Cool Retro Looking LS Motors (photos)

1. Chevy Orange Engine Paint

The sleek black LS engine screams modern and is one of the first things anyone will see when you open the hood. Before you swap that junkyard or freshly built LS motor into your ride give it a nice coat of traditional paint in Chevy orange, Pontiac blue, Oldsmobile gold, bronze or blue, or Buick red or green. You will be amazed at how painting that LS block the right color completely changes the look of the engine compartment.

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2. Valve Covers and Adapters

If you're going old-school, it may be time to get rid of the modern plastic engine cover, and install some retro valve covers. There is an issue, though, you can't just mount an early finned Corvette script valve covers on your LS engine, it simply won't fit properly. However, there are adapters that can be bought, which will allow you to use almost any old school Chevy valve covers, as well as a number of modern LS specific retro styles. Most of these will required a coil relocation though.

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3. Coil Relocation Kit

Another dead give away that you have an LS motor are the coil packs mounted to the valve covers. There are some aftermarket dress up covers that cover the coils, but a better solution is to relocate the coils to the fender, or side of the motor. You have to be careful to protect them from the heat of the headers, but otherwise they are easy to mount, and easy to make custom spark plug wires for.

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4. Coil Covers

If you don't want to go through the trouble of moving the coils, and getting valve cover adapters, Holley makes a cool coil cover that looks almost like big block valve covers. These composite covers are as easy to install as the factory engine cover, and can be painted to match whatever retro color your motor is. You can find them here.

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5. Front Accessory Drive

Part of the beauty of modern motors is the integrated serpentine belt drive for the accessories, and replacing the modern pulleys and accessories with vintage ones isn't really an option on the LS motor. You can purchase a complete vintage looking kit for your specific LS engine from various aftermarket companies, like Drive Junky, which move the alternator and other accessories into positions more typical on an old car, and quickly change the motor's look. Check out the Drive Junky front accessory system HERE.

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6. Holley Multiport Intake Manifold

The rounded multi-port intake on the LS flows well, but is nothing like the induction systems that dominated in the carburated era. Replacing the stock intake manifold with a single plane style one from Holley will help you accomplish a more retro look, and even give you the option of running an actual carburetor, if you are a cave man. IF you are running a carb instead of EFI, you'll also need a standalone computer to run the ignition.

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7. Holley Terminator Throttle Body

Nothing will ruin your retro look faster than the EFI throttle body out front with a cone filter on it, but luckily, the Holley Terminator throttle body exists. This throttle body is the closest throttle body to a carburetor in the looks-department. Add an old school air cleaner, and most people will think it's a carb on there first glance. Level Seven Motorsports used all of these tricks on their LS retro dress-up shown above, which worked out perfectly.

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For more help with your LS projects check out the how to section of LS1Tech.com