LSx Valiant Build. Take a look inside...

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That's looking real close to the oil filter lines....

The picture gives a real bad angle. In fact, after you pointed it out I was concerned so just now I went to the garage to check. I have some -10AN fittings laying around and I mocked them up on the oil pan. I could use 45 degree fittings and point them at angle towards the rear of the car and they clear perfectly. The oil pan is -8AN, so the ones I would need would be even smaller in circumference. You freaked me out for a sec!
 
GM hit a homerun with the LS engine family period. Now you can take your Mopar to LS fest and people will say gee. I'm not a hater but I feel its a waste of a good engine and a waste of a good car all in the same build....what's the point.

I'm not sure what the "point" really is to be honest. My goal was to build a car that I found aesthetically pleasing that would: perform daily with minimal maintenance, perform at the race track when/if I chose to go, would be easy on the wallet.
 
ACE,

Thanks for the extra PICS, I am surprised the 4L60 fit without a ton of mods, I thought I was gonna have to destroy my floor to do one (I considered it at one point) so I stuck with my old 727. Looks good. My buddy used to have a 67 valiant in white, I like those cars. Keep up the quality work...

You mentioned manual steering, the flaming river box with a 16:1 ratio is a PITA for a daily in my mind, it's great once moving, but hell in a parking lot. The factory box is 24:1 a bit sluggish, but comfortable for low speeds. You may keep you eyes peeled for a 20:1 Worm gear for a rebuild. MOPAR made them a while back, they can be found here or other places once in a while. I am sure a local rebuild would be doable for cheap, a guy locally would even put a 16:1 worm gear in a box here for half the price of that flaming river unit... check out firmfeel.com for good steering parts and rebuilds to improve handing and stuff.

JOE

Thanks for the information Joe. I've actually got a manual steering box off of a 69 dart that I could try to use. I'm betting it's one of the 24:1 ones. Just need to find out if the 69 box will work in this 73 k member. I have a feeling it will, as long as I use the appropriate pitman arm? I'll do some research and see what I come up with. If this manual steering box works, I may be in business. Will check out firmfeel.com as well. Thanks again.
 
I run a flaming river box. Not really a big deal unless your 8yrs old. Effort is increased yes, but the feel and tightness far out weigh that.
 
The picture gives a real bad angle. In fact, after you pointed it out I was concerned so just now I went to the garage to check. I have some -10AN fittings laying around and I mocked them up on the oil pan. I could use 45 degree fittings and point them at angle towards the rear of the car and they clear perfectly. The oil pan is -8AN, so the ones I would need would be even smaller in circumference. You freaked me out for a sec!

Sorry, didn't mean to freak ya there. Just been there, done that. If you use Camaro headers, your placement options get limited. You'll probably have to go forward with the lines. I'll have to check to see if I have pics.
 

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or, I have an LS7 powered Chevelle on the rack right now. I can get a pic of the lines on that on Monday.
 

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Looks cool to me. Will be fast.

Let us know what you do about the exhaust.

The new hemi can't hold a candle to the LSX for anywhere near the same money, especially not the 5.7.

And I am also calling BS on the Integra vs 2000 SS. I had a B18C in a Civic CX hatchie with cold air and headers. It could only crack the 13s in really good air. The GSR weighs almost 1000 pounds more than that car. Those Scumaros and Fireturds run mid 13s bone stock in August.

Good luk with it.
 
I for one love the build, the budget concept, the effort into bringing an old mopar back to life and of course pictures and video.

I am disappointed in the members who posted negitive comments in this thread. You ought to be ashamed.


My first exposure to LS engines was last summer, a friend of mine put a 6.2 from a yukon denali into a '67 convertable firebird for much of the same reasons your putting an ls motor in your mopar. He kept the muncie "Thats a 4spd manual transmission for your mopar purist" with a conversion bellhousing. I don't know much about the engine but it did put 530hp to the tires on a dyno "That number was corrected to local weather conditions".

I guess my point is whats not to like, the car gets gets over 20mpg on the highway, it starts, idles like a pussy cat, the a/c works, it doesn't over heat, runs on pump gas, the stereo works and its fast.

He had never been to a drag strip... He went with me for the first time last fall and that car ran 11.teens at 125. Thats pretty fast for a car not built for that and a driver who doesn't really know what he's doing. Of course the track shut him down for saftey reasons...

I've been through this racing my '69 AMC AMX at mopar only races. 90% percent of the guys are cool and 10% percent have to run there mouth with comments about Mopar and AMC's at there race. I guess they forgot mopar bought amc in the 90's.

thats my rant, Keep up the good work...
 
Looks badass to me, not the way I'd do it but hey, not gonna knock it, it's hot-rodding (as others have already said). If it was near me I certainly wouldn't turn down a ride in it when it's done.

Keep on posting !
 
or, I have an LS7 powered Chevelle on the rack right now. I can get a pic of the lines on that on Monday.

That looks like a LS9 engine cover. Sweet project, and the above post with the ls engine in it is SUPER clean. I see you have quite a bit of experience with these ls swaps. I'll appreciate any bits of info you can send my way during the build. Thanks man.
 
