The Ultimate Source for LS Swaps & Performance
Everyone loves the idea of a budget LS swap until the invoices start stacking up. Before you drop that LQ4 into your project car, here's an honest look at every hidden cost that first-timers never see coming — and a practical checklist to keep your wallet from getting absolutely wrecked.
Running a carburetor on an LS engine sounds like heresy to some builders and pure genius to others. Both camps have real arguments worth hearing. Whether you're building a weekend cruiser, a dedicated track car, or a daily driver, here's how to cut through the noise and pick the setup that actually fits your life.
Every parts catalog is full of bolt-on upgrades promising massive power gains for your LS build. But when you're driving on public roads, not staging at the track every weekend, the calculus on what's actually worth buying changes dramatically. We break down which LS bolt-ons deliver genuine bang for the buck — and which ones will have you spending serious money for gains you'll never actually feel.
There's a persistent rumor floating around that dropping a high-horsepower LS into a swap candidate is a recipe for heartbreak down the road. The reality is a lot more interesting — and a lot more encouraging — than the skeptics want you to believe. Here's why a well-built LS swap might actually be the most reliable engine in your garage.
Choosing the wrong transmission for your LS swap is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make — and one of the most common. From budget-friendly 4L60E rebuilds to modern 10-speeds and row-your-own conversions, here's how to match your gearbox to your goals before you pull the trigger.
Wiring is the part of an LS swap that makes grown men cry into their shop rags. Whether you're adapting a factory harness or starting from scratch, here's how to get it right without torching your budget or your sanity.
Hot rod builders obsess over peak horsepower numbers like they're the final word on how a car performs — but experienced LS tuners will tell you the dyno sheet tells only part of the story. Variables like dyno type, atmospheric conditions, and tuner methodology can swing results by 30, 40, even 60 horsepower on the exact same engine. Here's what those numbers actually mean, and more importantly, what they don't.
You don't need a fat wallet to pull off a killer LS swap — you just need to know where to look. We ranked the top ten salvage yard finds by value, availability, and ease of extraction so you can walk into any pick-and-pull with a game plan. Consider this your cheat sheet for scoring a solid LS engine without getting burned.
You've got an LS engine and you want more power — but the path you take to get there matters more than most people realize. Superchargers, turbos, and nitrous each have real strengths and real drawbacks, and picking the wrong one for your situation is an expensive mistake. Here's the full breakdown to help you make the right call.
Most LS swap builders spend months obsessing over engine mounts and headers, then bolt on whatever radiator fits and call it a day. That approach is quietly killing engines across the country. Here's the real story on why cooling systems fail in LS swaps — and what the best shops in the business actually do differently.