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About a month ago I picked up a decent but rough around the edges 2000 Z28. Paid 2800 bucks for it...T-Tops and T56. It's a solid car, but does need work.
The Good:
-2800 bucks for a traditionally 4-5k dollar car in my area
-Great brakes
-Bilstein shocks
-Eibach springs
-It's a solid car for the money I paid
The Bad:
-Paint is good, but clear is peeling in certain spots and in some are almost down to metal
-Engine leaks
-Clutch had pressure plate failure two weeks back...still drivable, just don't trust it on long hauls.
-Driver tail light housing has missing reverse lens, so housing has been filled with water causing the light connectors to corrode and/or short out
-Bad rust under t-tops near the windshield...both sides
-Front bumper and driver fender will need replacing due to a slight impact during previous ownership
-Common 4th gen problems (Cracked dash panel, collapsed center console lid, window problems)
-It's a pig...clogged cats, wasn't really maintained properly, original plugs...
The Build:
-Forged 346/347 rotating assembly
-TEA Stage 2 799 Castings
-Vengeance Racing Vindicator cam (240/244 .605/.596 112 LSA)
-TSP 1-3/4" or 1-7/8" LT headers w/ TSP Rumbler true duals
-LS6 Intake Manifold
-Trick Flow 80/85mm throttle body
-SLP lid and smooth bellow
-Monster Stage 2 Clutch & Flywheel, Tick adj. Master Cylinder (full swap kit from Tick Performance)
-MGW Shifter
-Power Stop brake kit
-Future plans for either On3 turbo kit or Procharger D1SC kit
-Underdrives
-Moser rear end (3.90 or 4.11)
-Full suspension
-Various fixes
-Paint and body
That's the rough idea of the build. Plenty of other bits. I know there are parts on here that could be substituted in favor of better stuff (e.g. the TB and IM) but my idea is to spend half the money to get 80% of the performance. I could spend extra to get a FAST setup, better exhaust, etc. but I'd rather use that money towards fixing the car and getting it to where I want it to look.
The goal of this car is to be an extremely fun car on the street with loads of potential on the strip.
The future of the car looks to be a big cube motor, built trans, and shoot for the low 9's or high 8's...but that's years down the line...hoping for that around 2020.
The Car:
Last edited by mad-hatter; 01-31-2015 at 05:58 PM.
Plan sounds good. I Would do the rear end first. That way after every mod you can hit the track and just hammer it. You don't have to worry about breaking down and you will get more consistent knowledge of how your car responds to mods. Also skip the 1 3/4 longtubes and just go for the 7/8's. Some people claim its over kill but its been proven before to make more power even on just H/C cars. Good luck with the build, my goal is pretty much the same as yours. 9 inch rear, build ls1 346 with a procharger.
Plan sounds good. I Would do the rear end first. That way after every mod you can hit the track and just hammer it. You don't have to worry about breaking down and you will get more consistent knowledge of how your car responds to mods. Also skip the 1 3/4 longtubes and just go for the 7/8's. Some people claim its over kill but its been proven before to make more power even on just H/C cars. Good luck with the build, my goal is pretty much the same as yours. 9 inch rear, build ls1 346 with a procharger.
The rear end will probably come around the end of the year when I do the rebuild as I'd rather not take it to the track with it leaking as bad it is. Track's frown upon oil leaks. I doubt it'll see track time 'til next year.
As for the headers, I'm gonna go with the 1-7/8" ones...I was just busy typing and wasn't thinking. Lol.
Quick update for the build that I forgot to include...
Yesterday I ordered the Tick Performance Monster Stage 2 clutch swap kit along with a MGW shifter. Both should be here this upcoming Wednesday/Thursday. I also bought a drivers side tail light housing (thanks greenbereto2) which has arrived...just gotta get the connectors off of my friends wrecked Z28 to fix my corroded ones. And lastly, I picked up a set of 799 castings (thanks 93BlackTa) that should also be here next week.
Recorded this a few weeks back...just haven't had the time to upload. The rattling you hear is due to a piece of metal having broken off inside the muffler. Hoping to have the TSP long tubes and true duals on by summer. Trying to time everything so I don't have to put it on the lift multiple times.
