Well, I'm new to the 91 camaro RS, but im not new to cars, mechanics, or LS1's...

basically, i know nothing at all about these little (as i described it in a different post yesterday) ball shriveling, inverted ***** versions of a v8. (meaning, the 305 TBI)

Here is what i DO know though.

the very first thing anyone does is yanks them and sticks a similar year TBI 350 in them, then goes through a crapload of tuning work to make them run / and very few people ever -actually- get them to run reliably after that.

but i digress.... the car i am about to pick up RUNS reliably, it's just, slow as hell and inadequate with a 305 in it.. these cars need to roar, not whimper..

I have a few questions specifically about this motor.

1. are the blocks between the 305 and the 350 the same in this car. i.e. can heads be swapped interchangeably, cams, and what not (probably not cranks). I do know that the intake manifold is the same on both for sure. that leads me to believe i can put 350 heads on the 305 etc. NOT THAT I WOULD, i just need to know for parts research reasons. i don't even know what to look for yet. NOTHING sucks worse than buying something online and having your stuff tore apart to figure out you bought the wrong thing. especially something that costs 40-80$ to ship the FIRST time, much less 3 times.

2. does ANYONE actually soup the 305's up? or does everyone trash them?

I know the 305 SUCKS right out of the box. my motorcycle had 20 more HP -stock- than this pile of crap does, and that's before the 7psi boost i added.. so, to me, this car is incredibly, increeedibly inadequate. especially compared to the LS1. my girlfriends honda has almost that much power.

BUT..... i would be HAPPY with about 350 rwhp. i don't need 500, 600, 1000, 2000, 40,000 HP.. i REALLY don't... i just want it to have a good cam lope and a flow master, and the ability to get out of the way and merge into traffic without getting ran over by semi's.

usually, that means you go buy a crate 350/350 for a few thousand bucks, buy a junk yard motor and take it to the machine shop, then buy a crapload of parts for it, and spend just as much as a new crate motor..... or, you buy an LS1/LS2 off of ebay out of a low miles car.

3. IF this motor is at all worth building up, how much money would i have to spend to make it 350hp vs making a 350ci motor 450hp?

4. a technical question : can i throw the TBI stuff in the trash and put a 750 holley on it?

4a. What would it require to do that? (not asking about tools) Obviously i'm losing the ECU then because it doesn't need one. Do i have to replace ignition stuff? will the gauges no longer work? I guess what im really asking is; What all -exactly- does the "computer" control in this car, and, if i throw the tbi out, how much of it will no longer work?

Honestly, i haven't SEEN my 91 yet, my dad acquired it and its a few hours away from me. So, i have no idea what the motor looks like aside from pics i've seen. Does this motor have a distributor type ignition, or does it have a control box, and would i have to replace that if i yanked the "fuel injection" off and throw it in the trash?

This is going to be a STREET car, not a race car, and i am in Texas, which has strict emissions almost as bad as California. I know a few of you are here too, so any tips about that would be appreciated too..


that's a lot of questions, and sorry it isn't more to the point. answers are appreciated! thx

 

holy crap...

what's all this about LT1 cams in the tbi motors?????

what else fits off of an LT1 ?

 

basically the cam that is it. If I had to do it all over again, I would not invest any money into making a 305 tbi fast. The money I spent to have high 13 tbi car could have went towards the ls1 and run mid 13's and still get 20+ mpg. So IMO just drive it as a daily reliable car and think about stepping up to a different style engine in the future.

but to answer your question, if you wanna go carb, you would need to change the carburetor, bypass all sensors, change the distributor to an HEI style, and wire up the torque converter lockup differently.

 

if you aren't new to LS1's then you know that the heads in that engine makes a huge difference. You also understand that fuel injection is far superior to a carb for making power and retaining drivability and economy (so to speak)

The ignition system is superior as well

you also know that 350 RWHP is 400-420 crank HP.

You are getting a smog era car for F R E E. Do not expect it to be a performer unless you highly modify what is under the hood and with the 305, yank it and toss in a rebuilt sbc of greater displacement.

Heck, even the big bad, fire breathing L98 TPI 350 of these model years put out less HP than a new Honda minivan.

You need to come to grips with what the times were like during that era. Performance was a nasty word not to be used in conjuction with the word car.

