I'm about to turn 16 and all i want to have is the fastest car in school, ive researched everything from cougars to mustangs to civics (RICE ROCKET!!!) to firebirds, i like the 3rd gen camaros the best. i can find a few 86s around my area for about a grand a piece, they say they need motor work, but the trans are fine, frankly, i jsut want a good body and interior, thats all. i want to put in a 350ci GES engine (http://golensengineservice.com/engineDetail.asp?engine=3), they say it has 350 at the crank and is backed up by a warranty. back to the cars, they all come with the stock auto trans, i want sumthing better, i was thinking of a 700r4 or t56 off of ebbay (a certified rebuilt one). then i want to put a wing on it and paint it black (im thinking a grand for the paint and the wing i want is about 300). so do u think this is a good combo for the car? i dotn want a drag car, but a good street car, also whats a good exhaust system with a good tone? the fastest cars in my school are a 90 mustang gt with some stuff done to it, and a 99 z28 (im pretty sure its not an SS). plz help me with suggestions and how to get this installed for a good price, im nto rich at all!!! so i need to find out how to get good performance at a good price, thanks...what sort of transmission should i get? i want something that could handle the power of that engine (id probably put on some pulleys, air intake, othert mods in the future) but is not too expensive and is good for the road.

 

85,

Welcome aboard!

Okay, here comes the soap box...

First, if you buy a 15-year old car for a thousand bucks, before you even think about the top end, spend some time working on, under, and around the car to make sure it will be suitable for what you want it to do.

The 'F' cars are a very solid design, and are probably more rigid and substantial by design than most other "sporty" cars in their class. However, fifteen years of neglect and abuse and a half-dozen trips around the globe can take its toll on the steering, suspension, brakes, and drive train. All the horsepower in the world won't help if you toast the rear end on the first burnout, or can't stop at the end of the quarter mile, or can't hold a straight line down the track because of steering wander or alignment.

You'd look pretty funny sitting at the start tree with the engine pointing at the sky because the trans mount let go on launch.

Make sure the car is solid, safe, and reliable. Check brake linings, rotors/drums, wheel bearings, subframes, 'U' joints, LCAs, steering bushings and ball joints, brake lines and hoses, tie rods and steering links, radiator, trans mount and torque arm, track bar and brace, shocks, springs and spring pads, fuel tank straps, and change the fluids from front to rear - oil, coolant, transmission, differential. Once the car is at a relaible condition, start with the engine, transmission, and chassis modifications.

That alone should eat a chunk of your budget for the engine and trans modifications. It should also give you some time to work on and around the car enough to learn it well, and an opportunity to drive it long enough to get a good feel for it's handling quirks and strengths. Once you get all that extra power, you'll know just how far you can push it before losing control.

There are far too many eager, young enthusiasts who never get to live long enough to enjoy their hobby.

Okay, the soap box is safely stored away again. Once your ready for mods, decide what you want the car to do and you'll find plenty of help and opinions here.

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

I totaly agree with Vader. One more thing drive the car for a few months before you stick $$$ in a paint just to make sure every thing is solid. Nothing worse than speending mad cash on a paint job then a week later when your broke the rearend falls out.
Good luck !!!!

 

you can get a stick shift 3rd gen...albiet only in 305s and all the autos are 700r4s except the really old ones. Do yourself a favor, if you replace the engine....dont put a 305 back in for the love of god get a 350 at least.

------------------
91 RS W/carbed 350, Vortec heads, performer rpm, Comp cams Xtreme energy 224/230 duration and .477/.480 lift. BFG Drag radials. 3.42 posi,Corvette servoed 700r4, 3000 stallconverter. Edelbrock TES, 3inch cat, flowmaster with single 2.5 inch exit.
Best time yet to come
12's?? :crossthumbs:

This is a Pic of my car in race trim www.tbns.net/billyjay/camero.jpg

Yes I know how to spell camaro- so dont ask. I didnt make the link

 

Welcome to thirdgen.org! Its great that you took a liking to the third gen camaro, and very lucky that you found our community. Tons of experience around these boards You already met my hero, Vader.

That 86 camaro came stock with a 700r4 auto tranny, the t56 is a 6 speed.

I know you are gonna hate hearing this, but I always believe that your first car should be a real POS, most people trash their first anyway. I did. Some kid at your school has a 99z28.. that is gonna be hard(expensive) to beat with a thirdgen. Mustang shouldn't be a problem ;]

Black paint is HARD to keep clean, and scratches show so easily, my first car was a black camaro. It was an 85', and I put a wing on it myself too, I was pretty happy with that.

