3rd gen camaro

ok so im gunna buy a 3rd gen camaro , i got like 2500$ to work with i was thinkin of either geting a Z28 with a 350 and puting a stick in it , or getin one with a v6 and a stick , then puting a 350 in it.
what do you think i should do , considering money and time

get it with the 350 already in it

i had a third gen as my first car it was a v6 5 speed it was quick cuz of the 5spd if i were you i would just get the 350 already in it converting the motor is gonna be a lot of time and work and money too
just easier to buy it all at once

yup, definately easier to swap in the 5speed, than the engine swap. but i might suggest, if you are doing the tranny convertion anyway, why not check out thirdgenresource.com, or yearone.com, they sell kits to put the T56 six speed manual in it. much better trans. the engine swap just gets messy, better left to someone with alot of money, alot of time, and alot of knowhow in that department.

ok , im glad i asked then
I've been lookin in autotrader and recycler stuff like that and im havin a problem find a camaro with a 350 believe it or not.
but stock z28's with an auto trans, are those 350's or the 305's

also , would taking a 305 out and puting a 350 in be easier ? or just about the same amount of work?

same amt. o work.
you still have to take the engine out and put the 350 in. Go to autotrader.com When I was looking I found a lot of cars that I went out and looked at.

im gonna disaggree...if the z28 is an auto and you want a stick, get the v6. the auto to manual conversion is gonna be a whole hell of a lot harder and time consuming than the engine swap...

autotrader.com is nice but www.recycler.com is better in my opinion

ok, for the engine ID, VIN 8 (engine code, 8th number of the VIN) is the only 350 in the option list, VIN E is the TBI 305, and VIN F is the TPI 305,

my suggestion is to find a 5speed TPI 305 car. with that, the only thing you have to change is the shortblock & heads and the PROM chip in the computer. externally the 305 and the 350 are identical, so everything fits, and everything bolts up. you can even run the stock 305 injectors and intake by swapping to an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and pumping up fuel pressure a little. that way there is no custom mounting of ANYTHING, everything will be a direct bolt on. and it will still appear stock. but the swap from a V6 to a V8 is a tremendous undertaking only to be attempted by people who know what they are doing. cuz it involves just about everything. from the mounts to the computers.

well i just got back from looking at this 87 Z28 with a 5spd , im pretty sure im gunna get it
its got the 305 tbi tho
body is in perfect condition , only thing im guna have to do is replace some int. and fix the hood latch
to my knollege

thats what i would go with, especially with what 89iroc said, it seems like the best way to do what your trying to do...

nice choice, i personaly would keep looking for a 305TPI instead, but as 92RS has shown us, its perfectly possible to make a monster TBI engine as well, i just personally preferr TPI.

would you suggest puting in a 350tbi?
only differnce between tbi and tpi
is tpi is fuel injected
tbi is a carbarator?

well i just got back from looking at this 87 Z28 with a 5spd , im pretty sure im gunna get it
its got the 305 tbi tho
body is in perfect condition , only thing im guna have to do is replace some int. and fix the hood latch
to my knollege


Z28's didn't come with TBI, something isn't right.

and no, TBI isn't a carb, it's fuel injection as well

ok then , i could be totaly wrong , this being my first car

welll, the TBI thing is technicly fuel injection, but in my opinion its a glorified carb. its the same thing as a carb, with the exception that the fuel is not sucked in through fuel bowls and ventury, but is sprayed in by two injectors placed over the throttle body butterflys. it is also more accurately controled by computer rather than by vacume. so its really fuel injection, but a less accurate and efficient version. the TPI setup is a multiport fuel injection system, for better fuel delivery, better throttle responce, cleaner emmisions, more power, yadda yadda. also Z28s did not have the TBI, because the TPI was the best offering at the time. so anything with a TBI is not a Z. so like i said before, find one with a 5.0L TPI engine, and a 5speed, is your best bet. and then just swap short blocks to a 350 if you later want to. thats a no brainer, and cheap. i highly reccomend going that rout.

well i bought it , its a 87 Z28 with a stick so you say its a 305tpi?

check the 8th digit of the VIN,
8 = 350TPI,
F = 305TPI,
E = 305TBI.
im not to sure about the years before 89, but im pretty sure it should be a TPI engine, earlier in the 80's the Z28s had the crossfire (dual TBI) setup, im not sure exactly when they swapped over to the TPI system. but check the vin and youll know.

also, did you happen to look under the hood before you bought it??? if it had a large round black air cleaner that looks like a carburated engine, its TBI, if it has a big rectangular aluminium plenium with spider legs, and dual air cleaners up over the radiator, then its TPI.