 

1.a 305 is the 2 hundred something ci (smaller v8), bored over and stroked with a 350 crank, so cranks are the same though usualy have different sized mains. a common thing to do to a 350 for cheap is put 305 heads on for a higher compression...but, almost everything can interchange between the three.

2.most people trash em, because the overly tried and partialy true 350 is SO luring. (personaly i like the underdog engines, had a 3.8 cutlass pushing over 350 hp that would blow alot v8 away due to a better hp-wght ratio)

dont know three...

4.yes you can... the ECM (tbi cars did not yet have an ECU) only controlls the injectors to my knowlege (could be wrong). but you could DEFF put a different intake on it and throw a carb on. you would have to eliminate the 02's and plug them and what not, but people do it all the time, i personaly am going to....HOWEVER, if the emmisions are as strict as you say, do NOT pull the 02's do NOT change to carb, and DONT pull the smog pump even though it is in the way and looks stupid (only draws .7-1.3 horse, so dont pull it for performance reasons) because you will fail the test, they are done by year of car, so yours is not held to the same standards as say a 79 car with a carb and no egr or cats

if yours is truely running well and has a manual trans, i think you actualy be somewhat pleased with its performance out of the box (its no 11 second monster, but very fun to drive). i race mine (89 firbird 305 tbi w/shift kit) around everywhere and the little tunners think they can get me in the turns since i leave them standing off the line, but you can throw these bad boys around some turns...i dont think you made a bad choice here.

 

305 was the 262 bored to 3.671 and stroked with a 350 crank......i couldnt remember

 

There is only 4 thing you could (should) do to the 305:
1. Plan on replacing the exhast from the heads back- a 1.5" primary is good for the 305, but if you plan for a 350+ in the future then 1 5/8" or 1 7/8" is better. Use a high flow cat (3") and a free flowing muffler (50 series flowmaster is good)
2. Cold Air intake off ebay, or another low restricion air cleaner
3. LT1 cam - I have the 705 cam (not installed yet), but it should wake up the 305 a bit.
4.(optional) You can do a home port and polish job on the 305 heads, just don't pay someone to do it.

 

This has been floating around for a while so here you go=.
http://www.hioutput.com/tech/343hp/343hp.html

 

Man. These 305 threads have been popping up like crazy recently. For the LO3 305 TBI You should be aiming for 200rwhp and 300lbs ft tq. 350 isn't gonna happen. Not easely at least. Here is what I post for every member that ask the 305 question. I just copy and paste cause I got tired of writing it every time.

Here are some public posts (you’ll have to cut through the opinionated and engine swap crap), but there is some good stuff in here. #1 rule, don’t get anything you can’t swap over to a 350 or 383 or sell later on. #2, Go cheap on the 305. Don’t put a $50 dollar saddle on a $20 horse is the common saying.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/626560-evaluate-305-tbi-build.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/622480-just-want-200hp.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/power-adder/622784-looking-get-high-power.html
And a TGO Official post. Ultimate TBI parts one and two, plus how to make a dual snorkel air cleaner.
https://www.thirdgen.org/ultimatetbi
https://www.thirdgen.org/ultimatetbi2
https://www.thirdgen.org/dualsnorkel

And these are my suggestions:

1. Open Air Element (Cleaner) or duel snorkel air cleaner
2. New headers back exhaust system
3. TBI Chip
4. 180* Thermostat swap
5. Nitto NT555 tires or similar tire
6. Edelbrock performer rpm intake manifold
7. 3.42 10 bolt Rear End
8. Corvette Shift Kit (if you have an auto)
9. Ultimate TBI mods
10. Wider Aftermarket Rims

And if you want to go big:
1. Heads
2. Camshaft
Hope this helps!
-SKELITOR

 

so first..

THANKS! all of you have provided useful info, and i know that in so many ways, this thread has been done to death, so thanks for putting up with that.

onto specifics...

i guess first and foremost, i need to ask WHY people are putting LT1 cams in the motors.

ok ok... i know the -obvious- reason, but i mean, what made someone think "oh crap, why don't i use an LT1 cam"

more specifically, why an LT1 vs a higher loping comp cam for the same block? and are they using a STOCK LOPE LT1 cam? or an aggressive one?

