📊 Poll Go fast automatically or manually exercise my third leg?

[v6buicks]

To clarify "the point" of the car. "Cheap" and "junky" are relative here. I bought the Grand National in show worthy condition at a price that matched accordingly. Being young and dumb, I wanted everything out of that car. I wanted to drive the snot out of it, make 10 second 1/4 mile passes, AND retain the Buick creature comforts while not destroying the originality. This is obviously a total oximoron and totally unattainable. I learned this quickly and started to wonder what the F I was doing with my life. I had bought my dream car for way too much money and I still couldn't do the things I wanted to do to it.

Well that's when the Camaro showed up. As mentioned before, I can now have my cake and eat it too. The GN is still a very nice garage queen, pretty original, low miles, remarkably good shape, and (almost) perfect the way it is. The Camaro is none of that, but it's still a black RWD turbo Buick V6 car. It's rough and worthless, so I can blow up the original engine and not feel an ounce of remorse. It's not necessarily that I don't want to spend money on the car. It's more or less that I will never buy a fancy paint job or worry about small holes in the seats because I'm just going to destroy them anyway. Meanwhile, the GN will sit in the garage and get wiped down with a rag every once in a while. Yet anytime it leaves the garage, it's still the one that everybody loves to see. Sort of annoying given the amount of time and money I've put into the Camaro, but still an ego booster. lol Not to mention it's still my dream car even if the Camaro is more fun to drive.

 

[Yaj Yak]

I'm not looking forward to the consequences of what I'm about to type, but it's pertinent information.

No LS cars or their dollar per hp has ever or will ever be relevant in the things I do in my garage. I'm not hating on them or their capabilities. They are undeniably great, but I don't go with the grain. Mainstream engine builds are not my cup of tea. I'd rather have a 500hp 3800 car than 1000hp LS car that cost the exact same amount of money. I'm not out to set any speed records. I just enjoy pushing the limits of the underdogs.

Let the roast begin.


TKO 600 handles 600lb/ft right off the crate and costs $2600. You can also upgrade to faceplated gears for a total cost of $3000. That will handle 900 ft/lbs. I already have the bell and necessary pilot bearing ($100). The crossmember and trans mount will work without modification. No adapters are needed. In fact, I can even use the stock torque arm because the TKO already has the mounts cast into the extension housing. The T5 driveshaft is the perfect length. All I need after the transmission is a shifter and 31 spline yolk. I have not priced those out yet, but the total cost will be under $3000.


Those got a whole lot cheaper since the last time I looked into it. I don't have a clue as to how to mechanically adapt one though.

no man, i get it, there's no consequence for what you type, there's no roast. i've heard the "i dont want an LS fbody, i want to be unique" argument for longer than i've had my gtp. which is, holy fuck, 15 years now goddamn. I still have it for similar reasons to you, even though it hasn't seen the light of day in 4? years now? fuck.

i get it.

you have a grand national though and other places to spend money. i personally don't see the value in putting a $4,000 trans & supporting mods into at best, what? a $3800 car but you do you.

That $2600 will go up quickly after shipping, tax, nuts and bolts and whatever else is necessary. is that T5 driveshaft going to be the next weak link, or will the glass stock rear end be? unless those two things have been upgraded?

i for one, would love to see you actually complete this adventure since I don't know how many time's I've read about someone going down this path and it sounds like you've made up your mind and should go for it.

 

[Yaj Yak]

turbo 400, manual valvebody, and save your pennys to upgrade the driveshaft and rear end and go after some tim king records.

 

[v6buicks]

no man, i get it, there's no consequence for what you type, there's no roast. i've heard the "i dont want an LS fbody, i want to be unique" argument for longer than i've had my gtp. which is, holy fuck, 15 years now goddamn.

i get it.

you have a grand national though and other places to spend money. i personally don't see the value in putting a $4,000 trans & supporting mods into at best, what? a $3800 car but you do you.

That $2600 will go up quickly after shipping, tax, nuts and bolts and whatever else is necessary. is that T5 driveshaft going to be the next weak link, or will the glass stock rear end be? unless those two things have been upgraded?

i for one, would love to see you actually complete this adventure since I don't know how many time's I've read about someone going down this path and it sounds like you've made up your mind and should go for it.

Haha I knew I was in good company! I'm sure I will go back and forth on the auto/manual thing. To be honest it might come down to which parts I can find a deal on first. Sometimes the best bet when I can't make a decision is to just enie meanie miney mo and never look back. I've rarely had regrets, and shit would never get done otherwise.

It's hard to say what would be next to go, but a driveshaft loop would absolutely be a good idea. Although I could in theory put the stock torque arm on the TKO, this is very unwise. I will probably modify an aftermarket crossmember with a driveshaft loop and remote torque arm mount to work with the T5 before installing a TKO because I've heard that it doesn't take much torque to start cracking 4l60e and T56 extension housings. The 10 bolt is for sure glass, and mine has an open diff. Once I have a better transmission and some more boost, an 8.8 or 9" conversion will be coming up on the list. I'm hoping the stock steel driveshaft and u-joints are up to the task until that point.

 

[Yaj Yak]

yeah man i can't imagine throwing TKO money into this thing, then a rear axle and potentially a driveshaft

 

[Yaj Yak]

DO IT

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Those got a whole lot cheaper since the last time I looked into it. I don't have a clue as to how to mechanically adapt one though.

I’m not sure if it’s something adaptable in hpt or not very easily. I’m also parting out my car so I can include the tcm/wiring whatever you want that’s trans related. I just happen to be in Denver, which is a slight logistics issue.

 

[v6buicks]

yeah man i can't imagine throwing TKO money into this thing, then a rear axle and potentially a driveshaft

Also a fair point. I could always do an automatic in smaller stages too. I don't NEED a console and pedal box immediately. It also doesn't have to be fully auto immediately either.

 

[GTPpower]

When I was going through tech last Friday night at the track, the track official said he had no ambition to go watch anything race that he teched. But after looking at my car, he wanted to watch it. My car is neither clean or fast.