i'm done, i just got my car on the road and i am takeing it off. my 84 2.8 is why to slow. i cant beat nothing, i am like a laphing stock my car sound powerfull, but it does nothing. i can take it how do u v6 people deal with it. anywaz here my question i want to sell my car, prob for less money then i spent on it. anywayz how much do u think i should ask for it??? 2.8 v6 1984 firebird.... i'm going for the 5.7. oh one more question, is there a big diffrence from a 87 gta 5.7L or a 305 trans am if i where to mod both??? what one would be more better
thanks

 

Take a Pill.

Get a tuneup, check the timing; maybe advance it. No, your car wont beat new 6 cyl; you know why? NEW TECHNOLOGY. We can beat alot of the new 4 cyl cars. Our cars arnt horiblly slow; many other cars are slower. The LG4 is just as bad as our 6 cyl. I took a LG4 camaro by 2 cars. You should have known when you bought your car; 3200 + 140hp = not so fast. Actually; when you look at it our cars have GOOD Hp:Cubic inch ratio! Compared to the LG4 with its 150:305 ratio; ours is 140:175.

On another note; Yes there is a big difference. If your talking about a LG4 transam; they are slow. The Tpi's are medium-slow
the 350s in the GTAs I consider are Medium-Fast.

But the 350 will respond to mods beter then the 305.

Gas would be hell here, on a 350 I think we pay 4-5bux a gallon
78.9cents a liter.

 

Go for the 350?

How so we handle it? know our cars, who to mess with and who to pretent with... Keep our cars in tip top tune and get the most out of them for the money... I tried that, now I'm building a 350/700r4 for my baby...

My car would have been good for 16's if I had put the headers on, new injectors and ported my intake and gotten some traction... all easy stuff and not expensive, but I decided to save my money and build a real motor.

With the new motor, it'll be good for 13's, when I get out of college and start making 50K a year, I'll build either a 383, 377 or a 400 and make my goal 9's... garage the car and drive a mecham TA everyday to work.

 

How do we deal with it? LOL.....the answer is simple....we LOVE OUR CARS. If you think about it, you really have to have a hard-on for F-bodies to represent them like a lot of the guys do on this board. Some guys look at it as a challenge, to see what they can squeeze out of it. It's not all that bad. No, you won't be able to smoke any 5.0 Mustangs, or any of the new 15-second sport compacts. As slow as mine is, I still love it. As far as a new F-body, a 350 will leave you much better off, as it is relatively cheap to squeeze horsepower out of.

 

you just can't compare a 305 to a 350!!! Believe me, I have a 350and it is a beast. If you are going to do it, do it right. the only thing better about a 305 is gas mileage, and I guess alot of that depends on the way you build it.

 

in 84 you have a carbed V6 right.. they are a bit slower

 

Man your bird is sooooo clean though!!! Rather than get rid of it, take the time to amass the parts and put an 8 in that body. I usually don't recommend that BUT any amount you get for the car would be insulting because it a v-6. I doubt the v-8 replacement woul look as good. Just something to consider...

 

I agree, my car is in pretty good cosmetic shape, and the engine still runs strong, but the 140 horsepower(if still that) isn't cutting it for me too. I guess it's relative depravation, because I never felt that way before driving my stepdad's 79 350 Z28, or my girlfriend's 99 Lumina LTZ, but when I get out of those cars and hop into mine, it's a different story. Sure, our v-6's our good for economy (relatively speaking compared to the v-8's) and daily drivers, but when you drive a CAMARO OR FIREBIRD, it's supposed to be fast, and it's known as a fast car. When kids look at our cars, the first thing that comes to their mind is: FAST!

Our cars were meant to be driven with v-8's in them, I know this simply because of the fact that when anybody asks me about my car, they always ask, "Hey, you got a 350 or a 305 in your camaro?" When I tell them it's just a six, I can see the disapointment, it just wasn't meant to be. At least that's my take on it. Besides, I'm tired of being out-accelerated by the Jeep/SUV/Minivan behind me getting onto the highway! And partly the reason why I am getting a v-8, or a different car altogether.

Sure, our 6's can beat more cars than most think, but drive in a camaro or firebird with a 350, and you can see why the 6 just doesn't cut it. If you go ahead and do get the 350, I can assure you, you won't regret it, except maybe at the gas pump, LOL. Peace.

