Thread: Its LS1 time!

I was looking at doing a similar conversion, using a vt 5ltr and t700 but it was waay over my budget. just to get the adapter made for the auto to transfer was going to be about 3g plus a spud shaft. have you considered using the diffs and t box from a d2. by switching over it would allow you to use the lt230t which there are already heaps of adapters for. also we were looking at having to piggy back both the engine ecu and the auto ecu.
the conversion is very do able but i think 20g is going to be a bit conservative. good luck
mick

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Sure, but how much???
= AU$81500 at current exchange rates.

That was 10k Pounds that car.
52kPounds spent on it Ouch.

I looked at importing this afternoon cant do unless it has been in your ownership/used in UK/OS for 12 months.

Originally Posted by DT-P38

No offence intended, but I don't think I'd be ready to jump on board at $20K but from what you said thats for an ALL NEW 6.0 & trans. I'd be happier with something like the 'alpha' model your suggesting... 2nd hand (or perhaps reco) base/225kw unit. Surely that as a 'beta' would still help out with finetuning the process and product.

Assuming all that went well, and it brought 'the pretty pig' up to as solid and reliable a product as the Mrs 100 series, I could probably then get her to entertain the thought of flogging off her toyota and building a P38 'premium' truck...

Actually, hang on now... I know these guys who have some pretty cool accessories and upgrades for P38's ( HRA) and one of them is regularly pulling P38's to bits and talking of flaring guards and sticking 44's under one... hell, maybe we should all just start talking up an extremely tough LS1 P38 comp truck

No offence taken

Yes it will be out of alot of people budget, but alas, the clientele I'll be after will be those who wish to drop their car off, return back and pick up the finished product and be on there merry way with what will hopefully be an excellent product

For once I won't be catering for those who wish to DIY this conversion, its to build up an in house, feasible, viable choise for those who love the P38 and wish to keep it for many more years to come

The conversion cost will be the same, whether one chooses a high kay engine trans or brand new crate job, the variable expense will be the purchasing of the drivetrain, the conversion work is still the same regardless, which can vary from a $1500 econd hand LS1 and auto to 8K everything brand new in a crate

Originally Posted by wanglemoose

I was looking at doing a similar conversion, using a vt 5ltr and t700 but it was waay over my budget. just to get the adapter made for the auto to transfer was going to be about 3g plus a spud shaft. have you considered using the diffs and t box from a d2. by switching over it would allow you to use the lt230t which there are already heaps of adapters for. also we were looking at having to piggy back both the engine ecu and the auto ecu.
the conversion is very do able but i think 20g is going to be a bit conservative. good luck
mick

Welcome to the world of engine conversions

No, as the P38 runs left hand drop, which actually turns out better for front propshaft clearance, to change to LT230, you may aswell buy a D2 and convert that

Overcoming the ECU's in the P38 are the huge hurdle, aside from engineering, the conversion itself will be fine, such as the HEVAC system communicates with the engine ECU and the BeCM, so as to have the climate control operate without fault, as per factory, lots of majic has to happen and that's just one VERY small example, I'll be drawing up and outsourcing the adaptors, everything will be supplied from various suppliers in bulk, so as they can't be easily reproduced

There is alot to it, I believe I have all the right sources, which are many to sort this out, time will tell

There are a couple of options here...

Re. the BECM, it may be feasible to salvage the BECM from a Commodore and use that with a full LS1/Allison 5 sp transmission package and associated ECUs. The Commodore ...since 1993 at least, has also had a far better (digital)cruise control which uses a stepper motor rather than the crappy vacuum system in the P38.

If the various interface voltages and source code(s) could be obtained, any self respecting software integration engineer could write the bridging software to link it all together... do we have any Defence industry engineers amongst the LR faithful on this site? they do this sort of stuff all the time...or someone who "knows" someone who dabbles in race car telemetry ...thinking super V8s.

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Hoges

There are a couple of options here...

Re. the BECM, it may be feasible to salvage the BECM from a Commodore and use that with a full LS1/Allison 5 sp transmission package and associated ECUs. The Commodore ...since 1993 at least, has also had a far better (digital)cruise control which uses a stepper motor rather than the crappy vacuum system in the P38.

If the various interface voltages and source code(s) could be obtained, any self respecting software integration engineer could write the bridging software to link it all together... do we have any Defence industry engineers amongst the LR faithful on this site? they do this sort of stuff all the time...or someone who "knows" someone who dabbles in race car telemetry ...thinking super V8s.

Thoughts?

Thoughts? your thinking to much

My idea is to make a stand alone engine/transmission combination, which is reliable, so incorporating an extra body control module is not something I wan't to do

so will you be a vendor offering aulro discounts

Sounds good, look forward to seeing some pics of one bolted in

20k for new motor/box, installed with all the little bits and pieces done sounds like an absolute bargain to me, i know roughly how much i have spent on my LS1 conversion but more importantly how many hours i have put into it....