Ive 1984 Camaro base coupe. It has a 2.5 4 cylinder. i was think putting in a 327 or 350 or 400 which one would be best for my car? And can put it with my stock 5 speed transmission

 

The 5speeds that they put behind 4-6cyl. engines are weak compared to the v8 t5s. The bellhousing is different too.
The engines you listed, are they all available? The one I'd choose is the one w/ the freshest rebuild, the most extra parts (like a carb, brackets, flywheel, manifolds, ect.) that you can use.
I'd get a vortec 350 out of a 96 -00 chevy truck, get a vortec 4bbl. intake & headers. The tough part is going to be which tranny to use. The v8 t-5 is barely strong enough for 305s, so you might have to go aftermarket for that.

 

would a 1977 350 4 bolt main be a good chose to put in? what type of transmission would be good to put with it?

 

The '77 350 should be a good place to start for a mild performance engine, in stock form they have poor flowing heads, low compression ratio, & a tame cam. So if you have a solid short block, you can add a set of alloy heads (good ones start at a $1,000) & cam/intake package. With headers & a good hei ignition system it should be a respectable powerplant.
The trans choice is gonna be hard, if you keep it a manual shift car then the world class T5 might be the place to start, just don't think its bullet proof. The aftermarket 5 & 6 speeds are pricey but the can handle much more abuse.
You can always switch over to an automatic trans like a th700r4, I'd try to find a parts car because of all the little things you need to switch over.

 

ok thanks

 

What do I need to do with the rear end?

 

Since the camaro came w/ a 4cylinder, I wouldn't be surprised if it has 3.73 gears (which is a good performance ratio), but it could use a limited slip diff. But I wouldn't stick alot of $$ into it because it is still a 7.5" diff. A good cast diff. cover w/ preload bolts should help. Sticky rear tires is what usally breaks them.Try to find a 9 bolt or rare dana 44 rear axle if you are conserned about blowing up a 7.5".

 

Ok thanks, is there anything else I need to know before I start all this? Is the 9" a ford 9" rear end?

 

I'm pretty new to the third gen game as well. But the best thing you can do it research and read. Everything you are asking has been covered a hundred plus times. But I will try to shed some light on your questions because I'm in the process of swapping my 305 out for a 400.

Since you have a 4 cylinder engine you're going to be changing a lot of things to fit a v8 power plant under the hood. It might be easier to sell your car and buy one with a v8 in it already. If this is something you do not wish to do and you still want to mount a v8 in it here is what I would do.

Get the 350, it has more aftermarket options and over all with yield the best results with aftermarket mods. If you're looking to put down some decent power I would be looking for a set of Vortec heads off of a Vortec 350, grab an Edelbrock Performer Air Gap Vortec manifold, hooker short headers, and a Holley 750 double pumper carb. Also an HEI distributor and all the hardware required to get everything up and going.

Also a 700r-4 automatic transmission is going to be the cheapest best option for you when it comes to your transmission. If you wish to keep it a manual you're pretty much going to be stuck with the T56 out of a 4th gen f-body. The T5 in the third gen is way to weak to hold up to the power of anything over a 305.

The rear end is also a weak point in our cars, the stock 10-bolt with 2.73 or 3.08 gears is good for highway traveling for better gas mileage. But if you wish to go with more for racing I would get a series 3 carrier so you can use 3.43 gears. And a better cover for the pumpkin to make it a bit stronger. If you don't care to modify and spend a bit more money, get a hold of a ford 9-inch or a 12-bolt. Or save up more money and get a Dana 66 direct bolt in rear end. And while your at it you really should find a stock Auburn LSD or save up a bit more and get an Eaton LSD.

That is what I would do which be prepared to spend anywhere between $3,000-$5,000 to convert your car to all of this and to do it properly. Or like I said before, sell your current car and buy one that already has a v8/700-r4/10-bolt rear w/ LSD.

 

first off is your 4 cyl. dead? you have a getting hard to find original 4bang 3rd gen. may be better keeping it as is and finding another car to hot rod,you might want to search around for the ol iron duke camaro followers

 

you have the RAREST of all third gen camaros,i would reccomend putting this one away and buying another to butcher up

 

The 4-cylinders being rare doesn't make them valuable.

 

I have to agree, I don't know to many people who are on the market for a 4 cylinder Camaro... The ONLY reason I would save this car is because it would be cheaper and easier to swap out an f-body that already has the v8 in it. And you can DD this Camaro for the better gas mileage while you work on the other f-body as a project. Remember it's never a good idea to dd your project car.