That's a pretty beefy engine, what size does the one you are looking at have? If it needs work, it will most likely be less expensive than buying a new one, especially with the installation and shipping.

Stick around here and you will learn a lot, skim through the old posts and you can find a ton of mods to do. Good luck!

 

what Mr. Vader said, he's never wrong. my son started out with a 305 5 speed posi 88 SC camaro. now it has dart heads, holley carb, .550 lunati cam, weiand stealth intake, roller rockers, hooker headers, th 350, and a few other things. he's a senior now.

------------------
ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond Lodge 538 F&AM

 

These guys all know what they are talking about. Wait to paint it because you'll probaly wreck it within the first year. I'm not saying you are a bad driver, but I bet most of the guys on this board have wrecked their car at least once. It will take a little while to, first get comfortable driving any car, and then comfortable driving a thirdgen. 16, little driving experience, and a car with a lot of torque and a posi usually results in at least one accident. These cars are fun and fast, but you need to know the limits. If you are like us, you'll probably find those limits at the wrong time. Anyway, I'm not some old guy, I'm 22 and am speaking from experience. I drove slow cars until I was 17 and then got my Z28, It was slow and had a 305, but it was still a learning process to get good at driving it safely. My dad wouldn't let me modify it until I was almost out of high school. I didn't know why then, but I know now. He did the same things when he was a kid and didn't want to have something bad happen to me.

Like these guys said, don't modify it until you fix the brakes, steering, lights, exhaust, etc. You'll be much happier with a car that looks good and everything works than with a 350 hp piece of sheeit than doesn't stop or handle well.

Then start out small with headers, cat-back, control arms, gears, pullies, etc. That way when you swap motors, you already have the rest of the stuff that will make the new motor shine. Exhaust manifolds on a 350 hp engine is a waste and after buying a motor, you probably won't be able to afford them for a while. See where I'm going?

The thirdgen is a great car and lots of fun. Just use your head and start out slow. It will all come together faster than you think.

I started working on cars at 15, am 22 now and have what's in my signature now. I'm broke, pay for my own college, and work a lot but I made it happen. Good luck, have fun, and always look for cops and kids before you do something stupid.

Man, maybe I am getting old.

------------------
1992 Camaro Z28; Engine:383 w/Ported Edelbrock RPM heads. Lunati Solid Roller Cam 224/232 .502/.502, Fluidampr, Comp Cams 1.5 Roller rockers and lifters, Comp Cams Triple Valvesprings, SVO 30 lb injectors. Holley/Walbro 255 lph in-tank pump, Haltech E6GM DFI, SLP 1 3/4" headers, 4" Mufflex, T56, SLP Clutch, Pro-5.0 Shifter, 4.10 Gear, Auburn Offroad Pro Posi. Super Ram. 17" X 9.5" Ronal FireHawk Rims w/ 275 40ZR17 Bridgestone RE 730's up front and Nitto Drag NT 555R's out back.

Double-Pump This! EFI Rules!

 

tahnks for all the advice, some1 asked about the engine...its a 350 hp 350 ci engine, (check otu the link to the site). im not planning on driving 120 all the time, im gonna be a weekend warrior, there is a perfect place for racing in my town too, its 2 miles long, leads to nowhere and there are no cops on it.
3 fastest cars in my school:
88 firebird TA with almost everything you could do to car done to it, its got some miles on it tho and has bad tires
99 camaro z28
uh, nice system, razor disck chrome wheels
90 mustang GT 5.0 (i gotta give this thing respect)
high rpm driveshaft
cobra intake
hedman headers
underdrive pulleys
good tires
cold air intake
k&n filter
im planning on spending 7 grand on the car from start to finsish, then when im a senior or next summer fixing up the inside and putting in new speakers etc...

 

o yeah, what trans should i look into and gears, i want a car that cruises good but when i race can shift quickly, tthe guy with the mustang is supposdly getting a 94 viper transmission

 

Ahhh I see what we need here. We need a 454 with a high rise aluminum intake manifold headders and a dual exhaust.

A roots supercharger and Nitrous can be added a few weeks later.

Oh, do we have a budget here that were working with?

------------------
1987 IROC-Z Auto (LB9)
Black/grey interior with the stance of a streetfighter
I like to think of her as Arnold Schwartzeneger in a dinner suit

Mods
Custom exhaust. 4 Inch pipe from the headders all the way back to a single muffler at the rear. No Cat. K&Ns, AFPR and Air foil.

