Finally getting started on my swap after watch everyone and their brother do theirs over the past year! Im going to swap in a LQ4/T56 into my 89 RS to replace the 305/700R4 that gave up on life recently. Just got it towed to my buddies place yesterday and got everything set up today, gonna try to put pictures up as often as i can. Here's two pics of the camaro as it sits right now

 

Here is a pic of the towing vehicle and what happens when two idiots decide they dont wanna pay u-haul any money for a trailer. Thank god neither vehicle was damaged

 

Here is a pic of the interior as it sits right now most of the way through the 4th gen interior swap, just need to figure out the hvac stuff. If anyone has an easy solution to get it working im all ears. Other two pictures are of the center console. I didn't like the gray color that the firebird interior had so duplicolor supplied the solution. I primered it and then sprayed on their hammered black color. It really looks amazing in person, the pic really doesnt show how great it looks

 

Now heres the pics of the dead 305. God i hate this thing, put about $200 into it trying to get it running but now i've just given up.

 

We could use a little less "love" on this family- and work-place-friendly Board, if you get my drift.

 

sorry man got it fixed, used to ls1tech lol

 

One of the reasons I prefer hanging around here. Thank you.

Keep us posted on the progress.

 

sure man, gonna have big progress with tons of pics this weekend. basically stripping the car down all the way. got a question for the guys who have already done the swap, would it be easier to use a LS1/T56 harness or use the LQ4 one and modify it to work?

 

If you use the truck harness/PCM you'll need to hack tune in a t56 tune but if you use the LS1 PCM you'll need to swap your reluctor wheel on the crank

 

Have fun with the dash and the electrical. Good luck

 

well the electrical for the interior is already done, the only thing left for the interior is the hvac and actually securing the dash in there, shouldnt take more than a weekend to finish once i actually get all the hvac stuff figured out.

Which one do you think would take more time/be more difficult?

 

o ok wasent sure thats one thing i gota learn is electrical. did you pull the engine yet?

 

nah unfortunately thats has to wait till sunday since i have to work the rest of the week. the electrical really isnt bad its just tedious because you have to match up the third and fourth gen wires, so it just takes time. its all in the preparation for the interior swap

 

ya put picks up when u pull it. im trying to find a early 80's t/a or iroc to put my 455 in. and i wanna see wat im getting myself into. im putting my engine together sat.

 

finally gettin around to updated my thread. god the holidays are soo crazy. so glad january is finally here. anyways got everything pulled out of the car. omg its so empty. the only thing left under it is the fuel tank and thats coming out real soon.

 

Nice works! I stay here to see the progress! :P Do you have any problem to disassemble the front crossmember?

 

everything came out really quick. it only took us five days of work to get everything out from the car, it just takes me forever to upload the pics. we probable got it apart so fast since im not really saving anything from the suspension and steering so we just recklessly tore it apart

 

Been a while since i updated the thread, so here's some new pictures and updates. Almost done repainting the engine bay, just have some more spots to touch up. Got the front suspension in and putting the new steering in sunday.

 

Have you decided on ls1 or LQ4? I have one of each, but i'd rather use the lq4 since its an iron block. Trouble is, I never heard of having to swap the reluctor on the lq4...

 

Yeah i just decided to get a used ls1 because its waaay cheaper to do that swap rather than get the lq4 then put all the parts on it and get it in. That way I'll have the money to throw a 9 inch and a built 4L60E in there

 

Update:

Got all the steering in today. Too cold and icy toady to do much else. Got two pictures of the steering for everyone. Now that the front of the suspension is mostly done, except for the brakes and sway bar, ill be moving to the rear next weekend so the car will be moveable.

 

I thought you were going with a T56 trans? I ask because my future project is an LS1/T56 89 RS and following for ideas. Good luck with the swap.

 

yeah i really wanted to do it, but the added cost of converting an automatic car to manual was really too much. Once i tallied it all up i figured it would cost in the neighborhood of $2000 to do the manual swap the way i wanted to do it. And $2000 added to my already huge cost of rebuilding the car was just too much. I figured if i wanted a manual car, i'll buy another third gen for a daily driver.

 

I hear ya with the additional cost, I'm starting with a manual 2.8 RS. You should be able to find the pedals and parts in the wrecking yard but the T56 is a chunk of change compared to the auto. The manual trans will delay my project for awhile, but I cant settle for another auto trans fbody.

I wish someone made a y-pipe for exaust manifolds for this swap.

 

Yeah thats the exact problem i had with the swap, the pedals were'nt the expensive part. It was the t-56, clutch, and shifter that was bad. I didn't want to put the transmission in there with a weaker clutch, i wanted a ls7 or comparable so i wouldnt have to worry about changing it out soon. And i wanted a hurst competition shifter at the same time because i hate the stock one. So all that was really adding up big time, and it was looking like if i wanted to have the car done at the time i wanted, i would have to throw the stock ten bolt back in there rather than put in a 9 inch. So i figured i could always swap to a t56 later if i REALLY had to have one