Where to find a clean LSx A or F body?

[payne]

I've just sold my Viper, and am very close to pulling the trigger on an Ariel Atom, but I've always wanted a LSx Chevelle or Camaro.

Ideally I would want:


forged motor with greater than 400rwhp
suspension setup that I can track/autocross out of the box
T56 w/ streetable clutch (or possibly a 4l80e)
at least 2-3k miles on the swap/well sorted
good solid paint - not a show car, but not a 10'er either
decent aftermarket stereo (ipod and bluetooth a plus)
modern wheels in the 17-20" range (18/20 would be as big as I'd like)
clean interior - preferably aftermarket guages, something my girlfriend wont reject.



Other than ebay, where's a good place to root around? I looked through the last few months here and didn't find anything that caught my eye.

Cheers,
Jason

[ProdigyCustoms]

Budget?

[novaderrik]

build your own.

[payne]

build your own.

Somebody's got a case of the Mondays...

I'm in Afghanistan right now, not going to finish one any time soon. Either going to buy an Atom and go stupid fast, or buy a well sorted PT rig.

Besides, I've already build something very fast and pro-touringish, but thanks for the valuable input.

Jason

[PhillipM]

Like Frank said... Whats the budget?

[Zanie]

from a viper to an Ariel Atom? really?

[silver69camaro]

from a viper to an Ariel Atom? really?

I'd take a Atom over a Viper any day.

[jocko124]

A 2010 Atom is $50K---so that's probably the ballpark budget?

[mc84_zz4]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/arielatom-1.gif
The Atom is an awesome little go-kart, probably the most fun at the track of anything you could drag out there.
I would prefer a PT car over it anyday, take a 200 mile drive in an Atom? - um, no thanks!
Between the sun, wind-burn, and bugs in my teeth, forget the 100* heat, rain, and every car on the road being a death threat.
Forget about getting the girlfriend into the atom for a trip anywhere...lol
$30-$45K could get you a VERY nice PT machine. JMHO

Maybe an opportunity worth inquiring into:
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71041

[payne]

from a viper to an Ariel Atom? really?

A friend of mine turns repeated 1:33.2s in a 245hp Atom with traffic. A professionally driven ACR with a full factory team on a rented track went a best of 1:33:8.

Honestly, I was not that impressed with the Viper, and mine had a blower.


A 2010 Atom is $50K---so that's probably the ballpark budget?

yup, there abouts.



The Atom is an awesome little go-kart, probably the most fun at the track of anything you could drag out there.
I would prefer a PT car over it anyday, take a 200 mile drive in an Atom? - um, no thanks!
Between the sun, wind-burn, and bugs in my teeth, forget the 100* heat, rain, and every car on the road being a death threat.
Forget about getting the girlfriend into the atom for a trip anywhere...lol
$30-$45K could get you a VERY nice PT machine. JMHO

Maybe an opportunity worth inquiring into:
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71041

Yes, it's the most fun I've ever had on a track. Sustained 1.8Gs in the corners, and 2.0Gs under braking. Not going to get that in a PT car any time soon for any reasonable budget. I'll likely go to a 300-350rwhp turbo in the future, which is about a 800-900rwhp to get the same power to weight in PT car. Again, not going to get a 800rwhp motor that you can do regular 20 min road course sessions in for a reasonable budget.

I already have a z06, and a Range Rover, so I've got the long trip covered. I live in the bay area, so Laguna Seca and Sears Point are driveable in the atom, and at 1350lbs, I can trailer it easily with the Range for Thill, Buttonwillow, and Willow Springs.

That Chevelle is about exactly what I'm looking for. PM sent, thanks for the lead.

[payne]

A fun watch: http://www.vimeo.com/13261490

FWIW, my buddy with a sorted C6 (non z06) with a full cornerweight, coilovers, and 315 A6s runs 1:40s and another friend with a well sorted RX7 on A048s runs 1:42s.

[John Wright]

Is that Turn 8 where it looks like the track drops out 5 or 6 feet from under you into (8A) a right hand turn?

