1980 Malibu LS Engine And 4L60E Tranny Swap

1980 Malibu Ls Engine 4L60e Tranny Swap Crew

It seems that every time you open an automotive enthusiast magazine, you come across a first-generation Camaro LS-swap. They are everywhere and the fad is growing faster than this recession. And why not? No car of today can match the spine-tingling appeal of a '60s or '70s Bow Tie combined with the technological advances that an LS-motor provides.

It really is the best of both worlds--you can cruise the streets in a hot rod of yesteryear and make 600 hp with a smooth idle, great manners, simple computer tuning, fabulous miles per gallon, and all while stripping over excess tonnage off the nose. Back that up with an electronic transmission, and you will have bystanders drooling.

We, once again, hooked up with Tune Time Performance as they have opened their shop to our every need time and time again. Our donor hot rod isn't a '69 Camaro, shoebox Nova, or '57 Chevy; it's a car that every weekend drag racer has come to love, the '80 Malibu. Weighing in at close to 3,000 pounds, priced for the average enthusiast, and with a short wheelbase to boot, these Malibus make some of the best drag cars out there. Show up at any Friday night gamblers race and you're sure to see a few with the wheels in the sky.

We pieced together our LS with an LQ9 steel short-block out of an Escalade, Tune Time Performance cylinder heads, LS6 intake manifold, and custom-ground camshaft. To back the LS, TCI Performance Transmissions hooked us up with absolutely everything we would ever need for such a conversion, including its 4L60E electronic transmission, 3200-stall lock-up torque converter, transmission control unit, dipstick, crossmember, and much more.

Follow along as we rip off 30 years of rust and replenish life back into the '80 Malibu.

We started our assembly with an LQ9 short-block out of an Escalade with around 2,000 miles on it. This is a perfect platform for us to begin our build. Rather than buy a new short-block, the owner wisely chose to search the far reaches of Internet forums for this piece, saving him a few thousand dollars.
We started our assembly with an LQ9 short-block out of an Escalade with around 2,000 miles
BRP Hot Rods took care of the essentials for the LS swap including a set of Muscle Line headers, which bolted on with ease and looked great. BRP is a great source for any gearhead wanting to performance such a swap. They have a kit for just about every General Motors hot rod and Bow Tie trucks.
BRP Hot Rods took care of the essentials for the LS swap including a set of Muscle Line he
The cylinder heads used were custom made per the application by Tune Time. While retaining the factory valve sizes (2.00 I/1.55 E), a valve job, some port work, and a seal of approval is all it's going to take to reach our goal of 500 hp at the flywheel with a custom-ground camshaft.
The cylinder heads used were custom made per the application by Tune Time. While retaining

The intake we used was a stock LS6 piece with a 78mm opening, Summit Racing fuel rails, 42 pound injectors, and a drive-by-wire throttle. We will be reusing the wiring harness from the Escalade that was ripped out along with the engine. The factory wiring harness will work perfectly for our 500 hp powerplant, and with some cutting and splicing, the transmission as well.
The intake we used was a stock LS6 piece with a 78mm opening, Summit Racing fuel rails, 42