well, i was talking to a guy online (whom i dont know personally) that is friends w/a girl i know. we got talking about cars and he mentioned he drove a 96 mustang cobra. (he's 17 and i'm almost 19). at first i didnt believe him, and laughed more when he said he has a 502 that he is putting in soon, because he said he has to modify the frame for it to fit.. so i started asking him questions like what kind of induction he is going to use, tranny, rear end, and so on, and he really sounded like he knows what he's talking about. now, even IF he is just talking.. this still is a good example of learning where to limit yourself. right now im just about sold on a 383 from Beck Racing Engines(in short , BRE) that puts out a stout 400hp and 450ft/lbs. when he told me about his plans, my 'little' 383 idea didnt seem so grand anymore. now, i get pissed at the idea of some guy having a faster, bigger, badder car than mine just because he's got money. granted, BRE engines dont come cheaply, but i work my butt off for the money i get, while being in college too. this is a pretty random thought, but it gets to me all the time, how much power is enough.. (got a pretty sick feeling of having a nice new engine, and having some d*ckhead with more money than brains blowing past me... in a mustang no less ) anyone else see where im comming from? heh, sorry, but had to let off some steam somewhere.. and hope this is an ok board to post this on

 

Unfortunatly, that's the name of the game. Whomever is ready, willing, and able to dump the most money into their car is gonna be the first one to the finish line...

-Mark W.
'88 SC Camaro w/ 305 TBI

 

Sounds to me like he's blowing a bunch of smoke up your a$$. Even if he does build a car like that, it's basically more of a trailer queen to take to the dragstrip than it is a street car. As far as how much power is enough, you need to decide if you want to build a car that's practical enough to drive every day, or a five miles per gallon dragster! My 69 Camaro really pushes the limits of being practical at 450 H.P., and about 8 m.p.g.!



------------------
89RS w/350 TPI; 69RS/SS w/450 HP 350/Muncie 4-Speed "Too weird to live, too rare to die."

 

28,

First, let me start by saying that your choice of BRE as a supplier shows wisdom in and of itself. Maybe you're not Richard Childress, but you've done the next-best thing by choosing a builder with excellent credentials. Now.....about this horsepower thing......

I chose my signature carefully; it's based on 28 years experience in the real world. The first name I used on this page when I was a newbie was "Life Begins at 400 Horsepower". People addressed me as "Life".

Weird moniker huh? Not really - see, I've found it to be true in the case of most drivers in most street cars (weight around 3300 lbs.)

400 crankshaft ponies in a well-set-up street car with a 700R-4 and a driver-inclusive weight of 3450 lbs. should crack into the very high 12's on slicks with a 3.27-3.70 rear gear.

High 12's is quick in a street car- even if you're so damned spoiled by fast cars that it doesn't FEEL that quick.

You've made an observation that EVERY hotrodder faces at some point - where do I stop, and what is fast NOW?

Well, fast is a relative term - see?

I'm 44 years old now - and on this page, well, hell it might as well be 84. But I've learned one thing in those years that I swear to this day is true -

You put a high-12 second ride on the street and keep it in tune, and you'll be amazed how many punks with these bad rides simply eat your tiresmoke.

75% of them are all show and no go - and another 20% have the ponies but cannot drive. (These are the ones I personally LOVE to dust).

The remaining 5% ?

Well, most of them aren't so mouthy, so if you run 'em and lose - they'll usually tell you that your car is still cool.

See, it goes like this......just like really tough guys don't talk about fighting very often, well, guys with really fast cars usually say stuff like......

"Yeah, my car runs pretty good for what it is". These are the guys with 12-second time slips in their wallets. The word "understated" comes to mind.

You just don't hear all the braggadocio and horsecrap like you do from the mid-15 second crowd. (guys, mid 15's are fine, as long as you do not go around proclaiming you've got the fastest street car in town - because you don't).

That BRE motor you have on the boards will make for a good accounting of a 3rd gen car in anyone's book. Trust me - old guys know crap like this. Ask Vader -

Yeah Vader - I just called you an old guy.

French roast with a dash of sugar and carnation today......

BOR

[This message has been edited by Box of Rocks (edited December 07, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Box of Rocks (edited December 07, 2000).]

 

I have also found that young guys with money, run there mouths way more. You work you @ss off to get your 400hp, where as his has daddy buy his love and a 500hp engine for his car. Most of the time too, its Daddy doing the heavy mods to his car and the the spoiled son get to drive the car. Does the son tell everyone that its his Daddys car, no, he tells everyone that its his. I knew a guy, whos dad bought a corvette. He went around telling everybody it was his car, and when I questioned him, he stated "Well, I drive the car the most."

