72 C10 - BBC vs. LS - What would you do?

[71chevswb]

We had a 72 c20 BBC 402/400. I kept the motor and transmission, they have been sitting for 8 or so years now. Truck ran and drove fine before parting it out.

Fast forward to 2019. Getting ready to build a 72 c10 swb out of spare parts (not on the cheap, I don't cut many corners). It will be a shop truck/daily driver. I hope to be able to do 500-1000 mile road trips with it someday.

Budget isn't my biggest concern, about to graduate college and start a full time job. I have always wanted a reliable/powerful C10 LS daily driver.

I will be doing a frame off resto, starting with a bare frame and a complete body.




My question for you is, what would you do?

Take the 402 BBC and turbo 400 and use them? I have a rebuilt 3.08 posi that would work great behind it, I think. Keep the RPMs down at highway speeds. This option would get me on the road quicker, but I also am not sure if its enough power for my liking? I have just about everything I would need for this option it seems.


Or, find a junkyard 5.3/6.0 LS with 4l60e or 4l80e with less than 120k miles. This would be slightly more costly and probably take longer to build. I am new to fuel injection and modern powertrain but I have the desire to learn it. This path would most likely force me to rebuilt a different axle and put 3.73 gears in it.



Thoughts? Build the truck once (while it is in pieces) and be done? Or get the BBC in there and enjoy it sooner ?

[notsolo]

It will take longer for an LS swap IMO...Biggest draw backs, electronics, computer and speedo related, dash retrofit. Some custom mods with power steering , ac compressor, and maybe some slight cutting for manifold clearance. Drive shaft. Electric fans, fuel tank electric fuel pump....Drive ablity is the big bonus, if you have the time and a decent donor ,motor trans, smooth nearly instant starting is nice. Plenty of help here when you need it.

[71chevswb]

What are my options for dashes? Wiring is not a strong suit so I would have to find help to get the LS swap accomplished

[notsolo]

Dakota digital is 1 that's really nice..I have heard. ....Wiring plug and play harnesses are probably available also. My swap was not
LS but 93 5.7 tbi 4L60...Howell engine trans wiring harness all plugs match and marked. Pretty ez overall.

[MARKDTN]

LS swap for sure.

[Speedracer39]

My choice

[69gmcc10]

I say keep the 402, put a Holley or Fast or some sort of self managing Fuel injection system and then go with a 6l90e transmission with a stand alone controller. That is the coolest of the cool factor, but it is easy to spend your money and it sounds expensive.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Speedracer39 is on the right track

[jocko]

What causes you to suck more air thru your teeth when you open the hood and see it?
BBC, all day long. Save the LS for a Camaro swap

[cliff67]

I'm old enough to remember a big block truck and they do have a cool factor but if you want to actually use the truck daily and take long trips there is no choice ! I'll never go back . LS all day long

[MySons68C20]

Big block all the way....if you want an LS buy a different truck when you get old

[Steeveedee]

If one is looking to save fuel money by running an LS, just do the numbers. I could do the swap and wouldn't live long enough (I'm 66) or drive my truck enough to make it pay for itself. My truck starts just fine if it's driven every day. A properly adjusted carburetor may need the choke adjusted twice a year. I'll keep my truck as it is.

My internet opinion, worth every penny you paid!

[Andy4639]

Hands down 6.0LS with 4L80 E and never look back. Old school is fine but if you want to drive the truck on long trips nothing will touch the LS. NOTHING even the BB want match the power and the gas milage.

I just got home from a 1800 mile trip in my 71 with 6.0 and 4:10 gears it was nice.
Don't get into the electronic stuff to deep. The computer doesn't need the truck dash gauges to run it.


GPS speedometer is the best and easy way. Speedhut.com is what I have and they are great.

Get you a scan gauge 2 also it plugs into the ECU and you have any info you need plus it will erase codes if you need it to. That's the water temp 177*, trans temp 179* with no fans running while moving, volts and closed loop.

My 71 ran 9hrs coming home from Mississippi Tuesday running 80MPH 2400 RPM's with AC on. Pictures are worth 1000 words. It was 85* outside that day. 15 MPG want no BB do that!

[Mbeef61]

For what you want to do with it I would do LS. Reliability, long trips, daily driver.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by MySons68C20

Big block all the way....if you want an LS buy a different truck when you get old

Personally I think you nailed it.

402 all the way. Buy something more suited for trips and daily. Besides, unless you're long on old Chevy's, why put that on the road so often after a frame-off?

[72c20customcamper]

Go with the big block. I personally don't have a bb in my truck but I have one in my 66 ss chevelle. It's a mark Jones 467 540 hp . Holley avenger carb with 3.55 gears car will run all day at highway speeds and get 12 mpg. I did put in a roller cam so I can use any oil I chose.
That's the only modern upgrade.

love it when people say the new engines are more reliable. Well they are for the average owner who does or knows nothing about mechanics. I have more problems with my new vehicles than the older ones.

I bought these vehicles because they are old. And very easy to work on. I put 9k on my 72 last year . I did rebuild the transmission but that really was a choice more than a need. Slipped a little between 1 and 2nd . And who says these trucks can't run at 80 mph all day.

