I'm starting this thread, for all of the V6, 3rd Gen owners out there.

Here are the rules, and they are simple. I want to know how many miles were on your 3rd Gen F-Body, when you bought it, how many miles are on it now, the date you purchased it, and if any, serious drivetrain repairs done. As a bonus, for those that have got a badass V6, tire-frier, go ahead and throw in your dyno specs, qtr miles times, average fuel economy, and a "short" list of mods/swaps.

If you can upload a current picture, with a date/time stamp, of the odometer....EVEN BETTER!!!! As soon as I figure out how to upload mine, I'll have it up here, for everyone to see.

 

Sure Ill add my car.

The car 1991 Camaro Rs 3.1L Maui Blue

Bought in December 2002 (senior in high school) It had 33,900 miles on it for 4,200 dollars out the door. Currently has 113,200 miles on it. It was a daily driver up to fall 2011 when I began to Turbocharge it. Never did any body work to the car. It was in great shape when I got it and has been garage kept since.

Issues over the years would be the sensors. The IAC, the ICM, The oil pressure sending unit and the stock fuel injectors. That's the only problems I've had that were not general maintenance items (tires, plugs, exc..) Over all I will say this car has done nothing but be one of the best reliable cars/trucks I've ever owned.

Since its not stock anymore heres a list of mods I can think of:

Gt3582 Godspeed Turbocharger
Custom Log Style Turbo Headers
AEM Water/methanol pump
AEM nozzle(s)/Check Valve
6AL Ignition Box/2-step
Taylor Plug Wires
Delta 260 Re-Grind Camshaft
Fully Ported/Polished/Deshrouded Heads
Walbro 255Lph Fuel Pump
48Lbs Injectors(southbay)
Probuild Trans .500 boost Valve/Int Valve/Vette Servo
Transgo 2-3 Shift Kit(reprogrammer)
Moser 28 Spline Axles
Alburn LSD
Richmond 3.73 Rear End Gears
Hoosier 26x15x9.0 Slicks(drag racing only)
ECM Tuning Via Tunerpro RT, Moates Burn2, Code$59

As far as preformance:

MPG's are roughly 20Mpg at the time being with the current mods. I really never tuned it for Mpg's as its still in open loop also.

Best 1/4 mile time last year at the track is 13.31@104Mph This time was with a different turbo(smaller), the stock rear end(open 3.23), the stock transmission, No 6AL Box, Stock Exhaust Manifolds, Minor Boost Leaks. I will condfidently say that the car is capibly of making 12 second passes this year if not low low 12 second passes with my 2 step.

As for HP. I've never dynoed it but always wanted to. I would say at the low end its at about 300+Hp right now and closer to 375+Tq. But its just a guess at this point. 1/4 Mile times are what really important to me.

Heres the best slip I have from last year and the pic of the car.





Thanks for letting me share my thirdgen. Definitly the best car I've ever owned. Relable, fun, and now fast.

 

I'll add mine.

1989 RS

Bought the car in March of 09. 96k original, now has 116k. 3.4 has 90k.

Issues:

Its on the 3rd motor since it was new, and the second trans. I've replaced just about everything attached to the motor, and the MAF and radiator for the second time today. Then just general maintenance.

Car still runs like *** and is just a stock 3.4 swap. Either way, its just the time to move on, and I will be selling it here pretty soon. I've taken care of the car, its just old.





I'm not saying its a bad car, I've enjoyed my Camaro. I just don't have the money to keep both it, and my Mercedes running anymore. So I'm selling it to fix and restore my Mercedes. There's a million Camaros, but there's less than 10 of my Mercedes in the US. But this is what I'm fixing:

 

What price you planning on asking for?

 

$2500 or somewhere near that. Just to get talked down. I know the car is only worth around $2,000. Either way, the lowest I'll consider is $2,000, unless something major happened to the car. It runs and drives fine, just has a rough idle, which I believe to be a vacuum issue. But otherwise everything works.

 

13's in a 1/4 with a street driven V6 is impressive, I see that low-RPM torque got you the faster 60' time too.



I still haven't figured out how to put up a picture on here.

To give the basics of my 3rd Gen: Purchased on March 17th, 2010
Original mileage: 100,828
Purchase Price: $900 + taxes and registration
The body had a fair amount of rust in both rear 1/4 panels(which has gotten worse with the car being driven in Ohio winters). I have not had to make any serious repairs, such as replacement of any of the drivetrain components at all.

The car currently has 172,355 miles on it, so yeah it gets driven a LOT! I have the engine set up for MPG over performance, atm. Until this issue with winter-blended fuels, I was avg around 25-26 mpg. All in all, I have been repairing little things, that needed repaired when I bought the car.

