I’ve always hated confrontation and drama, and I usually go out of my way to avoid it whenever possible. Even though some people consider me to be outspoken, and perhaps maybe even a little politically incorrect,  I’ve always stood up for myself and what I believe in; even if it’s an opinion relating to cars.

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk in the industry about how the LSX engines are the new replacement for the classic SBC and the BBC engines. Although there are some skeptics out there, I sort of believe this to be true, especially as time goes on. Originally, my plan for this article was to discuss some of the most unusual LS swaps that have been performed in the past and what we could expect in the future, but with a recent article put out by the editor of our sister publication Street Legal TV, I was persuaded to tackle this editorial from a different perspective.

The editor in question of course, is none other than Kevin Shaw, and I’m sure many of you have been reading about his personal project car, a ’69 Charger nicknamed “Killer Kong.” To be totally honest, I’m stoked to see how this car is going to turn out, and even though I’m primarily a GM man I’ve always had a soft spot for classic Mopar muscle. I genuinely have a feeling this car is going to be totally sick, and I’ve been reading his articles with great anticipation like the rest of you.

The reason I read the stories on his car, rather than actually experience them firsthand is the simple fact that Mr. Shaw and I live on opposite sides of the country. With him living in sunny California and me living in crummy Ohio, I’m sort of envious of his year-round beautiful weather and Pacific Coast residency. But at the same time, if I lived within a reasonable amount of distance from him I would have absolutely no problem helping turn wrenches on the classic Mopar B-body.  In fact, it was Kevin who put me on as a freelance writer for powerTV to begin with, and for that I’m very thankful. But even though Kevin and I are close to the same age, he tends to favor old school ingenuity, whereas I welcome the new technology with warmth and open arms.

His personal opinion (based on his own recent editorial) is that the whole LSX scene is becoming a bit passé, and that it’s only as popular as it seems it is because GM is pushing its crate motors, and also as a result- the general population tends to follow trends, jump on bandwagons or as Kevin puts it, “drink the same Kool-Aid.” But I think there are many more reasons why the LSX engines have become hugely popular.

Why So Popular?

The first is the most obvious; they produce a tremendous amount of power out of the box, not to mention that they are lightweight, fuel efficient, and tend to be the most reliable motors in the market today. Looking at it from that perspective alone, it would seem to be a no-brainer, but many argue the price factor. Sure, a brand new LS crate motor from GMPP will set you back anywhere from $5000 to over $20,000, but as they always say, you gotta pay to play!

This isn’t always necessarily the case, of course. Used Gen III small blocks have been showing up on eBay and in wrecking yards since people starting crashing C5 Corvettes, and initially, enthusiasts were able to score 4.8, 5.3, and 6-liter truck motors from the yards for dirt cheap -that is of course until the word got out and they’ve since have becoming more difficult to find at a decent price. But the deals are still out there, you just have to look a little harder!

Although most people who make the cover of major newsstand magazines tend to have slightly more money than Average Joe the Backyard Mechanic, this hasn’t stopped him from building the “hybrid” of his dreams by cruising the ‘yards, buying used parts off of the internet, wheeling and dealing, and learning how to piece that dream motor together by doing all of the work himself. You know, in that traditional hot-rodder spirit.

I don’t think traditional hot-rodding will ever go away, either; it will just evolve as a result of newer technology, stricter emission compliances, and ever-increasing fuel prices. Sure, as we progress through the generations I think we will slowly start to move out of the “classic” small blocks and big blocks, and you’ll start seeing more and more LS engines swapped into older vehicles.

On the flip-side, I don’t think the older engines will ever go away completely. Nobody wants that, not even me. But come to think of it, we’re also seeing new HEMI’s dropped into ‘50s and ‘60s Chrysler products on a daily basis, and there are already people cramming the new Ford “Coyote” 5.0 into ’32 coupes and other classic Fords, so it’s not just the LS motors people are turning to for new technology!

What about the more sacred collectible cars, such as a ’69 Z/28 or a ’70 Chevelle SS, you ask? Sure, if all of the original components are there, I would say keep it all original or all old school at least. As a matter of fact, I recently helped my dad find another LS-5 block for his ’70 Corvette. Because he purchased it with a later year 454 nestled between its fenders, and because it is an original LS-5 car, I agreed with him to keep it “traditional.” However, that’s not keeping us from showering it with a set of ported aluminum heads and intake, a lumpy cam, and a pair of ceramic-coated headers, either.

Hypothetically, if you managed to come across a derelict, base-model ’70 Malibu without a drivetrain but with a decent body for example, then in my personal opinion that car is absolutely begging for an LS transformation. Whether you intend to make it a drag car, a road-race machine, or just a nice cruiser, why would you bother swapping in a junkyard big-block or a 383 stroker into it, when you can have all of the performance, reliability, and efficiency of a late-model Camaro-and then some? If you ask me, looking to another hopped-up small block or a big block as a replacement is played-out, as people have been doing that since the 1960s, and sticking with a carburetor is more passé than ever- they’ve only been around since the 19^th century, after all.

But that’s what hot-rodding is all about; different strokes for different folks. It’s a form of self-expression, and in the end, it doesn’t matter how you reach your performance goals, it’s just the fact that you’ve got there in the first place.

Keep on motorin’..

-Rick