[gmc684x4]

For Ls Swap you need to add your sensors for your gauges

LS thread to read he has set his thread with links very well
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=377348

Electric to speedo cable conversion
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd886.htm

I prefer fuel injection over an old carb any day on those cold days one can simply fire up the truck go back inside enjoy your morning coffee with out having to sit in the truck and baby it until it warms up enough to stay idling and Fi does not need to be kick down once it starts warming up

and over drive transmissions are great on the freeway compared to a turbo 350 or 4 speed stick

[68bowtie]

I prefer BBC myself but from his planned use the LS sounds much more appropriate. Daily driver and long trips. My 396 will suit my 2-mile commute just fine.

[ZEKE68]

Big Block, 454 overdrive auto. Cruises at 85. 2600 rpm

[Grumpy old man]

GO BIG BLOCK ! , How did any of us survive driving any of these old trucks daily ,Across the country , thousands of miles there and back with the A/C running towing a trailer before the GM GODS "blessed us" with the LS engine ? .Sorry , Not a ls fan for these old trucks

[Andy4639]

Old school is fine and it's a cool ride but if you drive your truck on a regular basis on 2000 mile long trips like I do you want like paying for the gas you use, I will tell you that!

Back in the old days gas was .50 cents a gallon so it didn't matter but at today prices I'll take the LS over a BB any day.
The gauges in my truck are all regular gauges. They where in my truck before the LS swap nothing changed except I added a oil line tee to install the ecu pick up. The GPS speedometer was also added. The other gauges where left alone. This is why I have the scan gauge 2 to read the vitals if I need it.
I can also say you never ran a BB for more than 200 miles on a tank of gas and that is pushing it to. I filled up in Yazoo City Mississippi and din't stop for gas until Liberty SC almost 9 hrs straight of driving time. That's with a 42 gallon tank. It saved us at least 2 hrs of stopping time on our trip for gas stops. We did stop for lunch though.

[71chevswb]

Originally Posted by 69gmcc10

I say keep the 402, put a Holley or Fast or some sort of self managing Fuel injection system and then go with a 6l90e transmission with a stand alone controller. That is the coolest of the cool factor, but it is easy to spend your money and it sounds expensive.

I thought about this, seems like a decent option (best of both worlds) but if I go to the trouble of EFI (tank, electronics, etc...) might as well go LS.

Originally Posted by cliff67

I'm old enough to remember a big block truck and they do have a cool factor but if you want to actually use the truck daily and take long trips there is no choice ! I'll never go back . LS all day long

CLEAN SWAP! I love it.

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Hands down 6.0LS with 4L80 E and never look back. Old school is fine but if you want to drive the truck on long trips nothing will touch the LS. NOTHING even the BB want match the power and the gas milage.

I just got home from a 1800 mile trip in my 71 with 6.0 and 4:10 gears it was nice.
Don't get into the electronic stuff to deep. The computer doesn't need the truck dash gauges to run it.


GPS speedometer is the best and easy way. Speedhut.com is what I have and they are great.

Get you a scan gauge 2 also it plugs into the ECU and you have any info you need plus it will erase codes if you need it to. That's the water temp 177*, trans temp 179* with no fans running while moving, volts and closed loop.

My 71 ran 9hrs coming home from Mississippi Tuesday running 80MPH 2400 RPM's with AC on. Pictures are worth 1000 words. It was 85* outside that day. 15 MPG want no BB do that!

I've already got a scangauge, I love it!

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Go with the big block. I personally don't have a bb in my truck but I have one in my 66 ss chevelle. It's a mark Jones 467 540 hp . Holley avenger carb with 3.55 gears car will run all day at highway speeds and get 12 mpg. I did put in a roller cam so I can use any oil I chose.
That's the only modern upgrade.

love it when people say the new engines are more reliable. Well they are for the average owner who does or knows nothing about mechanics. I have more problems with my new vehicles than the older ones.

I bought these vehicles because they are old. And very easy to work on. I put 9k on my 72 last year . I did rebuild the transmission but that really was a choice more than a need. Slipped a little between 1 and 2nd . And who says these trucks can't run at 80 mph all day.

I have lived the high HP BBC c10 life. it was fun. and expensive. Would like to throw down some sweet road trips in this next build! See America in a classic!

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

Personally I think you nailed it.

402 all the way. Buy something more suited for trips and daily. Besides, unless you're long on old Chevy's, why put that on the road so often after a frame-off?

I love these old classic chevys, its what I grew up riding around in. I've always wanted to do cross country road trips in a classic! an LS build would allow me to use the pickup everyday and hop in and cruise across this beautiful country at the snap of a finger.



I like to build my projects to be DRIVEN. No sense having something nice and not using it? Whats the point....

[71chevswb]

Leaning more towards LS now... despite all the BBC lovers who have commented.... might save the 402 for my show truck... and add EFI.... since it probably will be "too nice" to drive thousands of miles across the country.

My last build, a 454 BBC with a thumper cam and tunnel ram (dual HOLLEY's).... was a ton of fun and I still regret not doing an LS to have more reliability and to be able to enjoy the truck more often.... with that said, the 454 and m22 combo was to die for! So much fun.



Thanks for all the opinions and thoughts! keep em coming.

[Blue Rat]

Take crank rods out of 402 put them in a 454 block. Make yourself a 427.

[MySons68C20]

In your original post you said "someday"....... I have found at 57 yrs old someday is kinda like now....no i don't have any health issues or communicable diseases but you better be gettin on with it because something will bite you in the butt.....you get what I'm saying.
Andy has a world class long distance reliable do it all pick up. I have a sometimes driven truck that I rod the sh** out of any chance I get.
I need another!!

Blake