1986 Chevrolet El Camino Turbocharged LS 500+ whp

1986 Chevrolet El Camino Description

Today you’re looking at a 1986 El Camino that has been a project of mine since High School. I have had this vehicle since 2006 and have had a lot of fun with it. It is however time to narrow down on projects and focus on something else. Below is an itemized list of the modifications that I can recall making to the car. It is a 500+ whp monster that is a blast to drive and will hold it’s own against a number of more modern sports cars.

1986 El Camino – 99% rust free body and frame

Interior is a full OEM bucket seat and console setup with the appropriate gauge cluster to monitor engine parameters.

DASH IS LIKE NEW – found this dash uncracked and still soft locally and replaced it when I began the LS engine swap.

Factory gauge cluster in dash works (speedometer is not hooked up at the moment)

Radio is from a 2002 silverado – new speakers in dash

New seat covers several years ago new carpet and new sound deadener

New window felts several years ago

Rear axle is a 3.23 limited slip

Disk Brake swap from 2001 Blazer in the rear

New Air Shocks in rear

New brake lines on axle to go with the disk brakes (braided stainless)

Front suspension is largely OEM – still tight.

Front brakes consist of 2013 Corvette rotors and 2015 Cadillac ATS Sport Brembo 4 piston calipers. Kit sold by bigbrakeupgrade.com.

New wheel bearings and seals at that time (last month)

New front brake hoses (braided stainless)

New adjustable proportioning valve and new B body master cylinder to accompany the larger brakes

Wheels are Year One N90 17” wheels

Front two are stock

Rear two are widened to 9.5 inches

Tires are 245/45/17 out front and 275/40/17 in the rear.

The tailgate was damaged in a parking lot – then re damaged in the process of getting sand blasted (dropped) so it comes with that tailgate on the car and a better one that I can throw in for the buyer.

The worst part about the car is the paint – which is there mostly but chipped heavily from years of using the vehicle as just that.. a vehicle.

Now for what you’ve been waiting for… The Powertrain

Aluminum 5.3 LC9 Engine (gen IV)

Fully rebuilt –

New Bearings

New Rings

New Seals and gaskets

New camshaft (BTR Stage 1 Turbo Cam)

New lifters (GM LS7 Lifters)

All new timing set

New Oil Pump

Cylinder heads are 799 casting #s (same flow as LS6 cylinder heads)

These were machined by a trained cylinder head builder.

New PAC 1219 springs to go along with the cam.

New rocker arm trunnion bearings

OEM coils

Decapped Flex Fuel injectors (flow matched by Eric Derr)

Walbro 255 single drop in fuel pump (added a drain plug to the 22 gallon tank as well)

Corvette regulator / filter

Stock truck throttle body / intake (electronic throttle)

4L80e transmission that was a fresh rebuild – No mods

Custom Turbo Kit fabricated by myself and several friends

Log manifold style kit

HOLSET HX55 22CM turbine housing turbo

Custom mounted (considerable amount of work) front mount intercooler

Custom intercooler piping kit

The exhaust consists of a custom 3.5 inch down pipe that again keeps the factory AC system intact, this goes down to the trans crossmember where it splits into a Pypes Performance dual 3 inch exhaust that exits past the tires.

This engine / trans combo made 493whp on a mustang dyno at ONLY 8-PSI of boost.

Custom engine mounts retain factory GM truck AC compressor (never charged system but can get working for the right buyer)

Driveshaft built in Indianapolis using the same tubing they use for pulling trucks

The car is a riot to drive. Will keep up with and or blow the doors off of a number of vehicles. The looks on their faces are worth the ownership.