I would not worry about it, do what every you can to your car. At least you know who to thank when the car is running the way you want it to.....YOU and then give yourself a pat on the back!!

As for the HP, I agree with Pat Hall. Its all in what you want, a fast car with decent MPG, or a monster that will chew up the road and drink the gas. Me personally, dont want a car that I have to fill up everytime I go to work and on the way home

[This message has been edited by Godti (edited December 07, 2000).]

 

a 96 mustang? *pukes*.......he must be building a trailor queen. i wouldnt worry about him. sounds like he was looking in a jegs or a summit mag while breathing horse sh*t to you on the phone...personally i dont race anyone....if some d*ckhead pulls up on the side of me and starts revving his gerbil powered car up.(they notice my stickers and i guess that means ill race)....the only thing im gonna do is look at him stupid..crack my neck ..and admire the ignorance of someone who loves to PLAY on a highway....dont get me wrong mods are fun...(when its finished)...i plan on doing a truck load of mods this summer....but as my car goes......its a streetmachine...not a street legal dragster...cruising with friends is fun.....going fast is fun...i enjoy NOT having competition.....when ppl say....."i know a guy who could whip your camaros *** "....i clap and say something smartass...it ticks them off really badly


just my stupid ignorant foolish opinion

 

There's alot of wisdom in Box's post!

I'm an experienced hot rodder myself as you can tell. I have seen more cars than I can remember that had literally wheelbarrows full of money dumped into them (especially their engines), that still would lose a street race to a 71 Chevelle with a 350 2-barrel. My personal favorite is the guys that put blowers or nitrous into cars with no suspension work whatsoever; then can't even use the stuff because all it does is break something or light up the tires. The fact of the matter is that there's a whole lot more to making a car go fast than just pouring cash in between the front fenders.

I also work hard for my money, and spend it very carefully. There's a great deal of personal satisfaction in dusting somebody with 3 or 4 times as much money in his motor than I have. My car has absolutely no "show" stuff to it at all: no chrome gewgaws, no stickers, no custom wheels, etc.; to look at it you'd never even suspect it had been touched, it just looks like an old car that's been well-maintained (even if not washed often enough!). I just love the looks on the faces of the children with Mustangs and the mid-life crisis minivan drivers with LS1 Vettes that think they are the king of the world, after they been waxed by my ancient stock-appearing 3rd gen slug.

In short, no matter how fast you make your car, there's always somebody that will have a faster one; and just spending cubic megabucks does not by itself make a car fast. Spend your money wisely, enjoy your hobby, have fun racing even when you lose (though winning is certainly even more fun), and be proud that you know what you're doing and did it yourself. Like somebody else on this BBS says, "Real cars are built not bought".

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."

 

Build your Car For you, Not For anyone else.

If You like It, If You have Fun, Then thats What its about, Weather Your Running 10's or 18's.


For Me, Its Not about Being the fastest, Duh, I never will be. Its about Building a Car thats Solid, Faster than Most, and Looks Good. I take Pride In My Ride. And when I say Looks Good, I dont mean Gaudy ****, Just Looks Good. Not Beat. LIke Gm intended. When ppl see My car, They Say " thats a Clean looking Camaro ". As for Speed, Im Looking For 14's On a LG4 Bottom End. Thats fast enough To Put 90% of the Cars You will Encounter In the rearview.

Add In Driver Skill, and YOu will seldom Be beat.



------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Z28 LG4 - Daily Driver
**Mods**
MSD Superconductors
14" Open Element
KYB all around

 

heyheyhey guys dont dog on the rich kids with their fast cars!!!!!!! At the shop where i work I always get calls from 17 year old kids with the brand new ws6 T/A's, saying I want to make my car faster. And all i do is sell them 10 grand worth of ****. Then when the work is done daddy comes up and hands me a platnium visa vip card and i get a nice comission. But those are usually the kids that go out to the street races and get killed or total their car. But i can tell you one thing, I am more proud of working like a dog for every part on my car and all the blood sweat and tears thats involved in installing them. So lets all take a stand against the M&D motorsports (Mommy and Daddy motorsports) kids.
well later on yall, sorry for rambling so long.
later

------------------
keep the stang's far behind u and the cops even farther

 

this is sort of border line tech isn't it? well i'm older than vader and younger than BOR. I've wrenched a lot of cars, built a lot of engines ,and have gotten to the point a few people actually seek me out. i don't know every thing, don't even know a lot, but i've had great fun doing it. i've been to drag strips and a few go kart tracks. my son is fooling around with cars with me. it's a hobby and i've gotten to the point that having the biggest and fastest isn't my main concern. my current project is a 85 camaro drag car with a 4.3 for power. it sounded like a fun project. i could of built a v8 cheaper and easier but i've done that before. as for getting down because someone has more power or cubic inches don't worry about it. going fast cost money and the botton line is how fast can you afford to go.

