Help Me Build My Car

Lord Tin Foilhat

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alright guys im asking for help and suggestions because i have no idea where to go from here...

as some of you know, i have a 1988 camaro with a 305 TBI (i know it blows) Auto 2.73 gears

i want something around 11's-12's in the 1/4

time is not an issue, and money i can get. lets see what i can do with 5-6g for now

i was originally thinking a zz383 crate (4.5 gs though) or an ls1. but i have no idea now.

thanks guys
 
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OffshoreDrilling

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Judging by the pic in your sig. that camaro isnt worth spending a dollar on. Just getting that body looking decent and painted is going to cost you a fortune. Go buy one for a couple grand that is in better shape to start off with.

You can pick up an LT1 camaro or trans am with a lot of miles and have a better starting point. If you want to build a motor then the miles on the stock one wont matter.
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

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what trans is in it?
what rear end?
what gear in that rear end?
stock chassis?

lets start there.
a stock ls1 will give you a mid 13s high 13s car
a zz383 wont give you much better
a zz383 being carburated will be easier imo based on not needing a pcm and 4l60e and tuning.

updated top post, its an auto with 2.73 gears
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

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Judging by the pic in your sig. that camaro isnt worth spending a dollar on. Just getting that body looking decent and painted is going to cost you a fortune. Go buy one for a couple grand that is in better shape to start off with.

You can pick up an LT1 camaro or trans am with a lot of miles and have a better starting point. If you want to build a motor then the miles on the stock one wont matter.

look at the other post, ive done body work for a couple years. and there is no rust through it. and to tell u the truth looks dont matter for this car. also what u see is plastic with paint chipping off. for all i know im probably jsut going to strip it, prime it, and paint it flack black and tint the hell outta the windows
 

Nasty93

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what rear end is it? if its a shitty 10 bolt and you plan on putting some power down plan on a 12 bolt. at very least a 4.10 in the 10 bolt with some LCAs and a Tq Arm.
Your stock auto isnt going to hold up. So youll need a 700r4/4l60e/th350/400/200 whatever you have in mind along with a Tq converter.
Stock radiator probly wont do with a zz383 along with your cooling fan.
Youll need subframe connectors. Slicks or Drag Radials on a different wheel.
 

Poopshinanigans

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If you want a good strip car, keep it auto. Getting a 12bolt or modding a Ford 9in would be your best bet for the rear. I dont know how much you can fabricate on your own though. Search the junk yards around you for engines, finding performance parts would be easy after that, sell the 305 for scrap and depending on what trans it is you can either rebuild it with some beefy stuff or just scrap that too and find that turbo400 that you will want to beef up too. Shift kit, more clutches, get those tires chirping into 3rd.

Oh yeah, do you really need a pretty looking car to go down the strip? Spend the money on the Goooooo!!
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

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If you want a good strip car, keep it auto. Getting a 12bolt or modding a Ford 9in would be your best bet for the rear. I dont know how much you can fabricate on your own though. Search the junk yards around you for engines, finding performance parts would be easy after that, sell the 305 for scrap and depending on what trans it is you can either rebuild it with some beefy stuff or just scrap that too and find that turbo400 that you will want to beef up too. Shift kit, more clutches, get those tires chirping into 3rd.

Oh yeah, do you really need a pretty looking car to go down the strip? Spend the money on the Goooooo!![/QUOTE]


EXACTLY lol i mainly want something that like i said runs 11-12's and can be drivin around town as well..
 

Chitowngst

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Judging by the pic in your sig. that camaro isnt worth spending a dollar on.

That's not up to you decide. Nice advice. :rolleyes:

Lt1's are pontent and cheaper than the LS1 so that's prolly a good place to start.

I didn't read everything, but are you going to build the motor, or just swap it in? I'm sure you'll do heads/cam, but if you're going to build the bottom-end, then you can hit her with a healthy shot.

By doing that, you can do a streetable cam, then have your-enter whatever shot-for when you hit the strip.
 

Dasfinc

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That's not up to you decide. Nice advice. :rolleyes:

Lt1's are pontent and cheaper than the LS1 so that's prolly a good place to start.

I didn't read everything, but are you going to build the motor, or just swap it in? I'm sure you'll do heads/cam, but if you're going to build the bottom-end, then you can hit her with a healthy shot.

in that kind of camaro I'd have to say go the LT1 route as well for ease/price/availability and its a good platform to start with.

Hell, I dunno much about GM's but does the drivetrain out of a 9C1 Caprice bolt into those camaros? You could buy a running 9C1 ex squad car for $500 and have a full motor/trans/rearend ready to go for your maro'.
 

Bob Kazamakis

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in that kind of camaro I'd have to say go the LT1 route as well for ease/price/availability and its a good platform to start with.

Hell, I dunno much about GM's but does the drivetrain out of a 9C1 Caprice bolt into those camaros? You could buy a running 9C1 ex squad car for $500 and have a full motor/trans/rearend ready to go for your maro'.


yea and it would only have 250K on it....

if your dead set on sticking with this car i would just do a 350 or 383 stroker with a built TH350 (lighter than 400). I'm sure if you rebuilt the stock 10-bolt (its a 7.5 right?) it would stand up to the power. new gears, new posi or ratcheting locker, larger axles and new bearings. i would also go with lighter suspension front and rear and your car would be set to go.
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

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/thread

thats all u ever say :squint: ......


thanks for the info keep them coming! if im going to build it, its going to be bottom and top. i didnt even think about the drivetrain so i have to look to see what it has. i was also thinking about the lt1 aswell.

like i said i want streetable running 11-12's i would like to hit that without the juice, but if needed that can happen (nitrious = cheap power)
 

Dasfinc

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yea and it would only have 250K on it....

if your dead set on sticking with this car i would just do a 350 or 383 stroker with a built TH350 (lighter than 400). I'm sure if you rebuilt the stock 10-bolt (its a 7.5 right?) it would stand up to the power. new gears, new posi or ratcheting locker, larger axles and new bearings. i would also go with lighter suspension front and rear and your car would be set to go.

I know it'd have 250K on it, but he could get it back on the road, and he's got big plans so if the motor isn't in perfect it'd be fine to atleast get it road worthy and once he has the money he can have it built up like he intends to anyways. thats kinda what I was getting at, $500 for a full drive-train pulled from a running car that can be built later fairly easily is a good investment IMO.


Edit

some 9C1's have Positrack LSD I know also which would be a perk.
 
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