brn2rase
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- Richard
- Truck Year
- 1984
- Truck Model
- c-10
- Engine Size
- 305
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LS or 454
- Thread starter brn2rase
- Start date
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brn2rase
Junior Member
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- Sep 22, 2025
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- Location
- Albuquerque
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- Richard
- Truck Year
- 1984
- Truck Model
- c-10
- Engine Size
- 305
New to form and just picked up a 1984 c-10 with a 305 and would like to know if I would be better off putting in a 454 or LS for resale value .
Ricko1966
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- 1975
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- c20
- Engine Size
- 350
Lt will have better resale,more power,more modern,efficient, etc. Lt swap kits are out there and will get more common as time goes on.
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TotalyHucked
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There really isn't a "better for resale" option. There are guys that love LS motors and think they greatly improve classic trucks (me) but there are also hardcore small/big block guys that despise LS's being put in classics. Just build it how you want it
75gmck25
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Do you plan to do all the work yourself, or pay someone else?
The 454 was a common option in the squarebody trucks. If you are patient about checking junkyards and reading online articles, you can find all you need to know about the 454 conversion, and you may even keep it on a reasonable budget.
However, I really think a 383 stroker is probably a better “old school” choice, since it’s a common engine and there are lots of good crate engines to choose from. You could buy a carbureted 383 crate engine with 400-435 horsepower and do the complete swap over a 3 day weekend. Using EFI instead of carburetor might take you another 1-2 days to work out the wiring and fuel system.
LS conversions are also now common, but be ready to read twice as many articles before you start, and make a lot of key choices. And to make it really shine you probably want include the OD transmission and full OEM fuel injection and computer in your plan. It’s a great powertrain, but you aren’t going to just drop in a different engine and hope it works. If you pay a shop to figure it all out, it won’t be cheap.
The 454 was a common option in the squarebody trucks. If you are patient about checking junkyards and reading online articles, you can find all you need to know about the 454 conversion, and you may even keep it on a reasonable budget.
However, I really think a 383 stroker is probably a better “old school” choice, since it’s a common engine and there are lots of good crate engines to choose from. You could buy a carbureted 383 crate engine with 400-435 horsepower and do the complete swap over a 3 day weekend. Using EFI instead of carburetor might take you another 1-2 days to work out the wiring and fuel system.
LS conversions are also now common, but be ready to read twice as many articles before you start, and make a lot of key choices. And to make it really shine you probably want include the OD transmission and full OEM fuel injection and computer in your plan. It’s a great powertrain, but you aren’t going to just drop in a different engine and hope it works. If you pay a shop to figure it all out, it won’t be cheap.