------------------
-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-
1st & 3rd

 

yea, thats (all) some good insight. i know that i like working on my car and doing things myself much more than just being able to pay someone to do it. it would in fact really suck if i wasnt my own mechanic, just isnt the same having someone else mess with your car, but thats me. yea, i guess ill just have to settle for whatever puny 383 i wind up with, and have to put up with the occasional 502 mustang... yes, that was dripping with sarcasm. anyways, like i said before, wasnt sure if this is the right board, but it didnt fit in any other, so i figured i'd give it a shot here

 

My goal with my IROC is to keep modding it to go faster, but to never get it so fast that I no longer wish to drive it around to the grocery store and to work and back. If it ever reaches that point, I've basically gone too far. I have absolutely no desire to own a trailer queen, and from what I see (in my admitedly limited experience) cars that break through into the 11-second range rapidly become very rare on the street. My goal, therefore, is mid 12s.

 

Hey! I resemble that remark. I've still got a '4' in that age number there somewhere...

It's O.K. I've learned to set down my coffee before reading ANY of your posts. My monitor has already been adequately cleaned, thank you.


MTX,

You heard him. It's all in the Box. There's always someone faster, somewhere. Any gracious winner is a lot more enjoyable than a loudmouth loser. I'd rather be handed my a$$ by someone who didn't shoot his mouth off than stomp someone who swears he "missed a gear" and will "get me next time". If I beat them once, they stay beaten in my mind.

Maybe Al Gore should be taking notes...

 

Maybe Al Gore should be taking notes...
Woohaa.. I second that notion Vader!
These guys are right, $$$$ makes the wheels spin unfortunately for those of us whom are "financially challenged" .. I just think its funny that this Ford guy chooses a 502, that's a well known stock big block Chevy motor size isn't it?

 

This is one of the best post i've read in a while. I'm 19 and ever since I bought my formula i've learned a lot in the last couple years. My friend i bought it off of who's worked at gm for years is basically the only good influence and knowlege since i found this post. I put money in my car cause i really appriciate having such a nice car. Brats like that are a dime a dozen around where i live. 90% don't know anything besides using nitros and putting stickers in windows. Plus the dude you are talking about probably doesn't get any respect cause hes a little rich boy. Anyways Thanks to all you guys who know your stuff and give good advice.

------------------
89 Formula
Edelbrock Headers+
Catback system,Torque Converter,Rebuilt Trans,B&M Megashifter, K+N air filter, Accel Distr. Module, MSD coil,New Fuel injectors with adj. regulator, ECM with performance prom,and a Crate ZZ3 350

 

Well I go to school at ND (I'm a senior) so I see that **** every day and in more than just cars. While I can always rationalize the moron daddy's boys it's very depressing to encounter engineering majors who know more about cars than I do AND have deep pockets (or access to parental deep pockets). Oh well I love my car (even though I drive it in winter) and I agree about trailer queens - my goal is 11 seconds on pump gas...

------------------
89 Iroc-Z LB9 305 TPI auto 2.73 posi:
3" Dynomax "cat" back,K&N filters, TB bypass, 3" pipe in place of cat, cleaned and flow-matched injectors, 170' thermo, mild ignition mods, synthetic oil, kicker sound system, soon to have 3.73 posi...

 

I had one of those in highschool too. No, I'm not as "mature" as some of the rest, but I am 23. Anyways, this rich-boy's dad mod'd a convertable GT with supercharger and all of the GT40 crap to go along. The funny thing is that he thought I was faster than him and he told everyone else that it would be a waste to race me, a waste of my time and gas. Oh, did I mention that my ride was my pride and joy. My '81 Elcamino. It's got a V6, (soon to be a V8) Shows what the "competition" really knows!!

------------------
'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...

