LS powered Duster, Abomination or Go For it!
I'd leave it Mopar. Why? Because everywhere you turn there's an LS in SOMETHING. You're not doing anything a thousand other guys haven't done already. We have a member with a mean *** turbo LS in a Dart. It's total badassary. I like it. I like his workmanship. But it's a sad fact that the LS engine is popping up everywhere in everything.
I don't bash um. It's hard to argue against um. Everything's available for um. They're relatively cheap in comparison. They can make gobs of power.
The decision is kinda like me stickin with a slant 6 in my Valiant, Vixen. She wouldda been any other V8 Valiant had I swapped a V8 in. But I didn't and I'm not. I even have a fresh 400 sittin on an engine dolly. Not gonna do it. I've had over 400 cars, most with at least warm V8s. A lot were way more than warm. But this car is the most FUN I've ever had with a car and I think it's because I didn't throw something different in the ditch.
It's gettin to where people actually expect to see an LS in everything. I've never gone along with the crowd.
Oh man, I wished I could like this post more than once!!
In my opinion. ...which is worth what I'm paid for it $0.00...is that it is their car and their $$ and I'm not going to tell anybody how to build what they want. It's hard for me to put down somebody's time and effort.
With that said, I also find LS swaps to be the most boring cookie cutter swap there ever was. There is just nothing interesting about them. You just expect to see one.
It's even overdone in Mopar stuff. They say they LS swapped one to be different, I'm like what?? There is nothing different about them. While they are robust engines, once something becomes too common, I lose interest in it.
The whole purpose of building a Mopar was that they are not just another Chevy or Ford. Add in a generic engine ...loses appeal for me real quick.
I'm into engines as much as I am the car. I love nailheads, hemi's, 472/500 Cadillac, Pontiac, Oldsmobile. I also mess with a lot of slant 6 stuff. Raced a 225 for years!!
The biggest turn off for me is the rapid fanboyism for the things. If anybody asks a question about whatever engine you can name, it turns into an automatic LS swap thread...then there is these nuggets that I hear constantly...
"Ls is the best engine ever made". Nothing made by anybody was ever any good compared to the LS...".
"Ls engines have no flaws...everything else is junk...".
"Nothing can out run one..." (I guess thats why they are always hanging turbos on them??"...)
Also...in my area. LS Engines are not cheap. They never have been...you might get a 4.8 with a rod knock for a few hundred. A 5.3 here is 1500 to 1800. Which is also what a gen iii hemi costs.
I know which one I'd choose...not to mention I can add a flexplate that let's me bolt up to a 727 or 904 that I already own.
I know my opinion won't be popular due to how much people worship Ls engines...but I see things differently than most. I don't hate the Ls in any way but feel too much hype surrounds it.
A whole LS fest?? How interesting could that be?? People will be discussing whether they have a 4.8/5.3 or 6.0...maybe 6.2 ??
