It's been a little over 7 years since I sold my Typhoon, and I'm itching for a bit of AWD turbo fun. I'm looking to build a new daily driver, but I haven't decided yet what it should be. Help me out with your thoughts / recommendations. A few requirements for the vehicle:
- Must be able to fit the family in it (2 adults and 3 kids' booster seats)
- Powered by a turbocharged LSx (probably a 4.8L or 5.3L). Stock bottom end, stock heads.
- 4L80E trans
- NVG149 AWD transfer case
- Budget: as low as possible, preferably under $5-6k
- American-made vehicle
- To save time, body and interior should be in good shape (not a show truck, just a nice driver)
I've already got the transfer case, and I picked up an input shaft from EAD Performance to mate up the NVG149 to the 4L80E.
My first thought for the project vehicle has been a 2nd-gen 4-door Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada. In researching the LSx swap into a 2nd-gen S-series truck, it sounds like limiting the vehicle to a '98+ simplifies the integration of the engine & vehicle wiring. I can pick up a 2nd-gen Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada with a bad engine for around $1k, so it definitely fits the budget well.
Another possibility would be a '99+ Tahoe / Yukon or Silverado / Sierra extended-cab truck. An advantage to these options is that they'd already have an LSx engine, so not having to work out motor mounts, oil pan clearance, etc. should help speed the project up considerably. The two major drawbacks I see to these vehicles would be:
- Higher cost to purchase the vehicle, would likely increase the project cost by $3k or more
- More weight --> Lower performance and lower fuel economy
I've also considered a Canyon / Colorado crew cab, but cost would again be the major drawback. Any other suggestions for a project vehicle to consider?
- Must be able to fit the family in it (2 adults and 3 kids' booster seats)
- Powered by a turbocharged LSx (probably a 4.8L or 5.3L). Stock bottom end, stock heads.
- 4L80E trans
- NVG149 AWD transfer case
- Budget: as low as possible, preferably under $5-6k
- American-made vehicle
- To save time, body and interior should be in good shape (not a show truck, just a nice driver)
I've already got the transfer case, and I picked up an input shaft from EAD Performance to mate up the NVG149 to the 4L80E.
My first thought for the project vehicle has been a 2nd-gen 4-door Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada. In researching the LSx swap into a 2nd-gen S-series truck, it sounds like limiting the vehicle to a '98+ simplifies the integration of the engine & vehicle wiring. I can pick up a 2nd-gen Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada with a bad engine for around $1k, so it definitely fits the budget well.
Another possibility would be a '99+ Tahoe / Yukon or Silverado / Sierra extended-cab truck. An advantage to these options is that they'd already have an LSx engine, so not having to work out motor mounts, oil pan clearance, etc. should help speed the project up considerably. The two major drawbacks I see to these vehicles would be:
- Higher cost to purchase the vehicle, would likely increase the project cost by $3k or more
- More weight --> Lower performance and lower fuel economy
I've also considered a Canyon / Colorado crew cab, but cost would again be the major drawback. Any other suggestions for a project vehicle to consider?