 

Is this 502 Mustang even gonna have a chance to get on the street?? Will it ever pass emissions?? If it doesnt, whats the point? The 96 mustang is a car to be driven on the stree....it'll look out of place getting traliered to the track.

------------------
1991 Firebird Formula, 305, TPI, Auto...stock till I get some money!!!
Former owner of an 88 2.8 Firebird....RIP

[This message has been edited by dudelovett (edited December 08, 2000).]

 

A Mustang driver that wasn't overly confident and kocky? Damn, I'm f'in amazed. All the modified rustang drivers I know are all so incredibly sure of themselves it makes me sick. The worst is one of my x-roomates, Mike What-the-f***. He drove an '86 or so LX. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty fast, but he'd talk s*** out the like nothing else..."You don't want none of The White Car!!" (yelled in a totally stereotypical ******* accent) was his battle cry.

-Mark W.
'88 SC Camaro w/ 305 TBI

[This message has been edited by Mark305TBI (edited December 08, 2000).]

 

[This message has been edited by Pat Hall (edited December 08, 2000).]

 

Right on Box, RB83L69, Spitfire350. You guys managed to add all the other things I was thinking of when I posted, but couldn't think of at 5 in the morning! I'm only 29, but I've been out street racing and turning wrenches on my own cars plenty enough to feel exactly the same way as these guys do. I especially agree with the statement that real cars are built, not bought. It's so much more rewarding to have to bust your hump to make your ride perfect. I have rich guys offer me ridiculous amounts of money for my 69 all the time, and I just laugh at them. I tell them that no amount of money can make them appreciate a car that another guy put his heart and soul and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into. Talk to that guy again in another 10 years or so, and if he has any sense at all, I bet his views and ideas on things will be quite different!



------------------
89RS w/350 TPI; 69RS/SS w/450 HP 350/Muncie 4-Speed "Too weird to live, too rare to die."

 

Well, lets see... yes the rich boys do get the toys, but fortunatly, since they don't build them, they don't get to know them. Thus they drive them like crap, and the cars are usually unbalanced and can't hook for the life of them.
As for the loadmouths, well, it's just like recess in elementary school. The bullies talk the talk 'till you pop 'em a good one in the nose. (that's why we like whoopin' that 20% - Right BOR?!? )
I'm with BOR in respect to what makes a fast street car, but I'll go one slower. Maybe because around here we really don't have many 'hot-rodders', a low 13s. car is plenty fast around here to roast most everyone. And in all reality a low 13s. car is a pretty quick car. The biggest trick is keeping it in tune. Knowledge is power, however, coupled with wisdom, it appears insurmountable. If you know how to use your weapon wisly you win. Money can't buy what you learn in the process of building your car, and this is the most important thing in building a car (in my not-so-humble opinion).
BTW am I the only guy on this board that owns a bloody Mustang too?


------------------
"The people always have some champion whom they set over them and nurse into greatness... This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.
-Plato

 

I share alot of the same feelings as the rest of you. I had a 70 rs/z28 I worked on that car for 2 years straight. Every minute that wasnt devoted to my family I was rebuilding that car.

I needed a truck for work and had to sale it. A move I still regret to this day. The kid who bought it had his dad buy it for him. I hated seeing him drive off in it. He will never know what I went thru building that car. And Probably totaled it within a week.

------------------
Black 90 IROC, L98, A4, 323 gear. SuperRamed 406 in the works!

 

Red Devil,
i also have a mustang. Its a 70 couple in grabber Orange with a somewhat built 302 (some motor as the modern day 5.0), and for the amount of money i have into that car, it is slow, and it will always be slow. but it looks nice and it sounds loud and fast so im happy with it, but it wil never be a race for my camaro...

------------------
86 Z28 red, originally LG4, new 350, non comp Qjet, T-5 five speed with new clutch, performer intake, crane 272H cam. Edelbrock performer cat- back. Homemade cold air intake. Future mods: NOS, Edelbrock TES headers, hi flo cat. MSD igniton, 3.73 posi rear,

cars i've beaten:
95' Avenger, 88 Mustang GT, 70' Mustang , 97 Dodge Ram, 94 firebird formula, 92 Mustang GT, 94' 3000GT, 97' Honda Accord (just barely), countless many ricers....

 

Well, I had to add something to this post since I represent the kids you love to because I'm only 17...

Well not quite, because I own an '82Z28 instead of the '99 camaro that one of the kids at my school loves to make an a$$ out of himself in. I also paid for the car and pay for all the mods. If you ever meet me I'm sure you'd think twice about some of the kids hot-rodding cars these days, because the ones that actually know what they're doing aren't bad guys...