This car has been the 2nd most dependable car, that I have ever owned.(I have owned over 10 different makes and models of cars in 15 years!) The repairs that I am performing, outside of routine maintenance, are repairs that needed done because the previous owners did not take care of the vehicle. All of the repairs have been minor, aside from the expansion plug I just changed.(I'll pull the engine out of the car, next time!)Minor repair, pain in butt to get old plug out(#3 cylinder right behind engine mount on pass side).

My only trip to the track, I was at Quaker City Raceway(first 1/8 mile slightly downhill, and last 1/8 mile uphill). I ran a 17.846 @ 72.01 mph. That was my time, with the stock setup and broken exhaust studs, bad distributor, etc.

I haven't had the opportunity to run the car, since changing the air cleaner, radiator, exhaust, distributor and ignition system, and removal of the AC & AIR pumps.

 

I hope this isn't too long, its a long story... My apologies in advance!

Bought my 1991 Camaro RS 3.1 V6 back in April, 1999 (I was 20 at the time). The mileage was right around 105K and it ran very well.

I paid $3400 for it from a private seller and I drove it home (about a 2 hour drive) and fell in love with it! It had the old 15" alloys on it for about a year before I found a guy willing to trade for his 92 Z28 wheels. He said he didn't want to pay for 16" tires anymore, lol!

By then the car had its own personality. I am big into car audio and had installed two 12" subs in the back along with component speakers in the kick panels (bye-bye dash and 6X9s!) and the car was a real head turner. You seriously could hear me coming down the road!

I never really had any major issues other than the ever popular ignition control module failure, but I did fry an alternator and had to replace the ignition (VATS took a dump). I worked part time at a parts store and gained a ton of knowledge from there. This allowed me to do lots of preventative maintenance and I probably replaced stuff that didn't need it but I wanted to tinker and learn anyway.

I had some hail damage in 2002 and was able to get a decent paint job because of it (lucky?). Here is a scanned pic of the car, it's the only one I have of it before....the dark ages...


In 2004 I got a wild hair up my a** and decided to completely tear the car down and "re-do it" (worst mistake I have ever made, seriously). Everything was going well at first. I had the paint removed and all the interior out and was working on the body. Then my back went out. This reduced my shop time considerably and I started to neglect her badly. Here is a pic of the "during phase"


THEN I lost my job AND my wife and I had a daughter about a month later. Well this pretty much killed all time to work on the car.

Fast forward to Spring 2012. I had been at least cranking her up about once a month and this one day, I'll never forget, she didn't start.... I couldn't hear the fuel pump turn on. I had enough. I bought a new fuel pump and dropped the tank and got her back running. Started to put all the trim back on and got the seats back in. I was determined to get her back on the road by the end of 2012.

And in October, 2012 I got new tags and insurance back on it and drove her for the first time in 8 years. It sure felt great! Here she is now...


Only crack in the whole dash


I got some new carpet for Christmas and just finished installing that last week! Now I am fully vested in her again (to the chagrin of my wife, she HATES the car or at least she hates the attention I give it, lol). I am looking forward to getting the body work complete and the interior finished up. She has close to 160K miles on her now and she still purrs like a kitten!

 

1990 Firebird SSA 3.1L Black

Bought back in 1990 for $12,999 new
Had 17 miles on it. I have ~166,700 miles on it now

Issues at one time it ate up alternators. Oil pressure sending unit leeking. Injectors were replaced last year.

Mod list:
Power windows
Power locks
Rear hatch release switch
T-Tops by C&C
1989 Trans Am Aero Wing
1989 Trans Am Tail lights
1988 Trans Am Sport Seats
1987 Trans Am Hood
C5 - Brake upgrade
Jeggs bolt on frame connectors
Polygraphite front bushings
KYB - AGX struts
ZR-1 17x9.5 and 17X11 wheels
275/35-17 315/30/17 Tires
Carpet
Overhead console
Pioneer DEH-P77DH

And a lots more.

Don't drive her much anymore. Lucky to put 1000 miles a year on her.

I have to take a few pic. This is the only one I can find.

 

That's impressive. Both cars are and a very awesome rebuild. I'm glad you held onto that Camaro, given your situation. Most people would have sold it.

 

1988 Camaro SC 2.8 V6

Bought in 2008 with 160,000 miles for $500

Now sits at 210,000 with rebuilt engine and tranny which was blown, so now the car currently sits while I enjoy my Formulas Hot cammed v8.

In the future it will be getting a V8 Swap.

 

Well, my engine/powertrain is split between 2 cars...

