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Not sure which forun to post this but here it goes.
If you had $3000 to spend how would you spend it?
1. Paint Job – My paint is only SO-SO
2. a. Sub frame connectors
b. Big Brake Upgrade
c. Headers
3. 383 Stroker
I got a Xmas bonus and I already spent it several ways in my mind.
Not sure what to do.
I was thinking since my 305 still runs OK get the rest of the car ready for the increased Horsepower. So what do think I should do? I could spend 3x times this much if I had it.
Thanks for any Help
__________________
LS1 Brake upgrade front and back 89IROC 355 TPI Yank 3600 stall converter
Custom Headers-Y pipe 3" Catback by Dyno Don
Edelbrock E-tec 200's 90989# Fully ported by "Jerrywho"
Crower cam 225/232 114 LSA Beefed-up 700r4 10 bolt with 3.42 posi
Customed Prom 332 RWHP 372 RWTQ see vBGarage for details
1. Paint
2. Top
3. 2" cowl hood
4. Roll cage
5. Borla exhaust
6. Build my 350
I think i overshot the 3000 mark by about a million but thats the order i would get stuff in.
~Edelbrock open element air cleaner~Edelbrock TES headers and y pipe~3" Magnaflow converter~3" cutout~Flowmaster cat-back~AIR delete~3.73 posi rear end~UMI Panhard Bar~Monroe Sensa Trac rear shocks~Energy suspension poly torque arm bushing~Energy Suspension trans mount~
I cant stand how terrible my brakes are, that would be the first thing on my list. Then subframe connectors and lowering springs along with new shocks and struts, maybe if I was feeling adventurous Id spring for a poly bushing kit.
$3000 will barely get me an engine i want... AFR Street Eliminator Heads at 1400...
But realistically i would need to get before that:
SFCs (200)
12 Bolt beefed up rearend (1400)
Beefed up tranny (1000)
Suspension work alone will cost about $3000...
Damn, you just made me realize how expensive having these type of cars really is...
What is your intended use for this car? Street driving? Looks? Sounds? Drag racing? Auto-X or Roadracing?
First a little History of preevious work.
I've already had a suspension worked on: New struts & shocks, ball joints, new center link and 4 new tires.
When I bought it had a 3" exhaust from the manifolds to the muffler. I replace the Cat with a 3" Catco.
The Transmission was rebuilt a year ago.
Future work is still in the plannig stage.
I want it to look good. I like the way it looked leaving the dealer in 89.
I also don't like being killed by a 4 door Subaro with a 6" tall scope.
I also want to be able to stop as well go fast.
I know $3000 won't get it to where I want it to be,but it's a start.
Id return my cam,heads, get junk yard heads and have them extensivley ported, then get a good cam, swap in a t56 and a 3.42 posi do some suspension mods(sub frame connectors) and something else, and save every penny i have left
I would do chassis work first. Subframe connectors are a must on these cars. If you feel like you want to do more chassis work then look into a strut tower bar. A wonderbar or steering brace is another chassis mod, but your 89 IROC-Z should have came with one stock (not worth it for an aftermarket one in my opinion). Next I would do a shift kit if that wasn't done yet, makes a huge difference in how the car drives. Better rear gearing will definately help, but that will be a tough choice. Either you're gonna spend $500+ to change out whats in there for the good stuff 3.7x+ (and then wonder if you should have spent another $500 to go aftermarket), or you can spend $200-$300 and just swap in a different OEM rearend with a little bit better gearing (3.2x would be better, 3.4x from a manual car would be the best). I've always gone the second route because I'm a cheapskate. For a front brake upgrade I would look into the C5 or C4HD fronts, Baer is overpriced in my opinion. For the rear brakes, your 89 should already have the good PBR's, re-use them if you swap rearends. As far as making more power on the cheap I would do headers, I'd convert the LB9 to Carb (RPM air-gap manifold and a 650cfm), and swap in an aftermarket cam (no longer needs to be computer friendly, max out the capability of the heads).
ZZ4 cam $150
56cc .540 lift trickflow heads $1,160
msd 6a box $179
EBL $300
ostrich $175
Crane rev-kit $150
diy wb o2 ?
march mid mount pulley set up with alt relocation $509 (I think it's pretty, tee hee)
46mm Xtremefi TBI unit $230
Having a high 12 second 2800 lb 305 tbi car.........priceless
Plus about $147 left for misc. gaskets fluids or what not.
__________________
The ZZ5.0 is in full effect!!!
Check out my Cardomain!!! The Future Ultimate source for TBI performance. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3869220
~Edelbrock open element air cleaner~Edelbrock TES headers and y pipe~3" Magnaflow converter~3" cutout~Flowmaster cat-back~AIR delete~3.73 posi rear end~UMI Panhard Bar~Monroe Sensa Trac rear shocks~Energy suspension poly torque arm bushing~Energy Suspension trans mount~
well i'm down to 3060 with me and a half a tank a gas in it.I'd probably be lighter if I still had my enkei wheels.(outlaw 2 knockoff with gold centers)
__________________
The ZZ5.0 is in full effect!!!
Check out my Cardomain!!! The Future Ultimate source for TBI performance. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3869220
go buy my friend Marcus's notchback mustang for around $400, buy a HO 302 for $350, redo heads-free excluding parts, cylinder head parts $200, buy a ******* performance c4 $900, buy a used nitrous kit $200, buy a used but built 8.8 with 4.10's or 4.30's - $400, used slicks $200, but a cam, and i would still have money left, and be in the low 12's-high 11's
id deffy get subframe connectors. thats the frist one , second get some really nice headders with out egr . Get like 1 3/4 from slp , they will work if you get a different engine . you have posi but only 2.73 , find a rear end with 3.23s . Or you could buy a nice 12 bolt or 9 inch . To do the big brake upgrade your gonna need bigger rims . Thats something to consider.
