donor car?

[gcsrt8]

hey guys. im a 25yr old, married, father (4weekbaby girl) who i think just lucked out.. i bought a 66 malibu 2 years ago with a pro touring build / daily driver in mind.
do to buying our first house (fixer upper) i haven't had the time or money to work on the malibu. so my new father in-law owns 4 junk yards in california. he called me this weekend to tell me he has a 06 6.0 6spd gto, 06 6spd ctsv and a 07 zo6 for a donor for my malibu. what one could i use the must parts from?

[Ron.in.SoCal]

I'd say 07 Z06 for the motor value alone. If the Z06 has brakes you'll want those too. You can sell the trans, tourque tube, spindles, hubs and control arms and come out cash positive on the deal.

The GTO would give you a motor and trans, possibly seats if that makes more sense for you...

[Gandalf]

Have to agree with Ron based purely on value. Just know that your project/budget/experience will alter if you decide to keep and use the LS7 for your personal project vs selling.

If you keep the LS7 all stock and use as much from the donor car as possible then you can keep the additional costs down, otherwise you'll end up paying what I like to call "LS7 tax". At the very least you will be commanding some extra plumbing duties for the dry-sump oil system and potentially the accessory system depending on fitment. There are a ton of options but just know that they add-up very quick when you step outside of stock, especially with the LS7. With this option, you will want the trans-setup from one of the other two vehicles unless you want a BIG project on your hands :-)

In the case of each vehicle, be sure to consider mileage and any relevant damage to the front of the car (esp the Z06 and the oil system) and accessories (fitment/damage).

Regardless of which engine/vehicle you choose, definitely consider the Z06 brakes, the GTO/CTS-V trans, accessories and brackets to suit your build (you will need to research which of those setups best fits your project best). From the engine-donor vehicle you will want the matching computer, wiring harness (try not to cut it) and modules, pedals - esp the accelerator pedal, instrument cluster and sensors. Easier to delete later than go searching for later.

I assert you will gain more of a "drop-in" experience from the GTO drivetrain or CTS-V (similar between the two cars for the 2006 year IIRC) if you pull the whole drivetrain along with the above noted parts.

Either way, like Ron said - the brakes and the re-sale value of the LS7 and other components from the Vette should not be ignored though.

G.

[Jameson]

I say the CTSV.... It should have the brembro brakes on it which will work for a brake swap as well for you along with the 6.0/T56 setup.

[formula350]

Ask if I can have one that you don't take haha ;)