When you get it done hopefully you will get the attention of some of the higher ups at Mopar Performance and Chrysler and it can be used as a wake up call to get in the game. Crate motor prices between a LS3 and a 6.1 arent that far apart as it is, but the hot rodability of the LS family is way better for the junkyard scrounger.
 
I like mopar engines as well, for instance that 408 stroker in your sig..I like it alot. 533 hp is nothing to laugh at. Hope to hit that type of power when the turbo kit goes on in the future.

im sure youll surpass that pretty quickly with a turbo. not gonna lie, it dont take much for an ls to get 500 hp.
 
That looks like a LS9 engine cover. Sweet project, and the above post with the ls engine in it is SUPER clean. I see you have quite a bit of experience with these ls swaps. I'll appreciate any bits of info you can send my way during the build. Thanks man.

Doh! Wrong car. Yeah, that's the LS9 in a 64 GTO, also did a 9 in a 67 Firebird, a MAST 454LSX with a supercharger in a 65 GTO, so, I've been irritating the Pontiac crowd for a while. But I don't discriminate. If ya got any questions I can help with, just let me know. In the meantime, I'm gonna try and get my pics organized.

Just remember, it has to look awesome.
 
im sure youll surpass that pretty quickly with a turbo. not gonna lie, it dont take much for an ls to get 500 hp.

yeah that's not a lie. A friend of mine with a Nova showed me a video of a budget built junkyard 4.8. Simple turbo setup, made 600+ at the wheels and last i heard was still holding....though who knows for how long. That's obviously nearly a peak for the "weakest" of the LS engines.
 
Hey guys and girls,

I couldn't find a section to put this in. Overall, the hemi swap section seemed the most appropriate.

I picked up this Valiant about 3 years ago and since then I've contemplated what direction I wanted to take with it. With a background in lsx vehicles, I naturally wanted to stuff an lsx into it. It soon became apparent however, that the swap was not very common at all. Originallity be damned, I decided to get together with a local fabricator and make it happen.

Here is the result. The goal is to one day turbocharge it, but for now it will be an na build with nitrous. If anybody is interested or has any comments, questions, concerns go ahead and let me know. I'll do all I can to help.

24kxvg7.jpg

The motor fits better in here than it has ever fit n any stock lsx equipped vehicle I've ever seen.

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Took a custom oil pan.

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Custom trans member and mount

Do you have any pictures of he driver side clearance for the exhaust manifolds? It's hard to tell if there is room. Does it look like you"ll need custom headers or should something off the shelf work?

I'm thinking I'm gonna start setting my car up to do this swap too
 
Welcome to FABO. Very cool build. I independent it was only a matter of time before someone did this swap. Where I'm at in California I see lots of ls power cars from Ford, to Nissan, to toyota. This is the first mopar I have seen. Wish you were closer so I could take a look st it in person. You and your build crew keep up the great work.

P.S. The car needs a name...

Thanks, Aj
 
Do you have any pictures of he driver side clearance for the exhaust manifolds? It's hard to tell if there is room. Does it look like you"ll need custom headers or should something off the shelf work?

I'm thinking I'm gonna start setting my car up to do this swap too

I don't have pics handy, but I am going to take some and post them up. A few members on here have expressed interest in the swap and want some more close up pics. So as soon as I get a chance to take some pics with the sun out I will. Right now it looks like even if I go with the manual steering box, the headers will have to be custom. I can most likely buy a stock set, but they will have to be modified to wrap around the steering box and the torsion bars as well.
 
Welcome to FABO. Very cool build. I independent it was only a matter of time before someone did this swap. Where I'm at in California I see lots of ls power cars from Ford, to Nissan, to toyota. This is the first mopar I have seen. Wish you were closer so I could take a look st it in person. You and your build crew keep up the great work.

P.S. The car needs a name...

Thanks, Aj

That's a great idea, wish I was a bit more creative. lol You guy's have any suggestions??
 
x2 his type comes here to stir the pot. a person could complement him on creativeness but you can't even do that, someone else built the car for him and he takes the credit!

My "type" comes here to post information about a possible option for Mopar enthusiasts.

ps: I never once took the credit. Read post #1 again and realize that I mentioned my fab guy from the start. I even posted the car up on the shop's hoist for goodness sake's! Your type sir, just likes to talk smack. :wack: It's ok though, I've been warned about your "type" already.
 
It's not really a matter of which engine is better. They are both really damn good power plants. The killer part is the lack of support from either the factory or the aftermarket for the Hemi. It is improving, but they are behind the curve. Face it, you can't swing a cat by the tail without hitting something for an LS. It was really that fact that finalized my engine swap plans for my Wagoneer.

Oh, and Ace, I'm still trying to get pics on the oil filter lines for you. The car I had on the rack still had the stock oil filter set up on it. Sorry.

No problem Rev. I'll post some close up pics soon. Hopefully they will give a better look at the fit and clearance in the engine bay. LS powered Mopar Wagon? :prayer:
 
Still think it is a cool build.How many of these complainers,sent their car to a body shop? You did a simple,direct logical thought process.Good luck.
 
Still think it is a cool build.How many of these complainers,sent their car to a body shop? You did a simple,direct logical thought process.Good luck.

That and i'm not sure what the big hoopla is about going to a shop. Who says one has to be poor and a mechanic to be a car enthusiast?
 
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