 

From my v6 Fiero GT, to my 88 firebird I have learned to like the 6,s, better economy cubes/hp ratio etc, plus lots of ways to speed them up, I have seen some nice turbo/dual turbo setups that were SWEET!!, might want to try something like that first, or just enjoy the 6 for now and find a 350 TPI and build it up to put in and then you will at least have a replacement V6 in case you do like I do and push engines to the limit, LOL

 

thanks for the replys, some people agree with me and some dont thats fine its good to know both sides. when i got my car i was told it was a 305 so i was F*&^ing mad when i found out it was 2.8. but by that time it was to late. i do love my car i made it from junk to what it is now i watched it form into what it is now. the one guy is right people expect power from a firebird or trans am, and so do i, i dont ever want to be beat by no z24 or stupid import ever again. And the why i see it is to invest in a six would be a waste of money when u could just invest in a 8cyl and still beat what u could push out of the six. i just look at this why, my six was training, now i know how to handle it, this why i wont kill my self when i get a 8. So what i am going to do is keep my 6 and get a GTA till i find a good price or till my brother learns to drive. but thank for the help.

 

you ought to try running in track events instead of street racing.

like they said, 350 is better than the 305.

BTW, very nice ride.

 

since ya got the carb, get the Fageol supercharger for it.

 

It's a good thing when you can get a 350 small block for less than the price of a replacement 2.8 too.
Plan ahead. Be prepared. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Those things you must remember when you are doing a motor swap. Find out what you need to get going to do this, and have a slush fund for all those parts that you didn't even think of when you are doing the swap.
It's worth it in the end.

 

Well let me say this to all owners of the six cyl Birds. The fastest 3rd Gen F-Body was not an 8. It was a turbocharged 6. That's right the aniversary Turbo Trans-Am of 1989. You can make that six run if you do it right. However, if your six is on it's last legs I would recommend getting a 5.7 liter V8. I'm using a 305 V8 and while it's pretty quick I am going to replace it eventually.

 

Your car is so easy to upgrade to a V-8 a child could do it!
This answer only applies to 1982-1984 V-6 rides.
Check local smog laws for anyreason why not upgrade to a V-8.
My Wife's 1968 is a 6.
Was fine then & still is.
It'll be V-8 powered to one day.

 

Like 86CamaroSC said, your '84 is slower than the 85-up multiport 2.8 models. Besides fuel injection, 85-up's have a more aggressive cam, larger ports in the heads, and a lower rear gear ratio.

If you're feeling ambitious, you could probably get a set of heads and a complete rear axle (from 85-89 2.8 Camaro/Firebird with an automatic transmission) out of a junkyard for cheap. The axle swap is easy, especially if you're staying with rear drum brakes. (You should think about rebuilding the brake system, though, while the axle is out of the car and easy to work on.) Heads won't be easy, but if you get bored, since you're taking the car off the road, you might as well have a project to do.

Remember those wheels are worth some coin! You might not want to let 'em go with the car... you might be able to sell them on eBay (or similar) for more than you'd get if you sold them with the car.

 

But it's such a beautiful car!

Quote:

Well let me say this to all owners of the six cyl Birds. The fastest 3rd Gen F-Body was not an 8. It was a turbocharged 6. That's right the aniversary Turbo Trans-Am of 1989.

Yeah, but that was the turbo 3.8L V6 out of the Grand National, not his older 2.8.

 

Don't you mean 140:191??

the 305 has 200 and some punds of tourque so it wips up that way. LOL

 

He's got a 2.8, which is 171 0r 173, the 3.1 is 191 or whatever.

 

Last time i check the tech data on the 2.8L in the archives it was 135@4900 with 173 ci and the 3.1L was 140@4400 with 191 ci.

 

Dude Switching a v8 into any f body (cept mabye the Ls1) is a cakewalk. But you can do so much for the 6, i know Isky makes a cam for it, and i forget withc company makes rollar rockers(comp or crane...i always mix those two up). Im running 16.5 with my 3.1 camaro right now. With a small shot of nitrous i should be in the low 15's wich isnt super fast but can take out most rice rockets.

If you switch to the v8 go with the 350. You can get much much more out of it. I do like the 305 for its reliability, i have the l69 305 in my monte ss aerocoupe and it starts everyday with 150,000 miles on it. My truck has 190,000 miles on the 305 as well, but there not built for speed. So basically if you want alot of reliablility go with the 305 if you want more performance options go with the 350.

