Old school hotrod or build up my 07 gmc Sierra.

[harderthansoft]

So maybe I am going through midlife crisis. I am 52 and am wanting a 68 to 70 hotrod. That's all I ever had in my 20s and 30s. But I dont want a project. And the prices of the Camaro, Chevelles, Trans ams have gotten so high. Would lay 15 to 22 grand in what I have in mind.
On the other hand I have a very clean 07 Gmc Sierra classic. It's the special edition one with beefed up front suspension and 20 inch rims. So I could possibly lay some money in a turbo or supercharger. Dual exaust with H pipe. Maybe different rearend with disc brakes. Basically i need to feel power. Lol
Has anyone done anything similar to their 5.3 Sierra?

 

[fireman32]

I haven't hot rodded a sierra, but if you just have to spend some money I'd put in the truck. It's newer, and parts will be readily available for it. Plus, I'm a truck guy.

 

[normaldave]

As much as I like the old school engines, (most always been a Mopar guy), The convenience of a fuel injection motor combined with modern engine controls offer amazing combinations of power and torque in a drive-able package. You continue to hear stories of "the good ol' days", but the sad reality is your stock 5.3L gets nearly as much power/torque (remember it's now SAE net) effectively delivered, to the ground, as many of the legendary stock Chevy small blocks back in the day. Doesn't sound as good, or have shiny chrome add-ons, but it is the sad truth.

Remember fouled plugs, choke pull-offs that didn't set right, flooded carburetors, cold weather start that took 15 minutes of drive time to act right? Not to mention the ethanol component we didn't used to have to fool with in carburetors.

While there is no better music to my ear than properly chosen camshaft timing, and the right set of headers, the painful reality is, unless you are prepared to spend a fortune and race in a straight line, a properly chosen modern small block will usually win the day. Add to that the price for the cars these days, that we used to worship. I think you'd get a lot more bang for your buck with your truck, and you'd enjoy arguably better build quality, less rattletrap, and better daily driver handling/braking without too much upgrades.

This would fit nicely under the hood of a GMC Sierra, I would think, and they can guide you through the proper engine controller changes you would need as well.
LS3 crate engine

Now that you've had sticker shock on that one, here's a more realistic option: (GM even tells you this small block has 50% more power than the old 454 big block engines).
L96 6.0L

Several articles on turbocharging the 5.3L, but the GM crate motor program and warranty is hard to beat. Remember, "there's no replacement for displacement", this coming from a small block Chrysler 340 guy.

I saw the writing on the wall years ago at the drag strip, when folks drove their showroom new LS1 cars to the track, put sticky tires on, opened up the exhaust and intake systems, plugged in a laptop, loaded a tune, and ripped high 12s to mid 13s in the 1/4 mile. I knew they couldn't "out-build" me, but they could always spend more money and outrun me. Sad part was, I now had to compete against computer programming, instead of their wrenching ability. Man, I'm getting old (er).

 

[j_seph]

I must have gotten a lemon 5.3 in my 07. That thing to me is weaker than my 4.2 I6 in my 88 jeep. I came out of an 94 extended cab long bed that seemed almost twice the power with that 350.
Could always do the hot rod with the newer engine. Guess what I like is the older ones you have to have fuel air and spark to run. No computer controlling it. My neighbor is starting on his 3rd corvette restoration, this one is pretty much a strip down and repaint to original, it is a stingray with a 425 hp 396 in it. He cranked it the other day and man did it sound sweet.

 

[normaldave]

I would guess the torque and gearing of the 4.0L I6 Jeep, (great engine), and the greater torque of the 5.7L is what you are feeling, and it comes in at much lower rpms than the 5.3L. The 5.3L makes the power, but you have to wind the fool out of it to get there, and often they were mated with high gear ratios (low numerical) for gas mileage, so the "seat of the pants" dynomometer often gave anemic results.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I'm an old school guy myself. There's just something about an old 327 with the double hump heads, black jack headers , Muncie rock crusher 4 speed and some burnt out glass packs that turns my crank. Throw in a 411 positive tract rear end and a cam....and I'm in hog heaven. We always had to build because we didn't have the money to buy. Nowadays daddy goes out and buys Junior a new Mustang or Camaro and he thinks he has a hot rod. It just aint the same. He may be faster, but he's still sucking hind teat.

 

[j_seph]

I would guess the torque and gearing of the 4.0L I6 Jeep, (great engine), and the greater torque of the 5.7L is what you are feeling, and it comes in at much lower rpms than the 5.3L. The 5.3L makes the power, but you have to wind the fool out of it to get there, and often they were mated with high gear ratios (low numerical) for gas mileage, so the "seat of the pants" dynomometer often gave anemic results.

Gearing is for sure on the silverado, you hear a small whisper when I hook the boat up, put in drive that says oh no, no again

 

[Cmp1]

Just get the new Ram,,,,

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/secrets-of-the-hellcat-powered-ram-1500-rebel-trx-revealed.amp

 

[GoldDot40]

I currently have both...a hotrod AND and beefed up newer truck.

You could easily have the best of both worlds. Find you a 70's...ish hotrod and throw a LS2 or LS3 powerplant and overdrive transmission in it. The conversions have been happening long enough that companies are selling vehicle specific kits that will have everything bolt right in like it came that way from the factory.

No problem at all cranking 500+hp out of a small 5.3 engine with just a cam swap and computer tuning. What I'd love to do is build a mid-80's Chevy 1/2 ton with a LSX engine with matching transmission. A lot of room under the hood of those to stuff whatever you want in it.