I do know that in some motors, people do a firing order swap, i don't remember if the LT1 has a different firing order than the L03. I think the L03 has the "classic" firing order. I know that the LS1 has a different firing order i.e. is that why they do it? or does it have something to do with a roller cam vs non roller?

for that matter, does this car have a roller cam and roller rockers from the factory?

on another note entirely, people keep mentioning open air filters, ram air, and cold air intakes..

i actually plan to MAKE a fiberglass / carbon fiber cold air intake for this car. (i'll post when i get around to doing this, i promise)

----

somewhat back to the original topic of souping up the 305. I've noticed that almost no one has said anything about turbo charging them that i've found or heard.

why? aside from the fact that turbos weren't popular in the 90's whereas blowers and superchargers were.

again, i'm not saying i want to do this, but, why hasn't anyone said "put 350 heads on it to lower compression and run a 10psi turbo on it with 4-7psi boost, and you'll get a little extra power" ... though, i think these motors only have 2 injectors, so you would need larger injectors, or secondaries, or maybe a high pressure fuel pump. i don't know for sure what all it would need. so maybe it isn't any cheaper said and done. you may be talking about having to do a TPI swap, and then you may as well just put an LS1 in it for about the same price as all of the conversion crap would cost. keeping in mind that i have seen LS1's with 50k miles on them complete with T56 transmissions for anywhere between 2500 to 4500..

oh, for the people who mentioned it..... mine is an AUTO

My girlfriend is happy about that though, she doesn't know how to drive a stick.

in response to the lunati's performance page, the ONLY thing he failed to mention was the $$$$$$$$$$$ for all of that...

actually that's more of a question than a comment.... how much would that run?

as mentioned, 2500 to 4500 puts an LS1 in my garage. but obviously there's more to it than just buying an LS1 and shoving it in the engine compartment. it costs a lot for the "crap didn't know i needed that" stuff.

.... OK another question..

and, i know the answer for LS1's but, no idea for this...

how much can you do to the motor WITHOUT having to invest the money on all of the tuning crap for the... computer, whatever it's called. i called it an ECU earlier and was corrected.

i.e. if i stick a cam in it, will it crap out on me because the computer doesn't know to spit gas at different times? and what about the timing?? then again, it only has 2 injectors, i think it just spits gas in the top and spits more when you hit the gas, less when you don't.. i think i'll have a much better grasp once i have actually SEEN the car.

like i mentioned, it's an hour or so away from me right now.

it really sucks that i have this gap of knowledge. When i was growing up, i built sbc's with my dad to put in his hotrods, then i went straight to LS1's. obviously the principles are the same for every motor, but, specific motors have specific part limitations, and technical crap with them that you have to know.

so thats why i thank you guys for humoring me while i figure this crap out. as i mentioned, it's truly brand new to me. I may as well be working on a boat motor or something.

I was made aware though that this car has a problem with how it runs, but i don't know enough to post about it. I have a feeling i'll find the answer here though. from how it was explained to me, when started, it dies once or twice, and idles really rough, but when you're going down the highway with it, it runs normally.

apparently, the tach shows a few thousand RPM higher than actual verified RPM is at idle too (shows it idles at 3500 or something crazy, i don't know this for sure though)

so i was thinking maybe a sensor, a vacuum hose, or an intake leak maybe?? and the gauge may be busted, or hooked up incorrectly?

anyone have any ideas about that? i will post a new thread when i get the car and figure out what the real symptoms are. But, i figured i'd ask because i plan to go up there tues or wed to put the glass in it and get it ready to drive home. i'd like to have something to look for...

does this motor even USE vacuum lines ????

heh....... does anyone have a PDF clymer manual of my car?? i think that would really help. service manual particularly.

 

TIG is going to say what needs to be said

a common theme that i see in chevy forums

" I'm used to old school"

" I built engines with my dad"

etc, etc

then we get basic questions asked and TIG just scratches his head wondering where that person was during all those rebuilds or old school.

Anyway, the technology of the gen 1 SBC is quite old. It's not about whether or not you can get performance out of 305 cubic inches because Ford with the NEW technology has done it with 302 CID. The real question is whether or not it's cost effective to try to improve an LO3. Forget the displacement.

If a poster really has experience, then they will pay attention to the information learned from over 30 + years dealing with the smog era engines. We're talking late 70's and 80's technology.

