Project-91' Z28-The resurrection............

So, the story goes like this for my build, rescued a 91' Z28 from the local insurance auction, it had been in a fire. Luckily, somebody had the presence of mind to put it out before it was a total loss! The firewall got pretty hot from what I can tell, but the fire remained centrally located in the engine bay and didn't destroy everything(about75%). I had been looking off and on for a roller or good donor car for my fascination of the LS swap into a 3rd gen, and this , well it just fit the bill! Been doing lots of research, but will definately need some assisance in this endeavor of mine!

Some project goals as of right now...
1. Swap out burnt'TPI 350 for a 5.3 or 6.0L
2. would like to lighten the car as much as possible
3. may see some street use, but mostly strip
4. thinkin' ultimately end up round 550-600 hp range, possibly w/turbo
5. may run e-85, have already converted my last car, and loved it!
6. keep in mind budget is tight, but I do expect to take time and do it right.

Couple of questions off the top...
1. TPI engine harness ok to do the splice for LS? read a few places ecommending the TBI or V6?
2. I'd like to run a good tubular K-member, but not sure what to get?
on that note, if u run a tubular do u still need an aftermarket pan, or modify a pan? I've seen and read lots of people chopping the stock k-member for fitment.
3. do I even need the stock ECU wires from pass. side of the engine bay?

more to come, pics and more Q's i'm sure!
Thankx for checkin' out my thread!

 

The TPI harness will work fine. People reccomend using the TBI and V6 harness because the TPI harness is worth some $.

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

What kind of racing? Bracket?

If budget is tight, things like turbo and 550-600 HP don't seem compatible. Making the power is one thing, handling the power (including required safety equipment) is another.

I don't think I'd even consider a 5.3. 6.0 is same weight, same issues installing (accessories, oil pan, etc.), so might as well go for the extra cubes. Opens up other possibilities as well (such as L92 heads).

I've run E85. Worked well on a carb'd car. Not sure there's much advantage with an EFI car.

You won't need any of the 3rd gen ECM wires that go to the passenger fenderwell. The bulkhead connector can be used as a pass-through for the LS wires, though. As long as the C100 connectors haven't been melted completely, you probably don't need any 3rd gen harness at all. Everything can be pigtailed from what's left of the original harness.

Have heard of fitment issues with the Spohn tubular K-member. Others seem okay, though.

Pics of the car's current condition would be interesting.

 

Some pics of my Project 91'...














These are all from at the auction and the later that day off the trailer.

 

Just to answer a few questions....

Yeh, lookin' to do bracket racing, grudge matches, and other weekend events.
Yes, my budget will be tight, not expecting any kind of miracles out of this, and I have a decent understanding of what it will take to get there.
Lookin' this year mainly to convert it, and start in on suspension, brakes, and other body related mods.
I definately don't expect my HP goals to come right away, that's just where I'd like to be when all is said and done.
I'm leaning on E-85 for all the positives it can bring i.e...way less knock, cooler burn, and indefinately boost friendly.
So, if i'm understanding u correctly, I won't need the factory ECU harness at all, which I'm assuming is all it is from the pass. side eng. comp? Also, don't need to extend the factory harness on the driver's side either?
I got about a foot of clean fresh wire on either side, but if I don't need it to slpice, I'll save my money!
Anybody running the UMI k-member yet? fit decent?

Finally pics are up and will try to post more over the weekend , thankx guyz!

 

SSweet looking car man! If i may ask, how much was it? Paint and body seem to be in spectacular condition

 

Picked it up for less than 1k !

She's been repainted, in good shape, few rust spots here and there, i'll wind up repainting it anywayz, as I can't leave anything alone! lol
Pondering colors this weekend!

 

Here's an update, got most of the burnt sh#t out of the engine bay today, just down to exhaust mounts and trans, she's ready to pull!

Few Q's for the experienced...

1. Need to replace several items, one of them is the brake booster, should I just replace it with stock, or is there a hydroboost setup that is useable? Thinking to take up less room!

2. Wat was on the bracket above the brake booster? Looks like maybe couple of relay holders? do i need them or the bracket?

3. Need a new blower motor, and not rerunning the AC, so just make a block off plate for the hole where the condensor was?

4.Biggest Q of all.....Anybody think this engine is worth more selling for what I can get out of it or as a core? thoughts? If u can't see in the pix, basically from the bottom of the valve cover down saw little to no heat.

LMK wat u guyz think!
Thx!

 

few more...

 

Anybody care to take a crack at my Q's???

 

I feel your pain man! It seems like the participation on this forum has been pretty sucky here lately. It's like all of the verteran swappers moved on and hardly anyone wants to help any more.

But anyways... I'll take a crack at them best I can.
1. I'm not sure about the Hydraboost idea, but if it were me, I would put a stock one back in it. It's probably cheaper & probably would be a lot easier to install
2. Yes, there are a few relays on that bracket that the engine harness connects to. I can take a picture of mine for you if you need it. I would keep the bracket. You can always get rid of it later if you come up with a better place to put the relays.
3. I'm thinking you should use something like this for the a/c delete http://www.classicindustries.com/fir...rts/14588.html so that you don't lose the functionality of the system. Maybe there are some cheaper options out there.
4. It can't hurt to try to sell it. I'm not sure if anyone would touch it or not. You just never know. You might be able to make a little on the TPI set-up selling it as a Corvette TPI on e-bay Why would you use this engine as a core? Are you planning on buying a reman'd 5.3 or 6.0? If nothing else, you could always scrap it. I've made a couple hundred bucks scrapping stuff so far. I am keeping my old L98 since it's a numbers matching engine for my car. It could add value to my car down the road to have the original engine.

That's my two cent

 

Thankx for the input!
Got the front end torn apart today and got the car in the air, ready to pull the old heart out, hopefully in the next day or two!