It's amazing the crap I hear from guys saying that his buddy is going to put in a chip that'll give him 600 horses. It makes me laugh everytime I hear something like that, because the kids that talk the most trash have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

We recently had a car show at my high school and I don't ever take my car to school because I'm afraid some jacka$$ will **** on or something childish like that, but I made an exception and drove it there. The whole day was kids just asking me if it was a stick or not and whether it could beat this other kids camaro or not. Nevermind the fact that I've spent over 1000 hours working on the car, they want to know if it has a manual transmission and if it doesn't, then it's worthless. What has the world come to? I also don't like how the girls seem to think that just because a car is newer means it's faster. I can't stand ignorance like that, because the fact of the matter is, I could beat every single one of the cars in the show and my car was definetly one of the best kept.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that's why I've created the car I did. I respect your opinions about if you can't drive it to the grocery store, you shouldn't bother. I'll be honest with you, I'm very selective as to when and where I drive my car, but that's because I've put my heart and soul into it. To me, if I don't go the whole 9 yards, I might as well not even bother, because as long as there are rich kids w/ brand new camaros that bolt on Vortecs, I will be modding my car no matter how much streetability I take away from it. To me a 14 second camaro is worthless because unless I can beat %99.9999 of all cars I'm just wasting my time. I realize my viewpoint is extreme and maybe when I try to sell my car in it's terrible-gas mileage-getting state I'll realize what I did was not the smartest thing, but until then I'll enjoy having one hell of a fast car that looks good doing it.

And if I ever race somebody you're not going to see anything more than a smile from ear to ear...no poor sports here, because I realize somebody will always be faster. At least until I make enough money

 

im with you there crazeinc.. i used to hate taking my 74 camaro to school.. because the first question people ask is either 'how fast is it' or 'can it beat so and so's car'... and, when i ask them what they mean by 'how fast is it', they always say top speed... what in the h*ll does this have to do w/anything? who ever takes their car to the absolute top speed to compare it against another car? answer: no one! i tell them how fast it is in the 1/4.. and their like 'what is the 1/4?' ignorance. that is the reason our cars get abused(key-d) by stupid unappreciative jerks who like to key random cars. if they had any clue how much we love them, or if they knew what hard work was, then they would never do it. shesh, how does a person w/ a decent car survive in this world

 

Crazeinc,

Hey, I was going to call myself "murderinc", until I realized there were some hairy-armed fellers in Jersey that had a lock on the name - and they aren't recruiting any new "made" guys.

'Sides that, I'm too busy plotting my next power adder to waste time bumpin' off snot-nosed rich kids with no driving skills.

Actually, I'm writing back to clarify something - age itself has little to do with wisdom. I know pleny of 44-year-old people that are blithering idiots - hey, they're the same squids that used to borrow Daddy's new Z-28 or Boss 302 and puke the motor or crash it when I was in high school.

There has always been a distinction within the "car guy" community - those in the know, and those who knows only how to pick their nose. See, a little literary relief - albeit cheesy and gross.

2 Simple formulas:

1)Built-it-myself, drive it right = respect

2)Daddy-bought-it, lousy driver = squid

I really was 17 once. Never said diddle about how fast my car was. Didn't have to. Won races against a brand new 1970 Z-28 and a big block GTO with headers and after that...

well, the squids still mouthed off, but never about me. Thank God my older brother was willing to teach me how to do it - and crawled all over the old Mustang to show me first hand.

Yup, you heard right, I too once owned a Mustang. The car I described above was a '65 convertible with 289-271 HP hipo. 4 gears. Shelby intake, headers, twice pipes, lakewood bars, scattershield, etc, so on.

Next one was a '69 Mach 1 with Boss 351 motor. Ran good for what it was.

Then, a '68 fastback with 390 4-gear, solid lifter cam (mondo, nasty), traction bars, etc., so on.

Then, a '67 Cougar with 390, etc., so on.

Oh, yeah, then I turned 40. Where was the classic, mid-year ('63-'67) Corvette I had wanted since age 12 ? Not in my garage.

2,000 hours, 3 pints of blood, and a boatload of $$$ later - success.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is more satisfying than pulling up next to a stockbroker-lawyer-peckerhead type (No, Red Devil, this does not include you - you're exceptional) in a new C-5 or Viper and knowing that if he drops the hammer I'll un-paste wax his high buck car as I rather loudly motor on by at 7,000 RPM..........with a 327. No spray. No SC.

