hey fellas, i have a problem with my car...not the one u fix with tools, the kind of problem one would need to talk to there peers about....i have my Z.. but its really my dads(kinda gave it to me) its been in the family for all of its life; my dad bought it in late 87... i put all my money/time/sweat/joy/etc... into the car... now... here is the problem... i want to build it up, yea its a 305 so what!!.. my delema is, Should I?... or should i just keep it as a car to fool around with... and just get another 3rd Gen.. i really wana start really goin at the 305...but im not sure if thats a good idea... what i want is to keep the 305.. but put the Vette heads on it, stroke it out, stonger parts, 1.6 rr, lt4 cam, lt1 intake or port the hell out of pressent set up, and get a 700R4 to take it with 3.42s... and other suspension mods... want it to be a cruser/street/little stip car... i just want a little feed back... thanks guys

 

Put vette heads on it, change the cam. Get headers and whatever else will bolt on. Don't waste your money stroking it.

 

Why would it be a waste to stroke it? I'm not trying to flame just curious.

 

If your dad doesn't object to the mods then there is no moral dilemma. How is he about it?

 

i dunno.. never really asked him... he gets fustrated when i wana spend money on the car and not get ready for college... i try not to talk to him about the car... he just rolls his eyes and doesnt listen to me... i just dont wana get into a fight over the car... and end up not beeing able to drive it.... that would be bad... i love that car... been sittin the passenger seat for 15 years... couldnt wait to slide over when i got my licence

 

Stroking a 305 gives you about 329 cubes, unless you bore it to get more. A 350 is cheaper and bigger. Bigger=faster. If the point of stroking is going faster, you're wasting money. See?

 

YES!! but thats not the point.... im asking if i should just keep the car the way it is now.... basic mods (im giving it a full exhaust treatment next summer) or should i go all out on the car... whatever... if i go to replacing the motor... ill skip the 350 and head up to a 383 i want something like 400-450 hp... thats a good number and ill stay at that... ill keep thoes smart a$$ civics with there turbos and NAWS at bay with that and also have plenty to just drive around with...anyway... like the song says... should i stay or should i go? and if i choose to keep my car stock... i will get another thirdgen... probably a f-bird... nice to have the two next to eachother, once cruzer, one bruzer....

 

I think it depends on the condition of the car. If it is all original and not beat to hell, I would keep it that way. It is rare to see ANY all original car that is in excellent condition. And it is not too hard to find a 3rd gen in need of rescue that would love to be modified and beautified.

If its nice, since your family was the original owner, you can testify to the car's authentic originallity, keep it that way.

Then buy the bruiser (toy) car. But that is just my HONEST opinion.

BTW, the cash IS better invested in college. Dont argue over a 305. College will always win. Now a sb400...396...454...maybe debate worthy. 305...no...you lose, dad wins. Sorry.

 

OK, you are at that time in life where you want to lock horns with your dad--but your dad is right.

NO car is worth trading your college education for. Period.

Just be glad he's letting you have such a nice car to use while you are getting a degree. Lots of folks walk or take the bus. You are really fortunate, show your dad you appreciate it. You can do much nicer mods to the Camaro when you have a good paying job that only college can give you

 

I remember being you. You will be rewarded by being patient. Go to school, don't drive the car in the snow. Be very careful with that car at school. There are a lot of retards that will mess it up and not care at all. My poor bird got keyed twice sitting outside of a dorm and backed into once. I've been working on my car for 5 years slowly and surely to get it to where it is. I could have done the same amount in 6 months if I didn't go to school, but I wouldn't be making over $500 a week as an intern doing easy work. Plus college is so much fun. Four years seems like a long time now, but it goes by fast. Plus you always have the summers to work on it if you really want to.

Also, I'm sorry to say, but a 305 '87 Z isn't going to be a collector as long as there were 350 Zs. Just keeping the 305 block in it isn't going to make it worth more either after you change everything else. Changing one part on it keeps you from saying original which drops the price. Numbers matching isn't even as good as all original. The best thing you have going right now is that you know what has been done to the car. There won't be any surprises when you start working on it.

 

Yep, remember that same circumstance when I was younger. My first car was a '67 Firebird with a 326 and a powerglide. I was purchased when I was 16 so it was in dad name.

