TNH

some of you may hate the idea of this......but as many of you probably know, the LS1 5.7 is a very powerful, easily modified engine that comes in late model camaros and firebirds. These engines propel 3400lb cars to an average of 13.4 in the quarter mile. Not bad for an engine that can be picked up for around $5k. It would cost me $10k (kleemann) to get that kind of hp out of my 320 clk.
If I wanted to make ~500hp out of any MB, it would cost a ridiculous amount of money (kleemanized 5.4 amg).

Because these LS1 engines are so easy to find, and have been swapped into so many vehicles, I wonder if it would be possible to put one in a CLK?

LS1's can be made to produce 650hp with $8k in mods......I wouldn't mind having a CLK making that kind of power with a rumbling V8 under the hood.

I may get some flames for this, but what the hell.....I think it would be sweet...........CLK570!

(for those of you that don't know me, I have absolutely zero brand loyalty, so this sort of thing is not a concern of mine. Every badge that comes off easily, comes off all of my cars! I have owned many different vehicles, and respect them for their individual traits. To me, this is the best of both worls.....cheap hp, awesome looks, and luxury inside.)

pocholin

Not a bad idea, but I think to put a LS1 engine you are going to have several problems like Engine Mounts, transmission housing, electronics, you are going to spend well over 5k to get it done,
Lets assume you have to change engine, transmission, headers, computer, electronic harness (although you have OBDII in your car, you would need to have it customized and still have a problem with sensor conectors) You are looking at at least 10k for a stock LS1. Plus mounting, modifications to mount engine and performance mods.

Cost wise it is still doable, but it is not going to be easy.

jswedberg

It would certainly make repairs easier. We had our ML up in Montana and I was a little worried about fixing it if anything happened.

I agree with pocholin - MBs are extremely integrated electronically - it'd be quite a surgery project. Not like the old days, when a Chevy V8 could be easily dropped into a Porsche or a Jaguar.

It'd also ruin the resale value of the car.

quaz

I'd have to say if it costs you 10k with all the other modifications you would have to do...then you are better off getting the Kleeman.

It does make for interesting print though....but MAN..it would seem to be a very difficult task....

pocholin

I meant 10k for LS1 engine, transmission and headers, plus installation and computer work, if compared to renntech 3.8 litter basic conversion is 14k and only 262 hp, the stage 2 3.8L is 18k at 291 hp. then an LS1 with ~350 HP installed and after all the mods needed for successful instalation on a CLK for 18 k is a bargain., after that put 2 more grand and you can have a close to 500 hp CLK for a lot less than Kleeman or Renntech.

TNH, if you are not going to sell this CLK soon, or just don't care about resale value, go for it.

JuicedCLK

dude i used to have an ls1 and it freggin flew... unfortunaly right now i just dropped a crap load of $$$ to beat them. but hell... its going to be a BI0Tch to do im saying like 6 months in the shop dude. if you do it email me i wanna see! thats like a dream =) and if u ever wanna juice it i can do it 4 ya =) GOOD LUCK! (u da man)

TNH

I can get this engines for next to nothing......one of my first cars was a 6 cylinder camaro, and my dad found me a wrecked Z28 (he works at insurance auto auctions). The Z28 was literally rolled into a ball, but the LS1 was completely intact. I paid $1800 for it!!! and that is with the manual 6 speed tranny. I installed that baby in my 6cyl, and I was tearing up the streets paying the insurance of a 6cyl (Z28 for a 17 year old is about $350 per month for full coverage in my area, and that is with a clean record).

The other cool thing about this swap would be that I would have a 6 speed manual.......that would be nice to have in a Benz. So much more racier than an auto.

I have some custom vehicle experience, and I know that I can make the mounts to set this thing in my CLK.....The big problem comes with the wiring. The LS1 swap is so common, that painless wiring makes a kit to install it in another car.......but I don't think anyone has ever put it in something that has such complicated electronics and wiring (besides in other late model GM vehicles such as blazers, pickups, and S-10's).

I probably won't be doing this......but it would really be a dream car for me. My dad can pick me up one of these engines, maybe I'll get a really high mileage one and rebuilt it with 420ci kit, and throw heads and cam in it. That alone will produce close to 500hp.

As much as I love the looks of CLK's, the aftermarket just sucks for these cars! What the hell is wrong, is there just no demand for fixing up these cars? (I mean come on, $10k for a blower(and that is just for a little 6cyl)??? I don't think there is any other car out there where the aftermarket bower that costs $10k. Vortech makes a centrifugal blower for almost any car for $4-5k.......and yes, it DOES generate a 40-50% increase in hp).

karl k

TNH The LS1 5.7 also comes in Corvettes.

