M3rcury

This is my first post...
I have just purchased a 1984 camaro and i cant tell what sub model it is...i.e. z28 or iroc....it doesnt have any markings other than the camaro logos on the rear and front as well as on the dash inside...its a carbeurated 305 automatic...it doesnt have t-tops and it does have a rear spoiler but its not an aftermarket spoiler it is shaped kinda like a ramp( the rear windshield attaches to it and the it slopes up for about an inch....i think all the camaros had this spoiler if not most of them...its hood has louvers in it but they are just fake plastic they are just show...is there anyway i can tell what sub model it is?

also i would like some info on my motor....is it a good engine and trans...how many horses does it have stock...any tips on adding more hp...and how can i do it on a budget?....where can i find a drivers side door for under 80 bucks?...any suggestions on types of hoods, and can i turn my air cleaner on top of my carbeurater into a *****-ish cold air intake because i have alot of room under the hood now that i took off the ac and powersteering and installed a manual rack and pinion, i dont want to make it look anything like a ***** but i do want that type of cold air intake.....

any help is much appreciated

Thankyou!!!!!

GeeJenn91RSV8

Not an IROC if it's an 84. 85 was the first year for the IROC.

kizz

iTrader: (1)

Post the first 11 digits of your VIN (don't post the last 6 digits) and someone will tell you more about it. Or post pictures.

It could easily be a base model Camaro Sport Coupe with a carbureted LG4 V8, which I believe had 150HP stock that year, but someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

If you have a white sticker inside the console between the seats with numerous 3-digit codes, put all those codes into the RPO decoder on the main page of this site and it'll tell you all about it.

There's also a "parts for sale" section to this messageboard where you may be able to find the door you need.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Welcome to TGO. The search function on site will answer many of your questions.


An 84 carbed Camaro will be an LG4 or an L69 (since you apparently don't have the dual snorkel air box, which you could add as I show below, I'd guess you have the LG4--not a power house). Spoiler is common. Louvers in the hood wouldn't be stock to your 84 as they weren't introduced until 85.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...leaner-all.jpg

JamesC

8t2 z-chev

If it is a z28, it should have a z28 emblem on the RH
side of the dash as well as the external z28 emblems
also the z28 has round horn button. '84 Z28 was avalible
with 2 different 305 engines,"LG4"150 hp standard
engine(avalible in the other camaro models as well as
other GM cars) and "L69"(5.0l H.O.) rated at 190 hp.
(some say L69 actually puts out closer to 220 hp)
L69 engine had 9.5 cr,dual intake aircleaner,bigger
exhaust,L83 (corvette)camshaft,corvette cat.converter
electronic spark control and electric fan.
My car originally came with LG4 305-putting on headers
a dynomax 3" super single ,mild aftermarket cam,
rejetted original carb resulted in a dramatic increase
in power with no loss of bottom end torque or fuel
econ. I made a air induction hood by cutting out the
the the fake vents at the back of the "NACA" indentations ,making an air box under,cut the
outer part of the aircleaner lid off so base of aircleaner
would seal to airbox-worked great and let the Q-JET
intake bellow out real nice!,also had to install electric
fuel pump and regulator as original pump would not
keep up(tried a new one and it was worse!)

M3rcury

the firt 11 digits are....1g1ap87h7el

M3rcury

it does have the round horn button, but no logos and i do have a dual snorkel but i beleive that it is was a swap from the original single snorkle airbox, but i assume its an oem factory part because it has gm stamped into it and some numbers which i assume is a serial number...but idk im just at a loss as to which sub model it is or if it is just a frankensteined restoration lol

pontiacguy1

I plugged the VIN you gave us into the VIN TOOLS calculator, and here's what I got:

1= Country of origin, USA
G= General Motors
1= Division, Chevrolet
A= Restraint system, Manual seat belts
P= Series, Sport Coupe Z28
8= 2 door coupe
7= 2 door coupe
H= LG4 5.0 liter 4bbl engine
7= Check digit
E= 1984
L= plant, Van Nuys

According to the VIN, you have a real Z28 with the regular LG4 305 engine in it.
There are SOOO Many things you can do to your LG4 to wake it up, but the first place that I would probably start would be to put headers, a high flow catalytic converter, and a cat-back exhaust system on there. That will not only increase your power, but will help your fuel mileage too. It will also lay a good foundation for any future mods you might do, such as better cam, more compression, etc... ANY mod you do will work better with a good flowing exhaust.

