m60 vs s52 vs ford 5.0 vs LS1

[Kershaw]

A friend of mine has high compression s50b30 with 250whp/250wtq. VAC stage 2 head. I'm sure he's spent 15k on the motor though. At least. Maybe 20k.

A ford 5.0 can go from 225hp to 400whp with a ported head, cam, and intake. It's silly. Same with the LS series. And they can both take a 200 shot for a nice giggle switch.

I havent seen anyone make power as easily with the m60 like you can with a ford or chevy v8. 250whp is of course totally doable and I'm sure 300whp is too though. I do like how the 5.0 and and m60 fit in the engine bay though. I think the LS fits a lot better in an e36.

[flyboyx]

are you talking at the wheel hp? if so, the s52 isn't going to get you there unless you throw a shitload of money at it.

i do not believe LS engines to be worth all the swap cost.

you can buy a decent m62(290hp/310ft-lb) all day long at the local pick a part for less than 300.00. i have not seen any dyno numbers from guys that have tuned them, but i bet an extra 25hp is easily attainable. if you take your time looking you can find one that is nice and clean in the inside to start with. you will spend more money on the fabrication, but it will still be a lot cheaper than an ls. if you look around you can buy a getrag 420 for 6-800 bucks. i got lucky and found two of them in the local lkq(170 bucks each). i haven't gotten to them yet, but i hope one if not both are in good usable shape. i think if you are careful about what you buy and do the work yourself, you should be able to get this engine refreshed and running in your car for around 3-4k after engine/trans purchase.

the great thing about bmw v8's is that they are so readily available at the jy and cheap.

[Brezzi]

Hey guys,

Wanted to make a quick little thread addressing the question I've been bouncing around in my head. The turbo m20 vs s52 thread that just went up made me think this would be a cool comparison too... for all those deciding to stay NA when they swap.

My power goals are 250 to 300ish HP. I want the car to be fast but usable on a track, which is why I've decided to stay away from boost. I do still drive it around town and take a few highway trips every once in awhile. However, its basically a toy for me since I live in Hoboken and commute via bus or train to the city for work. I always wanted a v8 car so that's why they dominate this list, just not sure if its worth the headache.

questions I have:
-least pain in the ass to do (I'm guessing s52)
-best bang for buck power wise (I'm guessing 5.0 or m60)
-Is the LS1 worth the all the cash? given my goals.