Need Advise!
 

I need some advise, and I think this group in this thread would understand...

I have the opportunity to pick up a 1998 Z28 with T56 for $3500 locally. It has 180k Miles, and the owner says the trans wont go into 2nd and 1st is starting to go bad. I know more about Automatics than manuals, but it sounds like his syncro's are worn, and it just needs rebuilt. I priced rebuild kits and found a basic one for $208, and a Manual for $14 bucks. Shift fork is $75 if I need it. I am mechanically adept, so I am pretty sure I could pull off a rebuild, so I'm going to buy the car.

Here is my question:

I have a 1991 Z28 that I have stripped anticipating the installation of an LS-1/6spd combo. This car is in really great condition, it runs and drives. I am partial to the thirdgen styling, but my wife is very concerned about stripping the 98 just to throw everything into a 91's body.

What do you all think? should I tear it down and steal its innards, or should I part the 91 and drive the 98?

Again, I am a thirdgen fan, I prefer the third gen looks to the 4th gen, but would I be doing something stupid by parting a perfectly working car?

Re: Need Advise!
 

We are human, and as such, most of us can't be logical when we're emotional. Hour heart wants the third gen, even though logic says to drive the fourth gen. The 4th gen has superior ergonomics, superior HVAC, superior brakes, superior front suspension, superior aero, and superior future value.
So, drive the fourth gen for a couple of months, don't do anything to the third gen anytime soon, and at the end of 2 months of driving the 4th gen, you'll just know what to do, without asking us or your better half.

Re: Need Advise!
 

do it do it do it

now that thats outta the way, its a big undertaking, but a lot of us would say go for it. keep the parts you like (the look and body of the 3rd gen) and upgrade the rest. plus, anything you don't need you can sell to the 4th gen guys to recoup some cash. Being someone who's doing this kinda piece by piece, I'd say I would love to have (almost) everything in one place. but i'm cheap and i can wait, so guess i'll keeping hunting down the individual parts :)

Re: Need Advise!
 

thats what wifes do... belive me its going to happen. i would buy the 4th gen and make my mind set that its going to be taken apart get it home and start pulling it apart just so i can drive it. i would do the complete swap, motor trans,dash,seats rear end as much as i can. it may not end up being worth as much but its something u built!

the 6speed is easy to work on. i did the rebuild on my 93 vette. there a little diffrent but just as easy. just takes time and make sure u lay it out the way it came apart.

Re: Need Advise!
 

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

Worth is somewhat irrelevant for me, since I plan on this being my project car permanently.

My plan from the beginning has been to acquire a donor car and swap engine/trans interior & full wiring harness into the third gen, I'd sell the body panels and everything. I've written a list to compare the two items. Here is what I've found:


If I strip the 98 and swap everything I want to the 91:

I will likely recoup around $3350 in parts (from both cars, as I have some stuff to sell from the 91 too)

if I part the 91 and drive the 98:

I will likely recoup around $2800 in parts.

Those figures are a bit generous, but I wasn't liberal in assigning parts values, I used Ebay and Craigslist to set them


I will be working some OT over the next 2 months to get it paid for, we got the seller to allow us to pay 3 payments so that is helpful.

Re: Need Advise!
 

I'd put the mostly stock ls1 and trans into the 91, and keep the 98. Later on down the road build up a good 6.0 and put that in the 98.

IMHO I like driving both of mine the same. Although the iroc handles like its on rails compared to the TA haha. The TA does have a TON more power though, even spraying the 305 has gotten boring

Re: Need Advise!
 

The only downside I see about the swap is the actual work itself. Its a fair bit of effort to swap an LS1 in but as I've said before and will say again. NO ONE who has done the swap isnt happy about it. Its a ton of fun to have an lS1 powered third gen thats for sure.

Plus nowadays with the sticky and all the aftermarket support its considered pretty straight forward.

As for the t56 rebuild? Here ya go

http://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tra...-write-up.html

I suppose next you're going to post a picture of your wife and ask us if you should tell her whether or not that outfit makes her look fat. . . :eek:

Seriously, there isn't much we can do to help you except explain what the swap process would entail. The rest really has to be your decision.

Re: Need Advise!
 

I have the same dilema as you, I have a 3rd gen sitting in the garage that needs a lot of work. It was my highschool car, and has been with me a long time. It took me on my first date with the GF I have been with for 4 years now. It took her to prom, and ferried us from city to city more times than I can count.

But as said, sometimes emotion overrides logic, and emotion tells you to continue to dump money into the car when you could have bought 3-4 4th gen cars.

Here is my suggestion.

Keep the 3rd gen if it isn't costing you anything to have it around. Then buy the 4th gen and use it to get by day to day, and continue to prep the 3rd gen when time and money allows. I say this because believe me, there is much much more to a LSx swap than dropping a motor and trans in with some wires.

If it has a lot of miles on it like any car that old does, you will want to go through suspension, chassis, wiring, and interior.

Does it have rust issues?
Does it have wiring issues?
Do you have a harness ready for it?
Have you treated the chassis for future proofing?
Do you want AC (modification of K member, or aftermarket)?

You get the picture. Sure you could rush it and be happy with the LSx swap for a time, but then it will need to be torn down again and redone at some point. Do it right the first time and take the necessary time to do it, don't rush. Don't make the mistake I did, again this is just my opinion and everyone's will differ depending on circumstances, cashflow, and talent.

Re: Need Advise!
 

I've got a Build thread already going. I've actually read every single build thread on here so far, so I'm pretty well educated in terms of what the project entails. I guess I was just curious what you guys would end up doing if put in my position. I very much appreciate all of your responses, it has certainly helped.