87z28guy

Hey guys i have a chance to buy a 97 z24 camaro for 1200 with the lt1.http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2491672099.html

i have about 1500 to spend and was wondering if i should keep the tpi and put the money into it or swap to the lt1 into my 87 iroc 350 tpi?

old z mzn

iTrader: (1)

since I own both. keep what you have. basically a sidestep

torque_is_good

you are kidding; right?

I also own a 95 Z -only mods are 1.6 roller rockers, long tubes, off road y, magnaflow, CAI, 93 octane tune.

night and day difference between a similar mods TPI L98

torque_is_good

why would you spend money on a non functioning engine which sounds like it needs to be rebuilt when you could take the purchase price for the junker and apply that to rebuilding what you have?

87z28guy

I was looking at it as a donor car.using the interior,motor,trans,computer and rear.i was going to sell off the tpi stuff and buy a rebuild kit for the lt1 for around $500.it seems to be alot easier to make power in an lt1 than in an l98.

torque_is_good

For $1200 you could buy new interior components. You'd be surprised what new rug and headliner do for the vehicle and don't cost too much. Why spend $1200 for junk? If the items were worth more and in better condition then the price would be higher.

With respect to a $500 rebuild, you are kidding right? The machine shop work including having the heads redone with some porting is going to cost more than the $1200 vehicle purchase price. That doesn't include components for the short block

Please search some honest threads here. There are some and PM those who have redone an engine correctly and ask what they honestly spent.

Also, ask around about interior. I'll start

I spent $1300 just for a stock rebuild on my 305. Sure it was bored but so what, it's still stock and that's what I wanted. I won't get into the ancillary costs of belts, hoses, fluids, headers, y pipe etc

I also yanked it and re-installed it myself so there was no labor cost

my interior, I went to stockinteriors.com and purchased a headliner, rug and sun visors. The resllers all sell the same stuff from the same manufacturuers so give one of the site sponsors first crack at being the best price. It's good to try and support a ssite sponsor as long as they are reasonable.

I believe for those items I was around mid $300's, I can't recall, maybe $400 but prices are on web sites.

I found a great deal on leather for my seats. I reskinned the seats myself and the leather was $260 and it was specific for our vehicles. You could probably find similar deals for around $400-$500. So, you could be rolling in a brand new interior for less than the junkyard stuff on that 4th gen

If this is about trying to get to a 4th gen then save your pennies and buy one that is in good condition. If it's about refreshing what you have, your $1200 plus what you'd spend to get the LT1 to at least good condition would go a long way into getting your car refreshed and leave some cahnge in your pocket

But, at the end of the day, it's up to you but do not kid yourself into believing you can PROPERLY rebuild an LT1 with just buying a "$500 rebuild kit"

Do some searches on reman'd gen 1 small blocks vs LT1's

good stuff isn't cheap

cheap stuff isn't good

87z28guy

Ok thanks for the info my goal was to try and get around 325hp to the wheels and i was thinking that 1500 might not be enough to do that so that is the only reason i thought about buying the car

old z mzn

iTrader: (1)

back in 1993 everyone was waiting for the new camaro. when arrived I rode in my friend's 1993 z-28. I thought wow. totally impressed. We went to the drag strip and ran. his car ran 14.3 @ 98mph. not bad for the first time. got it down 13.6 with mods you talking about.rockers, pulleys, headers, cat back exhaust, air foil, cold air intake. So know I am not kidding. swap for a ls1, ls2, or ls3 is recommended

Carlos773

iTrader: (3)

It has been said many times before. A LT1 is a upgrade from a l98. Cost wise? Depends if you do all the work yourself. If you do then its basically a drop in with just wiring work.


LT1 respond to mods way better than l98s. There is cam only LT1s reaching 300-330hp. There's lt1 with bolt ons going deep into 10s (Search Ls1tech).

I went with lt1 instead of a l98 for the reasons above. Most will argue the same things about the optispark being a bad design or no aftermarket support. Which both have been explained as mostly user error or cheapness and what's on the lt1 already (heads, intake) can be ported to support good power.

Go lt1, just make sure its a healthy motor and not one that needs everything. I went ahead and did that and spent close to what I could of done a ls1 swap.

torque_is_good

I like my 3rd gen. I also like my 4th gen. I also like my stang (sorry fellas)

To me, the 3rd gen still looks like a Camaro and the 4th gens went radical (almost a 4 passenger vette). But, I personally would not take a good running 4th gen and use it as a donor for a 3rd gen. The 4th gens handle so much better. Heck, my 95 handles every bit as good as my 07 stang

So, if you are looking to update the 3rd gen, then do that. If you want an LT or LS, then save your $$$ and buy a good running 4th gen and enjoy it.

kenlamb3

if i was you i would not get it, espacially if the motor doesnt run good.
Right now im doing a 305tpi to a 96 z28 lt1 swap and it has been a nighmare so far.
If you get this motor your going to have to figure out all the wires, or do what I did and have a guy build you a harness that will make the lt1 runn correctly in my car and that alone is over $400 dollars, so from me to you dont do that car.
Look around, call junk yards, and do some research....just my 2 cents.

Carlos773

iTrader: (3)

If you are such a strict budget that $400 for the main part of the swap is too much then I advise on even doing a engine swap to even a l98. L98s run well into the $650+ for half decent ones.

I spent close to $800 on the GM Waterpump and Optispark. In the end close to $3000 on it and another $1200 on the trans. These swaps no matter what it is cost $. Even more if the engine needs parts to replace the worn/missing parts.

Save your money. Stay with tpi until you can afford to go 5.3 or ls1 etc.

torque_is_good

but to purchase an LS1 and supporting ecm and harness and then have it rebuilt is no small amount of change either. Surely you would not suggest to anyone to toss any old junker engine into a car now would you. You do include in the budget $2500 for a good rebuild, don't you?

kenlamb3

Unfortanetly for me I did not do enough research on doing this swap,and yes money is tight for me right now but I was meraly letting him know how much this is going to run him so that way he does not spend all his money on a car that does not run, I wouldnt want him or anyone else to encounter the same issues as me.
Also after doing all my reading in the past I have not come across anyone stateing that getting the two harness put togather is a main part of the swap, so im not sure whats up with that?