[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by slowbird

I agree cost and availability is the real advantage that the LS has. But if you have a pontiac engine already why would someone switch it out? I see guys switching and it makes no sense to me.

Cost is the first thing that comes to my mind.

Absolutely you can make power with Pontiac, plenty of aftermarket support. But what does it cost to get you where you want to be? Especially if you want to convert to EFI.

EFI is also part of the decision making for a lot of people from the swaps I've done.

Starting from scratch with a Pontiac engine, any dinosaur engine really, I usually end up spending $10k minimum for a solid rebuild with all new parts for something that makes decent power. Probably more now with the current situation we're in.

A lot of guys see an LS in the yard for $800 that might have 80k miles on it. Sometimes you can score that with an overdrive transmission to boot.
I've done these swaps. I can buy a computer, tuned, and brand new conversion harness (not a hacked together 20 year old used harness) for $1500-ish. Depending on the car there are various mount kits for a few hundred, and I usually spend about $1000 on a complete fuel system to support carb or EFI, which I would do with any classic engine build anyway so that really doesn't figure in.
A few other odds and ends and I'm still way under a complete engine rebuild.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an LS fan boy much these days and quite honestly I'm tired of seeing them in any classic every time I turn around. Just from playing with them for 10 years or so, and the ease of availability right now, I see the reasoning behind it.