1. 1987 Firebird base model.

Bought the day before my 18th, March 7, 2003. Was first registered a couple months later with 194,676 on the clock. First thing to be replaced was the heater control valve. Followed by the vac lines, ECM, front brakes, intake gaskets, and had to install a catalytic converter. 700R4 had issues with the TC clutch, and was replaced with a T-5 at 213,831. Got 5 MPG at first. Got 30+ with a code 45 when crushed. Even the headlight motors worked perfectly, and I can't tell you how many I've seen on cars in better shape than the 87 that are always up because the motors are dead.

PO did some really crappy stuff to the car.
1. Both bumper covers were NOT factory.
2. Driver's fender was a GM replacement and passenger's was from an 88 Formula. Passenger's fender was dented in front of tire.
3. Front bumper reinforcement was cut in half and welded back together. One half was blue and the other half red. Honeycomb was almost mounted to it.
4. Passenger's door was molested. Vapor barriers in both missing, but the passenger's lock did not work. Period. The interior lock rod was behind the handle trim.
5. Wire for the LF turn signal was cut inside the steering column.
6. Headliner replaced with black (gray interior car) with screws here there and everywhere. Because the t-tops "that didn't leak" leaked. And the screws were covered with faux fur buttons.
7. Nice large rust stain left in passenger's front footwell from leaking heater core. Still haven't gotten it out, and I gave up trying.
8. Rear seats quite ripped.
9. Stock rims replaced with ARE rims. One center cap missing. To this day (actually, one fell off while driving after a burnout attempt and I replaced it).
10. Stock spoiler replaced with spoiler from a 91-92 Z. CROOKED.
11. Had to get 3 bags of trash out of it when I bought it. And more afterwards along with cig butts and beer tabs after I pulled the entire interior out. Carpet padding was replaced.
12. All 4 front air dam pieces missing. The one supposed to be bolted to the radiator support was still bolted there but was a very narrow strip barely wider than the bolts.

Other than that, the suspension was bad (all bushings, all shocks/struts), had to replace the exhaust because the PO welded everything together and used a 2.5" Flowmaster (with tips welded on CROOKED) on a 2.25" pipe.

The original 2.8 blew at 195,239.7 miles. Due to missing air dam and wrong oil and lack of PO's maintenance. Was replaced with a 3.1 out of a 91 (VIN derivative verified).

The car was gotten rid of because of rust issues. PO decided he wanted to replace the rear 1/3 of the passenger's quarter panel. So he did. And slathered it with nearly 3/4" of Bondo. No, I'm not kidding, I still have the 2 large chunks that covered the rust hole. So, the Bondo cracked, water got in, and 7 years later, I end up with a fist sized rust hole right on the body line. The spare compartment was also compromised. Also, since the t-tops leaked, I ended up with a hole in the floor pan over the front of the driver's rear frame rail and a hole next to it. And a crack in the same corner on the passenger's side. Battery tray was GONE (driver's side battery... Good luck finding a new one!) due to the fact that my alternator's regulator went out at one point and overcharged the battery so the acid leaked out. I fought with it for 2 years and decided enough was enough. I didn't want to crush it, but I doubt I would have been able to sell it whole. I couldn't even sell cuts. The funny part was the rest of the body was cherry, even the t-top roof, which is usually rusted out (the center bar was rusted but nothing under the weatherstrip was!).

Crushed with 247K on the clock. I put 30K on it in 2007-8 back and forth to CT. Got 400 miles on 12 gallons of gas with a code 45.

All of the parts that were collected went into:

2. 1988 Camaro IROC-Z28. Bought as a roller.
No wiring harness. No engine or trans. No dash. No gas tank. No HVAC. Fuel and brake lines cut behind rear of doors along with brake cables. IROC 16" rims don't quite fit on drum rear flanges. No rear sway bar installed. Holes drilled in floor pan in odd places. Driveshaft must have broken loose from the companion flange at some point because it tried to eat its way into the car. ALL REAR SUSPENSION BOLTS LOOSE. Had to put in a torque arm and track bar to get it home. 1986 hatch on back without hatch latch. Spoiler deleted. Crummy metallic red paint peeling (3rd paint job... Underneath is Bright Red, and factory Gunmetal Gray is under that). One tail light factory, other early base model. Originally non-A/C, fresh air vents deleted (driver's side WIDE OPEN!) and blower hole on passenger's side blocked with sheet metal. Full of spare parts from several different cars. 10 LUG NUTS ON ALL 4 WHEELS COMBINED!
Good news was that SFCs were installed.
Don't know if it is the original cluster, but the one cluster that was in the 88 (with the fuel gauge missing along with the lens, nonetheless) said 97,384. I'd guess it was probably 197,384 due to the fact that the driver's footwell floorpan has been replaced and there were small rust outs in spots along the cowl.