Future mods:
Cam change
New torque converter
New heads (maybe corvette L98)
Strut brace
Sub frame connectors
Ram Air

Current G-Tech times
0-60mph 6.26 seconds
1/4 14.74@100.2mph

 

There will always be that rich kid whos parents buy them a new mustang or something. You cant ever have the fastest car unless you have rich parents and you are spoiled.

 

Be careful with the power. MOst accidents are had when you are younger. You can learn a lot in one year of solid driving and autocrossing!!!

 

One other thing that I found out the hard way--if you wind up with a girlfriend, or if you have one already, make dead sure that she's not going to get jealous of you & your car, or you're in for some trouble!!

------------------
DR Stevens
1984 Trans Am 305HO L69
sucks gas, hauls ***
1991 Firebird 305 LO3
for days when I need a/c

 

One more piece of advice. Find a deserted parking lot, (or a one that isn't very busy) to learn the high perf driving! So far, with my '87 TA (knock on wood) I have a perfect driving record for the past 3 years. (Don't ask about before...3 wrecks in 1.5 years, not w/ my TA)
Basically I would pull really hard turns in the lot, learn how gas and break affected the turning (mine having a 350 w/ 3.73 gears in the back...4.10's (RIP 2x) in the back, if I nailed the gas, I'd overstear, mild break understear, lock rear breaks, overstear. Also, these cars handle like sh*t in the rain! The first time I had mine out in the rain some Dumb@$* in a jeep was tailgating me through an intersection, so I gunned it to get him off my tail, I ended up sideways...then the jerk went to pass me...fortunatly, all the years of Nascar racing and Need For Speed I, II, and III, and Grant Tourismo I, II, all taught me how to handle this situation.

As for the Trans, The T56 would be nice But you have to do a lot of work to get it in, well maybe not a lot, but more than would be involved in replacing w/ OEM. I run "an almost" race built 700R4. I left the torque converter stall low, since these cars produce a lot of low end torque, but the clutches were packed tight, a 1-2 and a 2-3 shift kit was put on, the Vette servo was put on, a high volume pump was put on. Now it will light 'em up from the start, slam into second, spin the tires about half way through second, and slam into third. Unfortunatly I don't have the new valve for 3-4 so I have to back off to get it into 4th All in all, it's a pretty nice setup (Now if only I could get the time to replace my blown fuel pressure regulator, it might be able to hold a steady idle!!!)

As for exhaust, I have the SLP system, 1 3/4 primary tube headers, and the 3" cat back. This setup costs a fortune, but it is damn sweet (IMO of course). I lost a little low end torque, but when it hits about 2500-3500 rpm it really picks up! I had my headers Jet Hot coated for an additional $175 and had it all installed for $450. The total on it was ~$1300. These are really the only mods I have, so they are the only ones I can talk from experience about. The rest you will get from the others (Probably not so wordy either.)

One more piece of advise, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS listen to Vader, GMTech, ede, Box of Rocks. Sometimes the joke around a little, but they really know their stuff!




------------------
Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat )MSD ignition. MSD Blaster SS coil. More soon when funds are avail...

 

Fastbroker is right. You pass your test and you think you can drive. I look back 4 years when I passed my test and I knew nothing compared to what I do now.

Also, go to a parking lot and learn how it handles. I did when I first got my car. Put it on the edge so you know where that is.

Remember, if you crash it word will get round school and you'll just be laughed and pointed at. You don't want that.

Robert

------------------
1987 IROC-Z Auto (LB9)
Black/grey interior with the stance of a streetfighter
I like to think of her as Arnold Schwartzeneger in a dinner suit

Mods
Custom exhaust. 4 Inch pipe from the headders all the way back to a single muffler at the rear. No Cat. K&Ns, AFPR and Air foil.

