New Camaro Owner
08-26-2017, 01:50 AM
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Car: 1990 Camara RS
Engine: 305 TBI
New Camaro Owner
I have to apologize because I know this topic has been beaten to death but I have a slight difference...
I bought a 90 Camaro RS with a 305 tbi. The car is in excellent shape and was cheaper than IROCs...but I would like to swap to a 350.
The difference with most threads is that I have zero mechanical ability and would use a shop. I just love the look of third gens since I was a kid and just want to cruise nothing crazy....but i find the 170hp is just a little underpowered. Id be looking for an easy 350 upgrade that is going to be max $3-4000 budget but given my situation with paying labor:
- should I buy a basic 290 hp crate engine?
- should I try for a 350 TBI to avoid a TPI conversion (or go to carb?)
- Is the cheapest plan to have the shop find an old engine and rebuild it with better parts?
It has a Hooker 3inch Aerochamber cat back exhaust system...really the only upgrade on it. Stock transmission.
Thanks and sorry for beating a dead horse...
Rob
I bought a 90 Camaro RS with a 305 tbi. The car is in excellent shape and was cheaper than IROCs...but I would like to swap to a 350.
The difference with most threads is that I have zero mechanical ability and would use a shop. I just love the look of third gens since I was a kid and just want to cruise nothing crazy....but i find the 170hp is just a little underpowered. Id be looking for an easy 350 upgrade that is going to be max $3-4000 budget but given my situation with paying labor:
- should I buy a basic 290 hp crate engine?
- should I try for a 350 TBI to avoid a TPI conversion (or go to carb?)
- Is the cheapest plan to have the shop find an old engine and rebuild it with better parts?
It has a Hooker 3inch Aerochamber cat back exhaust system...really the only upgrade on it. Stock transmission.
Thanks and sorry for beating a dead horse...
Rob
08-26-2017, 05:49 AM
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Car: 87 firebird 86 c10 90 mustang
Engine: 383 sbc
Transmission: 97 t56
Axle/Gears: Moser 12 bolt 3.73
Re: New Camaro Owner
Might be tough to find a shop willing to do it. You might want to start with upgrades to the 305 that can be used on the 350 like headers and y pipe so when you jump to the 350 you won't have to buy it all at once.
08-29-2017, 09:11 PM
#3
Re: New Camaro Owner
My brother paid a shop to do his engine swap because he isn't too mechanically inclined yet and I've been busy on my own car. The bill ended up being around $2200 which seems like a fantastic idea but they absolutely hacked their way through it.
they..
-didn't tighten the transmission mount bolt
- only put in two of the four crossmember bolts loosely
-didn't have plug wires pushed all the way onto the plugs
-zip tied the detent cable to the carb linkage
-didn't properly set the detent cable
-didn't put on a geometry corrector bracket for the 700r4
-sat in the mint condition interior and stained the seats with what appears to be white lithium grease
-left the power block nut loose
these are just some of the things I've ran into so far while helping my brother get the car driveable after they "worked" on it. I have yet to really dive into the car and check over everything they've done.
im saying this because all the repeatable shops turned down doing the engine swap after hearing my brothers budget. The only shop that agreed to the job was evidently full of complete hacks. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way from getting the engine swap done but just be careful on what shop actually does the work. If it's a cheapo shop in a bad part of town then chances are the work will reflect that.
they..
-didn't tighten the transmission mount bolt
- only put in two of the four crossmember bolts loosely
-didn't have plug wires pushed all the way onto the plugs
-zip tied the detent cable to the carb linkage
-didn't properly set the detent cable
-didn't put on a geometry corrector bracket for the 700r4
-sat in the mint condition interior and stained the seats with what appears to be white lithium grease
-left the power block nut loose
these are just some of the things I've ran into so far while helping my brother get the car driveable after they "worked" on it. I have yet to really dive into the car and check over everything they've done.
im saying this because all the repeatable shops turned down doing the engine swap after hearing my brothers budget. The only shop that agreed to the job was evidently full of complete hacks. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way from getting the engine swap done but just be careful on what shop actually does the work. If it's a cheapo shop in a bad part of town then chances are the work will reflect that.