All motor - and a small one at that.

Hey guys - I can see some real beauty in a well-done 4.3 V-6, or a 305.

As long as we can still outrun the $40 haircut crowd, we, with our greasy fingernails and sore knuckles, will have the last laugh.

And oh, lest I forget......about those girls that love the late model cars.......

They're the same ones that grow up to wear cubic Zirconia rings and have grotesque silicone implants. They chew lots of gum and have bad breath. They embarrass their husbands at parties because they're so stupid.

Find that quiet one that sidles up to you and asks, "what year is your car", 'cause she's the one that will understand why it's so important to be working on your car on a Saturday nite, instead of hanging out at McDonalds.

She's the "keeper" - or Keep Her.

BOR



[This message has been edited by Box of Rocks (edited December 12, 2000).]

 

Well put Box!

------------------
1991 Firebird Formula, 305, TPI, Auto...stock till I get some money!!!
Former owner of an 88 2.8 Firebird....RIP

 

Being 18 here, I see so many rich kids with nice cars, sporting them like they're better than everyone else. HOWEVER, I also know a few rich kids who are really great people. They really can't hide the fact that their parent(s) made a few very wise finantial decisions and are very well-off. It's what's in the heart that counts. The rich kid who thinks he's better than everyone and boasts how he just beat you in his brandnew Porsche (yeah, there's a kid like this here at KU) or swears he misses a gear after losing...these idiots are pathetic. However, the rich kid who complements your car and is an overall nice guy...these guys are winners and good friends. I just wanted to point out the fact that not all rich kids are ******. Am I a rich kid? LOLOLOL! I think not. Far from it. But, going into the computer field, as I am planning to do, I have no doubt that my kid(s) will be well-off. However, the values of a good person I have just described here will be taught to them. Respect everyone. Do not view yourself as better than anyone. And most of all, NEVER, EVER, back down from a good race. But be a sport, no matter how it turns out. =)

 

I agree with Truepower. I live in a very rich area, however my family is not rich by any means. Luckily i didnt go to highschool out here, cause i graduated 2 years early, however i used to hate driving by the highschool and seeing the brand new $40,000 dodge rams and 4th gen SS's always thinking to myself (****** who get fed by their parents dont appreciate those) But now im in a little different position...first off just cause someone has a nice car doesnt mean their daddy bought it for them. I have a nice car, and im only 18, i have quite a bit of money to spend on it so people probably see me drive by and say the same thing i used to. But i graduated 2 years early, went to college, now have my degree in multimedia, and make good money as a graphic designer. Im not a *****, i just make good money for what i do. Also now i have lightened up and made some freinds whose parents do have quite a bit of money, and actually some are extremely cool. I mean i know a guy who owns a real nice nissan 300zx, his parents bought it for hiim, but hes paying them back because he doesnt want it handed to him. And hes really respectful. So theres always gonna be ******, but not every rich kid is a *****, and not everyone who drives a nice car got it from their daddys checkbook either.

 

Look, I've built lots of motors some really fast others for friends and relatives. What's important is YOU built it, you put your sweat time and labor into it. Period.

If you really want to get this guy a car isn't always the answer. Go jump his girlfriend, She'll definatly appreciate men who drive Camaro's over men who drive anything else.

------------------
"It's not about going fast all the time; It's knowing you can, anytime"

 

spitfire350 I know exactly what you are talking about. This summer a rich kid type came into the shop I was working at with a nitrous kit for his brand new convertible Trans Am ws6 for us to install. Just talking to him it was obvious he was going street racing in the car his daddy bought him. While we were doing the install I asked my boss what jets to put in it and he said the kid wanted to 100 horse jets. I was like "what he has never even tried used n2o before". His reply was "not only is he stupid, he's industrial strenght stupid" Not a month later the car rolled over. Anyway I'm only 18 and I don't like to say anything about my car. "It's got a v-8, the guy I bought it from said 350 something....." I think that is far more fun than bragging, especially when I show them what it is made of. Anywho the kid you talked to is not being totally truthfull about what he is "going to do" to his car, if you couldn't tell. Ford doesn't make a 502, GM does. The closest Ford gets is a 514, and I'd like to see that under a 96 Mustang.

