LS1 into VS ute

[matty28]

Hi all,

A mate of mine is looking into putting a LS1 & 6spd in his VS ute (V6, 5spd).

He is curious to see if anyone on here has done this before & if they’ve got any tips / pointers.

In fact, what would be required to complete the job? Modified engine / gearbox cross members ect…

I’ve tried searching but cannot narrow it down well enough for a straight answer.

Assistance is appreciated.

[BlueSS]

Hi all,

A mate of mine is looking into putting a LS1 & 6spd in his VS ute (V6, 5spd).

He is curious to see if anyone on here has done this before & if they’ve got any tips / pointers.

In fact, what would be required to complete the job? Modified engine / gearbox cross members ect…

I’ve tried searching but cannot narrow it down well enough for a straight answer.

Assistance is appreciated.

Mate there are a few people over on the Street Commodores forums that have done/are doing that conversion at the moment.. have a look over there there's a stack of info!

There are a couple on here that have done them to.. i'm sure they will make themselves known..

[keith reed]

I have heard that Castlemaine rod shop have the complete conversion kit.

[feistl]

lots of advice out there, general consensus is sell the VS, buy a VU. Cheaper, easier, less headaches, more resale value.

[hotbox]

lots of advice out there, general consensus is sell the VS, buy a VU. Cheaper, easier, less headaches, more resale value.

To the OP i have a VP ute with an ls1 and t56 in it and theres nothing hard about it, pacemaker are making extractors to suit VB-VS now and theres a few mobs making engine mounts and various conversion parts. just make sure u love the car cos it does cost a bit of kanga :)

[matty28]

That’s cool guys, thanks for the heads up.

Yeah I know there are a few ‘conversion kits’ things like that aren’t too hard to find – my mate was really after advise that workshops cant offer. He won’t be just giving the ute to a shop & say give it back with a LS1.

He doesn’t want a VU ute, that’s why he wants to put a LS1 in a VS ute. He does love it, looks nice, now chasing power.

I knew there would probably be previous threads on this, I just couldn’t find any…

So the 5spd will be strong enough with the LS1?

[feistl]

A conversion can be pretty bloody expensive so the OP needs to be fully aware of whats involved. These days you could sell your VS ute for like 4k+ a pickup a nice VU for $13-17k. Probably be about the same as the conversion, expect the car is a lot newer with better suspension, brakes, interior etc etc.

I personally think suggesting someone spend $6k+ on a 15 year old + ute worth $6k or less is a bit stupid. You would really have to love the shape of a VS to spend that kind of money. Not to mention the headaches of roadworthies and insurance...

[Micks]

To the OP i have a VP ute with an ls1 and t56 in it and theres nothing hard about it, pacemaker are making extractors to suit VB-VS now and theres a few mobs making engine mounts and various conversion parts. just make sure u love the car cos it does cost a bit of kanga :)

Exactly...this is a sound conversion for power to weight. There are good results to be had with this combo.:goodjob:

Cheers
VYT

[keith reed]

Personally I would love to do the same. Only difference is that I would start with a v8. Does it make economic sense, definitely not. I own a vb that looks like a vh. It has a 355 vp with 4 speed auto fitted, the amount of money I have spent on it is more than I care to think about. What I like about the idea is the weight difference. One of my criticisms of modern cars is their weight. My vb weighs 1330kg, my ve and vt weigh over 1700kg .Obviously there is more to a car than weight except for the fun factor. Were I to be doing my vb over again I would fit a l98 motor.

[tantrum]

me and my mate did this, the ute moved like a shower of sh*t after the conversion from the old 5L. sold it before he went overseas to live unfortunately.

[hRTHSV]

I'm just in the process of a VS rebuild with a modded 6L etc. Doesn't really make any difference if you start with a 6 or an 8 donor car, you just need a V8 cross member. I reckon it is easier to buy a wreck so you get the computer and all the wiring but sometimes you see them on ebay wiring motor and box.

The reason it's worth doing is power to weight, no drama's with engineering as long as you upgrade the brakes. Not really that hard to do.

[ls1 vs]

Mate there are a few people over on the Street Commodores forums that have done/are doing that conversion at the moment.. have a look over there there's a stack of info!

There are a couple on here that have done them to.. i'm sure they will make themselves known..

g'day mate just wonderin if ya mate has done the converion??
and how'd he go with it???
i got an ls1 motor in the shed just waitin to get my other bits to do the conversion... my motor is out of a vz ss.

[hRTHSV]

g'day mate just wonderin if ya mate has done the converion??
and how'd he go with it???
i got an ls1 motor in the shed just waitin to get my other bits to do the conversion... my motor is out of a vz ss.

Just a tip for you make sure you use a VT - VY harness and computer it will save you worrying about the electronic throttle from the VZ set up. Saves having to change the acc. pedal as well.

[darthvader]

do it mate, a high powered ls1, which is light, into a light weight VS ute will absolutly tare up the drag strip

[ls1 vs]

g'day fellas,

i chose to abort the project for my vs ute... done the sums up and i personally think it's not worth it...
instead i went and bought a vz thunder...
i sold the engine to my bro who is outting it in a HZ ute...
i'll put some pics up of it when its done

[Micks]

To do this both properly & cheaply you need to be fully equipped with all the parts needed for the transplant! Ive done two 6-8 conversions previously & the more preparation you can do before dismantling your running vehicle the better. You can save quite a bit in doing it yourself.

Cheers
VYT