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Need to choose between two heavily modded race/weekend only 3rd gens..

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Old 06-25-2001, 02:53 AM
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Need to choose between two heavily modded race/weekend only 3rd gens..

Ok. I decided to keep my '89 GTA as a daily driver and go buy a weekend/drag race car so I don't end up w/o a car to take me to school/work.

I found two cars and am about to buy one, I just can't decide which one to go for.

The first I looked at is an 88 T/A, almost exactly like my car now, here is the info on it:

88' T/A
'86 L98 350 shortblock rebuilt 3K ago
T-56 out of 93 Z-28 w/ dual friction clutch & B&M shifter
Edlebrock headers, Flowmaster dual out exhaust, stock cat
Stock TPI

comes w/ car:
Superram Intake
Edlebrock lower intake
BBK 58mm tb
24lb LT1 injectors
ZZ9 cam
Hyfire ignition
Mallory Distributor
some other stuff I can't remember

Recent but not very good paint
strait body 160K+ on body
no t-tops, the car sounds better than it looks and needs a good ammount of cleaning up/fixing to make it good. The owner just painted it in hopes of being able to sell it w/ paint.

it also has:
GTA rims w/ ok tires
Hotchkis lowering springs
rest of suspension is stock
Rear 10bolt w/ 3.27's and discs

Interior is apart w/ most parts to put an ok interior together.

A ton of stuff is broken on the car and needs to be fixed, like the speedo cause of the T-56, the parking brake, the hood/hatch struts, hatch motor, seals, sealing the hole for T-56. It's not a super looking car, but it has the 6 speed, the smooth running 350 and the whole superram intake setup will come with the car. Plus it has the whole drivetrain delt w/ except for prom (which needs the vss problems and 305 to 350 problems fixed, but I can fix that).

It's got a bunch of decent quality stereo equipment like 2 amps all new speakers, a head unit a sub (albine, jl, pioneer) w/ it.

It passed emissions no problem.

--------------

The second car is an 1983 Camaro
4 bolt 383
forged crank
pink rods
Keith Black hyper-teutonic pistions
11.8 C.R.
Holly 830 CFM race carb double pumper
Accel cam
Edlebrock dual-plane aluminum intake
Trick Flow aluminum heads 2.02/1.60 valves
hi-torque starter
custom cold air dual intake snorkles
Crane Hi-6 coil
Trans w/ rachet shifter, manual valve body 2,500 RPM stall
4.10 rear
Detroit locker;
Borla stainless steel exhaust cut-out pipe. HD driveshaft w/loop
sub-frame connectors
IROC 16'' wheels;
MT slicks, 15X10X26 Weld alum. wheels
Ford 9" rear w/ drums

The paint isn't good, the body is strait
Supposed to run mid 12's on slicks.

It's got a decent stereo w/ cd changer and a full decent interior.

Basically the reason why i am having troube deciding is that the first car would be an emmisions legal car that I might even be able to use as a daily driver and that I could auto-x w/ too. It is F.I. which i like for the coolness factor, i am very familiar w/ tpi. It would probably be pretty fast w/ the superram/bbk tb/edle lower and tuning. The t-56 is just plain cool.

The second car I would just go for except for it won't pass emmisions. I might be able to get the owner to pass it for me when I buy it, but after that I have to find someplace to "pass" the camaro (it will probably pass the sniffer w/ a cat, but won't pass visual) . It is strait up a drag race car, w/ slicks, a manual valve-body 700R4, set up suspension, etc, etc and is ready to go to the track and is streetable too. The paint is no good.

Both cars are w/in a few hundred dollars of each other.

Should I go for the fuel injected car I am more familiar w/ that can make it in the twisties or the full out drag car w/ carb/auto tranny that I am not too familiar with? The '83 was proffesionally built, the '89 had the engine/tranny built and installed proffessionaly.

help.
Old 06-25-2001, 07:56 AM
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Car: 82 & 91 Firebird
Engine: 400 & 355
Transmission: TH350 & 700
Axle/Gears: 4:11 & 2.72
I would look at it this way, Do you have the money for a truck and trailer, for the 83. If not you have your answer. My vote is for the bird. But then again I am biased even to other thirdgens
Later
John

------------------
82 Firebird,408,Dart Iron Eagle 215's,Cam 229/239, .498/.520,TH350 Tranny, 750 Speed Demon carb, Hooker Headers(I.E. POS) Manual steering, Bfg DR's.
Check out my birds new home.
Best et 8.21 @84mph in the 1/8th

[This message has been edited by spud (edited June 25, 2001).]
Old 06-27-2001, 01:34 AM
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Well, I decided on neither. I am buying a 5.0 mustang 5speed and putting a vortech on it. I am going to convert to 5-lug upgraded SN-95 brakes and the newer 17" wheels and re-do the suspension (lowering springs/camber plates/sfc's/stb/bushings). I am looking to make a 12 second smog legal car that I can use for auto-x as well as weekend drags. It's a lot easier/cheaper to do w/ a fuelie 5.0 than it is w/ a tpi thirdgen. I a mustang LX for $1500 that needs a little work as well as a new vortech for sale very cheap. I'll let you guys know how it goes.
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