What went in:
1. 3.1/3100 hybrid V6. 3.1 short block, estimated 11.4:1 compression, 225 HP and 240 TQ (that would be roughly +80/+60 from the original 1991 3.1 specs). Originally built for the 87.
2. V6 NWC T5 (car was originally a manual). Also the 3.42 open drum rear (someday it will be a 3.42 posi disc rear).
3. Dash from a 1993 3.4 base model Camaro (was in a front end crash!), with 1993 HVAC box under the dash. Going to go back and swipe the DIS parts from it as well. Console from a 2002. All yellow-print dash parts swapped to white. Door panels are the GTA-style door panels from the 87, which will need work to match the remaining interior and accomodate the speakers that are no longer in the dash. Seats are also from the 87. REAR SEATS DELETED. Interior is black and red (and brown, if you count the front carpet that was SUPPOSED to be another color but the seller hasn't rectified yet!). Steering column (tilt with delay wipers) from the 87 to replace the non-tilt, non-delay column.
4. Founders' Performance rear LCAs (wanted red, got black... too late to return by the time I found the mistake!) and track bar with full polyurethane suspension bushings on all 4 corners. ALL NEW SUSPENSION HARDWARE.
5. New shocks and struts.
6. Moog 5658 front coil springs, stock replacement for an S10.
7. 36mm front, 26mm rear sway bars.
8. Power window regulators and power locks. Power windows modified with a switch pulled out of an 88 Grand Prix 2-door and relays. Delay wipers with motor pulled from a 91.
9. VATS and an Excalibur AL-1000E security system with Echo 2-way transceivers.
10. Hatch release with remote trigger. Need to rewire this so I don't have to have the ignition on to use it (oops ).
11. Got the hatch from the 87 with the spoiler and brake light that were SUPPOSED to be on the 87 but weren't.
12. All new rear brakes. Except the cables. With aluminum drums.
13. Stainless steel fuel pressure and return lines. With AN fittings. All hoses are also stainless braided. All radiator and heater hoses are also stainless steel.
14. Fuel tank from the 87. With carbureted sending unit. For the...
15. 255 LPH external fuel pump. Using an adjustable FPR on the engine for 50 PSI (need to get bigger injectors when I can... Currently stuck with a set from a 305 that were free).
16. Powered by a MegaSquirt II using the 1227165 adapter card in a case salvaged from a junk 302 ECM (the 87 liked to eat those things like I eat candy).
17. PaceSetter headers for a 2.8 feeding a Magnaflow cat which dumps into a 2.5" intermediate pipe. Going to use the same Thrush glasspack that was on the 87 for now with the same resonating tail spout.

I still need to make a junkyard run to get a power steering pulley and the 3.4's DIS assembly (module and coils). And a drill bit so I can finally install the bracket for the fuel pump inside the driver's rear frame rail. Also need to get my hands on a sheet of aluminum to make the ECM bracket out of and some padding and vinyl for the big hole in the dash where the passenger's side air bag USED to be. And then the spacer between the dash and the windshield (since it was shattered in the collision and the subsequent hot and cold of the junkyard).

Pics can't be reposted and are in my "Worth the Cost" thread in the Body section.

 

Dan, have you ever considered buying the tooling, from GM and remaking our Thirdgens?
With your ingenuity and perseverance, you could make millions. Plus the new model would be capable of conforming to current CAFE regulations.

 

I understand how you have such extensive knowledge of these cars now. You know because you have completely torn down a bunch of them. That is awesome, dude.

 

Well, I have been pondering possibly getting some land in the future and making it into something like Thirdgen Ranch... Except with the exception of also selling rebuilt cars. Takes money, you know. Of course, by that time, I'm sure most of the decent thirdgens in yards would end up as razor blades (or new F-bodies). After I posted above, I went to the yard I got the 93 dash from and the only F-body left there (out of 7!) was a red 96 Bird with the 3800. So much for getting the PS pulley... And the other yard I usually go to had a total of 4 vehicles in it PERIOD. Luckily he had a Ford MAF sitting on a shelf that I bought the connector off of (Ford MAF almost required for MSII).

As of now, I'm waiting on a Lisle wiring tool so I can finish wiring up the fuel pump. And after that, the only things I need are a PS pulley so I can measure for the belt. Wiring is D O N E. Except I think I'm going to wire the ignition power off of a relay so I can get power straight from the battery and avoid power loss to the module...

 

Where did a 26mm rear sway bar from?