 

From the Thirdgen tech data (https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/techdb.shtml):
1982-1984 LC1 2.8L V6 (2bbl carb):
107HP @ 4800RPM
145ft/lb @ 2100RPM

1985-1989 LQ8 2.8L V6 (MPFI):
135HP @ 4900RPM (5100RPM for '85-'86)
160ft/lb @ 3900RPM (165ft/lb for '85)

1990-1992 LH0 3.1L V6 (MPFI):
140HP @ 4400RPM
180ft/lb @ 3600RPM (185ft/lb in '91)


It's strange how some of the years in the tech data have +5 ft/lb of torque or put out 135HP at 5100 vs. 4900 RPM....the tech data page must be slightly off.

 

A cakewalk?? I don't think so... at least, not in my definition. To me, a cakewalk is changing plugs... something extremely easy. Swapping a v8 sounds like a major pain in the *** to me. I've had my V6's wireing harness out completely, and it was such a pain to work with. Not to mention yanking the engine and trans (yep I've taken those out too, but the engine was for my friend's old Camaro), and sliding the v8 stuff in, and not to mention upgrading the fuel pump inside the tank. (Dropped my tank twice, too.)

So it doesn't sound like a cakewalk...

 

This car is an 82-84 Carb'd V-6.
It is a cake walk if he stays carb'd V-8.

 

i have been doing some thinking and still i dont know really what to do but tell me if this is a good idea, with the v8 305 or 350 your pritty much live at a gass station. i dont want that. so what if i rebuilt my motor with heads and roller rockers..... the whole bit and got that Fageol supercharger, but when rebuiling my motor i rebuild with nitro. the guy told me that if rebuild it fit for nitors it will cause no problems. is that true?? doing this with or with out the nitro, will i be able to take most 6s on the road??? what times should i get out of it?

 

What are you talking about? Sure, a V8 will use more gas than a V6, especially with nearly 2x the displacement, but you're not going to lose that much in gas mileage!
If you're concerned about gas mileage, I would strongly recommend the 305 L03. It is a great engine for fuel economy and has a lot more power to it! You won't be disappointed! It's a drastic change from a V6, and worthwhile!
You will lose some fuel economy, but not as much as you think. Sounds to me like you want the power of the V8, but want the economy of the V6.
Viola! The 305 L03 may be your solution. Comparitively, you will KNOW the difference especially if you're driving over mountain passes. That is where the V8 will shine and the V6 will seem gutless. Fuel economy may be better for that kind of driving! Something to consider.
I don't know what application you really want, but for all around power and economy, the L03 might be the way to go for you.
Sure, it's not the highest horsepower motor around, but it does have quite a bit of power AND fuel economy by comparison.

 

Well given the fact that you are looking at building up the early model 2.8, I would still consider a different foundation. The 80-84 2.8s had smaller main bearing journals then the 60* v6s from 85-up. What does this mean? Specifically that the crankshaft is not as strong as the later models. I would seriously reconsider supercharging your current engine due to the weaker bottom end. Now, if you managed to get a 3.4 short block and transfer your intake on to it, then supercharging could be considered. Otherwise I think you're going the Ted Kaczynski route and are building a time bomb.

 

What is your budget?

 

wonder where Karls going?

 

i felt the same pain as this guy did.

my 84 had a 2.8 it ran a pitiful 18.94 secs @just under 70mph.

i would up swapping in a 305, but thats only because i had to have the car back asap and had already obtained an lg4 and 700r4, from a camaro, before i tore up the v6 trans. long stort short. if you stay carbed you can swap engine cheap and easily, especially if there isn't emissions testing where you live

and yeah i know the 305 isn't a rocket, but its a far cry from that v6 the first time i drove it i took it out down the highway, before i cleared the on ramp to the highway the speedo was nearly pegged, it felt good, especially knowing i did it myself

 

ok there goes the idea of supercharging my car, from what i read so far my motor is like the worst so doing anything to it would really not be worth it. where i am they have emishion testing (toronto) but i can get a pass if i need it. i want to keep my budget to around 1500 to 2000 if possible. i dont mind changeing the motor but what one would be the best fit where i would not have to change alot? 305 L03, or those lg4............., or those other 6 cyl that are pritty fast and r worth fixing up???????

