1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

LS1/T56 85 GSL-SE - Guess what she weighs?

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Old 10-21-11, 04:36 PM
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LS1/T56 85 GSL-SE - Guess what she weighs?

1985 GSL-SE with 1998 LS1/T56

No A/C
No Heat

Does have power steering

Power Windows, Power Mirrors, Rear wiper, basically full interior except for the rear "cargo" bins

3" aluminum driveshaft

Stainless Steel headers with dual 3" steel exhaust (do NOT have the heavy exhaust heat shields under the car, though)

205-50-15 up front

295-50-15's out back

Full Glass

Full Tank of gas

Just got it weighed...what do you think it tipped the scales at?? I will say it's not as light as I hoped, but a good starting point before I try to remove anything.
Old 10-21-11, 04:43 PM
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I'm guessing about 2700 lbs
Old 10-21-11, 04:53 PM
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2520lbs

Makes it less than 2700lbs with me and a full tank. Not too bad.
Old 10-21-11, 05:11 PM
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wow, NICE!!! time to go drifting!!!!! haha

and good luck with traction! haha
Old 10-21-11, 07:24 PM
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Damn, even lighter than mine.

Nice, Mine was 2750 WITH a Ford 8.8 Rear end, 13BREW, TII Tranny,TII Brakes front and rear,
A/C, PS, full GSL-SE body/interior, fire extinguisher, spare tire, half tank of gas and a 6 point (mild steel) cage.
(Basically the stuff in my sig)


Pics of your ride?

Last edited by Directfreak; 10-21-11 at 07:29 PM.
Old 10-22-11, 11:06 AM
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we want pics!
Old 10-22-11, 11:32 AM
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It's finally reliable

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Want videos
Old 10-22-11, 03:58 PM
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My 7 is my girlfriend.

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Pics and videos wanted.
Old 10-22-11, 10:05 PM
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I can has a Hemi? Yes...

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Manlaw should apply to pics of the ride in question...
Old 10-22-11, 10:46 PM
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1st gens only

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That weight bodes well for me. I just sold my SP 13B and picked up an LS1/T56. Before my car weighed 2450 with no AC but everything else installed.

Any advice or write up you could do on the wiring?

Thanks,

Greg
Old 10-23-11, 01:39 AM
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Wow, thats not too heavy at all. I hope to finish my ls1/t-56 build soon!
Old 10-23-11, 08:05 AM
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That's really good! My car (basically a GSL-SE now, with FC frontend) weighs around that much.

Now if only they made a cheap 4-cylinder crank and cam for that block, I'd be in business! My problem with a V8 is that much torque is too difficult to drive, throttle-modulation wise. 200ft-lb would seem to be the sweet spot in the drivability/gruntiness ratio.

And yes, I *do* frequently think of getting a cheap LS1 and removing the entire left bank of cylinders, like the old Pontiac 194. I think Midget guys remove the right bank, or they remove the left bank but stand the engine up. Anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult to do given the block architecture, assuming one didn't want to just block off one side of the water pump and make a sheetmetal cover to keep the bugs out of the cylinders on one side.

I've driven a Corvette with a failed wiring harness where one bank's coils were completely dead, and as much as I like "big bang" engine theory, this shook way too much to consider as a performance engine so an even-firing crank and cam would be great to have.... and expensive. (ever PRICE Midget engine parts? Sheesh!) The vibration couldn't have all been from dragging four (uneven) dead cylinders. A 2800cc four cylinder has a lot more mass than the 600cc four cylinders commonly used for motorcycles
Old 10-23-11, 10:07 AM
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still waiting on pics....
Old 10-23-11, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by peejay
Now if only they made a cheap 4-cylinder crank and cam for that block, I'd be in business! My problem with a V8 is that much torque is too difficult to drive, throttle-modulation wise. 200ft-lb would seem to be the sweet spot in the drivability/gruntiness ratio.
Why don't you just swap in a *Good* 4 Cylinder engine in, and call it a day?
All of these are very mod friendly too.