I almost got a 86 TPI, w/T-tops. But I didnt because it didnt run good.

yea its tbi then , some things i just noticed
are like the turn signals arnt working and the radio
doenst turn on , the fuses are fine, any suggestion on what i should check tomorrow im gunan check the bolbs but im pretty sure it isnt that , and the 8th letter on the VIN is H

Made in: United States
Manufacturer: General Motors
Make: Chevrolet
Carline Code: F-Body
Carline Series: Camaro (all models)
Body Type: 2 door coupe (hatchback)
Restraint System: Manual belts
Engine Code: 305 ci V8 LG4 (1987)
Production Sequence: I3866

*bump*

ok so my turn signals arnt working but the emergency lights work , what would prolly be most likely wrong, where would it be found like in the stearing collum or under the dash?

oh and on the radio , i checked the fuses behind the head unit the ones attached to the wires one was out so i replaced it , the fuse on the amp would out too... so i replaced that one too , the head unit still didnt work i took it out , ill have to save up some money for a new one , but can anyone suggestion other things to look at , theres power going to the unit too , i checked it, ill get some pictures up in a day or two

its proly a relay or something for the blinkers as for your radio i own my own autosound company email me directly and i will help you in your diagnosis of your radio and if it needs to be replaced ill hook it up
email me j.cleveland9@verizon.net
thanks
justin

well, do talk to clevj001 about the stereo problem, but if you have power, check to make sure you have a ground, if you have both, then the stereo is dead.

turn signal switch is in the steering columb, you have to have the special tools to do that, i dont reccomend trying to do that yourself. could be a relay like clevj001 said, could be the flasher, could be the fuse. i can take a look at some stuff tomorrow at work, no promises though.

well its not the fuse , i can take a flasher out of another camaro that i have for parts , and i tried to follow the group but it goes up in the dash so i couldnt follow it , but im pretty sure it was the radio , when i try it and it doesnt work ill persue the group wire issuse

definately get the V6 manual, it will be so much easier replacing the engine than messing the center console, transmission and torque converter. plus** by dropping in a 350 you have a whole range of power to chose from. for example, on ebay you can find complete 350 engines for under 3K. I found one 370 bhp 420 torque w/ 750 cfm carb, and distributor (all new) for 2700 with free shipping. all you would need is a nice torque converter and add some ceramic headers, and do the exhaust and you will have over 400 bhp and your stick. For about the same price you could redo a whole auto car to make it stick, surrender a lot of power, and waste a lot more time tracking down all of the parts. you can find other new engines with less power for much cheaper, too. Just take a look at the 350 and 385 engines on ebay. With a car pushin 450 torque you will want to get a positrack kit, strengthen the frame (to prevent twisting), and maybe a new trans. As long as you keep the torque around 400 no major(expensive) mods will need to be made to the car. good luck!

yea i thought i already said i bought the car but maybe i didnt , ill try to get my server up soon so i can host some pics of it , i guess i cant host them on this site , i should have them up by the end of the day

hi guys i am new at this web sight. Man thats a buitifull camaro. I have a black 86 z28 hard top and it is fast. It has a 305 h motor. I race it at lagrange georgia in the 8th mile. It currently runs 9.48 at 76mph. It has 3.23 rear end, a possi track carriar, 700r4 trans with a shift kit, 2300 stall and a bone stock 305 carbed. The 305 is just as fast as any stock 350. I had a 82 camaro t topped wich i had stollen from me. It had a 350 and was not much faster than my 305 i had took out. It had more torque on bottom end but as far as top end, my 305 would kill that 350. With 350 115, with 305 140+.

what kind of mods have you made so far

trust me if you want a 350 stick it is way easier to buy a 305 with a stick so that way you dont have to go apeshit changing things your only doing mild work