Why not get a 1991 Corvette for $13,000?

http://applications.edmunds.com/prod...action=details

TNH

The 5.7 that came in the 1991 vette is not the LS1. The LS1 was introduced in the corvettes in 1997, and the camaro/firebird in 1998.
For me, this swap isn't just about having a fast car......Its about having a fast CLK. I have owned a couple LS1 powered cars before, but would rather have the CLK.......I have a 1999 camaro Z28 sitting in the garage of my parents house in California, waiting to be sold. If I just wanted to go fast, I would have kept it.
I could go the kleeman route, and end up making the same power as my camaro with the CLK.....but I don't want it to end there. Having the LS1 leaves me with the potential to add monster hp to the car in the future. I am talking 650+ hp, something that can't be had in a benz at the present time (unless you swap something like an LS1 or 2JZ-GTE. The aftermarket products available for these engines are infinite, and MUCH more affordable than any benz stuff.

When it comes to hp, I don't care what kind of engine you have, how cool it looks, etc, etc.......an engine does one thing for me.....make power. Whichever engine does it the most efficiently and affordably, I want! That leaves any MB engine out.

karl k

I enjoyed a stock C5 2001 for 5,000 miles and several months last year.

I must say the CLK55 is faster. Best car I've owned!!

TNH

No doubt the CLK 55 is a sweet and powerful machine, but it is so much more expensive than the C5. I know that the CLK has a bit more hp than the C5, but aren't the quarter mile times for the CLK significantly slower than the C5's?

Either way, with a few thousand dollars, you can have a C5 cranking out ~450hp, leaving a CLK 55 in the dust. I know its like comparing apples and oranges, and I would much rather own the CLK 55.......but as far as pure performance/mod potential and price, the C5 wins by a longshot. The drivetrain can be made bulletproof, and hp gains can be made with out too much spending.

pocholin

TNH, it is my understanding that you won't do this because electronics would be the most difficult part. Why not put the LS1 with computer and retrofit it to the cluster and igntion? Or change the cluster as well?

TNH

I would definitely be using the LS1 computer. I know painless wiring makes a harness to put this engine in a variety of vehicles. My main concern is the ABS and other complicated electronics. I should call them and ask what a changeover like this entails.

Ahmed

i have a question!

do you have this vehicle in the states cause they're selling like hotcakes here in the middle east.

chevrolet LUMINA SS

this mothaf**ker has a 5.7 aluminium corvette engine under the hood that produces about 330 HP!

And the thing that kills me most is the fact that they're selling them for $30,000 !!!!!!

jswedberg

I think that may be our Impala SS - big ol' four door with wide tires and the (almost) Corvette engine?

But they stopped making it two years ago. The new Impala is a little dorky commuter car.

Here is the "old" Impala SS (pic taken from eBay):

jswedberg

Here is the "new" Impala (this is actually an LS)
I guess it not really a "dorky commuter" car, but it is REALLY ordinary in my opinion!

TNH

We don't have any lumina's with the 5.7 here in the states.

The old Impala like the one that jswedberg posted has a 5.7 liter, but it is a cast iron block and a different fuel injection system that is good for roughly 285hp. This engine came in 92-96 corvettes and 93-97 camaro/firebird.

The new impala comes with a ****ty V6. (I think it is the same as the v6 that comes our lumina).

The only cars in the US that ever came with the all aluminum 5.7 LS1 are the 97+ corvette, and 98+ camaro. The new chevy trucks come with an engine that is based on it, but it is still not the same.

Ahmed

i'll post some pics of the LUMINA SS

Ahmed

check out this site and tell me what you think of the LUMINA SS!

http://www.gmarabia.com/chevrolet_ca.../lumina_ss.htm

Ahmed

hmmm...... what a bargain!

ERICCLK55

i am all about the 500+ hp benz, but not by way of a 5.7. What about the exhaust tone? To achieve the hp you want, a big cam is going to have to be there, and the result will alone be a giveaway, then with headers, etc. Your car would be extremely loud, doesnt that defeat the point of owning a mb anyways? Luxury cant be substitued for performance in many cases, especially for 10k. I would just keep the mb how it is, then take an old f1 something and then do some swapping.

TNH

I think it would be pretty cool to have a loud benz! To me, luxury is all about your interior and the looks of your car. Springs, shocks, and 19's take that comfy luxury driving part away as soon as they are installed. So who cares about the sound!

Anyway, there are some virtually silent (at low RPM( exhuast systems available for the LS1 engine. In fact, the stock exhaust is very quiet, even at high RPM (for having 320hp anyway).

There are a few muffler manufacturer's that make some really stealthy systems for LS1's and mustangs. My buddy had a 450hp 5.0, and the thing was silent at idle......but when he got on it, the sound was incredible.

Luxury car or not, I think that would be bad!!!!

chicagopizza

just wondering if you guys purchase the car for the look or the engine....casue there are a lot of fast ugly car out there ....:-)

TNH

I went purely for looks this time....previously owned an LS1 camaro, and it was a decent looking sports car, very fast.....but didnt have the look I was after. I'd love to have the performance of the camaro with the looks of the CLK (I guess that is a CLK55, but I would like something that you can mod to 500+ hp without 30 grand invested in it).

sungulent

gosh now we comparing benzos with chevys

????????????