Hi guys, hope I dont bore you to death. I am stuck on a very important decision. But im definetelly going to do it, so your time will NOT be wasted if you read/post...
Simply put, I have 2 cars. a stock complete 89 RS with a 305 TBI/700R4/10 bolt 2.73 and a 3" flowmaster catback as the only performance mod.
The other is a 83 Z-28 with a 355 blower motor / Th350 / 9 bolt 2.77

I need to sell one, and the one I keep needs to meet 2 primary conditions:
Daily driver/Reliability/Fuel economy 18+mpg
Performance/Horsepower 400-500~ FlyWHP

Obviouselly, im not goina get that outa the lil' 305 so... Whichever I keep will get the blower motor.

Thing is, the car I keep will also need an overdrive(700R4) tranny, and most likelly some new gears (3.42+/- .50~)

And most obviouselly, meeting a "fuel economy" goal of 18+ MPG
means fuel infection for sure, and that lil'305's 2 barrel TBI just isnt going to cut it. I think its safe to say no matter what, Im ditching the 305 into the car I dont keep.

So now what we have is a need for a Fuel injection setup, A strong 700R4 tranny, A rear-end rebuild/modification, and most likelly a new blower... to go with the fuel injection setup.

Well, I knew THAT already, its not what I came here to ask...
what I do need help deciding on is which car? Lets get a low-down on each one...
The 89 305 RS first:
Pros:
Decent paint, Air conditioning (florida here), Already has a 700R4(stock tho) and correct length driveshaft, already has a 10 bolt (cheaper than 9-bolt to fix up), Nice interior, Electronically sound (door locks/hatch motor etc.. all work), great sound system, Tint, no dents, Good exhaust foundation for a big breathing motor (mandrel bent 3").
Cons:
Will need to drop the tank for fuel system upgrade, Will need new fuel lines, Bad suspension (needs new springs/shocks/struts), will need new headers/Y-pipe, A/C might not work with V-belt setup, will have to re-wire all my ultra-lite guages and rip out existing console to fit them, will need new motor mounts...
The 83' Z-28 now:
Pros:
Perfectly good suspension, Already has my Ultra-lites wired and working and mounted, Already has B&M ratched shifter, Fuel tank will not need to be dropped, Motor mounts already E/S type, Exhaust is already complete / decent, If I keep this car and sell the 89' I can use that money (about $2500) towards this one.
Cons:
will need paint first thing right away, has a few dents, Exhaust will need to be re-done soon, Fuel lines probably will need upgrade, has expensive 9-bolt BW rear end with bad gears (2.77) and worn out posi, will need new driveshaft (700R4 longer tailhousing), will have to pay for Core 700R4 because current tranny is Th350, Has T-Tops (pro?), Whole car rattles and shakes alot more than the 89', Electrically Un-sound (need new elec. dor locks, needs new fuse box, needs new ignition switch, needs to be completelly re-wired eventually...), interior not as pretty as the 89, etc.. you get the picture...

At first it would seem the 89' RS is the way to go, but when you consider if I keep the 83' I can sell the 89' for $2500~ and use THAT Money on the 83 you begin to wonder... But its a toss up. both currently drive, but ones is slow and gets good fuel economy, and one is fast but gets poor fuel economy... I want somthing fast but with good fuel economy.

Opinions? My Budget (not including the $2500 from selling the 89)
is about $6000 to spend on tranny/rear/blower/fuelinjection/paint etc...

 

since i dont like body/paint work i would go with the 89 rs!!!

Pros:
Decent paint, Air conditioning (florida here), Already has a 700R4(stock tho) and correct length driveshaft, already has a 10 bolt (cheaper than 9-bolt to fix up), Nice interior, Electronically sound (door locks/hatch motor etc.. all work), great sound system, Tint, no dents, Good exhaust foundation

and swap suspension stuff onto the 89 from the 83!

i like the look of the 89 than an 83...

what ever you choose it will still be a fast car!!

 

wow thanks formula... its geting high time to decide.. real soon now...

I just got the deposit for the rings I sold... I will have $5700 to play with in about 2 days... then the fun begins...

Should I start with the drivetrain or engine? tranny first or blower first? hehehe... Uh oh...

 

Well, the first thing I would ask you is if either of the two have any emotional value to you. Which body style do you like better? You already have the motor you are keeping, a 700R4 that you could rebuild to handle more power, and a 10 bolt rear. The 89 has A/C which I know is a BIG deal down here in Miami, and better paint and interior. You could easily spend over 2500 on paint and interior work if you want it to come out really nice.

If you don't have a preference in body style, and you aren't really atached to either one, I would say keep the 89. Swap the motor from the other car, and the suspension. Its going to be alot of work, but I think you have almost everything you need between the two cars. Get your FI setup, a posi unit and some steeper gears than the 2.73s, and get your new blower. You can either leave the 700r4 alone until it blows then get a rebuild, or rebuild it now to handle your new motor. Either way you go, you are going to need to do all of those things anyway.

If you keep the 83, you have to go through more work AND money. Than means adding A/C, paint and body, interior work, and rewiring the car(big pain).

 

92blue I live in miami now. I live off US-1 in cutler ridge... right by the best buy. In fact i work at the cutler ridge best buy...

I'd be glad to meet up with u somtime! maybe you could see my dillema with your own eyes! lol what a site my yard is... 2 camaros... 2 dead/brown spots in the grass where they sit. One looks nice and black and fast (305 tbi) the other, with its destroyed paint and crappy color not to mention the cracks in the fiberglass hood looks like a crap mobile (evil 355!) so its quite a site to behold!