Camaro510

Hello everyone!

1. I Love 3rd Gen Camaros
2. I Know nothing about cars
3. I want to learn more about cars. Especially 3rd gen camaros
4. I do not own a 3rd gen



Okay those are for anyone searching lol. I'm 19 y/o and currently looking for a job. I have no money at all, but if I did, I would probably buy one of those for the sake of having one

Please teach me. I have no idea where to start.

---)> Nick

92RSMoneypit

iTrader: (1)

It depends on what you want v8 v6 or the straight four cylinder's auto or manual and if you want to work on it yourself and learn about the car or just drive it and have someone else work on it.

Two of those your definitely going to have to work on or have someone work on them those are the two for around 1000.00.

The other one is probably in good shape and probably doesn't need allot work that's the expensive one.

Camaro510

What i want is a v8/manual.

I want something that works pretty much all round. i don't mind replacing and cleaning everything myself. I actually want it a little broken so i could fix it. I want to learn about cars from a car I love.

I also want to make it a performance car and drive it on a race track. Just for fun of course.

So I'll start saving money and hope to join you guys soon =P

RED_DRAGON_85

good luck... everyone wants a V8 with a 5 speed.
honestly, i would go with the less desirable automatic car. the reason being that the rarity of a V8 5 speed makes the value a bit higher... not much, but at your price point, $300 is a big difference.

i would look for an original V8 car, not one that someone swapped a V8 into.
reason being, you never know what they did incorrectly when they did the swap.
i got my IROC for $500 which is a screaming deal, except that i spent $3000 right off the bat fixing the PO's (previous owner) mistakes.
all of a sudden, i am $3500 in the hole and that $500 deal isnt so good any more.

unless you ABSOLUTELY have to have a 5 speed AND a V8, i would get either V8/auto or a 4cly car.

IMO, there is no reason to get a V6 car if you plan on swapping in a V8 anyway.
you might as well just opt for the less powerful, more mass produced 4cyl car and pay less up front.



thats my opinion... take it or leave it.




as for the driving it on a track, even in stock form, a camaro is a great handling car.
many people argue that the 4cyl and V6 cars will handle better than a V8 car.
this is true. you have less weight up front and can carry more speed thru the corners.

the V8 will pass you on the straights of course.


if you want to run on a track, i wouldnt do too much besides these basic things:
SFC's (Subframe Connectors)
they are an ABSOLUTE MUST for any camaro or firebird


Performance Tires
BFG G-Force Sport tires are (imo) the best tires when you consider absolute performance, price, and longevity.
sure some tires may grip more, but will they last as long? how much will you pay for them?
whatever you buy for tires, expect to pay around $550 for 4 tires...
you simply cannot get a performance tire for less than around $100/tire. if someone says otherwise, they are either lying, or dont know any better.


Shocks/Struts
some say konis are the best, others say bilstein... i like KYB
whatever you get, just dont get Monroe or Gabriel. anything else will be an upgrade.

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

get a supercharger or nitrous as soon as possible too!

Camaro510

Thx dragon for the advice. That actually made sense to me. I don't know how much heavier a v8 is compared to a v6, but I love the driving philosophy of corners>straights. So, i was thinking a rs is probably what i'm looking for. I see a few on CL, but again I still have no money lol.

Another Q. Will the manual show me how to properly clean and maintenance my car? I heard a proper maintenance can revive almost all of the lost HP from an old car(assuming it wasn't properly handled before.)

I really need to learn how to take care of cars lol.

kairles

iTrader: (2)

Am I the only one that read this

First the 4cyl was only on option from 82-85, the V6 option was 82-92 and you think they made more 4cyl.

Second the Z28/Iroc-Z had a different, more performance oriented suspension. Stock for stock a 4cyl/V6 would not out handle a Z28/Iroc-Z. Now a V6 RS may be able to keep up with a V8 RS, and just because a car can carry more corner speed doesnt really mean it will be faster around a track.

If you want a thirdgen for performance reasons get a Z28 or Iroc-Z.

RED_DRAGON_85

haha, forgot about the year thing.

i guess i should have clarified, that with a performance suspension it will out handle a heavy V8 car... sorry, my mistake.

