carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

I can certainly relate to how Buddy feels about the 3rd gen cars. I have a '97 WS6 T/A that I purchased brand new back in '97. I've sunk a ton of money into it over the years, but if I were forced to make a decision on which car I had to get rid of, I'd definitely get rid of the '97 and keep my '91 GTA.

Coyotesa

I know what you mean Carlos of all the fbody cars I have had the thirdgen I sold is the only one I really miss.

All the fbodies I have had.

My first fbody was a 70 camaro my dad bought me when I was 14-15yrs old but we had some motor work done on it and the person who did it messed everything up for us and my dad had to get rid of it because it sat for years afterwards.

Later in life I got my 87 Trans Am, this is the one I miss so much

Traded it for this black 1995 4th gen T/A

Sold the black car for a 1995 convertible and ended up selling the convertible for a Xtreme blazer...I started a detailing business and needed the extra space plus never felt safe parking the convertible anywhere.



Then sold the Blazer because I missed the fbody scene and was searching for a 3rd gen when this 98 T/A fell in my lap at a price I couldnt pass up!


I bought every car you see here in horrible shape, I then restored the exterior and interior of them all and made them look gorgeous!

-Buddy-

3rdGenFreak1227

any pics of how you got the truck acc. brackets to fit? Under the hood I mean not literally how you got them to bolt to the motor lol

Prokilllsx

With no details I would still expect 13.50's or better out of yours assuming you put drag radials on it.

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

I'm assuming that everyone that has more than $5k in their LSX swap has forged and better than stock internals, right? Also, those that have upwards of $10k in their swap, what kind of performance numbers are your cars putting down?

Brando5641

iTrader: (-1)

lol no no no no. Mine is a bone stock 5.3 lm7 ls1 intake, fbody manifolds and oil pan and all new gaskets.... nothing els has been done to the engine.

Brando5641

iTrader: (-1)

I very well could be i just have never taken it to the track because i dont want to get mad at the car if it ran a 14+
Im sure it would tho. I have raced a few 11'-12' v6 mustangs and pulled about a car and a half on them from a 40 roll to about 105. They are supposed to put down around 270 to wheel in stock form.
I would have cried if i would have lost lol

Coyotesa

Some pics of the car I hope to go see soon, 1989 GTA Trans Am 350 tpi engine verified the l98 option in vin#. 170k miles with a rebuild that was done at 100k miles. This car is 3 hours from where I live but I am waiting on him to switch out the starter so I can test drive the car.




-Buddy-

Coyotesa

I also found Fyrchkn's car is for sale near me, but its not a trans am even though its nice. And the paint he put on it scares me not sure how much hassle it would be when I decide to put paint on it.

http://collegestation.craigslist.org...490199893.html

His paint job.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...paint-job.html

-Buddy-

Prokilllsx

I bet you can guess which one I'm pulling for.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

He used tractor paint the second time. Ive used it extensively for axles, chassis, engine blocks etc. Basically brush on powder coating when pure paint

I wouldnt be scared by it. Not much difference than classic enamel paintjobs

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

These numbers are ballpark - don't want to think too much about it and doesn't include everything:

4200 LS2 takeout (34k miles)
1100 4L65e takeout (35k Miles)
2700 Hawk's exhaust (2" headers) and added costs
2900 Corbeau Leather seats with backs re-upholstered and lid
2400 Wilwood 6 piston BBK (front only, so far)
1000 Harness
250 Oil pan
550 Koni Yellows
500 Spohn rear coilovers
350 Alum Hubs
550 Racecraft Drop Spindles
190 kmember eng mounts and new clamshells
150 Hawks trans crossmember
125 Driveshaft shorten and re-balance
225 Carpet
400 Raamat
500 Deck & speakers
400 BMR trak pak
200 CAI
1000 Dyno tune & xtra costs for shoddy harness while on dyno
19,690

10,000 Paint job in process- all hand sanded

Not finished, yet...

