Sorry this isn't anything about street racing, but I had nowhere else to put it. I have a 3.1 92 RS with 124,000 miles, and I love my camaro and all, but the 3.1 is really starting to annoy me. I mean, minivans accelerate harder than my camaro. So, I've narrowed it down to two choices, dropping in a 350 in my RS, or keeping the RS as a daily driver and getting an early's 80's Z28 or Trans Am, but it HAS to be a 350! As of right now, I'm leaning towards buying another Camaro. My question is: Are the early 80's Z28's with 350's fast (compared to my lil 3.1). Now, I've driven in my dad's 79 Z28 w/ a dropped 350, and while the horsepower wasn't that great, the torque has simply AMAZING! I'm thinking the early 80's 350's are even better, so, how do they handle up?

Real quickly, a coworker of mine has a 95 Civic EX w/ 180,000 miles, all RICED-OUT. We raced one night, and I stayed ahead about 1 1/2 car lengths, so, how would an 84 Z28 (most likely what I'll get) stand up to it?

 

Well, there are no early 80s with a 350 stock. Of course you can get one with a v6 or a 305, and drop a 350 in it. If you want a 350 you gotta look late 80s to early 90s.

It all depends on what you plan on doing with the car for whether or not you should keep your RS. It all comes down to money I guess.

 

Ahh, I forgot about that, no 350's in the early 80's. I've seen a couple of ads though, one for a 84 Z28 w/ a 350, and another for a 84 Trans Am with a 350, so I'm guessing they are either dropped in, or somebody screwed up and meant that it was an L69(?). If so, aren't the L69's the "performance" engines of the 305's? I just read an article that states they have something like 190 horsepower, and 240 torque, which is 50 more horses, and 40 more torque than mine. The 79 Z28 w/ a 350 only had 170 horses, I forget the torque numbers though, but I felt it had a pretty good amount. Does anybody have an L69? How is it?

 

if you find an L69, grab it. wish i had grabbed an 84 z28 with an L69. guy only wanted $1200 but i waited too long. with the t5 they could run mid 15's stock and they respond very well to mods.

are you talking about an early 80's camaro like an 80 or 81? those are 2nd gen camaros. the z28 and the trans am did get 350's, but they were still smog era engines. (drove 78 z28 4 spd, not impressed, LG4 could keep up with it). they had less than 200 hp, but they have very good potnetial.

you could also look for an 85-up z28 with the TPI 305 engine or an 87-up z28 with the 350.

84 z28 wil kill the civic

 

i got a L69 84 z28 ho 5 spd it was abused but i still bougt it for 2500 with t top and non working air. it aint really that fast but if u lean on it, it will walk a newer gt

 

got my 84 TA for $2000
paid 1500 for new paint job and bodywork


mine ran a 15.9 when i first got it

i gutted my cat and now i run 14.7......only mods are hooker cat-back and K&N air filter

my car is still not running at peak performance cuz its running rich......

i street raced my friend who has a 94 Z28 M6 and he only beat me by a car length.........i was pretty happy

but i still want more power......so im dropping in a vortec 350 and probably a TH350 so it will b able to hold the motor


but i was VERY happy with the performance after i gutted the catalytic converter.....but i hear mine was just a freak accident....cuz other people tried it and didnt get as good results.....but oh well....

 

There is a 84 Z-28 camaro for sale near me. It has 57,000 miles, an L69, 5 speed, T tops and new paint. He wants $4800. If I can get it for under $4k I will own my first thirdgen

 

4.000 for an 84 in IL ? rustbucket junker ? wheres it from ? damn thats expensive for such an old car, damn... must be mint magazine shoot quality condition ? you know how hard it is to find such a car around here right ?

L69 Z28's are pretty damn fast, very fun i just sold mine for 850, i gave 1300 for it and couldnt even get 1000 for it.. wierd... no one wants these cars, everyone already has one, i must just be in crappy region... i just picked up a beater L84 Z28 again for 400 bucks, but had no driver side front floor and has front strut tower rot out and rear wheel tub lower front rot out, interior very trashed out and not matching, but runs and drives which is only thing its got going for it... probably wil end up parting it even thoug hit hs nothing in it that anyone would want.,, its totally unrestorable missing waayyyy too much metal., as are 90% of them here.

good luck....

 

4000 is what you have to pay for a car that isn't rusty. They just don't exist around here. All I want is T tops, 5 speed and no rust.

 

MattW, your cat was probably clogged, and gutting it solved this problem. your car should have gone low 15s stock, not high 15s. with the addition of your exhaust and the unclogged cat, this would explain the dramatic increase in performance.

 

what kind of mods can we do to get into the 13s for under 3-400 bucks

 

Take off all body panels and sell for scrap getting $15, then buy a nitrous set of $300. There done.

13's for $300-$400 from mid 15's what are you thinkin'

Later, Garrett