Try not to laugh. I have been a dyed in the wool Mustang Fanatic for over 20 years. I bought a 1986 Corvette two years ago and found parts to be too expensive to restore. I JUST bought a 1989 IROC-Z this weekend and am beginning a 305/350 swap. From t-5 to 700R4.

I will probably be asking 1000 questions on different sections of the site so please bear with me. Again, I can tell you ANYTHING about a mustang but GM's are the undiscovered country to me.

Pics of the Camaro follow. BTW, This is a running car that has been in a backyard for 5 years. I put in a fuel pump, sparkplugs, wires and battery. Started right up.

 

Welcome, Ive kinda done the opposite of you the last year, bowtie guy through and through, but ive been fixing up a 65 mustang for my better half.... O well an engine is an engine, youll find all the help you need here. Good luck with your project, that front looks crazy with the paint peeling but the body looks pretty straight... have fun see ya aroound....

 

I have a similar story to igotta. I've been a thirdgen guy since the mid 90s, and owned a 91 Corvette for 8 years. Recently my dad bought a 65 Mustang, so I've been getting a Ford education. After working on both, I'll stick to Chevy. I'm not at all impressed with the design of the Windsor motors.

That said, welcome to tgo!

 

Welcome to third gen, maybe a little sanding and some primer on the nose for now.

 

Primer on the nose. LOL. I was actually going to put a bra over the front until I can get the whole car painted Black. I made the mistake of hitting it with a pressure washer and lost most of the IROC decals and a good part of the front bumper. Went back with some soft scrub to get rid of the green slime that was around the fuel door and the hood.

So the task begins. Here's where advise will be needed. Moderator - please let me know if this needs to be moved to a different section.

Since the Camaro is a Stick (5-Speed) and the Corvette is an automatic, I will need to come up with some kinda shifter. I intend to use the Camaro as a Street/Strip car so I will probably be looking for something like a B&M MegaShifter. Could I just take the shifter from the Corvette? I won't need the steering column cable as the Camaro is a Stick which allows removal of the key regardless of the gear it's in.

Looks like the oil pans are different (no big deal) and the exhaust should be the same. BTW the vette has a pre 1986 head design. Wonder if the full tubes from the vet will work on the Camaro.

So many questions.....

 

We're okay so far.

I'm not familiar with the Vette shifter, but if you can mount it, you can probably use it. Personally, I've got a console MegaShifter in my LS1/4L60E car.

The pan and oil pump pickup are both different. None of the Vette exhaust will work on the Camaro (chassis differences). Vettes never got the '87-up intake bolt pattern that the rest of the SBC product line used.

 

Welcome!

You'll get answers to all your questions on this forum. Everyone is pretty good about helping out with questions, even newbie questions.

 

Ok. Cool and thanks.

Now on to the next section. Ignition and fuel. I think trying to move the Corvette's computer to the Camaro would not be smart as I am 1.) going carbs and 2.) looking to run MSD equipment.

On the vette I was limited as to what carb I could run based on height. I believe the Camaros offer a lot more room. I have heard that for a mild cam and only a little head work a 650 will be more than enough. I should stay away from the 750 DP unless I go 383? Just asking, again I am coming over from Mustang world.

 

Hay Snakeeyes. Welcome to TGO.

Here is the 305-350 swap how to thread. It is for switching out a Throttle Body Injection car, but you may still have use for it. If you going to swap out for a 700R4, your going to want to install a shift kit, and maybe a little more to wake it up, but a shift kit will really help. It's a great transmission when built right. What 350 are you planning on swapping out to?

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...-350-swap.html

 

Yeah on a mild 350 a 650 is just fine-more that that is overkill. With the right jeting and tuning the 650 should be fine for a 383. Last summer I had a 72 Nova and it had a mild 307, headers, Mallory ignition, rebuild and the guy put a worrior intake and a Summit 600 carb on it-it was for sure over carbed.

 

Ironically.The motor is a 1983 Camaro Block with corvette TPI added. Running 1.5 rockers and a high energy cam. Trans has shift kit and beefed up bands.

 

Just found out the hard way that 1986 17" corvette rims do not fit on 1989 Camaros.

 

NOTHING from 86 Chevys fit anything else. That was a "concept" year for GM. Specifically for trucks. It's a horrible year for working on.

 

I had an 86 silverado,re-built from a major cab fire,you ain't kidding on weird parts differences

 

Welcome to the forum. Good luck on the build. If you have any questions, I will try to help out.