Just because the badge says Camaro does not mean it's high performance. One really needs to go back and reflect upon the era of the mid 70's and the 80's. The introduction of the LT1 in 1992 in the Vette was the return of performance. That was just about 20 years of pathetic vehicles and the 3rd gens are from that era.

Research the Chrysler K cars or Chevy Citations if you need a reminder of what the times were like. People were towing trailers using the small Blazer with the 2.8 v6 and a whopping 120HP. 200HP was an object of a wet dream back then and unheard of.

 

lol...yeah, but its not that you cant make these engines fast, its that HE probly cant, if he rips this engine out and puts a ls1 in or something his emmissions be too rich? i live in FL where we dont care about the enviroment, so punch a hole in my cats, swap to carb, take out my egr and Smog Pump and no one would be the wiser. again i dont know the emmision on an LS1, but i know if its worse than our 305s your gonna dump more money into putting this 305 right back in there.

and (he says with a smile) there are DEFINETLY vacume lines.

before i started cheking for leaks and what not, i would run some lucas (or if you can)sea foam to make sure you injectors are spraying right, should have a nice, even, pretty cone, if there is breaks then they need cleaned/replaced...mine used to die now and then on the start and wouldnt wanna idle, but would still drive just fine (with my foot on the gas) so i ran some lucas, now im fine.

and no one turbos there third gen because thats un-American, how silly would a nice 73 cuda look cruisin down the road with the blow of shooting all the time, it would sound like some had flowmasters on there civic!

and people do put 350 heads on these now and then for performance (in i think low range rpm,could be the other way around though)

and its was ECM i.e. Electronic Control Modual

 

Im so getting tired of threads like these

 

 

what, vague ones?

 

Seriously, TIG hit the head of the nail...

 

I have to admit. TIG is right.

 

i just typed up a huge response to the person who refers to himself in the 3rd person. then i decided that no one wanted to read 2 pages of ranting about how i do know what im talking about, do know about LS1's and old school motors, just.... no idea about THIS motor.. and i never said i was a MECHANIC.. being a mechanic requires schooling and shitloads of certifications.

so i deleted it and am writing this in it's place.




more importantly, i have another post about tire and wheel fitting that i REALLY need answered asap asap...

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/whee...98-02-z28.html

2000 rims on the 91 rs ???

considerably different back spacing, but im supposed to be meeting this dude in the next few hours...

check it out please...

i'll get back to this one in a bit.


still wondering about that LT1 swap though,

 

ugh! i dont care how aggrivating these posts are....NOTHING is more aggravating than pessimistic people trying to tell you that your car can never be fast....its not like we're builing 1/4 mile cars for a living, he said he wants a STREET car. these can be perfectly fine street cars! there is nothing wrong with them, stock, sure, a bit under powered. but when people want a fast street car, its only red light to red light when some faggol in his CRX and fart box muffler revs his peice of **** at you. we arent racing bugattis in the tour-de franze. a 250 hp f body with a nice shift kit is plenty of fun around town and still reliable enough to not leave you stranded.this kid isnt asking for a bunch of nay-sayers to tell him he will never run a 10 on the strip with his 305.

 

sorry, LT1 cam swap

 

TZ, thanks... i agree and pretty much wrote that but deleted it.

and i think that's the other problem. no offence to the younger audiences here, i know a few of you are just out of school, i'm in my early 30's. so, i saw with my own eyes how crappy cars were back then, i remember when my car was brand new... well not my exact car, but, you get the point.

i remember getting all emotional when they announced that they would never make a 350 again....

but they curbed that by making a 5.7 metric, instead of a 350, and came out with the LT-1.

my dad mostly built up vortecs, hemi's, flatheads, and old school blower motors..

i guess what im saying is..

im NOT asking things like "what do heads do" i'm asking things like WHY SPECIFICALLY is an LT1 cam preferred over a "better" L03 comp cam or various other type. and i asked if it had to do with a cylinder swap. some of you guys think this is common knowledge..

it's COMMON to the people who have been in it for a while, and you asked the same questions when you got into this motor, you just don't remember asking them.

but in fairness, people gave you guys the same responses. "how can you not know that.?"

i may as well be playing with a honda motor.

