[eric63m]

Finally getting around to the planning phase of my dakota/studebaker body swap. Body is about 1/2 way done and starting to think about what I want to do for the engine/trans.

I'm thinking single turbo but what engine is the main question. I'm really debating on just swapping the magnum for a LSX.

Setup and what power level are you making? Best 1/4 mile and weight (estimate is ok, I am significantly lighter then a dakota and still have a carbon fiber front clip to make)? What was the price of your build?

I have some parts on hand but nothing specific, mainly A/W intercooler, heat exchanger, fuel cell with pumps, fast xfi computer. All the little but bigger stuff.

Thanks for any help you can offer me in my decision.

 

[TheOtherDodge]

For your project to be successful, you need to tell us YOUR goals. We can tell you our ET's and combinations all day. Set a goal and then make plans to achieve it.

With that said, what are your goals? streetable, etc?

 

[eric63m]

Limited street use, e85 fuel. No real hp goal in mind. As far as 1/4 goes 8.5 is the fastest I'd like to go, but would prefer to have more on tap if needed for grudge racing. Weight will be somewhere around 2500lbs

 

[TheOtherDodge]

So for that weight, you will need about 900 hp at the crank with a good suspension. You can use a stock block but are cutting it close. If you do, you will need to hardblock it and would run 4 bolt billet mains. Of course, forged internals and with a 4" crank with a 5.9 you will get 408 cubes. Add a 88 mm turbo, 3.55 gearing with a 30" tire, good heads, 650 solid roller. A/W intercooler. How are you going to tune it? It sounds like you are going to have some $$ in this project so I suggest aftermarket like FAST, etc. If you are going to do that, I would go with the Gen III route.

Good luck and don't be that guy that talks about it and never does anything. Let's see the progress.

 

[91sonomast]

LSX swap it, you can make that on stock engine. Check out Sloppy Mechanics on YouTube. You can spend $5k on a Magnum motor, or get a junkyard 6.0 with a couple hundred thousand miles, throw a turbo on it, tune it, and make tons of hp. Matt of Sloppy currently has a stock 264k mile 6.0 making 1076rwhp.....with a turbo and 2 small shots of nitrous. He has about $5k in his entire truck, engine/trans, and engine management system. Be like Matt. Pretty parts and forged internals are nice, but not necessary.