My “dream” build is a 94 S-10 Ext Cab converted to a 98 extreme with a LS power train. I would say when all is done I want to be under 10k including truck purchase, interior swap, suspension upgrade, LS1/2/3 (Thats the ?), T56/4L60/Turbo400, drive shaft, rear axle, and brakes. I would want to get it running before I worry about paint.
Hell, I already broke 7k on my MR2 without even trying and still won’t have a motor swap…LOL.
shit yea bro
If you want it done right you’re going to have to spend a little more I’d say lol.
My wife’s VMax dyno’d at about 300whp (6.0 stockish) and the truck runs very well with a 3800 stall, crew cab, 4x4… so 350-400 hp in an S-10 would be very fun.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the capability of a 600 hp turbo 5.3 build on the street. For a budget boost build, it doesn’t get any better it seems.
As far as the turbo accessories, you definitely do not want to skimp out on the wastegate. That controls whether your motor will live or die basically. lol I had good luck with tial and would recommend their bov as well.
Turbo wise, I personally never ran one, but I heard for the budget minded, Master Power makes some descent units from what I have read.
Intercoolers, I think Drew as well as others run nothing fancy but an ebay type intercooler. Don’t quote me on that but I’ll let Drew chime in and clarify.
You even can go as far as running truck manifolds flipped around if you did not want to have to make turbo headers. Always an option. You can find diy cold side kits on ebay as well on the cheap.
luke, youll be spending more then 10k. let me know when you do that project, ive spent some time around them lol. as for 350-400hp in one, they run a bit better then you think. a BONE STOCK 5.3 in a fully body full interior 2nd gen s10 with the automatic (~3400 lbs) runs low to mid 12’s in the 1/4 mile.
(edit: i should probably note that that truck is from on s10racer, and the guys over there really know how to make these things hook lol. bunch of them there are pulling 1.20 60ft’s on leafspring/stock style suspension)
oh yea, im picking up a complete good running motor with harness, computer, etc this saturday. '03 lq4 6.0L. from the numbers i found it is the 325hp/370ftlbs version. looks like intake/cam/exhaust alone really wakes these up.
i will be ordering the H3 oil pan as well as the correct ls style mounts to bolt it in, and i am on the hunt for a t56 6speed. soon as i locate a transmission i will be getting the truck out of storage and bolting it in the truck and fabricating a trans crossmember.
another guy on s10racer running an ls motor, stock ls1 in a 2door blazer with nitrous. runs high 10’s with a 1.5 60ft. the blazer’s are heavier then the trucks. this video he was running against a hemi 300c that was supercharged, lol
big block would be way cooler. all the time, everytime
TDP offers no-core T-56 transmissions and I’ve heard nothing but great things about them. Should hold just about anything you can throw at it depending on what level you order.
unless you have been around turbo power before (i don’t know your experience) don’t get too hung up on hp numbers. 500hp on a NA car is very different to drive than a 500hp boosted car because of the massive difference in the way power is delivered. Power under the curve to so speak. I think to most people a budget 5.3 build would be fantastic to drive. If it were my project I would not skimp out on turbo, wastegate, or BOV, because of the important roll they each play. I can’t speak for anything other than what I have experience with. The precision turbo in my turbo SHO went through hell and back and I had 50K on it when I sold the car and it had no issues at all. I used a Tial wastegate and BOV and never had any issues other than the spring settling in the wastegate. When the spring was new it made 10psi and 4 years later it was down to 6psi. I had a manual boost controller in most of the time so this was never a issue just a observation.
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Just a after thought. But I do believe it is possible to mod the fun out of a car by making it too fast and too expensive to drive.
Contact Jason at Texas Drivetrain, tell him you want a rebuilt T-56 with no core. I think his out the door price is about $2500 for a nice unit. He is just finishing my faceplatted, custom gear set, 31 spline T-56. 
Should have it in the TA in a couple weeks. Great guy to work with.
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Contact Jason at Texas Drivetrain, tell him you want a rebuilt T-56 with no core. I think his out the door price is about $2500 for a nice unit. He is just finishing my faceplatted, custom gear set, 31 spline T-56. Should have it in the TA in a couple weeks. Great guy to work with.
Sale on last I saw, $1900 shipped out the door, no core.
rb26 e30?
Great price if it has upgraded parts
I can’t even believe this argument even ensued. It seems like JnJ’s point was about pressure not horsepower, and Cougarspeed didn’t really prove him wrong. But, there is a very valid point that one could make the same power with more cubes and less boost. To someone who doesn’t know either of you it seriously looks like you were both right, just arguing different points.
And I think it is fair for 95dime to talk about making 500-600hp now with the concern of building something capable of 4 digits later, without having to do an entirely new build, only making some changes. I think a lot of us are in similar situations. 1000+hp is a whole different level, and not something anyone should just jump straight to.
Prove him wrong? I don’t disagree that a smaller bore/more surface area will seal better. Jay has a great amount of knowledge and experience and I respect that. However I have a good bit as well and disagree on a point he was trying to make. I would engage in discussion and we don’t have to agree but as you put it “arguing” is not soemthing I am interested in. But I do believe that larger cube setup have proven to hold the heads around 800-1000hp with no issue time and time again. There are many advantages clearly to drivability and hp to have the larger bore.
I don’t even disagree with reccomending a 5.3 for this application. They have had some great results as well.
My point is that i dont agree with selling people on small bore setup as an alternative because large bore will have water issues.
Thought that was pretty clear.
i’ll be doing a 5.3 in my car in the next month or so and i will let you know how it pans out. I can even give you a ride in the thing. it has a borg warner s475 turbo with a 1.10 hotside (good turbo). Twin tial 38mm wastegates (good stuff and i’m twin scroll), Tial 50mm BOV, 317 truck heads ( Lunati Springs) and an ls6 cam. I was running 11psi on the 5.7 and it made 700hp. I will find out what 11 psi on the 5.3 does and then turn it up from there as i want to maintain the 700hp i made. I run a twin walbro fuel pump intank setup, 60lb injectors (will be selling for 80’s), AFPR, Billet rails.
1.10 hotside, how does that high of a ratio work out on a street car?
thats low on a v8. I personally thought it was great on the street and quite enjoyable. Some lag but I’m cool with that. Most guys with this turbo have the 1.32 hot side. Ideally a .96 would have worked perfectly but the efficiency of this turbo kept me with the BW setup. Not too many people running 11psi with the stock parts i’m using and hitting 700hp.
ive put a hold on this. saturday morning before going out to get the motor the rear diff decided to start whining in my DD, and the closest used one i can find is 480 miles away and they want 1300 bucks for it. still drivable, but concerns me. so until i decide to fix this or decide to finally get into a new car im not dipping into the play money. im pretty bummed about it. but feel free to keep the discussion going if it helps other people with similar builds.