Hey everyone... I've got an all original/stock, excellent condition, 92 5.7 Z28 (G92) with 37,000 miles on it. I have been thinking about putting additional performance parts on the car like: headers, new exhaust, sfc's, sway bars, lca's, ph bar. I love the look of my neighbor's lowered 91 vert and I'm thinking about doing the same. Except for the sfc's, all performance parts can be changed back to stock. Your opinions would be appreciated on this issue

 

Is it a Heritage Edition (aka: anniversary stripes like my car \/)?

 

Hi a mack6, it's Artic White with black stripes. It's loaded, I guess the original owner didn't want to pay the extra for the RPO Z03 package.

 

I guess it just depends on what you want to do with your car. Is it an investment for you? Then keep it original and don't drive it. Is it a low mileage fun car you want to drive? Then do what you want to it.

It is tough making that first mod decision though I had an 88 IROC that was all original and I couldn't bring myself to start chopping it up so I sold it and got myself a fixer upper that I didn't mind tearing into.

Really I don't see adding anything to make the chassis more rigid bringing the value down, but I guess there are people out there that would.

 

It is a tough decision mcgarnicle. It's really nice to keep it as an investment, but who's to say what these might be worth and when? I really enjoy this car and the zeal to do more is taking over.

 

Post some pics! LOL

Anyways, if it were my car I'd keep it stock, but that's just me. I like the way these cars looked right out of the box. I intend on keeping mine stock.

But hey, it's your car. You paid for it. If you want to lower it and make it faster that's your right.

 

One thing is that there are becoming fewer and fewer of these cars everyday, especially low mileage original ones. There was a time when you could pick up a super clean IROC for $2500 but I think those days are done and over.

 

It's really up to you. If it were my car, I would not feel bad about lowering it. I'm not sure sure about putting SFCs on it, would all depend on which ones you got and how good of a job you did on them, if you're not equipped to do them right, pay someone that you can trust that will do them right. I wouldn't do any hardcore hacking at it though, just the small stuff. Post up some pics.

 

Yep, it's pretty sad too. I remember a time when you'd actually see them at car lots. It's probably been at least 11 or 12 years since I've seen any third gen on a lot in my town.

 

if it was my car, i would do mods to it. only if they could be easily converted back to stock. so for me i would skip the SFC, although i doubt they would lower the value if you didnt hack up the floor too much.

i guess what i'm trying to say is, if it were me i would keep all the original parts i removed.

 

I'd say do what you want with it. You’ll fine ton of opinions here but you’re the one driving it.
My
fix it up but don't go insane. Try to keep the original muscle feel and not a tuner want be.

You want some idea look at people's cardomains they'll show what they have done to there cars. They are listed in most people's sig and start your self one while you’re at it.

 

Leave it stock or just do little reversible mods. I think even most car shows allow you to have 2 modifications without losing points.

 

Modify it. Make it yours

 

Thanks everyone for all of your feedback. I'm trying to post pictures, but having trouble getting down into the 1mb range. I'm not super skilled at doing attachments, my apologies. I definitely will keep the original equipment with any mods I do. As for the sfc's, this would be done at a shop. If I do this, I'm not sure what brand I would go with for the duel system. There are so many round vs square threads going on.

I took it to the track today with other NorCal ThirdGens. I was curious to see what stock could do. Kept smoking the tires down the track on 2 runs. Third run was best, smoked tires less = 15.225 @ 92 mph. Man it ran strong and I know the time could have been better. I think I need better tires (Yokohama's on them now).

 

Because these cars were built in large quanities and because the value's have not began to rise significantly, people tend to think of them as disposable. What starts out as a few mod's ends up eventually ruining a lot of cars. If I wanted to mod out a third gen, I would start off with a car that had less potential for appreciation, such as a solid well maintained high miler. I believe that the low mileage originals are eventually going to become very scarce, and thus a lot more valuable. In another 20 years, any rear drive car is going to be scarce. Look at what has happened to the 50', 60's and 70's cars. In the 70's we used to buy muscle cars for a few hundred dollars. Case in point, I bought a 66 GTX, 440, 4 speed, in good running condition for $650.00 in 1974. Bought a 67 GTO, Vert, 389, 4 barrel, 4 speed, in good condition in 1972 for $975.00, and a 1970 Shelby GT 350in 1975 in good shape for $1000.00. All those cars were considered disposable in thier day. There is going to be a day when your 37K mile original car is going to be valuable. The value of it will all depend on how original and well kept it is. Last year I lucked outo a 26K original 1986 WS6 T/A nicely optioned car. We enjoy the car, but purposely don't drive it much to keep the miles low. Although the car is not in number one condition, with minimal work it has the potential to be. I will not modify the car from original, and take great pride in the fact that as time goes on, it is becoming a survivor car. I also want to build a thirdgen street rod, and will soon be buying a well kept high miler to use as the base for it.

 

keep the original look but go for the performance. take all of the stock parts and put them in a box and keep em.

or keep it preserved in its original condition, and buy one that not so nice.

 

I agree with 86WS6...if you check eBay and local classifieds, these cars are already going up. If that was my car, it would stay bone stock aside from SFCs (who WOULDN'T want to help keep the car more structurally solid???) and a catback...

I bought my RS primarily so I could have a higher mileage, SOLID third gen to do what I wanted with, and know I was not devaluing a potentially very collectible car down the road...e.g. IROC/TA/GTA/Formula/Z28. With my RS, within the next few weeks, the car will have a full exhaust with Edelbrock headers, plus all the bolt ons in my sig. Eventually, when the LO3 lets go (which could be YEARS...lets be honest), I want to build up the engine with a cam and heads, and swap in a T-56 and better gears. Doing this to a 114k mile RS is no big deal...I'm even going out of my way to keep the original flavor of the car, by keeping the 305 and the TBI. However, there is no way I'd start cutting up a nice car like the OP's Z28...or even my own Z28.

 

I would keep it as original as possible, because clean, low mileage, and unmolested third gens are hard to find. You can always pick up a nice high miler and hot rod that instead, knowing you aren't ruining a potential high dollar classic.

 

Mike Antonick's "White Book" lists for 1992 Z28 Coupes built = 5,197. B2L option = 3,038 and G92 option = 3,056.

I hear what a lot of you are saying and again, I thank all of you for your thoughts on this issue. I really didn't think about getting a second car to play with. This thirdgen is so much fun. I'm rethinking to keep this stock/original and getting a second one. Although I am not rich by any means, I can afford another car to fix up and do as I please. After riding in another thirdgen with sfc's, I know this mod really makes a difference in the cars handling. I just can't do that to this one. There are many on this site with multiple cars. I think I can fit in with this philosophy.

 

Glad to see that you got the pics posted. Man, that's one sweet ride! Makes me wish mine was out of storage and ready to go, but the insurance doesn't go back on it till May 1st. I know it's only a few days, but its still too long!

It's cool that you want to keep it stock. I think it would probably be more fun getting one that needs fixed up and adding the performance parts to that one. From what I can see there's not a whole lot you can do to the one you have to make it any better!

 

Gorgeous car. I feel unless your going to park it and not add any miles to it, then keep it original. If your going to be rolling on the miles day after day, then do what you wish.

 

Thanks stratocaster25 and brisk. This is not a daily driver. I'm more than certain that I'm going to be like you brisk and have 2 cars.