The other issue is that the high output LED stuff is still in it's infancy, most if not all automotive LED lighting is constructed from off the shelf components no intentionally designed as automotive lighting which makes the current products essentially arrays of tactical flashlights. If you happen to have one of these tactiacl lights like a Fenix or similar, at full output they are glare monsters, shine one on a printed page full on and it's practically illegable, for me anyway, I have to crank it down and it all comes into focus, but at that output it's not all that impressive as far as light output. Unfortuanatly at this point most of the LED stuff is doing it the easy way and there isn't really the focused development on making pre-patterned automotive arrays yet with a tight pattern and ditch the reflector since LEDs don't ned them, it's just to make it look like something familiar. Their day will come and when it does everything else will be an antique.
Sorry for the rant...
Anyway, yes, I am in posession of the Lavazza Fiat 500 pan now, looks like it will work out well, and is really a very very nice piece. My one complaint is that the bottom plate did not come with a gasket and suggests it be attached with silicone sealant (as near as I can figure the instructions are in Italian). I think I'll be making a gasket for it. I've been trying to get some time to go do the tour, Machinist has my 4200 pan and it's been sliced but he needs my input on what to cut out internally around where the front drive shaft re-enforcing ribs were. There is quite a bit of random structure there. He's also going to be doing the new bottom and flange for the Fiat pan to bolt on to (with a relocated dip stick hole), and my fabricator will be welding it together. Then the Fiat pan just becomes a removable sump on the bottom of the 4200 pan.
My engine came from a yard in Louisville, Ky out of a totaled 2008 Trailblazer with 10K miles on it. Apparently it was lost in the inventory and sat on a shelf for 5 years, forgotten. Anything that wan't the motor however was hacked, they basically sawzalled it out of the truck, cutting through the harness and several of the sensors, oh and one of the motor mount purches.
The 2008 and 2009 engines (and maybe '07) use the 58X crank triggers like the LS motors and can use the, and I hope I get the number right here, E67 PCM which is also capable of controlling a 6L80/90 trans, which is damn interesting. They are capable of being tweeked for turbos, google "limeswap" he's a guy doing turbo reprograms specifically for the 4200s. I believe he has even done a variable vane turbo setup. Doesn't help me though, OEM PCMs require MAP which requires some sort of stable vacuum source which with me going with ITBs I won't have. Basically factory ECUs need a common plenum, common throttle body, and drive by wire to work, I will have none of the 3.
My engine cost me $1200 and another $400 for freight to a dock. Original pan was cracked in a couple of places where the front axle got tweeked in it from the accident it was in, it was covered in either lime stone or gypsum dust, and the above mentioned demolition style removal method but other than that it was in really really nice condition. In SoCal it would have cost me triple that, so I view it as a steal. There are early (2005) complete crate engines floating around, though they are probably getting more scarce and have the composite valve cover vs the cast aluminum one. Oh and the heads are different between the plastic and aluminum cover versions and covers do not interchange, also early motors have much smaller exhaust ports.
Be warned the 2006-2009 engines are mechanically similar but the harnesses have different connectors, GM was concerned that they may lose Delphi as a source at the time and changed over all the connectors to some Bosch, Metri-pack and Weather-Pack randomness with some Delphi leftovers in the later years. So if you plan on using an OEM PCM get an engine with all the electronics still intact or know the specific year. Stupid things like AC compressors, alternators and sensors are interchangable mechanically but have different connectors. Oh and know that AC compressors and alternators are specific to 4200s (or actually Atlas motors) and bolt directly to the block.
These engines are (within a few mm either way) very similar bore and stroke wise to the 4.2 litre Jaguar XKE engines and where as the XKE engines take quite a bit of tuning and mods to get to 300hp, that is about where the 4200s start out. I really am hoping that by sort of treating it similarly (tri-Y headers, and individualised intake) I can get the sort of sound that a high hp Jag motor can have, almost like an angry V12 with a pop-pop-pop when you let off on the throttle and defenatly a sound that sounds like it's from another era. Like this Jag:
300 bhp Jaguar E-type 4.2 Litre built by Lex Classics