Not to mention it will sound really great.

M3rcury

ok...so that solves my model dilemma, any more tips on beefin it up on a budget?

M3rcury

thanks pontiacguy1

pontiacguy1

Don't mention it!

One of the things that you could do is try to find the exhaust system out of an L69 305 H.O. car to put into yours. These systems were a lot larger than the one for the standard 305, and they will still be in good shape because, they were made from Stainless Steel!! You could find yourself the catalytic converter and the pipe running back from the coverter over the axle out of one of those cars, then add yourself an aftermarked muffler, headers, and a Y pipe and you'll have a really good exhaust.

Headers will cost you a bit, but the other stuff should be fairly cheap and any competent muffler shop should be able to weld it all together for you.

Another thing would be to ditch the stock air cleaner and either get yourself an open element air cleaner or try to make yourself a cold air induction system, which is described elsewhere on this site. Those two things should be worth 15 or so HP pretty easily, and it won't require you to crack the engine open!

Have fun and keep us posted. Pictures would be nice too.

L695speed

Is that 15 HP for both the Exhaust and the air cleaner? I have a TA so the dual snorkel is not on there but I have a functional scoop. The original L69 (I still have the block to rebuild it) blew so we got an 87 LG4 out of a Caprice. Basically everything that we could swap externally we did it. The exhaust, cold air system (scoop and etc), carb, fuel pump, changed from belt driven fan to electric fan, HEI distributor, all the accessories, computer etc from the L69 were kept and put on the 87 LG4. Question we had is because of the Frankenstein nature of the engine is how much HP are we putting out compared to the original L69's 190 Horses. I also read that the cam could be either the 8.6:1 or 9.3:1. Not sure which one we have. Not sure how we could tell. Basically we did all the things that M3rcury would need to do without tearing into the engine. I've heard everything from 175 to 220 HP but would like a more concrete figure. I believe the baseline was 170HP with the Caprice setup. According to the information we got with the car it stated it had the H VIN code engine, Looking in the Chilton there were two H codes with the previously mentioned Compression ratios, thus we don't know which one it is.

8t2 z-chev

If that caprice engine has the original cam(should be a
roller cam in'87 engine),that cam is very mild.The C/R
of the caprice engine will be 8.6:1.Original cam used on
L69 engine is the same as used in'82-84 L-83 CFI vettes
and '85-'86 L98 tpi,'87-92 L98 cam is probably close to
L69 spec in a roller cam. I would guess that caprice
engine is putting out 180-190 hp.
I remember a test of a new 82 LG4 z28 where the exhaust was replaced with headers,stock computer
controlled carb and dist were replaced with holley 4bbl
on aftermarket intake and std HEI. with open element
air cleaner and still using the very mild stock cam the
(4spd)camaro made 220 hp at the wheels.

L695speed

So if I have the 8.6:1 then it should be back up close to the original motor? What if I have the 9.3:1 or 9.5:1 cam that is also mentioned for the same engine in the same car according to the Chilton Manual? Any way to check the compression ratio without having someone do a compression test? Seems that the 9.whatever it was:1 cam was optional in the caprice that year yet it had the same VIN code. I've heard depending on the cam it could be +/- 40HP.

M3rcury

well I have a buddy of mine fabricating a straight piped exhaust system and I probably wont be getting headers for a while unless he says he can make a y-pipe for me....I have a dual snorkel intake that was on the car when I bought it and I have a single snorkel that I bought from autozone the other day because it had a round intake hose that my cold air intake from my brothers 97 mustang fits on so I answered my own air cold air intake question....whats the hp increase for taking out powersteering and a/c, I've heard anywhere from 4 to 15 for just those alone...and I still have the original fan but im going to turn it into a dual fan set-up and make the both electric instead of belt driven to free up a little more engine power....also i havent dyno tested it yet so I dont know how much hp is actually getting to the wheels but I got smoked by a gmc canyon today on the way home from school...anyone know the specs on those trucks and if the engines can bolt up with the 700r4 because I know where I can get one but I if it wont bolt up I'd also need to get a new tranny and they arent cheap lol....oh and pics will be up soon probably today but not sure gotta find my camera...be warned she's a little damaged on the driver's side but its all cosmetics, and she's in the middle of a sand down and primering