[payne]

Is that Turn 8 where it looks like the track drops out 5 or 6 feet from under you into (8A) a right hand turn?

The Corkscrew. It's a trip:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=laguna%20seca%20corkscrew&search_type=&aq=f&oq=

JP

[John Wright]

Looks like it could be hard on the kidneys....LOL

[mc84_zz4]

Here's driving that same turn at 11/10's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB_k_wlr5Bc

[John Wright]

I4fC7auHv0o

This angle gives a real perspective of "the drop"....and I under estimated the elevation change by quite a few feet!

[payne]

I4fC7auHv0o

This angle gives a real perspective of "the drop"....and I under estimated the elevation change by quite a few feet!

Yeah, it's downright scary the first few times, and everyone takes a really bad line through it.

The view from the top is amazing as well, the entire Monterrey bay on a clear day.

JP

[jeff s]

I'm selling this for 80k, it's got air conditioing and fully street legal.
820 rwhp 2300 lbs

[twosaturns]

I4fC7auHv0o

This angle gives a real perspective of "the drop"....and I under estimated the elevation change by quite a few feet!
yup, I drove that many times, scary.

and when I say drove it, I mean in Gran Turismo 2!:)

[93Polo]

You may also want to lurk on LS1tech. At $50k you could buy a very solid body work/LS swap completed car and pay a shop for some suspension/brake upgrades.


I'd take a Viper over the Atom. I like to drive my cars to much on road trips for the Atom, not enough luggage space or weather protection but you have that covered.

[twosaturns]

this is the site of a guy who chronicles his experiences w/ his atom:
http://www.evilatom.com/
previous to this he had probably THE best site about modding/racing saturns:
http://www.evilplastic.com/

[SatisTraction]

look in my sig. $28000 buys it.

[MonzaRacer]

Ok this car was originally 6cyl, its a malibu, he swapped in a bbc.
If you buy it I live like 2 blocks from him, and could do the brake,engine, suspension upgrades. And Ill take the removed drive line for labor cost, and can source the LSx driveline at cost(ie no mark up.
Figure you could get this car for $20k figure another $10k to $15k for engine/trans if a good match can be located or built and adapter parts to mate it to older car.
http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1474/Chevelle/post/1943548/1970-chevelle-bbc-trade-Impala-Nova-GTO.html

[payne]

Ok this car was originally 6cyl, its a malibu, he swapped in a bbc.
If you buy it I live like 2 blocks from him, and could do the brake,engine, suspension upgrades. And Ill take the removed drive line for labor cost, and can source the LSx driveline at cost(ie no mark up.
Figure you could get this car for $20k figure another $10k to $15k for engine/trans if a good match can be located or built and adapter parts to mate it to older car.
http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1474/Chevelle/post/1943548/1970-chevelle-bbc-trade-Impala-Nova-GTO.html

At the moment, I'm not looking for a project, but thanks for the heads up. In a year or two I might be looking when work slows down.

Cheers,
Jason

[MonzaRacer]

Wasnt talking project, it came off that you wanted a running car, ready to drive. Since I like big blocks, know the driveline AND car and could do the LSx swap.
What I was offering was to swap it over to a more protouring line of build, its paint is in very good shape except for the cowl hood which is fiberglass and unpainted.
And in exchange for the labor I would keep the driveline(engine/trans) and resell old take off parts for the project build as a lot of stuff would come off as original.
It does run and drive but isnt protouring, more like street dragracer but not all cut up and it is still a driver.
Swapping in an LSx engine manual trans would be a more than simple project and I have access to anything from 4.8 to 6.2, depending on parts budget.
Swap out a fuel tank to one with an electric pump, have a plug in harness made to interface with the stock harness to run it, make a few new lines nad connections to fit and drop it in.
One big job would be swapping in the stick but since all the resto places have pedal kits and making it manual shouldnt be a big chore.
Small fix up like changing seats, and such would be easy down the road.
It s an 8x,xxx original and does have original window sticker and such.