[quote=To do the big brake upgrade your gonna need bigger rims . Thats something to consider.[/QUOTE]
I have 16" Rims and the LS1 12" Rotors on the Upgrade are supposed to fit.
Wheel Fitment
The LS1 brake kit will fit all stock style f-body 16" wheels, except for the TransAm/Firebird crosslace wheel. To use this wheel, minor clearancing or the use of a wheel spacer will be necessary.
I'm having Alston's Sub frame connectors welded on by Dyno Don here in So. Cal. $245.00 installed
I found a paint shop through friends that is going to give me a first class paint job including softball sized dent on Passenger's door, removal of all rubber before paint and then reinstalling it, grinding and repairing the rust under the T-Tops. $2500.00
I know I spent more than I planned but my bonus was more than I thought even after taxes.
WELL I JUST BOUGHT A 1987 TRANS-AM 5.0 RED WITH T-TOPS. ON IT'S WAY FROM DETROIT TO TAMPA HOPEFULLY JAN 3.
SO FAR, I GOT $1350 IN A ENGINE BLOCK CLEANED BORED AND 100% NEW PARTS. $620 GOT ME A REBUILD 700R4 TRANNY AND NEW TORQUE CONVERTER.
$100 FOR SANDER, BODY FILLER AND SAND PAPER CAUSE I'M DOING ALL THE PREP BODY WORK MYSELF. $260 FOR THE DU-PONT PAINT/CLEAR-COAT AND $330 LABOR TO PAINT 2 COATS PRIMER AND FINISH JOB.
I had my subconnectors welding in yesterday and while talking with "Dyno Don", a local guy who used to race back in the day and now has a shop and only works on 3rd gens, showed me some of his home made Headers and just how restrictive the stock exhaust system is. Anyway I'm postponing the paint and he's going to install a set of his headers, fab up a custom Y-pipe and install a Cat-Back system and maybe throw on a Transgo shift kit. This guy does everything front bumper to bumper on our cars.
Oh and I also bought a 93 Camry to drive around while my IROC is being worked on. That pretty much eats up my paint money. But my car still isn't ugly, it looks good from 10 feet away.
3 grand? I'd make a 8.5 10 bolt work under my car. Then front and rear disc so I can actually stop. Rebuild my seats. Get some glass t-tops. And all new steering linkages, including box and steering shaft with u-joints. I already got my IROC springs and koni shocks waiting in the garage.
__________________ The world's best cam combined with a poor set of heads will produce an engine that's a dog. But bolt on a set of great heads even with a poor cam, and that engine will still make great power
$200- superior axle kit
$150- summit aluminum differential cover
$100- LS1 DS
$550- custom EDGE 9.5 in TC
$950- custom rebuilt 700r4 from LS1Bob(local 9 second LSx guy)
$100- AC Delete
$150- ABS Headliner
$300- Send my SLP Zr1s(2) to weldcraft wheels, widen 2" to 17x10
$275- Kumho MXs(2) in 285/40/17s
$225- Various bolts, fluids, gas, and some more por15
how's that sound?
__________________ 1987 Chevrolet Camaro Sport Coupe-assorted shades of rust 13.75@102.2mph on 2.1 60'
"rust rocket" ...someday hope to install FAST EZ EFI... 1999 Chevrolet Camaro Z28-Artic White, Flame Red Cloth Full Bolt-Ons, Tuned by Frost, Hurst Billet, Bilsteins, Zr1s
go buy my friend Marcus's notchback mustang for around $400, buy a HO 302 for $350, redo heads-free excluding parts, cylinder head parts $200, buy a ******* performance c4 $900, buy a used nitrous kit $200, buy a used but built 8.8 with 4.10's or 4.30's - $400, used slicks $200, but a cam, and i would still have money left, and be in the low 12's-high 11's
This post was not 3rd Gen related. Take your Rustang baloney someplace else.
where in the first post of this thread does it say it has to do with third gen stuff? i didn't see it. if you re-read it, it says if you had $3g's how would you spend it, i could spend $1500-including the price of the car and have a faster car than your camaro, and it isn't rusty, and my stang i have right know doesn't have any rust, come show me where it is rusty, and when you wanna race, just pm me, i'll bet you i will win, RE-READ THE FIRST POST slowpoke
where in the first post of this thread does it say it has to do with third gen stuff? i didn't see it. if you re-read it, it says if you had $3g's how would you spend it, i could spend $1500-including the price of the car and have a faster car than your camaro, and it isn't rusty, and my stang i have right know doesn't have any rust, come show me where it is rusty, and when you wanna race, just pm me, i'll bet you i will win, RE-READ THE FIRST POST slowpoke
Although it doesn't say anything in the post, it kinda says it in the website....everywhere. But for the love of god can we not start a war between mustangs and camaros/firebirds?
again, i was talking about the thread, it doesn't say it even has to be about a car, i know the site is thirdgen.org, i am just replying to the thread, he wants to know what i would do with $3,000, if it were car related, you know what i would do, but realistically i would probably pay my college what i owe them, i am not trying to bash anything, just stating a fact
I didn't mean to leave you under the impression that your mustang is a rust bucket, it may or may not be, I don't know. But I do know that I'm not driving to OK to check for rust or to race your car. Enough Mustangs around here have been left behind to travel all that way to chalk another one up. My family's 3 for that matter. I'm the only GM guy in my family, and I show them all up. Hit me up when you're on Power Tour, then we'll have to see what's up.
