i wasnt sure where to post this so mods move it if needed
there really isnt a general thread

after driveing so many of these cars over the years some ive owned some i was able to drive for extended periods ie freinds cars to find there faults and and there greatest aspects
85 iroc ,2 89 iroc's , 2 91 rs's, 85 trans am ,92 firebird ,97 firebird, 91 z28

ive come up with a list of the best parts to build truly great street car
manly trying to use parts that could be found in junkyards or used
trying to find the best "factory parts"


89 350 engine "largest cam" topped with 90-92 speed density tpi
or the 3.8 turbo but much harder to find

87-92 700r4 with a corvette servo
i wouldnt choose a t-5 as there just not strong in stock form

dual cat Y connected to the 82-83 dual muffler exhaust with this setup its pretty easy to make true duals with minor mods

wonderbar stiffer front end is always better

245 50 16s biggest tires from the factory

3.45 9bolt with pbr brakes overall seems to be the best 3rd gen rear to have other then what came on turbo tas

1le front brakes best brakeing system from the factory.

ws6 swaybars "largest bars from the factory" coupled with base v8 springs

less pounding ride but still good for handleing feel more like a 4th gen going over bumps to be honest
ive drove this settup and by far feels the best to me for overall driving not to soft but also not too harsh .
i currently have too harsh and cleveland streets suck .


for me the non quick ratio steering box as its just less twitcy when compared to other cars .

the non quick ratio box feels much better on the freeway "still sporty" but not twitchy .
i currently have a quick ratio my last camaro had non quick ratio.

aluminum drive shaft balanced better and lighter then the steel shafts.

using a 4th gen radio atlest for 89+ cars is nice aswell a little higher wattage and still fits the stock location and is a direct bolt in.

id also build it on a hard top platform.
my last car was a hard top current is a aftermarket t-top but i also own a factory t-top car .
the hardtop coupled with the base v8 springs ws6bars and 16inch wheels offer good handleing and very little sqeaks and rattles

my current car has the c&c t-tops that rattle like crazy ever since i added ws6 bars to the f-41 springs its just to stiff

v6 ie 2.8 and 3.1 cars seem to have the best ride adding large swaybars to them makes them the best for handleing but there still slow and the exhaust lacks a good tone ive owned 2 v6 cars both ive added large swaybars




id like to hear other peoples ideas aswell and there reason why

its very possible ive missed some things so add to the list just remember factory parts

 

My ultimate camaro would be an 1985 red IROC hard top with black delux int. Engine, ram jet ZL1. Trans, TCI 6 speed auto with paddle shifter. rear end, 3.73 12 bolt posi with 1968-69 JL8 4 wdb. exhaust, 69 chamberd exhaust.

 

This is from the 1985 Hot Rod camaro.

 

very nice

 

Give me a 91-92 Formula L98 for my money. The body is no frills, just enough excitement but no silly bumperettes or gaudy 80's body kit. 16" wheels with Z rated tires, WS6 suspension, 4 wheel discs. L98, 700R4, 3.23 geared limited slip 10 bolt. High flow manifolds, dual cats, quiet stock exhaust. What's not to like?

If I were to build one from scratch, I'd take a 1983 or 84 Camaro Sport Coupe. Leave the body stock, same with the interior with maybe the exception of a similar vintage Z28 leather steering wheel, shifter ****, ebrake handle package, and full instruments. Add a set of Iroc wheels with Z rated 245's or 15" N90 Z28 wheels with 235/60R15's. Slip a 90-92 L98 under the hood, paired with a 700R4 or a T56. Full WS6 suspension, and all the matching running gear from the car mentioned above. It'd be light, no nonsense, and it'd rip it up.

But that's just me.

 

I think there is probably little to do with History & Restoration here... but again we are talking about what components are the best... so in a certain Vein, I can see that this could be beneficial... However I want to keep it civil...

Right now I do not disagree with your list, except I might chose the 3.73/3.70 rear axle from the L69 over the 3.42...

However, with the ulitmate 3rd Gen, I think you might as well buy or duplicate a Firehawk and be done with it... It did carry its own special RPO so technically it was the real deal...

 

Don't forget the overhead console, rear wiper system, and subwoofer gain control! Three options that I wish they had continued. If you want to get into options or features that they had planned but never got into production, my vote is for the fourth gen style t-top holders in the trunk that replace the bag and strap system. MUCH better system. After owning my 02 since new, the bag/strap system in my 91 is a real pain.

 

yes my goal for this post was to bring out the best parts from all the years

or also parts that may be found from a junk yard that came in these cars


replicateing a firehawk or turbota would be a very good 3rdgen's

but both cars share many things in common performance part wise other then there engine trans combos

 

I like a lot of what has been posted so far however, I feel that using a smaller rear swaybar on the street helps the handling.
Esp when cornering hard and you hit a few bumps.
The rear seams to walk over them instead of jerking/hoping around.
Now on a totally smooth road course the bigger bar should be better.
carry on

 

 

I was thinking about doing this exact same post but call it "Fantasy Ordering". Yes, anything goes from the dealer order guide from 1982-1992 Chevrolet and Pontiac, mix it up.
Here's mine; 1987 Z28 Black, Hardtop, L98 (1989), 5spd MK6 (1984), N10 dual cats, G92 perf gear axle, V08 Heavy duty cooling, N90 15in wheels in 16P silver, QAC 235/60R15 blackwall tires, 19D L/S conteur interior (1985), B48 dlx luggage compt trim, D27 locking rear stowage compt. DK6 roof console, manual windows, manual locks, U1C CD player w/bose sound system, N33 tilt wheel, C60 Air cond, C49 rear defog, 84A red striping (1987)
Tuned Port Injection badging NOT 5.7 TPI badging. This would be my perfect Camaro!

 

IIRC, the Players cars ended up with a 23mm rear sway bar instead of the 24mm sway bar found on the later Factory FE2 (WS6 86 - 92) cars.. Apparently the cars wanted to push too much so the 23mm actually compensated for that...

of course Mark would have to confirm this, but I want to think that is correct...

John

 

I'd start with an 87-90 Formula.

 

1991-1992 Formulas are better. We get spoilers that aren't made from Nerf football material and there are no hideous bumperettes to deal with.

 

I'd start with an 87-90 Formula and use a 91-92 Spoiler, 82 Trans Am nose bumper cover, and 91-92 rear Formula Bumper.

 

The 1991-1992 Formula bumper is too rounded. It wouldn't match the 82 Trans Am's nose. I'm guessing by your post that you are not a fan of the Banshee style nose.

 

I like the Banshee nose, but I like the cutouts where the parking lights are more.