I've done a 327 in a Chevy Luv, and I've done a 383 in a Monza. Thru all these swaps, there has always been challenges and issues that crept up, just as you have found in this build. I commend your tenancity! Good Luck!

[Yan2947]

To answer a question or two, the G50 is pretty much bullet proof. The tranny rocks. I wish I had higher gears but that is probably a 10K upgrade. I upgraded my struts when I put in the engine. The problem I had was that 2 spanish women in the rear seat added enough weight where it was not needed to lower the rear enough for Murphy's law to take over. The standard Porsche brakes are awesome. I like the red brakes but at what cost? I am going to put a skid plate on the car. It just makes sense. Torsion bars are the other real answer but from what I understand they take at least an entire day to put in. I am going to assume that if I keep the spanish women out of the rear I am all set but... if for some reason I break another oil pan I will re-think my options.

[FinallyGotOne]

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

I am so impressed with the amount of engineering and work that goes into this swap, but I am curious how much better the performace is. How fast will this thing be 0-60 and 0-100. I'm thinking it has to be like a 4.5 second car now. I mean there is a 770 HP 911 Techart that I think is about a 3.7 0-60 and it's completely modified and tricked out in everyway. This car is a beast, but still I have to know how much it increases the performance, and is the handling suffering?

[RD911T]

Well a 2008 BMW M3 runs 0-60 in about 4.2-4.5 seconds. The Bimmer has 414hp but weighs 3650 lbs. Yan2947 says he's running around 375hp but has to weigh at least 650 lbs less. That's 18% lighter. 18% less hp would be 340, plus the 911 has superior weight distribution for launching/traction. I would think it would be at least that quick. I don't see where the handling would be effected at all. The LS7 should weigh less than the 930 motor.

Tom Viers
Cape Girardeau, MO