7 LS Motor Powered Used Car Bargains Under $10,000
The LS engine delivers legendary power at a low price, but here are seven of the lowest cost vehicles with LS engines that you can get at a bargain.
1. 1997-2004 Chevy C5 Corvette
The Corvette C5 is a special car, not only because it was the first all new Vette since 1984, but also because the LS1 engine debuted in it. Although you won't easily find the C5 at an extreme bargain like you would for the C4, you can still find examples selling for less than $10,000. For that you get nearly 350hp, at a price of about $29 per pony.
2. 1998-2002 Pontiac Firebird or Chevy Camaro
After the C5 Corvette debuted, GM spread the horsepower around by fitting the LS1 motor to the F-body in 1998. Finding a F-body Firebird/Trans Am or Camaro is not too difficult, and bargains are out there, but finding a clean, adult owned example that hasn't been beat on it much harder. Still nice examples of these cars are on Craigslist right now for between $6,000 and $10,000, and running project cars can be had for less than $5,000. If you get a cheaper one, and assuming the horsepower rating of 305 was conservative, you are going to be paying about $19 per horsepower.
3. 2004-2005 Cadillac CTS-V
This won't be easy to find cheap, but when you do find it, it will be a good day. There isn't much like the power of an LS engine complementing the beautiful first generation Cadillac CTS-V. If you're looking for both luxury and aggression, this one will put a smile on your face. If you know how to surf the internet, you can find a decent CTS-V for $10,000, maybe slightly more. For some reason the Pontiac GTO of this era costs more, and for good reason the later 6.0 liter CTS-V is more expensive as well, but these 5.7 liter powered Corvette sedans hit the sweet spot of value, luxury, and performance.
4. 1999-2006 Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra
Shop smart and you can buy one of these trucks for about $4,000, and get cast iron version of the LS motor and about 300hp. If you like to shift gears yourself you are going to be stuck with the 4.8 liter version, but that motor is very easy add power to, or swap for a larger version. Shop for a 2005-2007 truck with four-wheel drive and an extended cab, and you can find one with the L33 Vortec H.O. motor, which is a slightly downgraded version of the Corvette LS2, aluminum block and all. That's just $12 per horsepower for the 5.3 H.O. version, or $14 if you get one of the 4.8 powered trucks.
5. 2006-2009 Chevy Impala SS or Monte Carlo SS
The 8th generation Impala SS is not as rare as some of the other vehicles, in fact, you can pick these up all day long for less than $5,000. The Impala is a great car for many reasons: first you get room for the whole family, second you get the anonymity of a rental car, and third you get the power of an LS. You can do things in one of these that would be an instant moving violation, and not even attract attention. The Monte Carlo SS is more stylish, and one of the few coupes made in the modern era that isn't an expensive import. The downsides of these cars is the weak automatic transmission, and the fact that they are front wheel drive. Probably the lowest buy in for more than 300hp on the market.
6. 2005-2009 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP and 2008-2009 Buick LaCrosse Super
These cars are very similar to the Impala SS, but the Pontiac adds more sportiness, and the Buick adds more luxury. Find a good 2008 or 2009 Buick LaCrosse Super, and you will get all the luxury, as well as the power from the 5.3 liter LS engine. The Pontiac used specially sized wheels and tires to manage the torque steer, and came with paddle shifters for the 4 speed automatic. Finding one of these is the hard part, but they typically are less than $10,000 when you do.
7. 2003-2009 GM-360 SUVs
No, you aren't likely to find a 6.0 liter powered Trailblazer SS for a bargain price, but plenty of these mid-size family SUVs came equipped with the 5.3 liter LS based V8. You can basically pick from the Buick Rainier, Saab 9-7x, GMC Envoy, Chevy Trailblazer, or Isuzu Ascender, they all had the option of the 300hp 5.3 liter V8, and few are selling for more than $10,000 these days. If you like the thrill of the hunt, try to find the ultra rare 6.0 liter powered Saab 9-7x Aero, the Swedish Trailblazer SS.
For help fixing or maintaining your LS powered ride, see the how to section of LS1tech.com