pontiacguy1

The 1984 L69 engine had the following improvements over the LG4 305:
(1) Compression raised from 8.5:1 to 9.5:1 with the use of flat top pistons
(2) cam from the 1982 CFI 350 corvette engine, which was a better cam than the LG4
(3) slightly larger valves in the same 305 head castings
(4) larger exhaust manifolds with larger dumps
(5) larger exhaust with the bigger catalytic converter from the corvette
(6) electrically driven fan instead of engine driven fan (although this does not produce any more HP, it keeps the fan from robbing it from the rest of the drivetrain)
(7) dual snorkel 305 H.O. air cleaner (camaro only)

The blocks were the same, the intakes were the same, the distributors were the same, the carbs were the same. The above changes pumped the car from 150 HP to 190 HP. I have heard some people claim that the cars actually put out closer to 220 HP. I don't think that has been verified, and I am just going on what the factory ratings are.

I would say that with the milder cam and lower compression, you are probably about 170 to 175 HP range, and not more. The LG4 engine, and the engines in the caprice cars, were made to have a silky smooth idle, run clean, start easy, get good fuel mileage, and take very little maintenance. Horsepower wasn't the main goal. The cam and compression will make a lot more difference than you'd think.

When I estimated that the exhaust stuff, (headers, better cat, larger pipes, better muffler, etc... ) would give 15 HP, I was being conservative. It may be more than that, but I feel like you could count on that easily. You might actually get 25 or 30 HP with a good set of headers, but I wouldn't be willing to bet the farm on it.

Camaroman83z

iTrader: (1)

Just build a 350 when the 305 eventually wears out... the 350 is just as cheap to buy/build and will get you the most horspower...


would you want to see your dual snorkel setup?

M3rcury

do u have the set-up im lookin to build? or were you askin to see mine?

i have the dual snorkel air intake but i took it off because the top wouldnt tighten corectly so i put the one i bought at autozone on it and im trying to make a cold air intake setup using my brothers 97 mustang air intake pipes and filters

L695speed

Sounds like unless there is an optional 9.5:1 Compression ratio motor, I am guessing on the lower 8.6:1 as well I would at least make back to close if not equal to the L69 with all those changes I did. Basically the only things left of the LG4 is the internals, block heads and intake manifold. I have reason to believe there may also be a catback on the car because I recall Dad said something about having one put on. The car was an L69 from the factory so the goal was to keep as much of the L69 stuff as possible without going into the internals. I also heard something elsewhere on these boards about the L69 carb having bigger jets so they are slightly different. Also the Caprice had a very primitive distributor (I doubt it was HEI) compared to the L69 one we put in. I know I am beyond the Caprice rating with maybe more torque, maybe at least back to 190 if not more than that. I am going to dig around in the library for the sales catalog for the caprice. If there is a 9.5:1 ratio option then I will probably find out soon enough with the car being faster than I remember. Stopwatch time it to 60 see what it does.

M3rcury

as promised here are my pics...im gonna do a before and after type thing lol..anywho I've posted them on my photo bucket account because there are way to many i have one of the rear-end but its not very revealing and i have a few of under the hood with the stock setup minus ac and powersteering.....








More Photos at: http://photobucket.com/ThirdGen

8t2 z-chev

Other than the Lh side damage ,looks like a good start
on a project-did not notice any rust which is a big plus.
The A/C won't cost any h.p. if it is turned off-there is a
magnetic clutch on the compressor. P/S won't use much
either,if the fan clutch is working good(you will hear
loud fan roar and belt squeeling if it isn't) the belt drive
fan won't use all that much power and will move a lot
more air than a good electric-if you want to reduce the
accesory power usage to practical minimum,use the
full serpentine belt setup from a '88-92-single thin
belt flexes over the pulleys easier and probably worth
8-10 h.p. vs multiple v-belt setup.

Kevin84Z28

iTrader: (3)

The carbs were of the same type but had several different components to them. The ECM was also programmed different.

