Thinking about making the first LS coupe. Should I go for it?

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olddirtybastard

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Sup guys. I placed 2nd in a big buy-in poker tournament in vegas awhile back, which I should have won, but **** happens. I have been thinking about making something truly one of a kind. I've always loved the body of the LS, but cannot understand why they never released a coupe version. I want to make the first LS coupe and put a monster engine in it. Money is not an issue.

Anyone think I should go for it? Just want to see what people here say first before going for it.

Will keep everyone updated.
 


Sub'd ~ purely for entertainment values.​
 
Congratulations, I'm a huge poker player. It's literally my passion.

Anyhow, do everyone here the favor. Don't contribute to the 10 million other people who talk up a storm but then never follow through. We here are entertained by people that take action and do things, not by people who talk. Hope this isn't offensive, just saying.

Also, I think we'd all appreciate an LS that were swapped and made respectable power yet retained ALL factory options, rather than see a beautiful sport sedan hacked up into a coupe. But to each his own. Whatever you consider, just do it and post pictures as you go, that will get you some respect and attention here.
 
I think you would end up with what looks like a Mercedes.

Coupe.jpg

Coupe.jpg
 
Expect a massive amount of nay-saying in regard to this ambitious project. And as is true of all hot-rodding/customizing, if the idea suits YOU, go for it.

By the way, a 'monster' engine tends to make a car unfriendly for daily driving. For you to be long-term happy, you'll need to have something mild-mannered---but still capable of brilliant performance when called-on. That is far more complicated than simply sticking in something with many litres of displacement and a wild cam.

Good luck! I'm subscribed.

KS
 
it's not really nay saying so much, as it is a statement of fact so many times over.

i'll watch to see where this goes, but i would be amazed if it gets off paper.
 
Yeah this isn't like building a race car where you just make panels out of sheet metal, turning a sedan into a coupe is quite the undertaking. Stretching doors & quarters, cutting up the car to make it all proportional, looks easy in paper. Executing is a whole other story. I'm skeptical.
 
The geometry for the steering will be off so expect it to be a little squirrely on turns. Either that or you'll have to modify the steering knuckles to get the right ackerman angle.
 
cammerfe said:
Expect a massive amount of nay-saying in regard to this ambitious project. And as is true of all hot-rodding/customizing, if the idea suits YOU, go for it.

By the way, a 'monster' engine tends to make a car unfriendly for daily driving. For you to be long-term happy, you'll need to have something mild-mannered---but still capable of brilliant performance when called-on. That is far more complicated than simply sticking in something with many litres of displacement and a wild cam.

Good luck! I'm subscribed.

KS
Click to expand...

Thank you. I've wanted a LS coupe bad and I now have the funds to go through with it.

I'm going to put the same LS1 engine in it. The same set up as that guys LSX.

LS4me said:
They did.....

It's called a Thunderbird.....
Click to expand...

Not even close!! It looks nothing like the LS.
 
Lseme said:
Yeah this isn't like building a race car where you just make panels out of sheet metal, turning a sedan into a coupe is quite the undertaking. Stretching doors & quarters, cutting up the car to make it all proportional, looks easy in paper. Executing is a whole other story. I'm skeptical.
Click to expand...

I know, I have a few people that have been in the profession for decades drawing up everything as we speak. It will be awhile before they are done, but when they are, I will upload photos of their work on paper and let you all decide how you like it.

Give it a week or so.
 
Kumba said:
The geometry for the steering will be off so expect it to be a little squirrely on turns. Either that or you'll have to modify the steering knuckles to get the right ackerman angle.
Click to expand...

They have already brought this up.
 
I don't see why steering would be affected by this, unless the plan is to shorten the car into a 2-seater. There's no need to do that. Move the center column between the doors rearward, stretch the door, fill in the space between. None of this affects the steering.

Personally though, I don't see the LS as looking good as a coupe, its design is more suited towards the sedan that it is.
 
If this is purely for the looks, do yourself a favor and take the front and rear clips off and LS and massage them onto a thunderbird. That way you'll have a driveable car and not a death machine.
 
i made this a couple years ago....

but agree that doing some body work on a tbird would save alot of hassle and $$$ (more to make it go fast)

lincolnlswilwood72dr.jpg
 
sh!t yeah you should go for it.

however if money is not a concern, don't bother with the 5.7. I would either start with a 6.2 or 7.0. definitely would be worth it to have a LS3/LS7 of if your serious about a monster motor, LSA!






but honestly, for the money that it would cost, you probably going to spend more that you would total VS just getting the real american monster engine luxury coupe...
 
G-RELL said:
i made this a couple years ago....

but agree that doing some body work on a tbird would save alot of hassle and $$$ (more to make it go fast)

lincolnlswilwood72dr.jpg
Click to expand...

Haha. Personally I think it'd be ugly as a night in jail but what do I know ( ? )
 
lincolnlswilwood72dr.jpg
12579-1999-Mercedes-Benz-SL500.jpg

4th gen SL is a look alike.
and is available with up to 525 hp in the SL73 AMG. although very rare.
AMG is the boss.

lincolnlswilwood72dr.jpg


12579-1999-Mercedes-Benz-SL500.jpg
 
The Thunderbird is 8" shorter in overall length and has a 7" shorter wheelbase. If you're planning on chopping a mid section out of the car to shorten it into a coupe, I'd agree that matching LS panels onto the Thunderbird would be your best start (or some other combination based on starting with both cars). I think you'd need to lower the angles of the front and rear windows to get the proper look. The two renderings above just kinda look like tall, awkward Cadillac XLRs. If you're just going the way Telco suggested by really only changing the doors and B-pillar, then I guess that's irrelevant.

... maybe you should just go with the XLR since it already has an LS engine and is basically a boxy Corvette
 
LSFrank said:
... maybe you should just go with the XLR since it already has an LS engine and is basically a boxy Corvette
Click to expand...

actually the XLR's had Northstar motors (even the XLR-V...) which would be the one reason I wouldn't want one of them.
 
Well, that's annoying. My bad. I did a little searching and found that while they are mostly (almost entirely?) based on Corvettes, suppsoedly Chevy convinced everyone in GM that no GM car should be better than the Corvette, except for even better Corvettes. So the Northstar is what sunk the XLR below the Corvette. And apparently, LS-swapping an XLR is about as futile as LS-swapping an LS: expensive, difficult, and throws more codes than the enigma machine. There's still supposed to be quite a bit of potential in the Northstar, though.

This AMA, conveniently posted just 8 days ago, has some interesting stuff. http://oppositelock.kinja.com/cadillac-xlr-ownership-ask-me-anything-ama-1737380654
 
cough cough CTS-V coupe cough...

just saying, nothing to chop, no re-engineering needed, monster engine to begin with (and all of the supporting engineering to go with it), braking to stop a train. best of all, not having to deal with half you car not working !
 
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