 

This is the LG4:

1980-86 GM Vehicles 5.0/305 Engine
Price: $1,535.15
Part # 12531687

New/Reman.: New
Core Value: $0.00
Transmission: Automatic/Standard
Cubic inches: 305
Liters: 5.0

This is the L03:

305 / 5.0L GM Goodwrench Engine
Applications:
1988-93 (L03) most GM cars with 305

1988-93 GM Vehicles 5.0/305 Engine
Price: $1,549.95
Part # 12518296

New/Reman.: New
Core Value: $0.00
Transmission: Automatic/Standard
Cubic inches: 305
Liters: 5.0

http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...tid=127&pid=96

That is for a brand NEW L03 engine.

The difference between the LG4 and the L03 are the heads. The bolt angle for the intake manifold is different for the L03. Other than that, I believe they are identical. There may be some other little differences; I am not an expert.

And here is some food for thought....

SAME PLACE....

2.8L GM Goodwrench Engine
Applications:
1982-94 (LR2,LL2)S series pick-ups
1982-86 (LC1,LB8)Camaro, Firebird

1982-86 Camaro/Firebird 2.8L Engine
Price: $1,599.00
Part # 10081998


New/Reman.: New
Core Value: $0.00
Transmission: Auto
Cubic inches: 173
Liters: 2.8


Up to you!!!!
Maybe this will help you decide!!!
I suggest the L03 or LG4. It's really up to you what you want to do.

 

Where I was "going" was that
It'll cost change to sell the car (advertising) then ya start fresh w/V-8 car. Also wrong time of year to sell right now (Spring-Summer best!)
MAY BE BEST OPTION (Ya can find a beauty of a 3rd gen V-8 for dirt cheap, but will require lots of effort to make it right)
If ya swap out for a V-8...
Depending upon your knowledge, the knowledge of the "helper", the project level, it'll cost ya time & change.
Starting with new engine is nice, too.. but.. THEN ya gotta get all the necessities (like mounts, brackets, proper items-either new or rebuilt)
Swapping in a used long block V-6 isn't a bad deal either, but will ya go back to original carb? Kinda doubt it..... (on my truck 3.4 swap, I will upgrade to the MPFI, after I pass CA smog-yet I will have to pay $300 for recertification privlidge process-OUCH!).
WISEST MAY BE TO SEARCH OUT THE BANGED UP BROKEN V-8 RIDE, strip off all the swap stuff ya need (find a beat up V-8 carb'd version), start taking the "parts for a V-8 swap".
Which parts?
Mounts on frame & motor
brackets for accessories-make sure certain accessories are the same or better
check diameter of the fuel line (V-6 MAY be skinnier)
Obtain a V-8 tranny
Radiators & fan assemblies & wiring
Probably more, but only discovered upon examination.

YES it's a PROJECT
BUT your foundation is exceptionally nice

It's your call.

IT's not an easy solution, unless ya put aside pride/shame of a V-6 & enjoy the ride as is!

When I did/do my V-6 upgrades it was designed for
Passing emissions
putting me back on road quickly & inexpensive & safely-reliable

My personal swap goals were met.
I only wish my Firebird looked as nice as yours, tho.
I'm now doing body & interior.
Almost ready for painting, interior closer for the headliner & carpet & redo all the interior panels.
You have an easy solution if you examine all your facts & your skills, talents & budget & time & space to do this project.
PS you will get discouraged during the swap MORE COMPLICATED IT IS.
MAKE A PLAN & STICK TO IT.
ONLY after ya do the swap then get it running reliable, then ya upgrade for better this & that.
BEST SWAPS are made when the end result looks extremly factory correct.

ALSO can buy whole cars for under $500 with all the parts ya need except good drivetrains.

Suggestion?

Go scope out used V8 rides.
See what they look like under the hood.
See if you want to tackle that type of a swap.
Costs nothing to stick your nose in there under that hood.

ME?
A correctly done factory looking V-8 swap would be so simple. BUT finding the correct donor parts would be MY hardest challenge.

Enjoy the decisions.

 

Ked has a decent idea, find a donor car that is wrecked/rusted/ etc but the engine and tranny are in good shape. Strip it down of the parts you need, and start selling the other parts you don't need in the process to pay for new parts you might need. Plus, if you damage something on the donor car, you know what NOT to do on yours.

Your car does look great. I would hate to see someone get rid of a car that looks that nice.

However, you do seam to have the worst engine (next to the 4cyl) that was put in these cars. I don't see any point in building the one you have.

So if your gonna do a swap, go to a v8, or find a 3.4l and build them.

Just my $.02