Are you getting bored with the M50, M52 or S50 in your E36? An LS1 from a Camaro SS or Pontiac GTO is the perfect upgrade for your E36. At 350hp and 365tq, it’s a perfect match for the wonderful E36 chassis. Swap on some heads, cams and an intake, you’ll be in the range of 410hp and 380tq or so.
There are also some other options availabe if you need a little more power to start.
- LS6 – In 2001 the LS6 made 385hp and 385tq. In 2002 the LS6 was modified to produce 405hp and 400tq. This motor was used in the C5 Z06 and the Cadillac CTS-V
- LS2 – This is the stock engine for 2005+ base model Corvettes and 2005-2006 GTO. In factory form it makes 400hp and 400tq
- LS3 – The 2008 and up Corvette engine which puts out 430hp and 424tq. You’re starting to get into rare and expensive territory here
- LS7 – Tough to find and cost prohibitive to afford (though not impossible), this came in the 2006+ Z06. Forget traction with this, you’ll be making 500hp and 470tq.
E36 LS1 Swap Kits and Mounts
There’s quite a few swap kits available on the market. Some offerings are more complete, while others are more of a do it yourself setup. Competition is good though, and any kit will work well.
E36 LS1 Swap Guides
Since the E36 LS1 swap is still fairly new, there’s not a ton of great, easy to read information out there. But i’ve done what I can. Nash, who also makes a complete swap kit, wrote up this three part guide to swapping in an LS1 into your E36. It’s the most complete guide i’ve been able to find.
Jags That Run, while not offering a complete “kit” for sale, has a few parts for sale. They also have been publishing their findings on doing an LS1 E36 swap. There’s lots of good information below the parts for sale.
sprite
