[Butler7508]

I am looking for some input in regards to max power for a NA built motor. I have had a couple of z/28's and the last one was fully built by 21st Century Muscle Cars here in Dallas and it was a monster, but that was an LS7 motor. I am trying to decide between a 1SS 1LE or the ZL1 1LE for my next car. I wont daily drive it but it wont just be a track car, so like many guys, I am trying to determine if I can live with the vey track focused suspension on the ZLE. With that in mind, I am wondering if I can juice up the LT1 enough to make a 1SS 1LE work for me.
FYI- I had a 2016 1LE and also had a 2017 ZL1 but it had the auto. The 1LE was a fun car but I felt it needed more power. The ZL1 was strong but not as engaging- it was easy to go fast but it didn't FEEL fast (probably because of the auto)...should have gotten a manual
Looking for feedback from guys that have built their LT1 motors, how much HP and torque they are producing and if they are happy with the results.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post!

[USAFS197]

Well, the simple side of this conversation could be for you to go and do a H/C/I setup with full bolt ons and supporting mods. You'll likely be around 580+ with E85. Or, you can go the stroker route along with H/C/I and be pushing a bit more power than that. I believe Katech is one of the few companies out there actively building 427ci LT1's. I wouldn't discount the LT1's performance vs a LS7. They perform more similarly than most people think.

Also, happiness is usually temporary. But I'll be honest and say that 580+ to the tire, naturally aspirated, sounds good to me.

[FNxR3DNECK]

Originally Posted by USAFS197

Well, the simple side of this conversation could be for you to go and do a H/C/I setup with full bolt ons and supporting mods. You'll likely be around 580+ with E85. Or, you can go the stroker route along with H/C/I and be pushing a bit more power than that. I believe Katech is one of the few companies out there actively building 427ci LT1's. I wouldn't discount the LT1's performance vs a LS7. They perform more similarly than most people think.

Also, happiness is usually temporary. But I'll be honest and say that 580+ to the tire, naturally aspirated, sounds good to me.

Yea Katech does some pretty wild things with the LTs, if money was of no concern I would say OP should hit them up about their 427 "Track Attack" package for the LT1, but it is a pricey one haha about $25k last time I checked. It is a proven package, I have seen a few guys with it on their Grand Sport Vettes and they have nothing but good things to say about it and the lap times to back it up.

In my mind the perfect track car would be a ZL1 1LE with that package swapped in place of the LT4.

[Butler7508]

Originally Posted by USAFS197

Well, the simple side of this conversation could be for you to go and do a H/C/I setup with full bolt ons and supporting mods. You'll likely be around 580+ with E85. Or, you can go the stroker route along with H/C/I and be pushing a bit more power than that. I believe Katech is one of the few companies out there actively building 427ci LT1's. I wouldn't discount the LT1's performance vs a LS7. They perform more similarly than most people think.

Also, happiness is usually temporary. But I'll be honest and say that 580+ to the tire, naturally aspirated, sounds good to me.

Yeah- I am drooling over Katech's 427 package but at $25k, its a little steep for my pocket I had a GTR that was set up for E85 but never a NA car. Does running E85 produce more power in an NA car because it has more octane that 93? What are the benefits you get from switching it to E85?

[Butler7508]

Originally Posted by FNxR3DNECK

Yea Katech does some pretty wild things with the LTs, if money was of no concern I would say OP should hit them up about their 427 "Track Attack" package for the LT1, but it is a pricey one haha about $25k last time I checked. It is a proven package, I have seen a few guys with it on their Grand Sport Vettes and they have nothing but good things to say about it and the lap times to back it up.

In my mind the perfect track car would be a ZL1 1LE with that package swapped in place of the LT4.

mine too

[USAFS197]

Originally Posted by Butler7508

Yeah- I am drooling over Katech's 427 package but at $25k, its a little steep for my pocket I had a GTR that was set up for E85 but never a NA car. Does running E85 produce more power in an NA car because it has more octane that 93? What are the benefits you get from switching it to E85?

Yeah. That's essentially how it breaks down. It's just simply higher octane that is more accessible to a larger audience. Some people report a difference between 20-30hp on a naturally aspirated setup by just switching to E85. I couldn't tell you personally since E85 is not available where I'm at, otherwise, I'd be using it. I'm very confident that I'd be over 500whp with E85 from where I currently am.

[JonD]

Local guy with H/C/I put down 555whp on his 18’ 1LE & Cordes Performance

[Boost Creep]

Originally Posted by Butler7508

I am looking for some input in regards to max power for a NA built motor. I have had a couple of z/28's and the last one was fully built by 21st Century Muscle Cars here in Dallas and it was a monster, but that was an LS7 motor. I am trying to decide between a 1SS 1LE or the ZL1 1LE for my next car. I wont daily drive it but it wont just be a track car, so like many guys, I am trying to determine if I can live with the vey track focused suspension on the ZLE. With that in mind, I am wondering if I can juice up the LT1 enough to make a 1SS 1LE work for me.
FYI- I had a 2016 1LE and also had a 2017 ZL1 but it had the auto. The 1LE was a fun car but I felt it needed more power. The ZL1 was strong but not as engaging- it was easy to go fast but it didn't FEEL fast (probably because of the auto)...should have gotten a manual
Looking for feedback from guys that have built their LT1 motors, how much HP and torque they are producing and if they are happy with the results.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post!

[WhyUMad1LE]

Intake/ZR1 TB/Ported MSD/Ported Heads/Stage 2 cam should be around 550hp and a lot better throttle response. But changing the cam requires more items to make it last. Looking at around 10k for that.

I would go stock cam with the previously mentioned for high end power with reliability, maybe even a ported stock IM.

[pbsinternet1le]

Originally Posted by Butler7508

I am looking for some input in regards to max power for a NA built motor. I have had a couple of z/28's and the last one was fully built by 21st Century Muscle Cars here in Dallas and it was a monster, but that was an LS7 motor. I am trying to decide between a 1SS 1LE or the ZL1 1LE for my next car. I wont daily drive it but it wont just be a track car, so like many guys, I am trying to determine if I can live with the vey track focused suspension on the ZLE. With that in mind, I am wondering if I can juice up the LT1 enough to make a 1SS 1LE work for me.
FYI- I had a 2016 1LE and also had a 2017 ZL1 but it had the auto. The 1LE was a fun car but I felt it needed more power. The ZL1 was strong but not as engaging- it was easy to go fast but it didn't FEEL fast (probably because of the auto)...should have gotten a manual
Looking for feedback from guys that have built their LT1 motors, how much HP and torque they are producing and if they are happy with the results.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post!

They didn't make a 2016 1le..

[Butler7508]

Originally Posted by pbsinternet1le

They didn't make a 2016 1le..

I stand corrected- I bought it in Dec 2016 and it was a 2017 model

[SIMSO5CE]

550/470 on 93, stage 5 N/A package with stage 2 cam built by Vengeance. Drives well around town, even better on track. But I can't speak to how it compares to the ZLE, never been in one.

[pbsinternet1le]

Port the stock intake, throttle body, and heads. Long tubes, cai, and flex fuel sensor.. that's my plan when warranty runs out. Until then you're dancing with the devil...

[Boost Creep]

Originally Posted by pbsinternet1le

Port the stock intake, throttle body, and heads. Long tubes, cai, and flex fuel sensor.. that's my plan when warranty runs out. Until then you're dancing with the devil...

Probably the same other than not going to pull the heads, and flex fuel wouldn't do me any good here.