Ok we all know running 15's isnt anything TO fun or exciting. And well frankly for speed you gotta have money, and when you get your speed you gotta have supporting mods to back it up, either if its to prevent your rear end snapping, body flexing, or tranny popping in half.

Well me, like alot of us arent rich and we all dream on having say a lsx engine under our hood or to have the car competly restored. Me personaly would want both but again, I dont have that money OR experience to do so. And Im really thinking 190hp just isnt gonna cut it for a teenage boy with the go fast frills. But as i said earlier you cant be having 400hp with stock brakes or rear end. So i would like to know is how can i make a 190hp vehicle fun but still safe and reliable.

Limit power adding mods please and I'm also not the type to be carving corners, but if i feel risky enough i wanna know the car is going to stick. And forget about a manual for me. So give me your thoughts and opinions about this, Thanks.

 

I dont understand what you are asking for but the cars we are talking about are not bad to drive.

 

rear end swap, full exhaust from heads to tail pipe.

each of those can be done one a time, when funds permit and would make a world of difference.

 

what i mean is like how basically all thirdgens are low on power and not the most fun to race, how can we make them more fun without spending boat loads for engine swaps and breaking parts?

 

fun is subjective. If you want a corner carver then tighten up the suspension, get some good tires, and swap to a 5 speed. If you want to go fast in a straight line, gear it and spray it.

 

Not to be mean or anything....But 190hp is all most teenagers can handle to begin with (whether or not they'll admit it out loud). Learn to wring the last little your cars, before adding more. Jump into too much too fast & the next post could about the car being wrapped around a telephone pole.

 

Let me clarify that a bit. What I mean is headers, cat, exhaust and rear end can each be done on it's own, at different times.

 

also part suggestions would be nice to

 

I hope when you say race you mean at a track. Search around on here and you will find plenty of low cost things you can do to improve the car like the throttle body coolant bypass.

 

Exactly, been there, crashed it.

 

It that or less couldn't be fun I wouldn't be going on 10 years with the V6 -T5 in mine doing all I can to keep it going

 

Kid next door drooled over mine, his first was was a black Bird [I felt proud], but he put a 800HP tractor pulling engine in it [ their family does tractor pulls ] and he went through 3 Birds and a Camaro in about 8 months knocking the front end off em running into crap.

He has a mustang now for some reason, like a shorter even lighter car won't be as squirly with power, hes gonna die.

Another reason mine is still a 6, Im afraid to hit something in it while my built up V8 car is a fricking Buick tank that I have no worries about driving through a house with, long ways, with brick walls

 

Best FUN mod to a stock TPI (or any V8, really) would be a manual transmission. Be it a T5 or T56, that's gotta be the best fun for the buck.

 

Its all about making sure your blinker fluids are checked daily and filled to the top, If its low your thrill level will never meet your expectations.

Learn to drive the car and be one with the car, while your doing that save some money and when you become a jedi start doing upgrades. First thing would be take the 305 out

I was just like you when i was a teen, not that long ago, took me 8 F-bodys to finally get a nice one with some grunt behind it, and alot of growing up. It takes time, but it will pay off in the end

 

Suspension mods can make a world of difference in the "fun to drive" feel of a car. By now, there's likely to be a lot of stuff worn out, especially in the front end. All the bushings for sure can stand replacement. And if you're going to replace them, you might as well upgrade.

Obviously, you want to repair any worn out front steering or suspension joints before you even think about upgrading to performance pieces (idler arms in particular are notorious for wearing out in many GM cars). Get it aligned once this is done. A PERFORMANCE alignment- with some negative camber dialed in and toe set very close to zero. Not just "within specs", but dead-nuts right.

Then try this- go to Pep Boys or wherever is convenient and buy new anti roll bar end links. They sell them with Poly bushings in various universal lengths for just a few bucks. I think the 3rd gens are 4", but don't quote me on that. Buy the right length and install them. See if that simple mod doesn't make a noticable difference over worn out rubber bushings!'

Imagine what a complete set of poly bushings would do front and rear. Don't forget to replace the crappy stock tranny and torque arm bushings with Poly, too.

Then upgrade the shocks. The ones on there are likely past their prime and performance replacements can be had for only a few bucks more than stock replacements. You think bushings make a big difference, wait till you feel the difference with just a set of "stage 1" entry level street performance shocks! The car will feel much more "buttoned down to the road" than with worn out stock units.

The car will be totally transformed the way it handles and you haven't even bought anything expensive yet or added a single horsepower under the hood. Horsepower improvements you can only feel on rare occasions when you can open it up. Suspension improvements you can feel over every bump and around every turn. You live with your car's suspension every day.

 

thanks very much! could you sugest a specific front end kit? or do i just buy a non specific kit from like napa? How much are alighments from a well known shop? Can brushing and all be replaced with just using a jack/stands or is a lift suggested?

All the springs/shocks/struts seem to be expensive, just for replacment items. Again suggested products?

Thanks for your help!

