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LS3 into a 66 Nova SS

7.7K views 33 replies 19 participants last post by  reelslippery  
#1 ·
How difficult would it be to put a LS3 in a 66 Nova SS standard shift coupled with a Tremec 5-6 speed trans?

I have a complete 2012 LS3 Corvette engine with custom wiring timing the ECM and gas pedal etc. all together, just waiting for a transplant car.

Presently the SS has a non original 327 in it coupled with an original 4 speed.

This SS has been completely restored. I would assume if done right it wouldn’t hurt the value of the car since LS3 transplants are becoming pretty common.

Or would I be better off just rebuilding the 327 I have and keeping it stock looking. Thoughts?
 
#5 ·
I have an LS swapped 66, factory 283 2 barrel 67 and a 67 with a 408 full roller motor and the LS one just sits.
 
#10 ·
Agreed. The LS engine is not a pretty thing however there are a lot of aftermarket products like fake valve covers to hide the coil packs, carb stacks, etc. that can make it look old school especially if the block is painted in the GM orange
 
#26 ·
That's easy?? You forgot about the radiator and running 3 miles of wiring then the tune, He could pull the 327 in an afternoon and put a built 383 in it and be driving it the same day. All the LS swaps are easy...and supposedly cheap until you actually start doing it and 2 mos later it's still in your garage. I speak as someone who actually does this stuff for a living. I like my LS powered stuff but they have no soul. And I don't understand the comments about leaking small blocks, none of my vehicles ever have a drop of oil anywhere, and most were built years ago and are thrashed regularly.
 
#9 ·
I already have the pedal and ECM computer and custom wiring harness but I will have to agree simple old school is pretty hard to beat for just cruising around. If
I was going custom on the rest of the SS I would be more persuaded to go with the LS3 but since its pretty stock at this point will probably leave it alone.
 
#17 ·
Regarding the transmission, Silver Sport Transmissions can set you up with a 5 speed TKX with the shifter in the factory console location. Having gone from carbureted SBC/TH400 to EFI LS/TH400 to EFI LS/Magnum-F 6 speed, the most impactful upgrade I've made on my car was the 6 speed manual transmission. First the manual made the car a lot more fun to drive, but practically speaking the overdrive gears made all the difference to be able to take road trips without the engine screaming. Benefits of the LS were more power and far less tinkering; it just runs the same every time I start it where my carb setup needed adjustment throughout the year. However I spent a lot of time and money on my LS swap while a SBC is still very inexpensive to modify and rebuild if needed.

As far as looking period correct, you can dress an LS engine to look just like a SBC or BBC with a little effort.
 
#23 ·
06 LS2 T65 , been running it for 11 years, had an O2 sensor go out , that’s it. Totally stock no leaks and doesn’t care what altitude you’re at. That being said my car was junk so modifying it really didn’t matter. But I really do like it.
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#24 ·
How difficult would it be to put a LS3 in a 66 Nova SS standard shift coupled with a Tremec 5-6 speed trans?

I have a complete 2012 LS3 Corvette engine with custom wiring timing the ECM and gas pedal etc. all together, just waiting for a transplant car.

Presently the SS has a non original 327 in it coupled with an original 4 speed.

This SS has been completely restored. I would assume if done right it wouldn’t hurt the value of the car since LS3 transplants are becoming pretty common.

Or would I be better off just rebuilding the 327 I have and keeping it stock looking. Thoughts?
You will have to cut a lot of the transmission tunnel out. Other that that it’s a piece of pie
 
#28 ·
Ive done both SBC/BBC and LS's and I will say yes LS is a little more costly but for what you get in return, its well worth it. I get it lots of people are afraid of change thats ok. Someone who has done many engine swaps, unless its a born with car/engine, I would swap it all day!
 
#29 ·
I would say either way you go you’ll be happy. The 383 is a very stout engine. I pulled a roller 355 with 194 heads out of my car and still had a lot of get up and go. I went ls3 because I have done the conversion before and the work is worth it to me. Yes it does cost more to convert, but I like the ability to tune the car with the Efi. I’ll admit I’ve never been very good at carb tuning so that’s a motivator for me as well.
 
#30 ·
How difficult would it be to put a LS3 in a 66 Nova SS standard shift coupled with a Tremec 5-6 speed trans?

I have a complete 2012 LS3 Corvette engine with custom wiring timing the ECM and gas pedal etc. all together, just waiting for a transplant car.

Presently the SS has a non original 327 in it coupled with an original 4 speed.

This SS has been completely restored. I would assume if done right it wouldn’t hurt the value of the car since LS3 transplants are becoming pretty common.

Or would I be better off just rebuilding the 327 I have and keeping it stock looking. Thoughts?
I personally have done several LS swaps and I do not regret any of them. The last one I did is my own 1967 Chevy II, I put a 5.3 with a stage 2 sloppy cam/springs a GT 45 turbo and a 4L60E transmission stock tires on the back with 336 gears, positrac and it will spin the tires at 75 MPH. That might not impress everyone here but see how much you will have to spend to get a sbc engine to do that. BTW you can get a drive by cable brand new wiring harness off eBay for 100 dollars