Ok, before I get flamed I did a lot of research and I read a lot of bs because of it. I have the answers to my basic questions, but I need specific answers to my particular build. I’m trying to decide wether to sleeve a ls or gsr. I would think the gsr will be stronger, but the ls is the shit for turbo all around. Consider this before answering; Both bored to 84mm, same compression 9-1, under the same amount of boost, which would be a better choice. I would think the ls would have to have higher boost to reach the hp of a gsr turbo, but will it run just as fast through the gears? Most people say that a ls will run just as good as a gsr when turboed. I like the idea of a ls turbo, but I don’t want to have to raise the boost dramatically unless it will run better than the gsr boosted higher. Money wise the ls would be my choice, but will it be better for me to invest a little longer and get the gsr? I was going to go ls cause it’s simple and cheap, but I got offered a gsr head for a good price and I want to get it, but only if I build a gsr. Well all help is appreciated in advance and I do value everyones opinions/experience.
You hear that the GSR is faster because it has higher compression, not to mention it revs higher.
not necessarily higher compression more higher revs. Considering they both have the same compression is what I’m asking. I just think the ls is better for the money but having a gsr turbo sounds very tempting to say the least. I won’t have it turbo for a while so I’ll be running a low comp motor until I do. I don’t want to spend unecessary money on vtec shit if it’s not worth it though. This will be my daily driver, so that is why I considered the gsr cause I’ll have more power with less boost right? or wrong? You still didn’t help me man! Which would you choose?
vtec head flows better…i say gsr
but you can port and polish the ls head…
what is your whp goal?
i say GS-R because it revs higher. which means more spooling time.
my question is, which is better for turboing on a budget, without sleeving. and how much boost will it take? also, is 270 hp reasonable without sleeving?
really id say do it right the first time…i myself am building a ls/vtec…sleeved bottom…ported head…the whole nine…if you can get a gsr head for cheap id say take the offer…save some money and sleeve the ls bottom…i figure you have an ls motor in your car now. Go ls/vtec, overall a lil expensive to do it right but well worth it…good platform for turbo. Really haveing a budget on a daily driven turbo car and wanting some decent numbers isnt really a possibility unless your smart about it, spend wisely and do it right from the get go, dont cut corners. If you dont do it right the first time then your just asking for problems…but this is just my 2cents. Really to answer your question of course the gsr would be better cause of the high revving ability…but ive expressed my oppinion sooo there you have it
im not trying to cut corners…im just trying to find out how much i can boost without having to sleeve the motor. i dont wanna over boost and not sleeve it. that would be cutting corners.
thats completely stock internals at 14.5 psi? do u know what kinda bolt-ons this guy has? thats pretty crazy. doesnt seem right.
I wonder if this is the same car thats on Honda-tech? Making almost identical power
[SIZE=7]TORQUE >[/SIZE]hp
[SIZE=7]LS >[/SIZE]vtec
Thanks for the replies…I’m just starting my build and I really needed opinions at this point before I make my decision. I was planning to sleeve the ls and then slap a cheap ls head or built one on it and ride. Then later if I wanted vtec do a lsvtec. That was the original plan 93ls, but I didn’t want to say that and get all sorts of controversy started. Still undecided though. I just want to know to vtec or not to vtec…that is thy question. I might just get the head anyway and sell it if I decide not to use it. Haberdasher what do you drive? I was wondering if people do just as good in the ls as the gsr while racing. Will the gsr pull off? That guy with 300hp and tons of torque is at 14psi. I don’t think I want to run that daily, but hey if my motor is built then why not though 
. My goal is 300hp with plenty of torque and at least low 13’s. This build should handle my goals like a walk in the park. It seems that the fastest hondas are vtec though and I was hoping some people with turbo could shed some light on the situation.
My opinion depends greatly on what are you are looking for.
If you are looking at mostly a daily driver I would say an ls because it already has great torque.
A VTEC turbo will probably net you better HP numbers, but you have to have very high hp numbers to compete with an ls with good HP and high torque.
I am building a 92 GSR and the only reason I stuck with that is because I wanted the 1.7L turbo. Otherwise I would have gone LS/VTEC and tried to have the best of both worlds.
Thanks for a good reply bro! 
I was looking at sleeving so I can bore to 84mm and get my litrs up. I’d rather have a bad ass motor than a good daily driver/strong motor. It’s my daily at the moment. I’m not just worried about hp cause I want it to have plenty of torque too. I’m looking to take my b18a and put it in something else after the motor is built. That’s why I’d rather have a beast in my da. The current motor has 208 on it and I just did all necessary work to keep it runnin for a long time. Thanks again. anyone else?
hmmm :think: sounds like the ls is a pretty good conteder if you have to have tons a vtec hp’s to keep up with it.
turbo ls vs. all motor ls vs. all motor ls/vtec for a daily driver on a budget.
how much could i boost the ls w/ robs, pistons, bearings, but w/o sleeving, but still not a big risk of fuckin the motor up.
turbo ls and about 5-10 lbs of boost. no more than 7-8 if you rather just be safe and satisfied.
5-10? Did you not look at those links? Those guys are on stock everything and making 300whp.
Things have been done, but that doesn’t mean they’ll last.
I say 6lbs for stock internals… then again I like to keep it safe.
have u met these guys and found out how long these motors are lasting, and if they drive it 14-16 psi daily? i doubt it…doesnt sound like a good idea at all.
personally, I say ls/vtec or gsr. I’m not hating on ls! I drive an ls turbo!! If you look at the pros, they have vtecs and for a good reason. The head flows much better, and no a port and polish job on your ls head won’t get the same effect. If you don’t know how vtec works, find out. Sleeve and build your ls block, and i mean build it! ARP rod bolts, ACL or other performance bearings, rods (Eagle?), pistons, turbo/nitrous piston rings, even a crank if you can invest in one. And build the head. Then you can still rev like a vtec motor on your ls block. Another thing to consider is the tranny, ls trannies have longer gears. An intake manifold and turbo manifold match ported will help plenty too. It all depends on how far you want to take this though. This might seem like a big investment, but I guarantee it’s the way to go if you want the power, the track times, and the strength. Also, don’t forget ARP head studs, they are GREAT! A straight GSR will do fine too, but build that sucker. It won’t get the torque of an ls, but it’s a good solid motor. I might just be running my mouth, but God I love these cars. My baby’s in the shop right now and I haven’t driven her in a long time. Talking about this stuff helps me cope… :bawl: