Alright, so correct me if I'm wrong here:
LSx swap, by your numbers:
$1000-$2000 in labor for mounts and oil pan modifications
$250 shelf headers or ~$1500 custom headers (fair estimate?)
Guesstimate: $1250 to $2250 for manual steering and shelf headers
$2750-$3750 with power steering and custom headers
add in cost of motor ($770-$1400)
GRAND TOTAL: $2020-$3650 with manual steering, $3520-$4150 with power steering
Hemi swap, with shelf parts:
$150-$250 engine mounts, depending on k member
~$50 engine oil block off plate
~$100 remote oil cooler set-up
$750 headers for manual steering or borgeson box
optional: $850 borgeson box
Total: $1050 with manual steering, or $1900 with borgeson power steering
add in cost of motor ($1600-$2250)
GRAND TOTAL: $2650-$3300 with manual steering, or $3500-$4150 with power steering
Fixed it for you.
Yes, you are right, they're almost the same price to swap using those prices from carpart.com. Also, TTI's don't fit with factory power steering. To my knowledge, I'm the only one who's made a set to fit with the factory power steering. Those headers are now sitting on my shelf (swapped to TTI's and a borgeson PS box when I put in the current 6.1).
The 'much much better engine' statement- my answer is still the same - it depends on what you're going to do with it. Since you only want to discuss stock short block motors, I'll keep it to that.
Stock short block:
NA? Advantage hemi (5.7 vs 5.3/4.8 - tough to make up for the displacement and head difference)
Boost? Hemi for under 8 psi, LSx past 8 psi
Nitrous? Hemi for under 150 shot, LSx past that.
Dou you disagree with the last 3 lines?