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82 z28 350cid, vortec heads, comp 262h cam, Holley 600cfm carb, 2in twice pipes, MSD ignition, turbo 350 trans, 3.73 posi, manly b&m megashifter

 

Nothing feels better than after a race when you can say 'I built that engine', when the other guy says 'crate' or 'speed shop' etc... Then the transmission is 'built in my basement' instead of 'B&M' or 'TCI' etc.. The paint and body work done by myself. The list goes on and on. I think that being a true 'hot rodder' or 'car guy' must involve doing some or part of it yourself. Talk is exactly that--talk. I laugh when I hear somebody talk about putting a monster engine in a street car, when you know it won't happen or it won't be a street car. Build your car like you want to build it. If you want a 383 build a 383.



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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

yea, thats what i figured... i havent heard of a 502 ford either.. but yea, i think i can be plenty happy knowing that i know whats going on w/my car, when the 'other' guy has to take it to a shop, never once looking under the hood.

 

and another thing ive learned as an 18 year old

build the motor for yourself......"what do I want the motor to do?" .....ppl will tell you what brand intake......ignition....heads...all that stuff.....i often ask them ...what model?....they go silent.......its wierd....everyone knows brand name.....but not familiar with what is perfect for the powerplant....and if i have no knowledge on a performance part in the engine.....i always turn to ppl who know what hell works for it (moderators especially) and others who have built motors and that have the same ideas and expectations for thier engine.....
i will never try to create an engine that will whip my friends hotrods *** . i will only build the engine for my own benefit and what I would like MY car to do....



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AIM: grvkill
ICQ: 29298583

 

Hey 17 here. Saw everyone else busting out a long story and felt obliged to follow suit. First car was bought by my not so rich parents.

1984 Chrysler Laser with a 2.2L 4 banger. My younger brother inherits this car. I used this car to drive me back and forth to work 5-6 days a week with 30-45 hours a week so I could go fast.

I wanted something fast, Im 17, I like speed, who my age doesnt? Anyway I had a CSB dropped into an 82 Cutlass so I could go fast. I wasnt happy. Now IM building my motor and doing the install on my 84 Firebird. I have so much more love for this car than I do for my Cutlass(still love the car) and its because IM doing the work. I was smiling from ear to ear when I got my title(s) in the mail, even though the cars I have owned were'nt brand new with immaculate paint jobs. Im working on building my car into something I can beat bought racecars with, knowing the car has a part of me inside. I dont know it all, or even that much. What I really love is when I overhear some rich kids talking about mods they are gonna do to there cars that arent possible or feasible, cracks me up. Like the guy with the 94 Grand Am thats gonna drop a Chevy 350 in working 10 hrs a week at a grocery store.(hope that brings a laugh to you guys)

damn im tired now.

I work hard for what I have, as little as it may be. =)

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Dave Wright
One of few kids at his HS to own 3+ cars.

 

Kudos "Box of Rocks" for your statements on having just a GOOD running car and taking it out and learning how to REALLY drive it. There are way too many people out there with a car that was given to them and they do not have a clue as to how it should be driven, much less how to take care of it!

I bought my first car in '78 (a '71 olds Cutlass Supreme SX with 360 HP, 465 ft. lbs torque). I paid for this car with my own money and I loved this car. Unfortunately I sold the car three years later because it had a minor valve train prob and I did not have a clue of how easy it would have been to fix it!

Build your car to your own specifications, learn its "ins and outs", and just enjoy it!

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'84Z28/'92 305TPI
'92 complete rear suspension/PBR disc/Posi/3:42
Light weight 34.5mm stabilizer bar in front
23mm sta. bar in rear
rear lowered 1" by cutting 1 1/4 coils of '84Z28 springs
comp cam, flowmaster
TB coolantbypass/shutoff valve to heater core
MAT relocated
Ram-Air(home-made) gutted air-box
IROC ground effects/wheels GY245/50's
700R4 superior shift kit/ corvette servo(excellent shift kit btw)

Rebuilt engine and transplanted it myself.

Love this engine!

freshly painted OCT. 2000 bluegreen with two white stripes on the hood and deck lid

LOW performance people should drive low performance vehicles!

