So finally GM acknowledges the LT5 as one of theirs.

[USAF Retired]

Originally Posted by Kevin

GM never really liked to claim the lt5 or the zr-1 for many years. "It wasn't made here" syndrome.

Why?

[rush91]

Originally Posted by USAF Retired

Why?

I maybe wrong, isn't the LT5 the only engine before or since that was ever outsourced by GM? I could see that as a reason...

Sent from my XT1585 using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by rush91

I maybe wrong, isn't the LT5 the only engine before or since that was ever outsourced by GM? I could see that as a reason...

Sent from my XT1585 using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

It is the reason. NIH was a major contributor to GM going under during the 200$ "recession".

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by USAF Retired

Why?

because the lt5 was designed mostly by lotus and built by meccruiser

[USAF Retired]

Originally Posted by Kevin

because the lt5 was designed mostly by lotus and built by meccruiser

I understand but why did GM out source the LT5? Why didn't GM or Chevy build the LT5 in Michigan or wherever they were building GM motors for other Chevy cars like the Camaro, Firebird, Monte Carlo, etc?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by USAF Retired

I understand but why did GM out source the LT5? Why didn't GM or Chevy build the LT5 in Michigan or wherever they were building GM motors for other Chevy cars like the Camaro, Firebird, Monte Carlo, etc?

because they didn't know how to build a high rpm 4 cam engine. they wanted to try and slap 4 cam heads on an l98 and that didn't work.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Kevin

because they didn't know how to build a high rpm 4 cam engine. they wanted to try and slap 4 cam heads on an l98 and that didn't work.

They had four cam race engines in the 1960's!

[efnfast]

I also understand there would be too few of them for GM to set up shop.
Plus, who knew aluminum engines better than Mercruiser.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by USAF Retired

I understand but why did GM out source the LT5? Why didn't GM or Chevy build the LT5 in Michigan or wherever they were building GM motors for other Chevy cars like the Camaro, Firebird, Monte Carlo, etc?

(Source: Heart of the Beast) Small volume project: From the beginning the project was seen as a limited edition and the cost for GM Powertrain to tool up and develop and conduct the training, made sense to out-source the project.

MM was very successful building all-aluminum engines that were designed to run for extended periods at WOT. Initially, MM already had the manufacturing technical advances unique to precision manufacturing of aluminum engines as well as the trained personnel with the expertise to build these special motors to the extreme tolerances these motors would demand - already in place,. It was a good fit...and the "REST IS HISTORY".

An important footnote to the LT5 was the DOHC V8 developed by Oldsmobile which appeared as the Northstar in the Cadillac and variants of it continued to the Aurora as the L47 V8s.

These 4-cam, DOHV motors were expensive to build and expensive to implement on a large scale. As result, GM reverted back to the cheaper and much improved OHV motors, (thanks to the development and lessons learned from the LT5) for all of their gasoline V8 vehicle applications.

[Riviera]

Mike and I took our Z to a Corvette car show in Whitby, Ontario last Saturday. Surprisingly, another Z showed up but it was in really rough shape. We were able to park our car sideways so you had a good view of the LT5 as you walked up to it. We had a lot of admirers and talked to a lot of other Vette owners about the car. None of them had ever seen the LT5 before or the ZR-1 for that matter.