LS1's are completely different.. sure, they have a block, cam, crank, heads, etc, and it does the same thing when you swap parts,

but, the L03 has DIFFERENT sensors, and "computers" and all sorts of crap that i don't know about. they call them different things, they go different places, they do slightly different things to accomplish the same goal,

i'm unfamiliar with -this motor-

i don't know if you guys read this before but... i STILL have not seen my car in person. it's an hour away from me, and i've been busy working. so i have no idea what it looks like under the hood aside from photos. it's totally new to me.

obviously, if you port the heads on this car vs any other car you get more performance, obviously doing a rear end swap will give you more take off power, and stall convertors, and cams, and all this other crap, i KNOW all of that.

but i dont know the specifics of this motor, --- however, just by reading around i've began to figure out what to ask specifically...

and it's been less than 3 days since i even KNEW an L03 existed... i thought it went from gen1, to vortec, to TPI, to LTI/LT4 to LS1 / LS2 i didn't know TBI existed!!!!!!!!!

wait... let me re-phrase that..... i knew throttle body existed.... i thought throttle bodies were stuck on L98's before they went to TPI.............. or something...

so, anyway, yes, TZ said it right...

STREETABLE car... i don't need it to be a 1/4m stomper, i just want to upgrade it to be bearable

and i think i've figured out what needs to be done - actually, Skelator had some awesome links that im STILL reading over.. lol

 

that would be me. And to risk ticking you even more every question you've posed has been asked numerous times and can be found with the search function.

Nobody is attacking you personally. The whole LO3 discussion and performance gets asked time and again. It's about expectations. Here's a revelation. In my current stable I have an LO3 powered 89 RS. I even had the engine rebuilt and did not upgrade the cam, heads, nada. I only put on shorty headers and an open air filter. I knew that if I began making any changes for performance it made no sense to do it to a 305 when i could send a 350 block to the machinist to begin. But, that wasn't my plan

You must set your expectations. I read a post in here obviously from a youngster who talks about beating hondas and their fart cans from stop light to stop light. With drivers like that on the road, I'm glad he doesn't have a performance vehicle and risking the lives of my children let alone his.

So, if your expectations are 200-225 RWHP then you are going to be disappointed. Can you get there, sure. Will it be cost effective..........absolutely not.

You must understand what you have to begin the process and an LO3 is not a good canvas from which to paint your creation

 

Hmmm, usually I agree with much of what TIG says. However, I think 200-225 rwhp is a realistic goal for a mild 305 build. If you want more than that then consider yanking it and starting over.

 

You can make any car fast, but the amount to make a 305 tbi fast isnt very smart when you can be even faster with a different platform swap. i dont know how many times that has to be said

 

I agree. I think that is a realistic goal. Though I can't say anyone should consider mine to be the expert opinion here.

 

If that is a reply to my comment, I do not know what you are taking about. I do not consider 200-225 rwhp in a third gen to be fast. I was addressing what I thought would be realistic and economical objectives without considering a platform swap. JMO.

 

200-225rwhp isn't fast, but its quick. Respectable even. Unless you spend like 2k to get that much. Then it sounds weak.

 

Agree, my reply was to the comment from UnderCover89TBI

 

cost effective is the key word


200-225 RWHP is about 250-265 FWHP or 80-95 more FWHP over a stock engine

you aren't getting there with a tune, cam and headers. It's going to require heads and then you are into the whole cost effective argument

 

i guess thats where i differ from every one here then, to me it is worth the extra cash to stray away from the cookie cutter 350 (if you have it). every one and there mother has had a 350 and 1 out of 2 people have built them. and to TIG........i didnt say a race around everywhere sliding around corners like starski and hutch. but why els would you build a quick car if not to have a little fun now and then. unless your one of those people that drive around with there 500+ hp cars and have never spun there tires. im certainly not doing 80 mph down every road. and i certainly am not drag racing my everyday driver.

and valid point skelitor, i guess quick is what i had in my mind. i admit defeat there.

 

when I was a pup, we went to a private airfield and ran

later, I was 5 minutes away from a drag strip

now, I'm 30 minutes away and they have test and tune nights to see what she does

at 17, I lost a good friend who was an "excellent" driver much like all 17 and 18 year olds. Car vs tree......tree won. He was racing.

At 18, a girl who I once dated in HS ended up in a wheelchair because she was ejected from the car after it hit a pole. Her boyrfriend was drivng too fast.

