[Batman]

You could keep your tranny with the LS1, you just will bemissing a blot hole. All you have to do is get a PCM flashed without the tranny controls in it, but again, you aren't putting an LS1 in a 3rd gen for under $5,000. ANY LS1 I got I owuld tear down and rebuild because chances are it has had the crap kicked out of it. My car is just approaching the 35,000 mile barrier and it is about time to rebuild it, but I bought it to race it. Get a good GM crate engine like the ZZ4 or fast burn 385, drop it in and you are done.