Hey guys...okay let the battle...no WAR begin. Seen an article online...lets be serious here...and I want answers from some serious like "I know my stuff third gen owners". Lets see how many of you can really break this one down and tell me what you think. So the question is. Were ANY IROC-Z 5.7 350 made SPECIAL order with the 5 speed??? I am assuming a few made it thru the cracks but I read online that NONE did. This question has been posted before...but it was a while back and with these cars becoming more and more collectable I think its important to know this. I personally knowing the loop holes that sometimes happens believe that at some point a 5 speed 5.7 rolled out with a 5 speed manual. I find it hard to believe that some wealthy person and or GM executive didnt want to settle for less...idk though.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...0-tpi-l98.html

 

No one has proven that any were made.

It's likely that GM tested this combination internally. Perhaps one or more were made for management. But again no one has proven this existed from the factory.

It clearly had to do with power handling. GM (and ford) were buying these transmissions from Borg Warner and BW says the trans can handle something like 265 ft/lbs. The TPI 305 produces that much easily due to its long runner design. The 350 is way too much torque for the T5.

Again I'm sure someone at GM track tested it and found it much too easy to break them. They aren't going to offer it if it's just going to come back in a torrent of warranty zip-lock baggies. They knew these cars would be driven hard by a significant subset of buyers.....

And besides they had the 305 - which was still larger than the Mustang 302 on paper even if wasn't "better".

They put the 350 in front of the T56 in the 4th gen. So it wasn't because they didn't want to do it. It was because they couldn't do it and make it *reliable*. Good for them for not building a car that would just disappoint customers.

GD

 

Thanks man read it and totally believe it! Good stuff!

 

It sure would have been a cool setup to have. seeing the 5.7's had the BW 9 bolt rears, they must have done their homework & knew the T5 would never fly. Even though the 5.7's weren't that much more power, it would have been in front of a drivetrain that was already squeaking out reliability for the engines before it. Always cool to talk about though.

 

No war over this...it's been put to bed sooooo looonnnggg ago...

You have to also remember that GM (or Ford, Dodge, etc. etc.) has to certify every drivetrain combo for emissions, safety, insurance, blah blah blah... So long before anyone orders any car, GM/the gov't/ins. etc. etc. know exactly what's available. You can't just put a few together last minute for some suit who wants a special order.

There are countless stories of dealer swaps etc. etc., some more credible than others, but none, nowhere, no how, was ever "special ordered" from GM, with a GM VIN or RPO that showed a 86/350 or 350/t5 combo, etc. etc.

For the record, I ran a L98/T5/3.27 9 bolt for years and it was awesome

 

Some people have run T-5's on 5.7's with no problems. After talking to someone from GM....I forgot his name.....GM did stuff to make cars idiot proof to keep the cost of a car down. Examples of that would be torque management or weak clutches in 4th gens to keep warranty claims down on blown rear axles. They could have put the ZF 6 speed in the Camaro with the 5.7 but I'm guessing the cost and reliability of the rear axle kept that transmission off the option sheet.

 

Pretty sure WW2 already happened

 

Again, there is too much misinformation being put out, even in this thread! The T5/350 combination had nothing to do with the strength of the T5. It was not rated at 265ft/lbs. It was rated at over 300. The 305 TPI was rated at 295, so 265 would not cut it.

 

There is a buddy of mine that has his original T-5 on his fox body with well over 250k miles on it and with over 100 runs on the track with slicks on it to boot. He even has the stock clutch and I know his car makes well over 300ft/lbs of torque.

 

Hey guys! Thanks for all the input. I wasent trying to really put out bad info, or get people to make up things. I just think its really really interesting all the little options and what not involving the IROC-Zs. I search this stuff on google and sometimes it leads me to the third gen site and other times not. So I guess while these questions have been answered before at sometime. There is a reason I asked them, bc I search the internet pretty well...and thorough and I cant always find what I'm looking for. So I'm just trying to help newer people that own these cars that dont understand....somewhat like myself that they can look on here.