Future mods:
Cam change
New torque converter
New heads (maybe corvette L98)
Strut brace
Sub frame connectors
Ram Air

Current G-Tech times
0-60mph 6.26 seconds
1/4 14.74@100.2mph

 

I'm in that boat now of trying to have the fastest car in school. First off let me tell you that all drag racing is about is $$$. Based on that premise you will have a hard time (much like me)because someone's daddy will aways "help" them make their car faster. Right now I have yet to test my car w/a NX dual-stage kit, chip, slp headers, and ripper shifter. I hope that is enough to put me over the 13.6 held by a GN, 92 lx notch, and a 79z. Later and Happy crusin Derrick

 

ok, maybe someone should give the explination about why you should not race on the street and those 1000 dollar cars...they are gong to cost $2000 in repairs just to get them looking and running stock. I know, I looked at many $1000 cars and most of them the paint is crap, there is rust, the enigne runs like ****. Do your self a favor and spend 2500-3500 on the car with minial repairs needed. The paint is another story, find one with the color you want becauase is is a lot of work and costs mucho dinero to change colors with out opening a door, truck, hood etc and seeing the original color.
If i was you, i would get a nice looking car, because they usally are the ones that are taken car of and start off just getting it in good condition and save up for a 350 build-up to drop in your senior year. That is what I am doing.

 

I got my car with near perfect Paint and Perfectly Running motor and trans For 1400 Bucks

If I was back in HS, it would have been one of the fastest cars.



------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

some advice for anyone starting off in a front engine, rear wheel drive car.
1. even on 4 1/2 cylinders these cars will get sideways in the rain.(I know from my street racing experiences)
2. i was in the clique that had the "fastest cars in school" two out of three crashed before graduation, one died.
3. cops hate young kids in sports cars they will write you a ticket for even looking at your gear shift.
4. have this car looked at by a REPUTIBLE mechanic for any damage to the frame, any strange noises, temperature, etc.
5. use your head when showing off, if you do smoke shows in the parking lot you better pray it doesn't rain alot where you live.
Hope all this helps, I had the fastest car in high school and it didn't help my GPA any. HAVE FUN, BE SAFE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE ON.

 

Anyone see "Remeber the Titans" where the kid went to burn out in his Camaro for his friends, wasn't paying attention, and got slammed by that truck. That's what i'm picturing after reading all these posts!

Good luck with the car though! You're at a very exciting point in life, but don't let people draw you into doing stupid sh*t. I couldn't agree more with the others on getting a feel for the "edge" of your car - nothing worse than coming around 180* on a wet corner and seeing traffic coming head on

One of the best things i can pass on is watch other drivers very closely, and always try to keep an "escape route" in case someone does something stupid.

One day, i was turning left (green arrow), and had a lady turning right from oncoming traffic hit me in the passenger side (not too badly). I saw her coming and the little voice said watch out, but i ignored it. She said she "didn't see me" How the hell do you miss a big green '74 Malibu!?

-Rich

Oh yea, kick some Rustang a$$!!!

[This message has been edited by rhawki (edited April 08, 2001).]

 

thanks every1, these replies are really helping me decide. every1 seems to be pressed on that 99 z28, it got beaten by the 5.0, apparently, this kid cant shift well and he wont put nething on it bc of the warranty, the mustang is what i have to worry about now that its got that cobra intake. o yaeh, and i dont plan on going fast often, just on certain strips that every1 races on,

 

Don't worry about how bad the 5.0 will kick your a$$ because he will no matter what you do. Just get a good looking car like 91 92 z28 and be happy. Looks mean so much more in high school than speed.

 

DUDE get some flowmaster series 40 mufflers. They are loud. My brother has a 79 monte carlo with a brand new 350. Everything is chrome on it. It has around 375 horsepower and sounds awesome. He has the most horsepower at my high school. Of course the new engine cost over 6000 dollars. I'm getting flowmaster series 40 mufflers for my 87 firebird formula. Make sure that you get 2 chamber series 40 mufflers if you get them and make sure they are not delta flows.

Good Luck Dude

 

If you want to show off your car big time take and drill holes big enough for a spark plug at the end of your dual exhuast and then weld a spark plug into each hole then run a long spark plug wire from the spark plug and splice it into one of your 8 in the engine then put a switch in you dash that sparks the plug. When you flip this switch you will have flames flying out of your exhaust. Be careful, because I know some one who was powerbrakeing in the parking lot at school and when he lit the exhaust on fire, it started the car on fire and the car burned in the parking lot the whole day. It was ruined.

 

Evilho is right most people in my school don't even know who has the fastest car. They usually name a person that is a second off the best persons time. This means the care but not enough for it to matter but they will notice how your car looks. If you want it fast do it for you not to impress. Later Derrick

 

well guys this has gotten long winded. the original question was answered and a few more i believe. i'm going to lock this, but as always you can repost and see where it goes if you have soemthing to say or ask. you can also post non tech at macgyvers board www.nethirdgen.org thanks for understanding

------------------
ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond Lodge 538 F&AM