Kevin84Z28

iTrader: (3)

[QUOTE=M3rcury;4048614]as promised here are my pics...im gonna do a before and after type thing lol..anywho I've posted them on my photo bucket account because there are way to many i have one of the rear-end but its not very revealing and i have a few of under the hood with the stock setup minus ac and powersteering.....







For being a Z28 by VIN it sure has a lot of standard sport coupe parts. The rims look like 14" standard, and the front nose is off a sport coupe...I think maybe a berlinetta by the nose emblem. And as stated before...an IROC hood from 85+

scottmoyer

The VIN designates that it's either a Sport Coupe or a Z28. I vote Sport Coupe as a Z28 would not have that front end, would have ground effects, would have the 5 spoke rims (which could be easily gone by now) and would show signs of ground effects if they were removed. The fact that the front fender says Camaro on it tells me that this is definately a Sport Coupe. The steering wheel, taillights and hood have all been replaced. The hood is from an 85-90 Z28 or IROC-Z, so that's probably where the steering wheel came from also.

pontiacguy1

Is the VIN decoder wrong?!?! When i put his data in there, it said Z28. What gives?

Brennan

if that is a real z that car has ALOT of stories i bet

Klortho

No, if you look at it, it says:

P=Series, sport coupe, Z28


The comma designates it can be either a sport coupe or Z28

that's like putting in a VIN for a regular Formula, it will show up saying "W = Formula, Trans Am"

M3rcury

ok so you're sayin that the tail lights and steering wheel are all out of a newer Z28/Iroc? well at least i know now what model it really is lol and that its already halfway to being an iroc clone or at the very least a z28 clone

8t2 z-chev

Could also check if car has z28 specific frame member
braces on each side of the engine crossmember-LH
one is under the steering box where the steering shaft
goes in,there will be another of same design opposite.
I can't remember if "x"brace in front of A/C condenser
is z28 specific or not. No matter what model the car
actually is ,it is a v8 camaro and therefore has lots of
potential!. Besides the body repairs,a few things i
would do to it if it was mine are:add z28/iroc constant
ratio steer box(if car is not a z28) do a basic engine
hop up(exhaust,intake,check timing,etc.) reinforce
chassis(chassis flex is known 3rd gen problem,this
is how i (mostly)fixed mine(back in '94): 2x3" 3/16
wall SFCs,boxed trans x member,added rear x-member
,added x member under radiator support,made x
member under fan shroud,made gussets for A pillar
,welded entire A pillar seam,added struts from corners
of radiator frame to strut towers,struts from towers to
fire wall.A few traces of flex still show up here and
there so i am going to do a few more improvements
this year.BTW if your engine has quite a few miles
there are 2 things that could limit h.p.:worn cam,
coked up intake valves from leakey stem seals.
-HAVE FUN!!

Brennan

tail lights are from an older z28 (82-84) i think it was only the z28s that got the black line. newer z28/iroc got the "gridded" tail lights. the bumper cover is now where near z28/iroc tho

M3rcury

ok, then i guess im gonna start rippin it apart and start customizing it into my own creation since its already been somewhat frankensteined on the outside and because i dont have the cash to do the door and quarter panel i guess ill start from the inside and work my way out...i'll keep ya'll updated on my progress....thanks for the info

LFN AT U

iTrader: (1)

I actually know your car and it's definitely a normal Camaro and NOT a Z28. The guy you bought it from only had it a very short time. He bought it not running and came to me for help getting it running. I told him what I thought it was and it turns out I was right. He brought it by shortly after so I was able to check it out and there's no doubt it's a regular Camaro.

M3rcury

you're the guy he knew with the door aren't you?

LFN AT U

iTrader: (1)

Yep, that's me!!!

M3rcury

wow small world, i was just talkin to another guy about you......

Camaro Momma

I hope you still get notifications on this post because I think your Camaro is the same one I owned in 1999, 2000, and 2001
Im trying to locate it and when I ran the VIN on bumper your post from here showed up.
it sure would be nice to talk to you.
I can tell you everything I know about her, starting with I named her Candy!
please contact me even if you no longer have it so I can keep searching for her.
thank you!
Sarah

LeonardS

He hasn’t visited this site since 2009.

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

Try a PM...click on his username.