[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

As a guy who won't put a hemi into a nitro funny car, it's hard for me to endorse a non-Pontiac engine in a traditional pontiac body. That being said, the LS engine has a great bottom end, very strong and good crank support. The heads can take you anywhere you want to go and so many packages have been already totally worked out. It's easy to get sucked-in to the corporate LS engine package. A friend of mine did exactly that, He has a replica 69 Trans AM, a beautiful car and converted it to LS power two years ago. The car is slightly faster than it ever was with traditional power, about .4 sec. and 6 mph. So it did improve. What caught him totally off guard was the wrath of backlash from the Pontiac faithful. Everywhere he takes the car, when he lifts the hood, the car is totally ignored or ridiculed. He took it to Norwalk last year and there was a trail of people following it all over until he opened the hood, then there was a mass exodus away from the car, with lots of pretty brutal language about how he had totally "ruined" the car. Many thought it was a real TA I guess. Anyway, he is so shaken-up by the backlash, he hasn't driven the car in a year. I think he plans to go back to Pontiac power or sell it. So I guess be prepared to have VERY THICK skin at the Pontiac events at least. Good luck with your choice, no doubt, the LS platform is impressive.

LOL, If Bart wasn't a Mod (who could banish us all in the push of a button), more would be on his case for his LS powered Tempest. He rarely posts about it but it was very nicely done.

Tom V.