My daughters friend has no dad because he was t-boned by a snot nose kid driving too fast.

Bad things don't always happen to the other guy. I'd rather you inexperienced guys get mad at me as I try and share reality and experience rather than read some thread here about how you have left this world all too early

cheers

TIG

 

i like this forum....

you guys all get in these awesome disputes and i can tell it's all in fun...

actually, it reminds me of those episodes of the office where Jim will say something like "Robots are most definitely stronger than bears" to dwight, and he'd go crazy with it trying to prove him wrong...

... i say that, wondering if gear heads actually watch the office.

--------

on another note,

i think aside from gaining the knowledge and opinions i have gathered, some of this may be for nothing...

i was talking to my dad about it, and mentioned the L03, and how it has 170hp and whatever else, talking about what i've been researching and figuring out...

he said "huh?? this thing hauls ***!.. it's definitely not 170hp"

so.... i don't know what that really means..

A. he's getting soft in his older years
B. someone along the way did some crap to the motor..

considering he has been drag racing since the 70's in various classes, has had more than 1 car running in the 6's n 7's, and has been building cars professionally for customers just as long, i trust when he says it's fast - even if it's fast "relatively speaking"

for all i know, it may have a 350.. but he was told it ws a 305, and i don't think he ever looked really.. (which sounds horrible, but he bought it with the intention of yanking the motor and sticking it into something else for my sister, then scrapping the body.......... which sounds even worse... but he came to his senses and offered it to me instead as a running car. )

I'm taking off of work tomorrow to go check it out, tired of being in the dark. everything is speculation at this point.

If it doesn't have matching numbers, i'll look around on the block to see if i can determine what's actually in it without tearing it apart. i think it says somewhere ON the block what it is. 5.7 5.0 whatever. idk.. tired of guessing at this point lol.

///

as for the rims thing, i asked the question because i was supposed to be out the door on the way to meet the guy, doing the "search option" seemed the least likely option for SAVING TIME... and responses get emailed to my phone, sooooooo that's why i posted again, even if it exists already. and aside from that, i DID attempt to research this, (and have been since then) but the search function on this site, or, Vbulletin in general sucks.. not to say it doesn't work, but if you're in a hurry, you're not going to read through 200 threads to see if someone answered the question, and it pulls up several results with similar..................... nevermind....... nevermind....

but yeah, it's difficult to look through all the threads, especially when people argue for 2 days on what the definition of "is" is...

so .... yes... i reposted it... but no..... u didn't **** me off by commenting on it. i'm not lazy, i was just short on time, and making use of technology to notify me when someone replied. cant fault me for that.

i found 1 answer on that post, but it's not verified and im still researching it.

apparently the answer is "2 inch spacers" so far, and it's one that i feel fairly certain is correct..

lol i'll respond to the other posts in a little bit, i have more legitimate questions about some of the ideas that were raised.

 

I got my car with very low expectations. At the time all it had was new tires and a shift kit. When I drove it I expected total dissapointment. I was pleasantly suprised with its power. Being 17, I think it's perfect for me. I am satisfied. Now it has a little more into it. And yah, allot of these arguments are all in fun. But every once in a while they go sour. And its the torque that makes the car move. 255lbs tq at just 2400rpm. It really moves in second gear.

 

It all comes down to whether or not you intend to race it a lot, if you're fine with not making orgasmic gobs of power, want a decent commuter, and don't want or are unable to swap in a new engine. I'm 17 as well and this is how I feel, so I've decided to build my 305.

The stock heads can be hand-ported for some pretty decent gains, and if you want to step it up a little you can go for the vortecs. Ported stock heads will probably perform better on the lower end, though.

You can certainly do it on the cheap as well with a bit of looking. Hell, I just bought a pair of Hedmans today (1 5/8" inlet, 3" collectors) for $25... and ended up paying another 22 for shipping. But still, you can't beat $47 for some headers that just need some refinishing and engine paint. The rest of my exhaust will probably cost around $60.. welded junkyard pipes and a Cherry Bomb Glasspack. Screw paying $435+shipping for Hooker 2055's with a y-pipe.

