New car not sure what motor 1990 camaro help identify

TurboLaser4G63 · #1 07-25-2005, 06:27 PM

I just purchased this car and i am not sure exactly what it is, it has z28 effects but the kid i bought it from says it has a 350 swap, and i dont know if he is right, could someone verify

i got a great deal and wouldnt be too upset if it was a 305 , also it has no power steering how difficult would it be to put a pump in?

Mr. Luos · #2 07-25-2005, 06:32 PM

Is it slow, or fast?

That should tell ya.

Looks good by the way!

Xenostalgia · #3 07-25-2005, 06:34 PM

hmm look on the block, should say somewhere *trying to be vague*

Jcrane88 · #4 07-25-2005, 07:14 PM

its a v8...i know that, but i cant tell by just pictures if it is a 350 or a 305

philly rs · #5 07-25-2005, 07:17 PM

where is iroc?? im willing to bet he could tell u

89IROC&RS · #6 07-25-2005, 08:32 PM

well this is a hard one, mainly because 350 and 305 engines look identical from the outside, and because its a swap the vin number means nothing in identifying the engine.

just for shits and giggles what is the vin code, im betting its "E". sorry, its the 8th digit in the VIN code.

also under that chrome air cleaner is it a carb or a TBI setup.

the car as RS rims on it, and it looks an auful lot like a TBI intake setup, and the engine dosnt look particularly new so unless the swap was done a while ago i dont know if i buy it.

also those are not the correct ground effects for the 1990 year, starting in 1990 they had scoops on the chin spoiler and side spoilers. so i dont know if the year is correct. check the door jamb for a sticker with the vehicle info, it should tell you the correct model year.

also im pretty sure you have an RS model camaro, not a Z28, to check look in your glovebox, there is a sticker witch is a spid label. look for the three digit code Z28, if its not there, its an RS.

supercarvideos · #7 07-25-2005, 08:53 PM

Check the casting #s on the block... Check back on the drivers side close to the oil sending unit, or crawl under the the car and check under the heads around the freeze plugs for more casting #s......

~John

666_speed · #8 07-25-2005, 11:00 PM

i had a 92 rs that i bought believing it was a 350 and after i wrecked it on the back of the block on top dead center was stamped GM 5.0, i checked it on my 87 iroc and it was there too but with the engine in the car we had to have a mirror to see it....hope this helps

instantkevin · #9 07-26-2005, 12:04 AM

HA! Sorry IROC, you're wrong.... side scoops didn't start until 1991. It still could a be an IROC.

Okay TurboLaser, you need to check the casting number on the engine itself. it is located on the back side of the engine block. below the distributor. go to this site, it will explain it all to you... http://www.mortec.com/location.htm . then click on the link to find the casting numbers and match yours up with it. it will tell you which engine that is. this is a good way to verify engines you might buy from junkyards too before you buy it.

you do have the RS wheels, which make it questionable. and it looks like you have the "RS" badge on the side of the car, on the ground effect.
look at the rear brakes, if they are disc brakes (looks just like the front ones) then you probably have a Z28 (actually I think they were called IROCs in your year). if they are drum brakes, chances are it's an RS.

this might help you a little bit... http://www.f-body.org/tech/tech.htm#history3rd

Morley · #10 07-26-2005, 02:31 AM

Its an RS, not an IROC.
As to the engine, could be either 305 or 350 by the looks on the outside. Gotta get a look at the back of the block for either 5.0 or 5.7 cast in it.

TurboLaser4G63 · #11 07-26-2005, 09:20 AM

to my suprise under the air cleaner is a TBI, does this rule anything out an old chevy 350 would be able to run without a carb? yea there are z28 emblems all over the car, but they seem to have been glued on the 8th digit in the VIN # is E and there is no Z28 on that sticker in the console.
as for if the car is fast, i really dont know, i mean its a mean car and it really can move sometimes but my last car was a 275whp 2600 pound plymouth laser, so i am used to fast, i really cannot gauge this motor, if it is a 350 what numbers would it put out, and what did the 305 put out? This car is rediculously loud also i have a 79 trans am t/a 6.6 and it sounds like this, so i doubt its a stock motor, it just doenst sound like something that came from the factory in 1990.

I am guessing this kid bought Z28 effects and put them all over his RS, it looks like a definate motor swap, as for i have no power steering now? where did the pump go and how hard would it be to install one, i wonder if my system is still intact, they did come with power steering from the factory , correct?

Drum brakes in back

and i could not even close to seeing those numbers witha mirror or tinfoil tried it all,

VERDICT
I have only had the car one day, going to register it today, hopefully get out on the road later, will report back, it seems to be an RS that got Z28 emblems and effects, as for the motor, ill try to time a zero to sixty for you guys, or something, it has a 5 speed tranny too
I only paid 1500 for the car, it has no headliner tho, and he gave me all new tires with the car, so i think i made out pretty well either way. good deal or not?

89IROC&RS · #12 07-26-2005, 11:45 AM

well i think we are in agreement that it is a RS badged as a Z, which isnt nessesarily a bad thing, pretty much the only differences were the 350, wonderbar, and suspension upgrades.

i was very pleased with my 89 RS with the 305 TBI, which was rated at 170hp but moved like it had a helluva lot more, and now that the muffler fell off, its loud as hell

and that was with 2.73 gears.

with the power steering its weird that its not on there, because it was factory installed, and putting it back on shouldnt be that hard, just the pump, lines and powersteering unit itself.

if the guy sold it to you as a Z28, you have grounds to take him to court or report him for false advertizing. if you want to go that route, i would simply on principle, but thats me.

also if he did put a 350 in it i worry about the T5 transmission in there, the T5 was never offered behind a 350 from the factory because they couldnt survive behind the larger engine. So dont go out and hammer it to hard. upgrading to a T5 H.O. or T56 would be a good idea.

Viper_Storm · #13 07-26-2005, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

well i think we are in agreement that it is a RS badged as a Z, which isnt nessesarily a bad thing, pretty much the only differences were the 350, wonderbar, and suspension upgrades.

i was very pleased with my 89 RS with the 305 TBI, which was rated at 170hp but moved like it had a helluva lot more, and now that the muffler fell off, its loud as hell

and that was with 2.73 gears.

with the power steering its weird that its not on there, because it was factory installed, and putting it back on shouldnt be that hard, just the pump, lines and powersteering unit itself.

if the guy sold it to you as a Z28, you have grounds to take him to court or report him for false advertizing. if you want to go that route, i would simply on principle, but thats me.

also if he did put a 350 in it i worry about the T5 transmission in there, the T5 was never offered behind a 350 from the factory because they couldnt survive behind the larger engine. So dont go out and hammer it to hard. upgrading to a T5 H.O. or T56 would be a good idea.

im sorry but i would sue the poop out of him, simple fact he lied and said it was a z and because of the 5 speed there is no reason to believe he did acctually put a 350 in it prob just a rebuilt 305. i mean i dont mean to burst your bubble or anything but come on if he lied about it being a z what makes you think he didnt lie about it being a 350... id prob sue him for alot of money then after i was all paid off id make him dissappear for trying to rip me off...

Rally Sport · #14 07-26-2005, 04:02 PM

True, i'd only sue his ass for about 5000, thats enough for me cause you could rebuild your engine, get a new tranny and still have something left.

instantkevin · #15 07-26-2005, 07:02 PM

difficult to prove in court. also just coud have been a misunderstanding on the seller's part. maybe he didn't know a lot about it. this would easily be thrown out of small claims court.

you could have a strong case if you bought it from a dealership and a friend of your's can testify to the fact that the seller was selling it as a Z28/IROC. but this is not the case.

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