Hi guys, had my camaro almost a year now, and I've got it in good running condition. So good that I've made a couple of good trips to the cottage (a good 3 hour drive there, and 3 back) this year without a single problem. the car is an 84 z28, brown on gold with a good body and good frame. Clear coat is going and theres a few rust spots, but overall not bad. Interior is in great shape too. So, here's my trouble...I like to build performance and go fast. the car has the original LG4 305 in it (respectable 150 HP back in the day) and 3.23s out back. I've built a 350 for it, 4 bolt main block with aluminium intake, roller tip rockers, double roller timing chain, headers...all the good stuff. Now, the car is in the garage and the engine is on the stand......and I can't decide what to do!! Keep the car as a great original z28, with great driveability and stock everything? Or drop the new motor in, upgrade the differential, upgrade the suspension, all the performance things. Anybody been in my spot before? Let me hear your thoughts.

 

My opinion.

If she is running strong now with no problems then leave things be.

Start buying all the performance parts you want and need with the upgrade, suspension, engine, rear, trans. Get everything together in a pile, once things start going bad then swap. Atleast you will have every part needed on hand to finish the project once you start.

 

Thanks very much for your input, I've been thinking along the same lines. It's hard to want to change the motor when this one has gotten me around all summer. It has been a great summer driver, and in the meantime I have been putting together a whack of performance parts (all now sitting on a stand in the 350) and I will continue to do so. Should it be the case that the 305 melts down (and that could be a while), maybe then I will do the swap. But you know what this could mean? I need another car to play with

 

Like i tell my buddy who has a mint iroc with an "ok" motor. Stop wasting your money on "new" third gens and start buying good parts for your car. You dot need another car to play with. Save your money and buy parts for the car you have Get a beefed up t-56 or auto, 12 bolt or 9 bolt rear, Very nice H/C/I, ignition on the motor you have waiting....Do things right the first time so your done with it. You are already one step ahead of everyone. You have a car that treats you well and is a daily driver, most of us do our swap because our motors are tired and have no choice

 

gotta agree with you there, I can't complain about my car. With only simple maintenance and lots of time in, the car runs great and drives smooth. That said, it isn't mint condition and it has over 135k miles on it. Which is fine, but I don't know if it's worth treating it like a historical investment. So, here's what I am thinking. From the outside (and interior), this car is going to be original (Brown on gold paint and trim, original interior, stock hood, clear glass) just restored. Everything else (Engine, suspension, tranny, diff) is going to be performance. The way I see it, I already have another car that is a great driver....so why not have a blast with this one? If I ever get an old Yenko, that's when I will stick with a numbers matching investment! thanks for your great advice, again this site proves to be an valuable resource

 

Does a temporary engine substitution ruin the originality of the car? Not as much as daily-driving it will. Either it's a low-mileage cherry, worthy of restoration and then life as a museum queen, or build it to enjoy driving it. As an investment, this one will probably never turn you any great profit, and building it to drive will prove far more rewarding.

 

Swap out the 305 and don't look back imo

 

Your question comes up a lot on this board and something I've thought about too. I vote for swapping engine and building car how you want to enjoy it. It's funny, whenever I go to a car show or see a nice older car, my first thought is not if the car is all original. It's either the car looks beautiful or looks horrible with bad upgrades. If a car is tastefully upgraded it will not detract from value of car. If people kept their cars original and garaged, we would never see and enjoy them! You can always save your 305 drivetrain in corner of garage.