LS vs BB advice needed

[badazz81z28]

FBird,
I understand your dilemma... I am one who is sitting on the fence right now with a new ZZ454 (w/ camshaft change) sitting in my subframe waiting on mating to the body of our 68 Camaro (waiting on paint). Across the room I'm staring at a LS7 from a ZO6 that is being stored for a friend of mine and if I could talk him out of it I'm just chomping at the idea of pulling my 454 out and dropping that in. I know there is a big difference in a LS7 vs hopped up 6.0. So in my situation comparing the 2 engines I have a ZZ454 (est. 485-490hp) and LS7 427 (proven 505hp) my 454 is going to be running MPFI Holley so both are going to need tuning. In my situation the change of engine mounts, oil pan swap on the LS7 finding a location for the dry sump, new headers, serpentine kit that will the fit ac compressor in the chassis, possible radiator change, and adding flex plate for automatic trans all adds up for me just to get a few more hp and maybe just a little better fuel mileage. That's where I have to make the choice. But also for me I know if I ever sell the car the LS7 is going to bring more money than if it had the 454 that's just the way things happen.
Hope you can eventually get the HP numbers your looking for.

BB

It really comes down to what you're looking for. I'm pretty confident my LS7 Camaro will wax the floor of any Camaro with a BBC between the fenders. The power, the lightness, the 7000RPM redline makes it a hands down an all around better engine for the street/strip/autocross/road course. Where massive BBC power prevails is straight line performance. If that's all you want, that probably is the best way to go. The swap has been done so many times, finding the parts you need isn't difficult. When I sold my 454 parts and my LS1, its offset the LS7 cost significantly where the swap really only cost me a few grand and that was "want" cost more than essential. The OPs comparison of the 454 and $6K on the 6.0...sell the 454 and that 6.0 isn't that much of a costly upgrade (if the 454 is as good as represented).
Theres a reason no production performance car uses large block/large head cube engines anymore. These SB LS heads flow comparable aftermarket BBC head #s and they are significantly lighter and produce comparable power #s. Its a no brainer for a performance vehicle.

http://www.roadkill.com/700hp-shooto...own-big-block/

[Bad Bowtie]

It really comes down to what you're looking for. I'm pretty confident my LS7 Camaro will wax the floor of any Camaro with a BBC between the fenders. The power, the lightness, the 7000RPM redline makes it a hands down an all around better engine for the street/strip/autocross/road course. Where massive BBC power prevails is straight line performance. If that's all you want, that probably is the best way to go. The swap has been done so many times, finding the parts you need isn't difficult. When I sold my 454 parts and my LS1, its offset the LS7 cost significantly where the swap really only cost me a few grand and that was "want" cost more than essential. The OPs comparison of the 454 and $6K on the 6.0...sell the 454 and that 6.0 isn't that much of a costly upgrade (if the 454 is as good as represented).
Theres a reason no production performance car uses large block/large head cube engines anymore. These SB LS heads flow comparable aftermarket BBC head #s and they are significantly lighter and produce comparable power #s. Its a no brainer for a performance vehicle.

http://www.roadkill.com/700hp-shooto...own-big-block/

I agree with this on several levels, the only real reason I have that 454 in mine now was because I started building it for a friend of mine and half way through he decides to sell the car he was putting it in and gave me a GREAT deal on it. I'm not over trying to convince my buddy to sell me that LS7 and I would do exactly as you and sell off the BBC stuff, but once that subframe get mated to the body I'm not changing it. I'm really down on my big block stash anyway so I'm not replacing it and I think I'm gonna start collecting LS stuff as I come across it

BB