LT1 or LS1?

Has either of these proven to be more reliable than the other? I've been wanting to hold out for an LS1 simply for the added HP, but I can never seem to save more than the $5,500 I have now. And $5,500 isn't getting me a LS1 unless it needs a ton of work. And I don't want to get anything that's going to need any work at all, I just want something I can get in and take off. I can get a pretty good deal on a 95 LT1 with a 6-speed, 88,000 miles with nothing wrong with it. Trying to decide if I should go for it or not.

Is there a reason that most of the LT1's came in Auto, and that stick is a rare option apparently? I really want a stick, I'd love feeling all those horses under my hand with a sweet short shifter. Also, is it harder to drive one of these? I can handle my 5-speed sentra just fine, but I jumped into a 2005 Mustang and I kept stalling out. I was wondering if maybe it was a hard-to-drive car.

Both are great power plants and both as long as they are treated nice will provide many many trouble free miles. I say get what you can afford and then mod to your preference. A LS1 will be the better performer of the 2 right out the box but the LT1 can match it very easily. Good luck and every clutch is different , you probably just had some getting use to the other car to do.

I agree. As far as getting used to an un familiar clutch ive found it easy, lightly blip the throttle and slowly let the clutch out to where it starts to engage. After watching my boss stall a s/c 02 gt we had in the shop I showed him my technique and since have never seen him stall a car.

defitnetly go with the ls1, the only thing is that the parts are expensive, while the lt1 has a pretty big aftermarket.

defitnetly go with the ls1, the only thing is that the parts are expensive, while the lt1 has a pretty big aftermarket.

So you're saying it'd be better to go with an LS1 that needs work instead of an LT1 in good running condition?

Both are great power plants and both as long as they are treated nice will provide many many trouble free miles. I say get what you can afford and then mod to your preference. A LS1 will be the better performer of the 2 right out the box but the LT1 can match it very easily. Good luck and every clutch is different , you probably just had some getting use to the other car to do.

Yea i figured the clutch would maybe just take some getting used to, but I also thought perhaps it would be more difficult because it's such a bigger engine. Does an LT1 with a stick run slower times than an auto? I would think I'd have to get out of first pretty damn quick with a 6 speed on a launch whereas an auto can cruise a little bit more before switching. I'm just trying to find some sort of logic as to why most v8 camaro's are auto.

There is like a 40 - 50 horse difference between the 2, that could easily be made up with minor things like a catback and CAI. Or some headers, a airfoil and tb bypass or some gears and a shift kit. Or a stall by itself can make a huge difference. There is nothing wrong with a LT1, of the 2 yes the LS1 being the new engine and making more power right off the bat is the way to go but if there is a huge price differnce which I am sure there is. I would and have gone the LT1 route and I am very happy about it.

Yea i figured the clutch would maybe just take some getting used to, but I also thought perhaps it would be more difficult because it's such a bigger engine. Does an LT1 with a stick run slower times than an auto? I would think I'd have to get out of first pretty damn quick with a 6 speed on a launch whereas an auto can cruise a little bit more before switching. I'm just trying to find some sort of logic as to why most v8 camaro's are auto.
Auto's are slightly faster in the 1/4 if they have the stock 3.23's but the 5 speed is faster from a roll and top speed. A good stick driver should be able to give a auto a run from the line unless the auto is packing a stall, shift kit and corvette servo that is :icon16: but I would love to have a 6 speed, you gotta consider fun factor.

unless the auto is packing a stall, shift kit and corvette servo that is :icon16:

thank you ;)

well, personally i am a fan of the LS1 over the LT1, but if you had to choose between a good running LT1 and an LS1 that needed engine work, i say go with the LT1, really the only achillies heel is the optispark but there are ways to make them reliable, like install an aftermarket coil pack on top of the engine :)

So you're saying it'd be better to go with an LS1 that needs work instead of an LT1 in good running condition?

if it needs work i would stick with the lt1,

A extremely easy fix for the opti problems , which was only really a problem on 93 & 94 models was to add a vacuum line like the later one's had, all you need to do this is replace the non vented cap with a vented one which was a direct swap, then run a vacuum line to draw out moisture, I did this on my original engine and am about to do it on the new one and it removes alot of risk of having opti problem.

well yeah you could do that, but thats so easy, wheres the fun in that ;)

The fun part is when you get someone say you want to stay away from the LT1's cause of the dreaded optispark (notice the lack of finger pointing) and you get to say oh really then why does my car get a solid hot spark til 6K (6300 in the case of the LT4) with half crank starts and then bust a cap in there ass :naughty:.

lol, for some odd reason i feel pointed at :evillol:

get an LT4....or get a running condition LT1 and get an LT4 conversion kit....meh, just my 2 cents...

if you got the spare cash, i would definatly agree with getting an LT4 conversion for the LT1, but im not sure if that kit has been surpassed by the aftermarket for hp per dollar spent. id have to research it. FormulaLT1 might now about that.

The hotcam is a work of art , the lt4 head and intake on the other hand are over-rated/over-priced. You can and will get much better numbers out of ported head and intake to match. The lt4 hotcam I had in my last motor and it was a excellent compromise between street and strip and made plenty of power up top.

like i said :)

The lt4 hotcam I had in my last motor and it was a excellent compromise between street and strip and made plenty of power up top.

yes it does... :evillol:

I would think I'd have to get out of first pretty damn quick with a 6 speed

first in those six-speed cars will get ya to 45 mph... u have to shift pretty quick, but not too quick