I'll have plenty of this stuff in my thread

Whatever you choose to do with your car, good luck with it and drive safely

Edit: Must have backspaced it accidentally, but skelitor, that's exactly what I was going to say! those 255 ft-lbs do make our cars move on the low end. You also have to consider that the 700R4 has a pretty low first gear. Now put some 3.42's in there and see what it'll do

 

I need a job haha.

 

now you're getting it. It's not always about HP. For the traditional around town driving Torque Is Good (now where have I heard that before)

get some 3.55:1's in the rear and you'll be even more pleased with around town driving.

 

Yup a gear swap really wakes these cars up for the fifteenth milion time on this site

 

see!!!thats what ive been saying this whole time!! these cars arent that bad, my very first post i said i was all stock accept a shift kit and i have TONS of fun driving this. i was getting the feeling every one on here hated there third gens, and was wondering why they had them.

sorry if i seemed sour (mostly to TIG) i was getting adjitated that every one was putting my (our) car down.

 

I've always liked the body style of the Z or RS on the 3rd gens. So, I bought one to restore. I like 1st gens but they are too pricey and it's tough to find a 2nd gen that won't be a fortune to restore.

On the 4th gens as much as I like the LS1 I hate the front end of the 98-02 thus why I bought the 95Z.

We all have our own personal tastes. There is nothing wrong with the sixer 3rd gens either. They look good but don't expect high performance from them.

I believe what you mistook as being "put down" was just posters who have seen way too many "how can I make my LO3 a screamer" threads.

At the end of the day, many here forget that we're all passionate about cars. That is our common ground.

 

Now if you want to make an L03 scream on the (relatively) cheap, here's a recipe that came to mind...

Ported Vortec Intake Manifold
Bore .3 over
Forged flat-top pistons and rods
Stroke w/ chevy 400 crank
LT4 Cam
Hooker 2055's (or other header of same dimensions)
Chevy Vortec 350 heads (ported)
Dual junkyard turbos
100 spray of NOS

4.10 rear

Now put a completlly stock T-5 behind that and you'll be flying!

skelitor- get on applying for jobs already haha. If things were better in Texas I'd say look for a job on a farm- they almost always need good, hard work

 

Already applied for like 5 jobs. Got a few interviews. We'll see where it goes. The drout takes the farm option out, not that i would take it if it was offered haha. You build plan is... awesome, haha. But a completly stock T5 would break under all the torque. Better off with a built 700R4 with a shift kit and a corvette servo.

 

Haha I know, they could barely handle a 350, that's why I used that smiley- "sarcastic"? I don't know if people around here are familiar with the sarcasm meter
Good luck with your job search though

 

Ah. I see it now. Your sarcastic face can shut the funk up. And thanks.

 

that whole post was sarcasm right because none of that is cheap

 

Hence why I put "relatively" in parentheses. Cheap means a different thing to everybody- obviously not to me or you. For the guy who's got some nice, disposable income, that's not a horrible way to go. I'd be willing to bet that I could build that for about $3,000

 

dude, it what realm of existance is that even considered to be reletivly cheap???

and TIG i feel ya on the 2nd gen,aside from early cutlass those are my fav out of GM (im really a mopar man, in love with cudas, darts, and scamps) before i bought my f-body i looked at a 76 camaro, 1200$ , ran ok after tinkering, and needed brakes, ALL interior, glass, tires (bent rims) and a few body pannels....people just treat em like ****

 

[quote=Ron_90;5071142]Now if you want to make an L03 scream on the (relatively) cheap, here's a recipe that came to mind...

Ported Vortec Intake Manifold
Bore .3 over
Forged flat-top pistons and rods
Stroke w/ chevy 400 crank
LT4 Cam
Hooker 2055's (or other header of same dimensions)
Chevy Vortec 350 heads (ported)
Dual junkyard turbos
100 spray of NOS

4.10 rear

Now put a completlly stock T-5 behind that and you'll be flying!

not sure , i don't think , doubt that you could bore an LO3 .3 over . .3 is 3/10 of an inch . . are you sure thats what you mean ??? .030 is 30/1,000 of an inch . not a slam , just a question . correct math is very important with engine specs. . good luck .

 

Well the whole post was sarcastic, But even so I think that is what he meant.

 

lol

 

What's cheaper and more fun; buying a brand new Camaro, or building a sick thirdgen?

I rest my case.



PS: that's what I meant- a .3 bore would be insanity