LS1Tech

LS1Tech.com: GM Muscle Car Haven

Imagine that you just purchased a beat up 1998-2002 V8 Chevrolet Camaro that you plan to restore. You have such high hopes for it; you want to do all the body and engine work yourself, customize the interior and kick out all of the Gremlins in the electrical system. The only problem is that you know next to nothing about the car. Maybe you've worked on Fords or Mopars in the past, but this is your first General Motors car and none of your prior resources will help. Where do you go for all of your information? The folks over at LS1Tech.com hope that your answer will be them.

LS1Tech.com is a one stop shop for everything related to Camaros, Firebirds, GTOs, G8s, CTS-Vs and Corvettes. The site owes its namesake to the engine that General Motors introduced in 1997 in their flagship car, the Corvette. The LS1 engine revolutionized the way all small block V8 engines would be made from that point on, much like the original Small Block 350 engine did decades earlier. Information on the site includes everything from doing a simple oil change to doing complete one of a kind customizations, tech articles, links and a huge compilation of vendors associated with LS1 related components. However, the biggest part of the site is its huge forum and online members that are only a click away. The forums cover every topic you can think of that relates to the cars I mentioned above.

Unfortunately, LS1Tech.com isn't the easiest website to find. Most people who are doing a Google search for information on their Camaro, aren't going to type in "LS1 info", they'll usually type something similar to "1999 Camaro Z28 info" which would require the person to go to the second page of the search results to find the first link to LS1Tech. However, if you are looking for information on the LS1 engine that was offered in 98-02 Camaros, typing "LS1 info" will result in the fourth link going to the website.

Now, lets check out the website itself. When you arrive at the LS1Tech home page, you're greeted with the big red "LS1Tech.com" banner with a red webpage border sporting car silhouettes in the background, a large font side scrolling drop down menu and a page full of current articles associated with GM performance. The menu is worded as follows, from left to right: Home, News and Reviews, Forums, Photos, Sponsors, Tools and Store. The News and Reviews link takes you to... you guessed it, news and review articles on GM related items. Photos will take you to sponsor and member vehicle photos. Tools opens a drop down menu to VIN information, technical service bulletins and recalls and finally a tire/rim size calculator. However, the Store link is misleading, it takes the user to a LS1Tech gift shop of sorts, that only contains LS1Tech labeled apparel and similar merchandise. The Sponsor link is the real store link, it will take you to a page with dozens of links to vendor websites that sell LS series engine components and also vehicle specific components. The crown jewel though, is arguably the Forum link. The link opens a drop down menu with twelve initial options, each opening other menus with the number of their options ranging from two to thirteen. Such options include vehicle specific forums, LS4 specific (The LS engine used in front wheel drive performance cars), chassis, suspension and appearance, LS1-LS2-LS3-LS6-LS7 performance, forced induction and even forums for earlier engines used in GM muscle cars, including LT1/LT4, Small Block, Big Block and even the upcoming generation five LT1 that is that standard high performance engine in the 2014 Corvette. They also have a forum for older cars receiving LS series engine transplants, regardless of the car manufacturer. These are only a few of the options available and if their isn't an option for your issue, you can ask to have it created.

Even though LS1Tech is a great resource for information concerning your GM muscle car project, an even greater resource are the forum contributors themselves. They aren't just random people commenting on a post as seen in other websites, they are people with genuine experience and have a passion for these vehicles. The people who comment on your forum post most likely have posted topics themselves and have gotten advice through the comments that others have posted. Some people post a thread on their current project and don't complete the thread until years later when the project is done; all the while, people are commenting, critiquing: offering advice, concerns and encouragement. LS1Tech doesn't allow people to post threads or comments unless they are registered members, registration is free and allows you to post information about your cars and experience on your personal profile. Another benefit is that a lot of the people that post and/or comment on threads aren't just car enthusiasts, many of them are career technicians, automotive manufacturer employees and even the vendors themselves, they will often talk to you via thread comments or personal messages through the website. The site also lets you subscribe to a thread you like and will notify you when the thread is updated.

I am a registered member of LS1Tech.com, I post threads and comments frequently. I have had nothing less then a pleasurable experience with everything the site has to offer. It is the first resource I go to when I have a question or if I've come upon a problem that I'd like to spare other people from experiencing. I constantly look through the forums for updates, problems or posts concerning projects that I am involved in with my own vehicles. Its a place thatI can always go to for help and support. A place where the people are almost like an extended family, with the only thing initially connecting us is our love for those cars.

In summary, I would give LS1Tech.com a grade of A-. The website has an amazing library of information about any GM car you can think of. The site support returns questions in a timely manner. Creating a thread is an easy process through their "Post Thread" link and they even have a mobile version of the site as well as a smart phone app. The only downsides of the site would be the semi confusing store link and the difficulty finding the website itself if you are not specifically looking for it.