 

[hayseed_theology]

To the OP, how many miles does your '07 Sierra have?

I saw the writing on the wall years ago at the drag strip, when folks drove their showroom new LS1 cars to the track, put sticky tires on, opened up the exhaust and intake systems, plugged in a laptop, loaded a tune, and ripped high 12s to mid 13s in the 1/4 mile. I knew they couldn't "out-build" me, but they could always spend more money and outrun me. Sad part was, I now had to compete against computer programming, instead of their wrenching ability. Man, I'm getting old (er).

It's a different world. This fella ran a 13.23 in a stock F-150.

 

[mguthrie]

I wouldn't mess with building that year model 5.3. That was the year they started that fuel management system. I bought a Chevy 1500 z71 new that year. We had the heads off of it 3 times replacing lifters. My daily driver is an '06 Tahoe with the 5.3 230,000 miles and no issues with this motor. I've been told you can delete the FMS on those vehicles

 

[lbzdually]

5.3 Silverado. 76 mm turbo kit and run 8-10 lbs of boost. 500 to 550 rwhp and should last for a while. Go ahead and buy another junkyard 5.3 for a couple hundred bucks and build it to survive with head studs new bearings, ported heads and cam. Turn the up the boost and you can hit 800 rwhp pretty easily on stock motor, then when it blows you have a solid motor to slap back in it and really make some power. Go to a 88mm turbo or bigger. Usefulness of a truck and power to beat any stock muscle car from back in the day.

 

[Wycliff]

I'm in the process of building a 1985 Monte Carlo SS with a 6.0 LS in it. Probably have a bunch of tried and true sbc guys upset but the LS line is the best engine for the buck that chevy ever made. A simple cam swap and heads and it had over 700hp on the dyno, not to mention a forged rotating assembly from the factory.

 

[jiminbogart]

So maybe I am going through midlife crisis. I am 52 and am wanting a 68 to 70 hotrod. That's all I ever had in my 20s and 30s. But I dont want a project. And the prices of the Camaro, Chevelles, Trans ams have gotten so high. Would lay 15 to 22 grand in what I have in mind.
On the other hand I have a very clean 07 Gmc Sierra classic. It's the special edition one with beefed up front suspension and 20 inch rims. So I could possibly lay some money in a turbo or supercharger. Dual exaust with H pipe. Maybe different rearend with disc brakes. Basically i need to feel power. Lol
Has anyone done anything similar to their 5.3 Sierra?

2007 GMC? Nope!

For 15-22k you can get something cool.

I've seen a couple real nice El Caminos in the 15k-22k range lately. '67-'68 Camaros and Firebirds are there as well.
Some decent GTOs can be had too.

'68 Camaro $21,000 https://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/d/five-points-68-camaro/6852305831.html

'66 Chevelle $18,000 https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/cto/d/chattanooga-1966-chevy-chevelle-super/6856935337.html

Clean '69 El Camino $14,700. https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=152234&highlight=camino

Clean '70 El Camino $15,500. https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=154127&highlight=camino

'67 Camaro $25,000 https://tricities.craigslist.org/cto/d/jonesborough-67-camaro-rs-ss-388-stroker/6814466205.html

'70 Cutlass W31 just sold for $21,300. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Oldsm...m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=154105

'32 street rod $12,500 https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/dallas-custom-built-32-packard-street/6830905659.html

'68 Cutlass convertible $23,000 https://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/d/loganville-1968-cutlass-convertible/6852436400.html

'66 GTO clone $18,500 https://dothan.craigslist.org/cto/d/panama-city-beach-66-pontiac-gto-clone/6838186155.html

'72 Chevelle SS clone $21,900 https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/young-harris-1972-chevelle-ss-clone/6842825862.html

'70 Blazer $17,500 https://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/d/ashland-city-1970-chevy-k5-blazer/6852364661.html

'67 Firebird $22,500 https://tricities.craigslist.org/cto/d/fall-branch-1967-firebird/6819196431.html

 

[jiminbogart]

If you insist on a 2007 Chevy/GMC truck buy this pile:

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads...ged-Kooks-Corsa-Ride-Tech-HRE-Wilwood-Katzkin

 

[harderthansoft]

Whats yalls thoughts on a 02 WS6 T/A

 

[normaldave]

Only if you sport a Mullet haircut to go with it! (I kid, I kid).

Have you considered a Pontiac G8 GT? 6.0L RWD, sedan, kind of a sleeper. All the comfort of a sedan, impressive performance, good highway manners, no carburetor to fool with.
Pontiac G8 GT

Here's one in grey:
G8 GT grey

A little road trip, see the sights in Nashville, big V8 in a small sedan, what's not to like?

 

[GoldDot40]

Whats yalls thoughts on a 02 WS6 T/A

How much money you willing to spend? The sky is the limit on those 4th gen F-bodies with the LS platform.

Absolute 1st thing I would do is get some subframe connectors welded in. That alone will change the entire attitude of how it handles and accelerates. THEN, you can start with the power enhancements.

 

[Pig Predator]

How much money you willing to spend? The sky is the limit on those 4th gen F-bodies with the LS platform.

Absolute 1st thing I would do is get some subframe connectors welded in. That alone will change the entire attitude of how it handles and accelerates. THEN, you can start with the power enhancements.

Starting with that 10 bolt. First power adder and sticky tires and that rear end is toast. I'm a GM guy and would stick a ford 9" in it before I sprayed it.