 

My dad had an 86 Blazer. The engine blew up and he put in a 330hp 350 small block. The shop was going to charge him 5 grand to do the swap because it's such a pain. He decided to do it himeself and man did he cuss up a storm on that project. He said it was the worst car project he's ever done (and he's had allot over the years).

 

So its a 305?

 

Yah.

 

Sorry. Read the receipt wrong. It is from a 1988 IROC originally. The 8 looked like a 3. I'll know more when I pull it out of the Vette this weekend and look at the actual numbers.

 

Put the Corvette rims up for sale on Carigslist today. Hopefully I can use the cash towards the MSD setup. Got two carbs from a friend of mine today as well. One is a spread bore (Never thought i'd have a vehicle that could take one of these). And the other looks like a 750 DP.

Are the spread bores worth rebuilding and using chevy guys? Both look like they have been outside in the rain for a year.

 

HOLY CRAP!! Been a minute. I have learned SO much about these chevys since my last post. For one, I'm no longer going for the street/strip machine. I'm making this one STRAIGHT STRIP! Once I got into this, I found WAY too much rust underneath (Body wise) Frame is solid (Surprisingly).

Also I found out what motor this REALLY is, It's from a 1979 something. Have the casting numbers somewhere around here. Was kinda depressed when I found out. If only people selling car parts were honest. Casting numbers don't lie.

Also decided to keep it stick. Might as well keep the fun factor up. True, it will be slower in the 1/4 mile but at least I can have fun losing. Plus I was going with a high stall torque convertor that would kill the engine at highway cruising speeds.

I got pics for days so bear with me as I upload....


After ripping out carpet. RUST CITY!


Hitting it from the back.


Used to be T-Tops....


Motor and Trans removed as one unit.


The donor vehicle's last stand.

 

You think that's a lot of rust? Unless the pics don't show the bad spots,those floors look great! That's just a little surface rust that sandblasting will completely remove. Hell, that's so minor even a wire wheel will do the job.

 

WOW! Thanks. I was thinking end of the world. Most of the rust is up top and around the windshield. The floors had wet carpet and smelled like mold.

I Popped the hood and was PLEASED to find a COMPLETE unmolested 1989 original IROC-Z 305. ALL vacuum hoses and all emissions stuff. The trans feels good and I think swapping the flywheel/Transmission is going to be a snap.

Of course, being a race car build, I am removing EVERYTHING. When I get done it will be Motor, Carb, Alt, Power Steering (I know, weak), Water Pump and Headers. No AC, No Radio, No Heater, No cruise control, Etc.

I just have to find a good exhaust that is a TRUE dual exhaust.

 

If you plan on selling that T-5, let me know.

 

Depends. Really Truly up in the air about it. On one hand t-5 = fun to drive. On the other 700R4=Better E/T's.

As I am making a TRUE drag car I should be 100% on the Auto trans but then there is the snore factor.

 

T-5 definitely won't handle the abuse for a drag car, more than likely will explode the minute you stomp on the gas.



if you go for manual, go for the t-56 or something like it.

 

Drag only is a automatic and to get under the car with a propane torch and scraper to remove all the undercoating is going to lighten it up some.Jobs like that it is sure handy to have a rotisserie to put the car on.You can then restore it back to when the body just came out of the paint booth(body in white is what they where called when building pro-stocks when that car was new) at the factory before the sound deadening/undercoating was applied.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...cr06&fr=mcafee

 

Alot of guys say to stay away from the 700R4. If you are going to be serious about it being a race car, i would say go th350 or th400 because the 700R4's gears are not setup well for drag racing.

 

One of those make vs. buy scenerios. I would HATE to explode the trans but a T-56 is big $$$. I have both the 700R4 and the T-5 in hand. The T-5 is already in the car so it would be the easier route.

Casting numbers on the heads look like mid 70's cast iron heads. (Away from the numbers right now.) Given that I could:

a.) Toss a simple intake and carb on and run it as is for the moment

or

b.) Strip it down and build it up as a all out racer.

Option a.) could still use the T-5 for the moment while b.) would demand the 700r4

 

X2 Greggy.You can fix that,but for more $$$$$$.

 

Lock-up torque converter and overdrive take care of that. My converter is 3600 stall, drive it to work almost all the time (drove the T56 car to work today...).

The TH700/4L60 is fine for street/strip. But, if you're going to trailer the car to the track, TH350/400 is the ticket.

 

Good to know. So much for bad information. Looks like i might be back on track for the original 700r4 plan. Which is good considering how much i put into having it built.