I wanted to do all kinds of things to it but had to save money for college. All arguments were ended when he sold the car while I was in my freshman year. Wish I had that car now.

 

Well, suck it up, get the student loans, and you'll be able to go to school and work on your car at the same time. You can't do anything major because you'll need the car to get to college. Then you get out of college faster, and can start paying the loans off. You probably don't want to live at college, because, have you seen what the college kids drive? POS's, and they don't think twice about swinging a door open, or putting a bookbag on your spoiler and dragging it off. They don't care about their car, and they think everyone else doesn't care about their cars either. I doubt it ever crosses their mind that "hey, I might damage this guy's car." Their car is worthless to them so they don't think anyone could care about a car. At least, that's what I figure.

Oh yeah, and park as close to the police station as possible.

 

Do what mods you can afford to do on the 305 to keep it competitive. Get your butt to college. When you graduate and are able to land a decent job, you can modify to your hearts content or just buy a new 5th gen Camaro.
If you start messing with too much you are gonna live on this board trying to sort out the problems! Trust me, I did the 305TBi to 350TPI swap, then screwed the motor up and went ZZ4. I have so many mods the car has assumed a life of its own.

 

I agree with what some others said no car is more important than college. I did what I could with my 305 while I was in college. After 4 years I had a 305 running mid 13's, then when I graduated college the first thing I did was buy a 383, 12 bolt, and th-350. So I would keep the 305 for now and do a few mods to it when you can and save the high dollar stuff for after you graduate and get a good job.

 

Go to college, and just keep thinking about all the money you'll make once you graduate. That's what has kept me going. I'm a junior now, and graduate next year! Hell yeah! And that's when me and LottaBalls are building our ultimate 383 with 475hp and 500 ft/lb of torque. But like some other people said, I wouldn't put a lot of money into it while you're driving it to school. Most of the people at my school either drive ricers, pos's, or the car that "daddy bought them" and they all drive like freeking maniacs. I got student loans every year and was able to save up 3500 to buy my beautiful IROC to replace my beat-up RS. But I don't see any reason not to eventually build it up, as long as your dad is okay about it. Four years will go by so quick, is unreal.

 

you guys are the best... thank to everyone... i think im gunna keep it stock..but its not numbers matching... the original block was taken out when my dad found a small hair line crack in the block...so the 305 is not # matching.... and i get the hint that my dad wants to keep the car the way it is... plus im takin my POS taur-*** up to school...but not till after thanksgiving.... so this is what i might do.... sell the POS taur-***.... can get 4000 for it.... its got a cool stero and all new tires and brakes and whatever... so ill put that tward a f-bird or a iroc..... hows that... i know college is important... and im going to college 5 hours away from my house... up in Mass. soo even to see the car is gunna be a pain. my dad is on my case because i wont take my mind of cars.... ill miss my baby, hopefuly my brother gets his monte so he can stay away from the camaro and, therefore, not wrap it around a tree... i told him to drive it ever friday to get all the juices flowin....thanks

 

i do like the whole 5th gen camaro idea!! i just hope there ready when im ready....

 

Moral dilemma! Haha! I thought you'd say something like you'd found a body in the trunk of a car that used to be your father's.
Haha! Only on thirdgen.org would the difference between a 305 and a 350 be a moral dilemma!

BTW, I'm in the same boat now. Going to college, and the car hasn't run in over a year for various reasons. You pretty much just have to disconnect yourself from the idea that the car will be doing 10's in a couple years, if you want to continue studying.
I'm having enough fun feeding myself, a 350 is definitely not on my list of things to pay for this month.

 

thats not my delema... my delema is to keep the car stock... or make it a cobra killer..or rice killer... u pick one....either way im gunna have a fast *** thirdgen....

 

Take it from one who did 21 years in the military...GO TO COLLEGE!!! Keep the car as it is until you have your sheepskin!! GO TO COLLEGE!!!

 

I would have to agree. I am going back to school this year as well. I am using my T/A as a school project. The Military is a good way to go as well. I don't know about you but in Illinois the national guard pay 100% of your tuition. Then you can use the money you make from working to build your car instead of paying for classes. And whats better than blowin stuff up one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer! And not getting arrested.

 

thanks for the career advice.... i plan on beeing a mechanical engineer....so i think i will blowin stuff up anyway!!... just might get arrested....