i just inherited a 1987 camaro rs, red body , red wheels , and red interior.... alot... too much red.but thats not the point ... my question is should i restore a / the car ,that now there is about 1,000-4,000 left and dropping fast, or modify it to be a 11,12,10, sec. car... now im only a teen that still has a few years to work on the car. i want to restore it because its a rare car but yet not get my *** kicked at the drag strip i have plans for both, i know were to find every thing and someone who knows alot about working on them.i just dont want to do something stupid.

Does the car have sentimental value to you? If not, then it's not worth restoring. Build that 10 second street beast instead.

Welcome to the boards...

I am doubtful that a V6 Camaro or Firebird for that matter will ever pull really good money. There is no real benefit to them, the economy is about the same as a V8, but they are much slower... The only thing that strikes me is the RS... they were rather rare in 1987 as they were only offered in a few markets...

If your cautious, why not save your original parts, and if by some strange chance it becomes some crazy collectible then you can change it back...

My suggestion is to do with it as you wish...

John

I say cut it. It's only a 3rd gen after all

okay, thanks everyone (3 people ) and boy do i have some crazy ideas... i kinda focus on euro road race styling... i just hate the fact that if you put a road race styling on this car people get pissed off and say my ideas are rice-ing it out. but im still doing it (no insane body-kits, im gonna put a firebird front end thats it. i like those better. a combo car if you will) lots of ideas and ,its way cheaper than it seems. (i hope.) ...do any of you guys know if a eaton m90 super charger can be put on carb. applications?

Please don't put a Firebird front end on it... they almost never come out looking good

with the lights too... the entire front will look like a 92 bird. you will never know its a maro. plus im still in the planing process i find better things each week. next time ill have another idea. i just got the car. im only 15.

I agree. Also like quoted above.In order for a 4 or a 6 banger to be worth any type of collectible money it has to be a special edition build,like the Buick GN was (6 cyl),the mid 80's Mustang SVO cars (4cyl)

It kind of has to be a factory special option vehicle to make it worth your while.With your car,I say go for the build claw your way into the 10sec club on the 1320.

yes some of my ideas are stupid... i thats why im posting them so i dont do something i regret getting into but.... i ask again.... DOES ANYONE KNOW IF YOU CAN PUT A EATON M90 SUPERCHARGER ON A CARB. INTEAD OF A EFI APPLICATION ?

Not true.

For one, the ground effects won't line up. Second, the tail lights are very different between Camaros and Firebirds. Heck, the rear 1/4 panel is different between the two at the B-Pillars and the rear end.

As far as the Eaton M90, do a search for it. There are a lot of threads on them. Second, all a supercharger does is create boost. It could care less if you are running a carb or FI. But a quick search brought back this:

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/po...arb-setup.html (Eaton M90 carb setup?)

I had an 87 camaro and now i have a bird of the same year. it wouldn't look right at all. and from the door back there are a few noticeable differences. it would be a good bit of work and some fabbin stuff up. but hey if its your first car go wild and see what you can come up with lol

i was just talking about the front end of one... i just want the hide away lights...., and im starting to like the 82-92 camaro sniper body kit by grounddynamics.... i change my mind alot... its an A.D.D. thing.

IDK since its a V6

i have always look at our cars like this

in 1989, if someone wanted to hack up a 69 camaro it would be like a 50/50 on if its cool or not, flash foward to 1999 when its 30 years old and it would be less cool to hack one, now at 2009 it would be crazy to hack up an all original 69 camaro even with a 6 in it

so what im getting at is your car is 22 y/o , 10 years from now it will be 32 years old, if you plan on keeping it that long or longer you may want it to be all original then its 30+ years old

And I was told I was insane for wanting to take a base bird and upgrading it to TA specs and stuffing the Ferrari 550's 5.5 liter V12 in it along with the rest of the Ferrari's drivetrain........... but it would be a hell of a sleeper not to mention a crapload of fun

one from a super coupe thunderbird is easier to use. search google and find out.

that would be ...........
F_ucking awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! <- idk what the dancing lock is for but...its random

and does anyone know any classified ads or anywhere i can find a 1985 305 5.0L H.O. ?(just the motor... NOTHING ELSE BUT...)my point is that im gonna make the car as fast as it can and california smog wont know crap. ill have to take the supercharger off if i get one ,but also nos has the , hidden direct port under manifold , sneaky pete, and top shot kits. paint custom carb.& manifold flat black(i can buy them that way too) and make it look stock.... but no one will know its a 10 cecond car. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

The dancing lock is the Lock this thread icon. but yea people have asked me if I was on crack for thinking of doing that. The engine is smaller than a 350 corvette engine and I'd say that it can be done with a lil creativity. Maybe I will post up the plans for that idea in a more appropriate board. That was not the only thing I was going to do to the base bird.

you're a teen and you have all kinds of ideas and dreams that seem to be changing with every post you make. For now you should just drive it and enjoy it. I wish I had a 3rd gen when I was a teenager. Honestly, just drive it and enjoy it! You don't need to be running 10 seconds at the drag strip right now and you'd be amazed at how much it costs to run those times and not blow it up every month. Give yourself some time to work through your dreaming, do lots and lots of reading, consider your budget and timetable... then start doing the work and spending the money.

... and i have... i found a budget motor brand new and will fit perfect in the car. a 4.0 v8 from the oldsmobile aurora. new will be around $1,000 used:good is $200!! cheap , easy & powerful. my next idea would be the series 2 3.8l v6

Just be sure to read up on the Engine Swap forum here before you make a purchase or start disassembling your car. I haven't heard of people doing the 4.0L V8 swap, so you might not have a ton of info available to you going in. The 3.8L swap might not keep you happy for too long, and wouldn't be easier than swapping to a 350 that gives you lots of room to grow. What grade are you in now? If you're in HS, I highly recommend that you just enjoy driving the car until you graduate and then think about taking it off the road for a while to do an engine swap. Get the enjoyment of DRIVING a 3rd gen in HS now because you'll never have this opportunity again!

sorry... that was misunderstood .... i had a friend write the reply to you,i was gone.... yeah i guess your right. its pretty fun to drive already and i should just enjoy it as is.its a very fun car. that lil' 2.8 is really fun & can burn rubber with ease... its just a bbitch to drive cuz i havent fixed the power steering yet