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| C4 Corvette Chassis |
| 1957 Corvette RestoMod Project - Page 4 The Engine and Transmission Now let's get to the business part of this build - the engine! Instead of rebuilding the old 283 with new pistons, rods, cylinder heads, push-rods, lifters, camshaft, and intake, I decided a long time ago to upgrade to GM's LS1 engine. The LS1 is just as revolutionary as the small block V8 was in the early 1950's. It is all aluminum (block and cylinder heads), a little over 346 cubic inches (5.7 liters) and produces 350 horsepower with no modifications. The LS1 has been used in Corvettes from 1997 through 2002 with great success. Many hot-rod projects are using the electronically fuel-injected LS1 engine because of it's reliability, bottom-end strength, ease of power adders, and light weight. New headers are a definite upgrade, as well as some selected aesthetic additions. And if budget allows, maybe forced induction too! |
| This picture was taken right after I bought this 1999 LS1 engine. It is still on its pallet, strapped down, with lift bars (green) attached. This is a Corvette LS1 instead of the popular Camaro/Firebird LS1 of 1999. Corvette LS1's were tuned for more horsepower. They also had an oil pan that GM dubbed the "gull wing". You can see it just behind the bottom tube of the factory exhaust header. The gull wing was used to carry more oil in the pan so the pump would not starve at high RPM driving. This engine also came with coil packs over each spark plug, but they are not pictured here. |
| This 1999 LS1 is a crate engine, which means it has never been installed in a vehicle. The person I purchased it from bought it from GM Surplus. General Motors, like all manufacturers, builds more engines than cars for warranty replacement and testing purposes. This engine is one of those. It did not come with a PCM (Powertrain Control Module, sometimes called the ECM); which is the computer that mainly controls fuel/air mixture. So, I will have to find a computer that can be re-programmed - probably from a salvage yard. Worst case is I buy one from one of many vendors who sell these units, along with all the wiring. |
| I bought headers from Newman Car Creations to put on my LS1 power plant. They are polished stainless steel and are made to align the collector tube with the expanded cutouts in my frame's X-member. Newman perfected these headers for that very purpose. The craftsmanship is outstanding, and of course, they just look beautiful. Paul Newman also has headers available for the C2 Corvettes and 1955-57 Chevy. I can't wait to hear these pipes roar! |
| Tremec T-56 manual transmission. Originally developed by Borg-Warner and now produced by Tremec, this gear cruncher is used in many high-performance factory cars like the Viper, Z06 Corvette, Astin-Martin, and Cobra Mustang. The T-56 is an overdrive manual six-speed transmission that can handle up to 450 lb./ft. of torque, and it needs to be that strong for most any LS1 that's been modified for more power. There are many retailers who sell the T-56, and also quite a few shops that sell re-manufactured units. Gear ratios can be custom ordered, but I will stick with the standard ratios for each gear; which results in a sixth gear ratio of 0.5:1. Great gas mileage results. |
| Corvette LS1's used a one-of-a-kind oil pan called the "Gull Wing". As you can see pictured here, this oil pan has extended wings that allow the Corvette to sit lower and to carry an additional liter of oil. According to Jim Contes of the GM Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona, this pan was developed so the oil pump would not starve in high RPM driving. Jim told me when the media writers would test drive the Corvette in 1997, all the oil would be pushed to the upper parts of the engine during skid-pad testing. That's when Mr. Contes and staff created the Gull Wing. |
| There was only one problem with the new headers I bought from Newman's. The oil pan did not allow enough room for the headers to fit correctly. One call to Paul Newman and the problem was solved by buying an F-body oil pan from Paul. Here is the cast aluminum Camaro pan used in all of Newman's projects - and now mine too! |
| When I tried to install the headers to my LS1 block, there was a problem. As you can see from the pictures below, the factory headers turn sharply to avoid contact with the Gull Wing oil pan. This pan was developed by GM at their Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona. The Gull Wing was needed because skid-pad testing revealed the oil pump was starving. The skid-pad is a test to measure how many G-forces the car can handle before the tires break loose. Basically, the car turns in a circle and acceleration is continuously applied until the rear tires lose traction. G-forces are measured throughout the test. The C5 Corvette has a skid-pad rating of very near 1g - which is better than Porsche and Mustang. During the skid-pad test, the engine must be at high RPMs, and this is what pushed all the oil into the upper parts of the engine and starved the oil pump. To correct this problem, Jim Contes (retired) at the GM Proving Ground developed the Gull Wing oil pan for Corvette only. This new design added one additional liter of oil and prevented pump starvation at high RPM. So, I can't use the Gull Wing and the Newman headers together - so what other options do I have? Read on... |
| The engine internals will not be upgraded for my project. The bottom-end of the LS1 is already very strong and the cylinder heads flow extremely well. I could change the camshaft for more performance, but it could make street and highway driving less comfortable - not to mention gas mileage reductions. I will upgrade induction parts however. I plan on using a GM Performance Parts Z06 intake manifold and F.A.S.T. throttle body. These changes, along with an improved air filter assembly, will improve air flow into the engine and increase horsepower and torque. If my budget allows, and I hope it does, I would also like to add power by supercharging. Magnuson Products in Ventura, California make some of the best superchargers for the LS1. Their MagnaCharger line of superchargers are not only attractive but have also tested at over 100 additional horsepower on the LS1 - and without modifying the stock engine! Of course if I have the money for the MagnaCharger MP112 unit, the Z06 intake manifold is not needed. The MagnaCharger is intercooled for a clean and cool blast of incoming air charge. Their installation manuals are available at their website, and are very easy to understand. If I do install the MP112, the cost with tuning will be around $7,500. I don't want to cut corners elsewhere in the build, but if I can keep other costs down, there may be a supercharger sitting on top of my already potent LS1. Paul Newman put a MagnaCharger unit in his 1960 resto-rod's LS1, and he says it's all the power you will ever want for the street. |
1957 Corvette RestoMod