[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by JLMounce

This. So much this.

You want a 525 hp hot cam LS?

https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19370413.html

9 grand...WITHOUT electronics. Add a couple grand for the engine management system of your choice

I had a 455 in near new condition. I purchased KRE D ports, a moderate roller cam and a FiTech system. All in about 6000.00 for similar performance and reliability.

See I feel like that is propaganda and an unfair comparison. Crate motors are always going to cost more. There are tons of dudes out there these days following the sloppy mechanics formula make crazy power on basically stock short blocks. If you want to say that comparing a junkyard Gen III to a rebuilt Pontiac isn't fair, okay that's a fair point. But so what, re-ring it. have new valve seals put in. So now whats your cost? 3500 bucks? Conservatively probably. I could still fire 3 or more bullets compared to my motor, which admittedly was on the high side of the budget for a street/strip build.

I don't have any idea what I would put it in, but I have gotten real close several times do buying a 5.3 and putting together a turbo setup, just because how do you turn down 800+ horsepower for that cheap.

I just watched the 8s for 8 thing where a dude went 8.70s for under $8k. Im not as old as some of you guys but I am old enough to remember when 12.9 seconds was supposed to be fast. Its not really anymore. And a lot of that has been driven by how capable that late model GM powerplant is.

FWIW obviously I have a Pontiac. So its not like Im a hater here. I just think Im a realist, and I find myself defending things I don't really care about that much. As has been documented in this thread, the gen III+ stuff took the best from 70 years of pushrod motor design. The result is a better product.