RED_DRAGON_85

as for restoring lost power.
most of the power is lost is lost to the bearings wearing in, the rings starting to let blowby thru, ect, and you cannot get that back.
if you re-ring the engine, you will get some back, and if you re hone the engine for 0.030 over, you can get more back, but you still wont be 100%

if it were my money, i'd stay the course.
buy a nice 4 or 6 cyl camaro and play with it for a few years until you save enough to buy a 350 and drop it in.

during the first few years, upgrade your suspension.
buy new shocks, a wonderbar, SFC's, Lower Control arms, panhard bar... whatever you need.
wait till the new engine before you do springs and sway bars or you will be replacing them again.

as for the engine, i would stick with a simple 350 TPI.
lets admit it. gas prices are only going up.
350 crank hp is plenty for 90% of the population.
add a nice t56 and you will get to keep 80% of it going to the wheels

Camaro510

Geez. I have no idea where to start... Say I happen to get a manual 3rd gen, will all upgrades be the same no matter which model? More specifically, would all suspension upgrades be the same recommendation you guys give me? (cause i will come here for all my answers lol)

If i happen to get a z28/iroc/irocz28 would i still need a upgrade? Apparently it already has great ratings for what it has. I will upgrade it, but if its good the way it is the priority of suspension changes. Since i'm rediculously poor, this might be important lol.

RED_DRAGON_85

yeah. if you upgrade lower control arms, it will help no matter what car you have.

if you get an IROC-Z then you will probably be ok with just replacing the worn out bushings and shocks/struts and adding SFC's
it all depends on how fast you want to go. speed costs money. lots of it.

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

dont forget if you get a POS v6 or 4cylinder, you will be also shopping for a transmission to mate with your v8 when you swap further down the road..
just buy a v8 to begin with they are cheap as ****. come on now folks.. these are thirdgens we are talking about..

OUTATIME GTA

iTrader: (2)

I can't even recall the last time I saw a 4cyl 3rd gen. They must be just giving those away at this point.

Welcome to the boards Camaro510. Good first post, honest at least.

Where are you located? Check out the stickies up top and sign up if you want to meet other local hobbyists.

You'll find a wealth of knowledge here and in the search function. Everything a beginner needs to know really.

- Del

Camaro510

Thx for the warm welcome. I live in Oakland. I've actually seen a few rusty 3rd gens around and almost crash cause i stare at em lol.

Hmm there seems to be that dilemma again. v8 or automatic. With the choices i have around this area (i've searched tens of sites) that seems to be the decision it comes down to. So which would be cheaper/easier to switch out? I know its quite ridiculous for a complete novice to be talking about switching a transmission/engine all by himself, but that may just be the only option i have. So im 3 years i'll probably join you guys on that cruise lol.

keep in mind, i'd like to drive it around on the weekdays also. Would a v8 absolutely destroy my wallet with random weekend cruises?

Thanks again guys.
~~~)>Nick

92RSMoneypit

iTrader: (1)

If you want a v8 manual and you don't have allot of money be patient look on craigslist eBay and the local papers save your money one will come up maybe for free.

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

basically think about what you want and get a job and save up as much money as you can to get the car as close to what you want as possible. it is cheaper to buy one that is nearly what you want then spend the money to make it that way. try to avoid a car that has all 3 problems. by all three problems I mean interior, exterior (paint/bodywork), and drivetrain (engine/transmission/rearend). when i look for a car being that im more mechanical i dont mind it having a blown motor if it has good paint and decent interior. most ppl dont have the money to fix a car up all three phases all the way. so without being able to do some yourself its going to get pretty pricey. i understand you said you dont really have mechanical knowledge but do you have parents/friends that do and can help you etc. all things to think about. But right now your main focus should be to become employed and start saving! good luck to you! welcome to the board great site with a bunch of great guys

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

****.. I bought an IROC 350/auto and here I am like 4 years later.. and its still not running.. i couldnt imagine having started with a 4 or 6cylinder POS...
look at my sig for details..

so close!!!

Camaro510

Is there a v6 manual? I heard the camaro is a heavy car is that true? I will probably get a v6 for mpg purposes... I really want a v8 just cause its a v8 lol. Manual is the main thing I'm looking for.

I want a cruise car for now... Guys!! plan a trip to the Loneliest Road in America!! I'd love to cruise on that strip with a 3rd gen blasting my ipod like I actually have good taste in music =P.

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

v8s get good gas mpg.. an RS 305 TBi will knock out high twenties easy!
anda v6 did have a manual, but its not compatable with a v8!
just get a TBI v8 with T5

neagan

iTrader: (7)

Listen to Travis, He's been there and done it. Look at his car and follow the before and after pics and lists. It you've got a sister with a hot body; get them together!

By the way Traviz, I crawled out from under my rock and would like to see if you finished your artwork and blower hook-up? Nitro-Nicky

Camaro510

I want to thank you guys for the quick help you've been tossing at me. I've been learning more about engines the past few days with a buncha online research. (howstuffworks.com *cough cough* LoL) Now i know how a basic 4 stroke engine works and so on and so forth. I'm doing some reading on alternators and will soon move to the basics of suspension/steering.

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