382 to rear wheels with 0 knock retard tune. Did not go into motor with such low mileage, yet...probably just L92 heads & intake w/cam (LS2 is 4.00" bore) when I have the $$ (requires rear-end & rear brakes with that upgrade)

NemeSS-TyranT

iTrader: (1)

Badass gta. I wouldnt mind a gta. But i prefer hardtop irocs.
Dont be scared by the ls swap. Its not gonna be the cheapest. But nothing beats an ls in a 3rd gen for the fun factor.imo.
Im going to look for and build a hardtop iroc, over a buying a c6 vette.

Buying the vette will officially mark the middle age mile stone for me.
My first car was a 1988 charcoal grey hardtop iroc z.
That i bought from my uncle with built motor,solid cam, dart heads/intake, stalled th350, built rear end and lot of susp. Work. I learned to lash valves on it.
It was the quickest car in my school. you can imagine what a 15yr old kid does with a 400+hp iroc.
Just trying to relive that i guess.

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

I currently have around 6K tied up into mine and haven't even started the swap.

I have $3300 shipped in a complete dropout out of a 90k mile '02 Camaro SS: LS1/T56, all accessories, electric fans, radiator, pedals, plastic fuel tank with lines, computer w/ complete uncut wiring, PRO 5.0 shifter, and a few other odds and ends.

$1100 for Hawks SSW 1 3/4 longtubes, new 5 speed shifter plate, motor mounts, trans crossmember.

Another $1650 for a set of hand ported low mileage 243 heads with PAC 1518 springs, an EPS 230/238 cam, and a Mcleod RXT twin disk clutch, and a new set of 373 gears.

So that puts me right around $6050. Of course would be a lot less with different headers, and cut out the go fast parts.

This also doesn't include $7000 I currently have in a new garage I built for my car, lol. Got to have a nice shop for the swap. I have been working on this since this summer and I was planning on starting the swap this week, and low and behold, I blew my knee out and need surgery. That will put my swap on hold for a while. Oh well, I will get there sometime. More time to change my mind for a turbo I suppose.

t_raven

I see a lot of people counting upgrades as part of the swap. If you're doing it all at the same time, it would be hard to separate the costs, but for those wanting to estimate how cheap they can do it, the cost of upgrading stock parts shouldn't be counted. You can always use as much stock stuff as possible to get the car on the road and mod it later.

With a complete engine and trans pull out with harness, PCM, accessories, mounts, and manifolds, you don't need much more. Swap mounts, a y pipe, a few hoses and lines, modify the harness, and make a pipe for your air cleaner. Turn off the VATS and disable all the removed emissions codes and monitors and you're good to go until you can mod stuff.

Not counting the stuff I upgraded I probably spent less than $300 other than the cost of the donor.

Lonnie P

If you can do as "copterz" did above you will save the most money & also limit the amount of parts chasing you do. Over the last few days, I went to the parts store 3 times & dropped almost $100 each time.

Just bought over $100 in heater, radiator & power steering hose.
Add another $50 for antifreeze & misc fluids.

$200 in a cold air kit was just a quick phone call.

I'm trying not to total mine up as it will probably make me sick.

At least when it is done, it will be unique... No one gives a 4th gen LS1 a second look, whereas 3rd gens are already getting more desireable/collectible. I've noticed people walking around it when parked looking at it, but 5 yrs ago, it rarely got a second glance.

UnstableAviator

I never took my car to a "cruise in" until September 2012 and I almost felt like I had a 1969 Camaro there or something. Lots of lookers and lots of questions about doing the swap, wiring, etc. I certainly didn't do it to be "different" but being the only LSx swap car there out of 200+ gathers some attention.

lunati397

can be done as cheap as 2000 depending on your skill and what you want

5.3 Ive gotten them as cheap as 350 dirty dingo accy 500 carb setup 850 (with a new carb) 150 for a exhaust shop to tie the exhaust together to the stock and 100 max for the mounts dirty dingo has those too

Now for me I would do the exhaust and motor mounts myself I have carbs sitting around and I would sell what im not using

the dirty dingo setup can use the stock AC compressor and powersteering pump from the camaro so no new lines need to be made and high mounts them so there is no clearance issues

lunati397

Trading is always king too Im working a trade right now for a LS2 and 6 speed for stuff that I got in trade and have laying around

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Yep, thats how I got my 6.0/4L80E