How We Made 460 WHP With a (Mostly) Stock LS3

We know we aren’t breaking new ground by saying this, but boy these LS engines are good. Pushing well beyond our expectations, the 95% stock LS3 under the hood of our 1967 Nova put down 460 horsepower to the rear tires at FiTech in Riverside, California.

How? Watch the video to find out!

What are We Calling a Mostly Stock LS3?

The 6.2L LS under the hood of our 1967 Nova was dropped in during the car’s build up for Week To Wicked. It is a stock replacement LS3 from Autozone meaning it should be the same as a base GM crate engine rated at 430 horsepower.

And, remember, that is horsepower rated at the crankshaft so you’d typically expect a certain amount of power loss at the rear tires. How much loss is a debate for another day, though.

Another aspect of the build to note is that the stock LS3 is pushing power rearward via a manual transmission. Although this doesn’t entirely negate drivetrain losses, manual transmissions are typically much more efficient than automatics.

The only power modifications made to the LS3 were a fabricated sheet metal intake manifold and EFI system from FiTech. Everything else about the engine is stock. We are even running CPP exhaust manifolds and not long tube headers.

The Week To Wicked 1967 Nova at a Glance:

• 6.2L LS3 replacement engine from Autozone
• FiTech intake manifold and fuel injection
• CPP Center Dump LS Exhaust Manifolds
• Muffler Man custom 2.5” exhaust system
• Bowler Performance 6-speed manual transmission
• Currie Fab 9 rearend
• CPP Pro Touring suspension
• CPP Big Brakes and HydraStop
• 18” American Legend Cruiser wheels
• Falken Azenis RT660 tires

See more of our 1967 Nova here: Building A Pro Touring 1967 Nova In One Week!