 

I'll admit it, i am a rich kid.. Nope, im not going to deny it. But when i was being raised i was taught to always be humble, and that i was by no means better than anyone and i mean anyone. I'm also well travelled, i lived in Athens Greece for over 6 years and have seen many things few people ever get to see. I wont deny it, my parents would have purchased my car for me, But instead.. I vouched for the "we'll give you 1500" (CANADIan) option instead. I work my *** off for my car and what i have. I'm also in the forces up here in Canada. I think that is a true testament to how i'd rather work than have things handed to me. And that way i have respect for Myself AND for my Car. And folks thats what i think its all about. If you respect a car for what it is, well f-bodies that is . Fire breathing, tire smoking, stang anhilating (spelling?) Monsters does it really matter if you won or lost the race? As long as you respect the other guy and his ride who cares what the out-come is.

My two Cents
Gta-Paladin

 

When I first started reading messages on this board, I had never even changed my own oil, despite owning 7 cars, 5 of them being transams (all years, 400's, 455's and the like), an ex-drag malibu (13.6, first time at track /w no driving ability, no sh*t), etc. etc. blah. I learned 90% of what I know today off of this board, pure and simple. Of that 90%, the majority comes from (most indirectly, i just searched the archives didn't ever ask, for fear of embarassment) Vader. I personally thank Vader, for not ever mocking the 16? year old punk who is on to something and just wants to light 'em up. (Ok, I am 22.) Vader, the freak who provides a diagrams for every occasion. Although, nothing really overtakes the cynacism and experience of BOR. =). Anyway, over the summer, I personally replaced my intake, carb, camshaft (and bitties), headers, catback and (ok my dads friend did the 3.73 rear) threw in lotsa chrome. At my second appearance at the track, my third run ever, I ran 14.6. at 9x mph, up from high 16's or whatever the Lg4 does stock. (sorry cant remember exactly) Is that impressive? Hell no. But it is because I did it myself. And only because I frequent this bloody board. Now, I am set to build my 350, I've made the mistakes, and now it will be clean cut. Unfortunately, I stumbled upon the fact that my bro (with $$$) has bought me used WorldTorq 305 heads for Xmas. Sigh. Maybe I will throw the 350 into his '80 Monte since his 267ci falls far short of both our expectations, although he is more of the low-rider bass homie-G. At any rate, my mid 14 sec. ride gives many a run for their money, and I personally thank Vader, as well as many others, for not ever getting on the freak with the 305 who just wants a little more nut, because he is not kidding in the slightest.

Merry Xmas gearheads.
Hype,
1983 Pontiac TransAm, thousands spent, no regrets.

 

Hey Hype, cant you return the heads, and get 350 heads?? Im sure that your brother wouldn't mind the switch knowing that you would rather build a 350!!



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Godti
'89 Trans Am (Red)
305 TBI 5spd

 

Yeah, well, he got them out of the buy 'n sell, a local classified paper here. I was actually planning on doing the torquers myself, seeing as how everything else has been done, but then I came across a '72 350 2bolt out of a camaro for the low price of.. FREE, and when he discovered that I was making arrangements to transport it into the garage, he sh*t his pants, then I sh*t my pants when I discovered he dropped a bunch of $$$ on me. I guess I could easily flip 'em, I mean how often does such a usable head show up in the paper for a decent price. But, on the other hand, maybe the 350 would look good in his Monte Carlo. Either way, we gotta go faster. =)
Yeah to further add insult to injury, I just got my work hours HALVED after ordering up a new set of 245/60/R15's for the rear. Sigh.

Later,
Hype 1983 Pontiac TransAm.

 

Yeah I have that problem at my school myself. I'm 17, and I admit that I can get kocky about my Camaro, only because I am proud of it.

This kid at my school is a ritchman's son and he thinks that his '98 camaro is the greatest. It has all of the options, the 1800 pound convertable, the ultra high preformance V-6 and the dumb superloud subwoofers in the trunk that sound like crap. boy do I dislike him, he talks sutch jive. you know v-6's are better than V-8s and all of the useless jive.

No I am not making this up, he actually talks this about his car.

oh yeah, he has the nice hood induction package, the hood sits a good inch off of the front face....HI-PERF!!!!!

there will always be cars faster, and there will always be kocky people, and all I do is laugh at them.

And I have noticed that there are A LOT of new mustangs where I live, BUT ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE V-6S......HAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Uhmmm, mine is bigger, better, more powerful, faster. There will always be someone, somewhere, that will have something better.

Sounds a little like unhealthy ego and pride. When it comes down to trying to impress people, then I would ask "why?". The same mentality of having to wear the clothing with the clothing with the right brand name, car, or location to live, etc.

I only strive to satisfy myself. I couldn't care less what other people (much less strangers!) think, so long as I am satisfied with myself, regardless of what I have or do not have.