Not grassroots in any form. I want to build/refresh my powerplant in the Trans Am. It's going to take me a while to save but I'm shooting for these two options. What do you guys think?
LS6 383:
Pros: fully forged bottom end, stroker, more displacement, wicked engine sound, high RMP, etc
Cons: Only think I can think of is that it's a Gen III and not a Gen IV LS build. Oh yea and I'm going to have to piece things together.
LS376:
Pros: GMPP assembled crate engine, know what kind of numbers it is going to make. warranty
cons: not forged, gen IV conversion harness and nonsense
Or just do a forged 347....
Nashco
SuperDork
2/23/09 4:24 p.m.
I vote that you start saving money...by the time you have the money saved up, there will probably be more options, better options, etc. for your money. No sense in deciding what to spend your money one before you have it...there's always something better on the horizon. Heck, maybe a super good deal will fall on your lap and make the decision for you. 
Bryce
I've already started saving, got like $2k after taxes and ziplock bags filled with coins, I still have a lot of parts to sell. I've mapped out like 4 different options and all the prices are the same. This includes, engine, accessories, rear end, exhaust, my tranny is already built to all hell. I know there might possibly be something better down the road. I just like getting peoples opinions. I've even weighed out a LS3 427 which would be like 1k more, but that's alotta rotating mass!
where were you a few weeks ago when i was selling a 6.0 shortblock with L92 heads.
here is a convincing video for a 383 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok37_gMdTGU&fmt=18
What is the advantage of a Gen IV vs. Gen III. Aren't they essentially the same thing. Yes, I know the reluctor is different, and some of the sensors are different, but isn't the Gen IV to introduce cylinder deactivation?
If I trust my building skills, I'd go 383. If I needed $2,000 worth of tools to assemble, 376.
Will a gen III ecu work with a gen IV? Its all the peripheral things like that will nickle and dime you to death.
GenIV gets you more displacement. Biggest factory GenIII is 5.7L (346 ci). GenIV started at 6.0 (364 ci) and now has 6.2L (376 ci) and 7.0L (427 ci, the LS7). Otherwise they're pretty much identical.
There's no point in going "forged" unless you're spraying or boosting. So if you're planning on staying N/A go with the crate.
Texas-speed just got a 9.2 run @ 134 on a stock bottom end, i know there is no point in going forged unless you are boosting, but I'm doing all new block/rotating assembly and all stroker kits come with forged stuff....i want that purple stuff
Ah, I forgot about the bump in cubes. If I ever had boost/NO2 aspirations in the future I'd think foraged. I'd hate to have to gut the engine because i didn't think far enough ahead.
