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THE AUTO BUILDER
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A NEW FLAME
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup at his local dealership, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start of his adventure. On the way home he already had the finished truck pictured in his mind, and he worked toward that goal.
A REAL NINE-SECOND STREET SLEEPER
One look at a car is generally all it takes to determine pretty much what it’s made of—whether it’s fast, incredibly slow or falls safely somewhere in between. There are always typical small details that reveal a car’s true identity, whether it’s a huge exhaust, healthy underpinnings, aggressive rubber on wide wheels, a large, efficient cooling system, a well-laid-out induction with appropriate fuel delivery, sturdy engine mounts and/or mounting, the size and scope of the ignition, as well as the inlet air system.
SOMETHING OLD WITH SOMETHING NEW
Here’s a question that ought to neatly divide our reading audience in two: Which Camaro is better, the ’68 or the ’98?
Spotlighter
Product Spotlight: BTR 5.7L Red Hot 580HP Power Package
Small Displacement. Big Revs. Absolutely No Inside Voice.
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photography courtesy of Brian Tooley Racing
There’s something especially satisfying about a 5.7L LS punching above its weight. Let the other guy explain how much displacement he’s packing. You’ve got a tachometer to exercise.
The Brian Tooley Racing 5.7L Red Hot 580HP Power Package gives the smaller LS a serious naturally aspirated attitude adjustment, with a combination built to keep pulling upstairs. BTR reports 580.9 horsepower at 7,425 rpm and more than 450 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to make “it’s just a 5.7” sound suspiciously like a setup.
Red Hot, Right Where the Tach Gets Interesting
The recipe pairs BTR CV1 canted-valve cathedral-port cylinder heads, an LS1 Stage 2 V2 camshaft, and a TR1 Trinity intake manifold. Red Hot puts the emphasis on upper-rpm horsepower, giving the 5.7L the breathing capacity to stretch its legs well beyond 7,000 rpm.
Think lightweight muscle car, an ambitious restomod, or a street/strip project whose owner considers the on-ramp a highlight of the commute. This is the sort of combination that makes you look forward to the next gear change—and immediately wish the straightaway were longer.
A Combination With a Plan
Alongside the heads, camshaft, and intake, the package includes fuel rails, Delphi LS7 hydraulic roller lifters, lifter trays, chromoly pushrods, MLS head gaskets, and header gaskets.
Anyone who has built an engine knows how quickly a shopping cart can become an expensive collection of good intentions. The appeal here is having the major pieces selected to work together. The heads, camshaft, and intake all need to agree on what kind of party you’re throwing.
With Red Hot, the invitation apparently says, “Bring rpm.”
Pick Your Preferred Level of Trouble
Red Hot has company. BTR’s 5.7L Power Package lineup offers four combinations with different personalities, from a more torque-focused street setup to a naturally aspirated package that clears 600 horsepower.
|
Package |
BTR-reported engine-dyno output |
The approach |
|
LS1 X3 540HP |
541.4 hp at 6,700 rpm; 475.5 lb-ft |
CV3 heads and a Stage 1 V2 camshaft, tested with an OE-style LS3 intake. A broader, street-focused powerband with low-hood-clearance applications in mind. |
|
Red Hot 580HP |
580.9 hp at 7,425 rpm; over 450 lb-ft |
CV1 heads, a Stage 2 V2 camshaft, and a TR1 Trinity intake put the emphasis on high-rpm horsepower. |
|
SBE X1 595HP |
595.2 hp at 7,525 rpm; 456.0 lb-ft |
CV1 heads and a TR1 Trinity intake paired with the more aggressive Stage 4 V2 camshaft. |
|
SBE X3 605HP |
604.0 hp at 7,625 rpm; 452.8 lb-ft |
CV3 heads, a Stage 4 V2 camshaft, and a TR3 Trinity intake take the combination past 600 horsepower. |
Figures and configurations are from BTR’s individual package listings; the 605HP package’s published dyno result is 604.0 horsepower.
The choice comes down to how you want the car to behave. The LS1 X3 makes its peak power earlier and delivers the strongest peak torque of these four tested combinations. The SBE packages move the action farther up the tach, with BTR positioning them around stock-bottom-end 5.7L performance.
What’s in the Package?
The BTR 5.7L Red Hot 580HP Power Package puts the major pieces of your LS attitude adjustment in one matched combination. Here’s what’s coming to the party:
BTR CV1 canted-valve cylinder heads: Assembled, CNC-ported cathedral-port heads.
BTR LS1/LS2 Stage 2 V2 camshaft: The grind at the heart of the Red Hot combination.
BTR TR1 Trinity intake manifold: A black-finished cathedral-port intake to feed the action upstairs.
BTR fuel rail kit: Matched to the Trinity intake.
Delphi LS7 hydraulic roller lifters: A complete set of 16.
BTR lifter trays: A set of four.
BTR chromoly one-piece pushrods: Separate intake and exhaust sets.
BTR MLS head gaskets: Supplied as a pair.
BTR header gaskets: Supplied as a pair.
That’s a coordinated heads, cam, intake, and supporting valvetrain package ready to give your 5.7L some serious ambition. Confirm pushrod length for your specific combination before assembly.
Match the Build to the Mission
BTR’s results came from a SuperFlow engine dyno using E85, 1¾-inch long-tube headers, and dual 3-inch dyno mufflers. These are engine horsepower figures, and your combination and tuning will affect the outcome. BTR recommends a higher-stall converter and notes that Trinity intakes require a compatible accessory drive in place of the stock truck-style system.
Choose the package around the car, gearing, transmission, and intended use, then give that little LS a proper supporting cast. Red Hot brings plenty of ambition to the build. Your right foot can handle the introductions.
Explore the BTR Red Hot 580HP Power Package, or compare all four BTR 5.7L Power Packages.
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