I am SO amazed at the quality of work, talent, and even just the inspiration all you guys have to come up with these amazing looking machines. Mine is NOWHERE near that caliber, and Im here more or less because Im not really sure where to go with it from here. On an unlimited budget it wouldn't be a big deal, but struggling through college + apartment life in my late 20s, the car has taken a back seat. Big projects only come around maybe once every 6 months to a year and I have to be REALLY selective on what I invest in the car these days.
Im 27 years old, and growing up as a kid in the late 80s and early 90s I really fell in love with third generation F-bodies, in my early 20s I saved up enough money to buy one. Fortunately for me, my favorite car in the world was very attainable. Handed over $1500 in cash for a car with no heater on a 20 degree March day and drove it 9 hours from NC to Georgia, and by the time I got home at 11:00 I couldnt feel anything below my knees.
Here is what Im working with. Looks pretty much exactly the same as it did when I got it.
2007:
2012:
I went back to the stock steel hood recently because it had some damage that was getting worse, and I just didnt have the time to repair it. Traded for an IROC hood, but it's not painted or in any kind of decent shape so it's not on the car right now.
It had a 170hp 305, automatic, tiny sway bars and saggy soft springs, open 2.73 ratio 10-bolt diff, the 180k mile factory shocks/struts, and an awful looking set of seats full of stains and tears. On top of that it had ZERO options. This car came from the factory with a casette deck, 15 inch wheels, no power windows or locks, no cruise control, no t-tops, base interior, base suspension.... in fact I think the ONLY option it really has is someone bothered to put the weakest 305 in place of the even weaker v6.
Now it has a 355 with Vortec heads, a smallish xe262 flat tappet (218/224) cam, roller trunion rockers, Performer RPM intake with a Holley 650 Double Pumper. Has 1 5/8's long tube headers to a dual 2.5 inch y-pipe that merges to a single 3.5 inch pipe that goes over the axle. It traps at 102 mph in a 3500 lbs (with me) in it car, so around 300 fwhp. Not bad, but not great either. That was a few mods ago, though.
Has a T56 transmission, and a 3.70 ratio australian 9-bolt differential. Has Koni yellows, slightly cut factory IROC springs, 98-02 F-body brakes in the front, the 89-97 F-body disc brakes in the rear, a few tubular suspension pieces, some bigger sway bars, ALL fresh suspension bushings etc etc.
So basically, pretty much every system in the car has been addressed to a moderate level of acceptability and is pretty well balanced. Choosing where to go from here isnt as easy.
I really wanted to build an autocross/road race car, but there were always certain nagging issues I needed to take care of. Im also a firm believer of no cages in street cars unless you have a harness. Plus in a car that can only turn 13.5 second quarter miles and doesnt road race (yet), putting in a cage is a bit pretentious in some ways. But Im a huge fan of the whole "street fighter" concept, even though I wasnt aware that's what it was called until recently. I always wanted a road race car that I could drive on the street.
But... that's my ride. Ive worked long and hard on it, and Im very proud of it. But outward appearances dont really show the sheer amount of work Ive done to it. But there's so much more I want to do.
I'd honestly love some input on where you guys think I should go with it.
Things potentially on the list, but I'd love suggestions:
1. It needs paint. But thats so expensive I'd end up doing the single stage tractor-paint or flat black spray bomb method. Plus it doesnt make the car any faster. ~$500
2. It needs a steering system rebuild. The idler arm, centerlink, and tie rods have a lot of play, which really takes away from how amazingly tight the rest of the car feels. All the suspension work I put into it really paid off, but the steering is holding it back. ~$300
3. Road race oil pan... Necessary for autocross? I dont know. ~$400
4. Roll cage + harnesses... just awesome and would suit the theme of the car. ~$1000?
5. Larger 17x9 wheels. On a budget I could afford they would be either some black 17x9 Cragar soft 8's, thats 37 lbs of steel per wheel (ugh) with 275/40/17s on them, or I could potentially get some C5 Corvette wagon wheels relatively cheaply. Talking less than $200 a set of four. But theyre a little ugly, plus they would require adapters, and for some reason they were staggered, so I'd have 17x8.5 (limits me to 245 width tires) fronts and 18x9 rears. From perusing frrax, these cars really like having the same contact patch all the way around, especially at the power levels I am at. Plus would make it easier to justify the autocross and track days Id like to do since I wont be destroying my street shoes. ~$1000 with installed rubber.
6. Screw all that jazz and go Gen III engine LS swap. I would probably take a running 5.3, throw a 230/230ish roller cam in it, throw my carb setup on it and buy an MSD 6010 setup. Problems are I'd be budget limited to running stock exh manifolds, and finding an LS1 F-body T56 without an LS1 attached to it is difficult and expensive. Converting my LT1 T56 to work with an LS1 engine would cost around $1000 or so. Id love to do this, but I figure for what I want to do with the autocrossing, more power wont really do much. ~$2500
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
New here... 92 Camaro
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