TurnerJ

My younger brother is looking at an LS1 951. What should we be looking for? The swap was done by the seller 3 years ago. Chassis has 110k, engine (camaro/firebird) has 80k, and clutch/flywheel have 10k. The engine had the timing chain, oil pump, and a bigger throttle body put on during installation. It was the renegade hybrids kit with headers.

The headlights are left in the up position all of the time (I guess clearance issues) which leads me to wonder if it was a really clean install. I know I can install a manual headlight deal that someone is doing on the forum.

It sounds like buying one pre swapped (and on a 951 chassis) is the way to go. We're going to look at it tomorrow so any advice is much appreciated. If you wanted to throw out general ballpark prices that would be appreciated as well.

Arominus

Biggest thing i would look at its the quality of the work, IE correct harness used (not electrical tape and wire nuts), clean install (aka wires managed, things routed well) and the functionality of everything.

JimV8

Value will depend very much on the quality of the build. Details such as motor mounts, exhaust and cooling are important. Do you have particulars on the clutch? With the 944 LS swap there isn't room for the headlight bar so folks remove them and go with 914 ones or fixed kits. As far as value, thats really between the seller and buyer but I have over $10K and many many hours in my build and wouldn't sell for less than $20K.

TurnerJ

I love how everybody replies so quick here, thanks. Looking at it more, it has some really nice parts like 8x10 wheels, bride seats/sparco harness, momo, and euro rear bumper. Flush mount headlights and other fiberglass parts also come with it. So now I'm leaning more toward it being well done rather than budget and cobbled together. He has also owned it for a long time

He also says he got rid of VATS and some emission stuff. I take it this is a plus, a few horses gained?

I'll try to post a pic of the engine.

TurnerJ

pic

Voith

Nice. I would offer 5k.

TurnerJ

just saw this thread, lots of good info.
https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...ls1-944-a.html

So I guess the engine bay looks good, no bling but not a disaster either.

rlets

I see a few things there to question. With the right answers, it could be a good purchase. One thing is hood pins due to cutting out the factory hood latch. Is the radiator still properly ducted? Are the pins anchored sufficiently and how well is the header panel mounted?

Also I see there is no brake booster. This is probably the hardest part of a conversion. Renegade conversions usually have the master bolted to the firewall with an adapter plate. This works but requires lots of pedal pressure and that can weaken and eventually crack the firewall. Is it well reinforced or braced to the wheel well?

And I notice the fuel filter center and rear of the engine bay. The filter is also the pressure regulator on the Camaro/Corvette, so the fuel return comes from there. I installed mine in the Porsche factory filter location next to the right rear shock. This simplifies the engine bay fuel lines and in my opinion reduces fire risk.

Lastly, I'm guessing there are spacers installed between the crossmember and the forward frame rails. Without those shaving of the throttle body and trimming of the underbody of the hood is necessary. The spacers aren't the end of the world, and really no trouble at all on a street car. But it does change the roll center of the front suspension and could affect handling and tire wear. Just something to be aware of.

In general, it look clean under the hood. Best of luck.

Rich

TurnerJ

Wow, good eyes! I wasn't even able to put two and two together about why there seemed to be hood pins in another one of the pictures. And about the brakes, well, there are none, none boosted that is. I understand that this is one of the hardest parts, but I figure I can handle at least one job on the car, you know, just so I can take some credit

Your other points will be very valuable when we go to check it out. Thank you!

arthropraxis

I have a LS1 swap with the headlight bar working fine, there is plenty of room for it. Make sure to test drive in traffic to see how the clutch and cooling system hold up.

Techno Duck

Look at the wiring and plumbing. It will be pretty easy to see the quality of the swap based on just those two things. I agree with Anthro, put as many miles on the car as possible to see how it performs.

Pricing these swaps is highly subjective. Having built a LS swapped 951, i think $15-20k is a good estimate on cost to build a well equipped car with power steering and power brakes if having a shop do the work. This includes donor engine, conversion parts and all other associated bits plus labor. This does not include the price of the car though.

I think $15k for a LS swapped 944 is a good starting point for a clean car. The price should then be adjusted accordingly for how well the swap is done and how well equipped the car is (Aftermarket suspension..etc). I would love to think my car is worth more, but at the end of the day its still a 944. But in the grand scheme of things i bought this car to drive, not worry about resale value . If i wanted that i would have bought a 993 instead.

Based on the picture looks like its running manual brakes which from what i have read in the past is really not at all ideal. So immediately i would be considering the cost to retrofit power brakes into the car and adjust whatever purchase price you had in mind. There are a few options for this; hydroboost, electric brake booster, pedal box or dual master cylinders. All have pro's and con's...all are quite tedious to install.

VAT is just vehicle anti-theft and must be turned off in the PCM regardless due to the nature of the engine swap. Lack of emissions control equipment has its pros and cons. Simpler setup with the downside that you limit where the car can potentially be registered if your in a smog state.