  • Nissan SR20 (Sentra)
  • Nissan SR20DET (Turbo 200sx/S14)
  • Honda K20A (DC5 Integra Type-R )
  • Mitsu 4G63 (Eclipse/Evo)
  • Nissan K24 (torquey from 240sx)
  • Toyota 3SGTE (Mr2 Turbo / Supra engine with only 4 cyc)
  • Dodge Chrysler Turbo 2.2/2.5 (Omni GLH)
  • Ford 2.3 Turbo (Very Torquey)
  • Honda F20C (S2000)***
  • Honda F22C (S2000)

***The Honda S-2000 V-Tec is by far one of the best 4 cylinder engines in the world 9000(F20C) rpm redline, 1997cc, 240 Hp...and not turbo charged. (the way you like em).

Last edited by Directfreak; 10-23-11 at 11:11 AM.
Old 10-23-11, 01:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Directfreak
Why don't you just swap in a *Good* 4 Cylinder engine in, and call it a day?
All of these are very mod friendly too.
  • Nissan SR20 (Sentra)
  • Nissan SR20DET (Turbo 200sx/S14)
  • Honda K20A (DC5 Integra Type-R )
  • Mitsu 4G63 (Eclipse/Evo)
  • Nissan K24 (torquey from 240sx)
  • Toyota 3SGTE (Mr2 Turbo / Supra engine with only 4 cyc)
  • Dodge Chrysler Turbo 2.2/2.5 (Omni GLH)
  • Ford 2.3 Turbo (Very Torquey)
  • Honda F20C (S2000)***
  • Honda F22C (S2000)

***The Honda S-2000 V-Tec is by far one of the best 4 cylinder engines in the world 9000(F20C) rpm redline, 1997cc, 240 Hp...and not turbo charged. (the way you like em).
Counting down:

Very expensive, few N/A parts available
Extremely expensive, no simple RWD transmission option
Expensive to find in decent shape, few N/A parts available
Truck engine, garbage
Expensive, few N/A parts available, RWD conversion doable yet costly
Extremely rare nowadays, junk engine anyway, RWD trans option sucks (although I had been considering a Neon engine for a while)
Had one, is quite bulky, good luck finding a cheap decent clutch (why I sold it - could buy a car for what a good 2.3t clutch costs)
Phenomenally expensive, also very tall engine, has reliability issues

I've thought about this just a bit Basically there ARE no good RWD-able four cylnders in the US, that fit neatly in an RX-7 engine bay, if you take the constraint that you can't have a turbo so you need something in the 2+l range with a head and camshafts available to have a nice 5000-8000+ powerband. The S2000 engine is close but I've heard too many stories of them siezing pistons when subjected to road course style use... and what I do makes road racing look like drag racing Besides, for how much an S2000 engine costs, you could almost buy one of them 300+hp half-a-V8s with no worry... and they're designed for circle track abuse.

Well, there is one, and it's not on your list, but they are still quite expensive to buy 'round these parts. Can buy an LS2 for what one of those things runs. But it's a Mazda engine, which is nice.
Old 10-23-11, 04:53 PM
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I disagree on the SR20DET though... Not that expensive, and they are swapped into
240's (S13/S14/S15 Chassis) cars all the time. It's Japan's favorite Dorifto engine.
Lot's of aftermarket support. They are RWD. They even offer a 6 speed.

Plus, it makes a nice swap.

Did you see the one in the FB?


How about the MG?


And if MONEY is an issue, just keep it Rotary.
Old 10-23-11, 05:12 PM
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Uh-huh. So you pay $2k or whatever for an SR20DE, how much do camshafts cost? Would like something in the 300-310 degree range so I can run 12-13:1 compression on pump gas. Oh yeah gotta get pistons too. And valvetrain. And hope the bottom end is strong enough for RPM, probably is.

Turbos are fine for trucks, but they have no place in a performance car. Even the best modern turbo engines have horrible throttle response.
Old 10-24-11, 12:50 PM
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Eh, whenever I want more horsepower I just pull another useless chunk of metal out of my car.

2280 with a full tank and me in it...