 

About the only thing that matches the original post is swapping from those lame 2.73;1 gears to maybe 3.42:1 gears. Easiest to just swap the complete rear axle assembly from one built with the V6 and automatic, '85-'92. Best to go '90-'92 if possible. Then install a conversion-type locker.
That'll feel a world better, and the rear should be under $100, but the locker will add another $400. You should be a half second quicker in the 1/4 mile.
The next mod would be Edelbrock headers, the ones intended for an '87 5.7L.
at the same time, do the matching 3" cat, and your choice of 3" cat-back.
There are cheaper headers, but these will be best for you.
Now you're ready for a mild cam. The popular LT1 cam would be great. At the same time, do an airfoil for the TB.
Now you should be a full second quicker, and still not breaking anything. At this point, you may need to raise your shift points, to around 4800 rpm.
This would have you running equal with a stock 5.0 Mustang, but there's no longer any such car.

 

www.p-s-t.com, has a complete front end kit, with polygraphite bushings, for $159.

 

i have 3.23 which i dont mind, 3.42 wouldnt be bad but i doubt i would really notice anything except a loss in gas mileage.
im going probaly install a ls1 rear end, those had 3.42 gearing (some) correct?

for exhuast i was thinking hooker 500hkr i belive there called which includes y-pipe, i have a basically new cat already, and i was thinking a magnaflow catback.

a lt1 cam wont give me a rough idle will it?

thanks for the link to.

 

The '94.5-'02 T56-equipped F-cars had 3.42:1, posi, and rear discs.
The LT1 cams all had very smooth idle. Current part number is 12551142, search it at www.sdparts.com

 

thank you, also on the website you linked, i looked a bit and for there poly kit its $189, is that better to do then just a standard kit? also i tried the part # but it said the # couldnt be found?

 

my car has about that much and my teenage years are over (im 20) lol but i guess its what you make of it i get in my car and i still think its fun to drive but you can build a 400 hp motor for cheap these days so it can be done maybe not over night but it can be done on a budget just do the baic bolts ons and try getting used stuff shop around i could probably count the brand new things i bought for my car you just gotta put in work and your thirgen will be fun again ha ha

 

gut the car every 100lbs is a tenth in E.T and you can sell all the stock parts and buy go fast parts!

 

um HELL NO! sorry but that will be done to probaly my next thirdgen... a 91/92 z28

 

Try some auto-x,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpzfLPtvJIk

I only have 195hp

 

bhelieve it or not this is the best answer when I was 17 my first camaro was a base model with a 2.8l and z28 stickers and I almost died in it. My father had the good since not to put the 350v8 that I was begging for and now I'm 30 years old. Now the 89 305 v8 that I have will take me some time to get the way I want but at least now I have the good since to know how to drive it. I have a lady at my church that wanted me to sell it to her for her son, I'm sorry but if I know that she is going to give it to a 17y.o. I'll keep it till it rusts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have a 92 RS 5.0 TBI and it is fun but I do have the T5 transmission. Just another suggestion I am 18 years old and just bought a 2000 SS that is my project car. I am planning on rebuilding the ls1 to 500 hp and low compression for my APS twin turbos and nitrous to get thrown on to produce 1000 hp. It will take time but learning how to do everything is part of the fun for me so just look at all you can do with another 3rd gen, camaro, or any other car and maybe keep this one as your run about, but a quick run about.

 

This type of reasoning never made sense to me. I've had my 2005 GTO since well 2005. I've had plenty of third gens and a nice fourth gen before that. I've had 400HP in my daily driver and I've never hit anything nor have I been scared too. Don't act like a moron on the streets and anything that's streetable will be fine. Maturity and common sense come into play long before power. Many people get into trouble with 120HP Honda Civics. Those same people will get in to trouble with anything. Just like those of us who are responsible can be responsible with 170HP or 670HP.

 

I agree with this completely. I have plenty of fun with mostly stock hp. Camaros are about a hell of alot more than strait line performance.

 

Quite true. I rather enjoyed my near stock LB9/A4 1987 Trans Am. That TPI engine had nice off the line torque and these cars can handle well if the suspension is in good shape.

 

it wont affect your gas mileage a considerable amount.

4th gen rears really arent much stronger. the only big difference is disk breaks and its 4" wider, so your wheel/tires will stick out 2'' farther.
with some wheels/tires it will be flush with the fender lip

 

In addition to full exhaust and a CAI, I would suggest a slightly higher stall convertor and a shift-kit and cooler. Those three mods will make a decent difference in the fun factor...

 

it just doesnt seem to be worth to go thru all the hassle of swapping gears for something just a bit higher.

 

do you mean tranny cooler, i have the 350 iroc options so i belive i already have that. arent shift kits supposely hard to install with the tranny in the vehicle? same with converter.

 

So what are you actually willing to do to the car besides put gas in it and drive it?

How many times have you taken it to the track?

You'll never get anything done if every suggestion is met with "but it may ". Most tuners, or whatever you want to call guys who actually work on their cars, build one thing at a time and don't just wake up one morning and have a completely laid out street/strip machine. Most work on them for years.

If you don't want to work on the car then the answer to your first question is very easy. Can my car still be fun to drive with only 190hp? Yes it can be if that's all you want.