LTX and LSX Putting LT1s, LS1s, and their variants into Third Gens is becoming more popular. This board is for those who are doing and have done the swaps so they can discuss all of their technical aspects including repairs, swap info, and performance upgrades.
View Poll Results: Donor car...
Keep it and use it for parts...
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Sell it and use money for a different engine..
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Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 2. You may not vote on this poll

Sell or keep the donor car...

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Old 05-23-2015, 11:28 AM
  #1  
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Car: '05 Trailblazer, '97 Z28
Sell or keep the donor car...

I recently bought a '97 Z28 from a buddy of mine that was in need of some quick money. I bought the car for $500. Body is really rough, the tranny only works in 1st and 2nd, and the interior is horrible. The reason I bought it was for the very nice running LT1. I've have 4 3rd gen Camaro's over the years. I had to sell my last one when I got divorced. I want to buy another, but this time I want a convertible. All my others were t-tops. Anyway, a dude just offered to buy my donor car for $1,000. My logical side says that I should sell it since I only paid $500 for the car, but I'm pretty sure that just having a complete donor car to use for the swap is worth more than a grand. He made the comment that I could buy an engine for the grand, but my problem is that I can get so much more from this donor than just the engine. My question is this.. What should I do? Is a grand worth getting rid of my donor car and all the stuff I could transfer over? I don't think so, but you all know far more than I do..
Old 05-23-2015, 06:18 PM
  #2  
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Car: '88 trans am GTA
Engine: 5.7L 355 TPI L98
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: eaton posi 3.73 gears
Re: Sell or keep the donor car...

for $500 you're getting a lot.

Is it an auto or manual?

For $500 you're getting a running 350 SBC LT1 + ECU + Wiring harness + 4th gen fuel tank and sender. You would easily spend more than a grand on these items. If its also a manual T56, you can get that rebuilt and use it in the swap also.

That is easily worth 2 to 3 times the $500 you're gonna profit off flipping the car; If you're serious about building and swapping an LT1 into a 3rd gen, this car is worth hanging on to. If you're not, then yeah, flipping it for $500 is a good idea.
Old 05-23-2015, 10:10 PM
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Car: '05 Trailblazer, '97 Z28
Re: Sell or keep the donor car...

It's got an automatic. I talked to a local shop and they said they could put a 700r4 in it so I can take the motor and tranny when I swap. No sense rebuilding the 4l60e when I'm not using it in the new one.

Last edited by sc02t; 05-24-2015 at 10:25 AM.
Old 05-24-2015, 06:43 PM
  #4  
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Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: Supercharged 6.0
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 8.8 3.73
Re: Sell or keep the donor car...

Id dump it and be $500 richer. It sounds like the car is a total POS, so the engine is about the only redeeming factor. A good running Fbody LT1 engine is worth about $500, so no real loss and its not hard to find another. Sounds like the rest of the car is mostly core, scrap and $20 parts, so in the end you -might- get $500 back from the shell. To me its a no brainer, dump it and move on
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