But of course, my car is quick rather than fast. Yours on the other hand.....





.
Old 10-24-11, 07:01 PM
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Very nice! I have no clue what mine weighs. I bet hes getting traction with 295s in the rear lol. Pics..

Manlaw indeed DF lol
Old 10-24-11, 07:23 PM
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Good numbers Hope my FC is within 200lbs of that.

Originally Posted by peejay
Uh-huh. So you pay $2k or whatever for an SR20DE, how much do camshafts cost?
I can't comment on cost of head parts, but DEs are quite a bit cheaper than 2k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-94-97-Ni...#ht_1412wt_694
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-S14-N-A-...#ht_7018wt_694
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jdm-S14-Engi...#ht_2310wt_928

FWIW.
Old 10-24-11, 08:33 PM
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now why would you say you got an ls1/t56 in a first gen and not post pictures
and also the only thing i can say about my car is that its light enough to push uphill
on my own
Old 10-25-11, 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by snowbreaker
now why would you say you got an ls1/t56 in a first gen and not post pictures
Exactly
Old 10-25-11, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by peejay
Basically there ARE no good RWD-able four cylnders in the US, that fit neatly in an RX-7 engine bay, if you take the constraint that you can't have a turbo so you need something in the 2+l range with a head and camshafts available to have a nice 5000-8000+ powerband.
A challenger has appeared. I know what's going into my car in 2013.
Old 11-19-11, 11:48 AM
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I just weighed my car, and came up with something similar -- 2580 lbs, with all the correction factors to make it the full curb weight. It's about what I expected, so I'm pleased. My car started life as a GSL, but it now has the following mods that would affect weight:

Weight Reduction:
- Removed A/C and associated hardware
- Composite racing seats
- Fiberglass hood
- Removed rear storage bins
- Removed rear wiper
- Stainless exhaust w/o cat or cast manifold
- FC aluminum water pump housing
- Removed spare

Weight Adders:
- Larger wheels and tires -- 15 X 7 with 205/50F & 225/50R
- Front big brakes -- 12" X 1.25" rotors
- Turbo, I/C, and plumbing
- Roll bar (rear half of a cage)
- FC turbo transmission
- Larger radiator (increase more due to added coolant weight than the rad itself)
- Water injection system (I have a big 5 gal tank, and the weight is with it full)
Old 11-19-11, 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by peejay
Counting down:

Very expensive, few N/A parts available
Extremely expensive, no simple RWD transmission option
Expensive to find in decent shape, few N/A parts available
Truck engine, garbage
Expensive, few N/A parts available, RWD conversion doable yet costly
Extremely rare nowadays, junk engine anyway, RWD trans option sucks (although I had been considering a Neon engine for a while)
Had one, is quite bulky, good luck finding a cheap decent clutch (why I sold it - could buy a car for what a good 2.3t clutch costs)
Phenomenally expensive, also very tall engine, has reliability issues

I've thought about this just a bit Basically there ARE no good RWD-able four cylnders in the US, that fit neatly in an RX-7 engine bay, if you take the constraint that you can't have a turbo so you need something in the 2+l range with a head and camshafts available to have a nice 5000-8000+ powerband. The S2000 engine is close but I've heard too many stories of them siezing pistons when subjected to road course style use... and what I do makes road racing look like drag racing Besides, for how much an S2000 engine costs, you could almost buy one of them 300+hp half-a-V8s with no worry... and they're designed for circle track abuse.

Well, there is one, and it's not on your list, but they are still quite expensive to buy 'round these parts. Can buy an LS2 for what one of those things runs. But it's a Mazda engine, which is nice.
So...what's wrong with a streetported 13b again? n/a to n/a, a rotary is hard to beat. Some of the K and F series Honda engines will put up a fight, but really nothing else can. What naturally aspirated 4 cylinder can put down a solid 300whp without spending over $10,000? I doubt any can. The power to cost to reliability of a naturally aspirated wankel is unbeatable in my eyes. Rotary ftw.

Also show me a 4 cylinder that sounds this good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKKvw...ure=plpp_video


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