QuadesFather

I wasn't sure exactly which category to post this under as I didn't see a "General" option. But I have decided that I would like to explore the idea of modernizing a late eighties Camaro and an engine swap seems like the cornerstone of the project. If there is a more appropriate place to move the thread I would very much appreciate the help.


My goal would be to update the car to my rose colored memories of the '87 Z28 I drove in high school. I'm not under any illusions that this was the ultimate street car. But I sure did love it back in the day. I recently took a free upgrade to a new Camaro SS when renting a car and it really made me think about my old ride. I did not really care for the new car. It just felt terribly slow. I know from the speedometer that it was anything but slow. But it just didn't have that feel my old car had with half the horsepower. I'd like to try and recapture that magic and still have respectable performance relative to more modern cars. Again, my expectations wouldn't be to magically match a brand new car. I just want to drive what I consider to be one of the best looking cars ever made with enough power to avoid being left in the dust by new Civics and Accords.


I was hoping to get pointed in the right directions for a project like this and pick anyone's brain that has gone on this adventure before. There is a wealth of knowledge on individual topics. I was hoping to approach this as more of a total solution.


Again, and help or experience or pointers in the right direction would be most appreciated!

8t2 z-chev

no need to "modernize"really-just upgrade to a good 350 or 383(if engine is a 305) and proper exhaust,ETC along with rear gear suited to engine and tranny and you will be well on your way

Drew

iTrader: (58)

New cars feel slower because of all the sound deadening, the dozen airbags, wizbang gizmos in the dash, and of course you can't see out of them...

A well selected 89-92 thirdgen with dual cats is still fun to drive even by modern standards. More power doesn't hurt, but you can over-do it to the point the car isnt comfortable to drive daily.

88IROCvertZ

iTrader: (1)

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

This all depends on your abilities, time and dedication.
The Thirdgen is lighter and smaller than the newer 2010+ cars, in some cases it's lighter by 1,000 pounds. I had a 2010 mustang park next to me at a car show and you couldn't even see my Camaro until you were within 5 parking spots. The new Challengers are even bigger. Another member on here parked his 90-92 Trans Am next to a new Challenger and it looked like a mini car.

A fully built (rowdy) 355 with the right gears and suspension will keep up with any newer car under $50,000. A 383 can do it and be a little tamer. But hey if you are going to have to buy a used block and pay all the machining for a stroker why not just buy a 400 or 427 aftermarket block with a one piece rear main seal that requires no additional machining? Alternatively you could do an LS swap and go two directions; just buy a truck LS engine, leave it stock and bolt on a turbo system and make 500 hp OR Build up the LS with an aftermarket cam and set of ported GM heads (one of the better stock sets) and you can get 450 hp. It all depends on your abilities, time and the depth of your pocket book.

Billgluckman

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

I'm in the process of doing something similar to my '92 RS. My take on modernizing goes a bit beyond just upgrading the engine with an LS1/T56 for power, reliability, and fuel mileage. Asides the suspension upgrades, consider the nice to haves that modern cars have. The nice part is you can pick and chose, and leave out what you dont want like traction control.

Big brakes
Exterior and Interior lighting upgrades
Backup camera
More supportive seats (personal preference)
Power seats (if not already equipped)
Heated/Cooled seats
Power locks with remote
Power windows/mirrors (if not already equipped)
Radio upgrade
Steering wheel radio controls
Rearview mirror with built in garage door opener (also available with compass/outside temp)
Additional 12v/usb outlets
Cupholder (debatable on this forum!)

QuadesFather

Thank you to everyone for the replies. I've been doing a little more research and I think I have an idea of what I want to accomplish. If I move forward with this plan I'll be going the LS swap route with welded frame connectors and then calling it a day on the major changes. Most of this work would be done at shops as my mechanic skills are somewhat limited. But I will also be doing a significant update to the interior with a focus on the car audio. This is work I'm familiar with and would take on. Upgraded stereo, speakers, and 4th gen seats will probably get me where I want to be. But I'm sure along the way I'll find a dozen other smaller items that I may challenge myself with a DIY approach.

Thanks again! This entire forum is a treasure trove of information.

yevgenievich

iTrader: (4)

Add the debatable on this forum sound insulation to the list and it pretty much completes most things that I am looking to eventually have on my thirdgen. And remove the cup holder.

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

There is a 3D file floating around that turns the area where the ash tray fits into a pair of cup holders. It really doesn't look so out of place, think there was a thread where it was printed and installed. But I agree with Lightning McQueen when he said Race cars don't have those. haha

1986BANDIT

FIRST:get the car,make everything look right and work properly then drive it.mission active!!!

there are people on thirdgen.org who have corvette independent rear suspension,coil-overs all around,full tubular lower control arms ,some with tubular frames and suspension,13" and bigger disk brakes,twin turbo charged all aluminum LS1-LS7 engines(and much,much more) running insane rolling stock,doing auto cross events and rivaling cars much newer and far more expensive and looking way better while doing it.its all about what you can afford,what you are capable of doing yourself and what you need to farm out.money talks,check out some of the "car of the month" entries to get an idea how truly amazing this platform can be with love,time and vision

here is my vision so far,a 360 horsepower engine and many suspension upgrades are in the works:

do a little bit at a time and it soon becomes the vision of "your car" brought to life