I just wonder how many IROC-Zs get sold and people think there just a plain old 305 IROC or 5.7 then they start looking at codes and are like "Huh...wait a minute...this one has the 5 speed...but has the yellow tach starting at 5 and not 4500...but werent all the 305s suppose to start there at 87"?...Hmmmm o wait...whats this G92 code mean and KC4, and J65...ahhhh...says this one came with 215....not 190 Hp...when I bought it from the gateway classic cars place I didnt know to ask this stuff...and I am pretty sure they didnt know this either, as I was never told. I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm and probably lots of others are not maybe as wise on these cars...and or older and grew up around them as much. For me I always wanted an IROC-Z...BUT I HAD NO idea they had these types of options and stuff scattered thru out the years...thats all. Honestly it seems novice to you guys...but knowing all the options avaliable, things you could and could not get is overwhelming at first. I have watched a lot of videos on these for sale by dealers and I feel like a lot of people dont know jack about the third gen nuances. Example seeing the guy talk about the video while he slams the rear hatch while the suck down motor clearly works lol.

 

Thanks...doah!

 

Stop searching Google when looking for information on these cars. This is the best place to get your answers. Just ask, and someone will provide you with the answers. Or, you can use the search option on the forum and you'll probably learn more than you ever wanted to know.

 

If come to realize this...wikipedia was off on some things that's for sure!

 

Fox bodies don't generally tip the scales at around 3,600lbs, or have a torque arm mounted to the tailshaft, or factory 245/50ZR16 tires.

 

True his weighs 3100lbs but he runs 245's on the street and I know the cheaters he has are 275's don't know what the size of the slicks were.
I think T-5's are alot stronger than advertised.

 

I suspect that the L98 was only available with the Automatic for more than just the strength of the trans, durability issues can be overcome with some engineering. The simple reason may be that GM just wanted customers to pay more for the 350, if they were going to spend the money on the 350, they were going to have to pay for the Auto trans to boot.

 

Yeah...I feel like an idiot for even making this post now that I know...heard bad rumors from LOCAL friends of mine...I apologize to everyone on this lack of knowledge on my behalf...I didn't even male the post right...WW2...moron

 

For me, life is about learning something everyday. While it's well known they didn't exist, these forums are all about discussion, learning, resources & sharing our passion for the car hobby. I very often pick up some little tidbit of info that I hadn't heard before, or maybe a different angle of the same topic. I personally enjoy posts like these. Its all worth talking about imo. If every member knew everything possible detail there was to know, then whats the point?

Being one of the middle aged guys on the forum, I was one of many who cut their teeth learning about cars in the mid 80's through best guesses, smart talk over Beers & somebody knowing an employee at the dealership that was "in the know". Much of that info was just best guesses, but its all we had. Talk about some misdirection. Two of the first things I learned when I joined here was the 5.7 & t-top trans am combo mystery & the real 87 5.7 Iroc production numbers.

I enjoyed the post, I start most days sipping my coffee & reading what's on everyones minds.

 

Ha ha, I have my breakfast & coffee reading this stuff.

Seriously, some of us have been doing this stuff for far too long - over 35 years for me now - and are bringing to third gens they kind of research & numbers crunching that the older muscle cars have had for decades. With the rise in popularity of the 80's cars will come more information, better parts and a lot of new enthusiasm.

 

Haha yeah I learned a lot from the older guys on here...but I think its important for the younger newer guys to get up to par on these things...if they want. I wont say its easy...but taking a third gen and turning it into a drag car is fine...but to me that type of I guess you could say "direction" that those people that have those types or cars takes will only sustain the enthusiasm and I guess so to say history of the cars for so long while I would assume keeping the interest levels really segmented to that area.


I think that to really preserve the history and to really get people (younger ppl), younger than me is to try and keep the cars looking original for the most part at least on the outside...personally, for me, I understand why some people don't drive there cars a lot....to keep the millage down etc. However...I feel like you take either one of two ways when viewing how much you should drive your car. I feel like me for example, my car has 70K on it...but I feel that its more fair to the public, and its my duty to take the car to Wal-Mart sometimes, drive it to work down the highway every two weeks, go grab dinner in it (and eventually car shows with clubs)...I'm not saying drive it everyday...but the more these cars are out on the road the more opportunities for a younger person...or older person to ask you questions in the parking lot, or maybe Google the car etc...and if that sparks his interest then you did a good job.


That's kinda what happened to me...I had not honestly seen an IROC-Z in YEARS where I live! And I seen one like 7 years ago in my apartment complex...always kept in the back of my head that one day I wanted one...car left a lasting impression on me. Couldn't get just an RS...had to be an IROC-Z haha. I got my license plate tag in NC to say 1987IROCZ! No lie how cool is that, I couldn't believe it was available, I was sooooo thrilled!!!