Loads of parts showing up this week. Going to be a fun Spring/Summer! New Tick adj. master cylinder, ARP bolts, speed bleeder, MGW shifter, beautiful 799 casting heads ready for a cleanup and TEA Stage 2 job, and a LS6 IM/TB both ready for some porting work. Just waiting on the actual clutch assembly to show up.
Gunning for that 400hp goal by the end of the year.
Should be easy to hit with those parts. I'm at 400 with bolts ons and a cam.
I'm guesstimating that I'll be in around the 420-440 range with my full build. I'll be very happy with 400...but I'd love to get as close to 450 as possible. Short term goal.
I'm guesstimating that I'll be in around the 420-440 range with my full build. I'll be very happy with 400...but I'd love to get as close to 450 as possible. Short term goal.
I'm running hooker 1 7/8 LT's into tsp duals with their custom cam/SLP lid/ported tb put down 400 to the wheels. So I could see 420 with some good headwork and a tune. But yours doesn't have a cam at this time or included in your future build numbers right?
With the cam I could see 420 at the minimum. I'm about the swap my 241's to patriot stage 2 heads and get another tune. Hopefully I'll be right there with ya at 450rwhp
With the cam I could see 420 at the minimum. I'm about the swap my 241's to patriot stage 2 heads and get another tune. Hopefully I'll be right there with ya at 450rwhp
Awesome! I'm hoping with the TEA stage 2 head work I'm looking at 420 will be the sweet spot. I may shell out a little extra cash for a fast 102/102...but that's not really worth it to me until I do my 408. 400...I'll be happy. Anything extra and that's just bonus. Motor is absolutely solid. Tempting to forge the ls1 in it now and slap some boost onto it and aim for the 500-600 and range and leave it alone. If I go 408 I'm wanting 1000 minimum...
I'm sure you know the head work makes even better power when you have a solid cam to match. That's my problem now bolla on a budget since I don't have heads. Like anything else just takes time and money. I actually deleted my air system right after I got a tune and I was amazed at the difference it made to the car. 102 would be a lot for the stock displacement right?
I'm sure you know the head work makes even better power when you have a solid cam to match. That's my problem now bolla on a budget since I don't have heads. Like anything else just takes time and money. I actually deleted my air system right after I got a tune and I was amazed at the difference it made to the car. 102 would be a lot for the stock displacement right?
The 102 is massive, in my opinion, for stock displacement unless you are running a power adder of some sort. A 92/92 setup would be much more beneficial for nearly the same cost.
Here's my thinking...budget build the LS1, hence the ls6 parts, and then drop some coin on a beast of a 4xx cube motor later on. As in my first post, goal is 80% of the performance for a fraction of the cost. The heads + work are where most of the budget is going. I got them for two reasons. 1) they're better than the 241's. 2) I can leave them stock...or only put new springs in them...or get them fully worked...and I'll see gains no matter which way I go and how much I spend. I could have spent 2000-3000 on some AFR mongoose heads...but these were ready to ship for 500 bucks.
The 102 is massive, in my opinion, for stock displacement unless you are running a power adder of some sort. A 92/92 setup would be much more beneficial for nearly the same cost.
Here's my thinking...budget build the LS1, hence the ls6 parts, and then drop some coin on a beast of a 4xx cube motor later on. As in my first post, goal is 80% of the performance for a fraction of the cost. The heads + work are where most of the budget is going. I got them for two reasons. 1) they're better than the 241's. 2) I can leave them stock...or only put new springs in them...or get them fully worked...and I'll see gains no matter which way I go and how much I spend. I could have spent 2000-3000 on some AFR mongoose heads...but these were ready to ship for 500 bucks.
Bingo, luckily I have a 02 so it has the ls6 which is good enough for my set up for now. Maybe one day I'll bite the bullet and swap to the fast but Jesus 800 bucks for 20hp just sucks lol. Most of the power you make on motor will be the heads/cam so spend it right and make some ponies. I'm in the process of picking up some Patriot stage 2 heads for 800 and I'll sell my 243's w/springs for at least 300. I would never spend that much for AFR heads, most tuners I've talked to say there are much more alternatives to the afr's that make the same power.
Bingo, luckily I have a 02 so it has the ls6 which is good enough for my set up for now. Maybe one day I'll bite the bullet and swap to the fast but Jesus 800 bucks for 20hp just sucks lol. Most of the power you make on motor will be the heads/cam so spend it right and make some ponies. I'm in the process of picking up some Patriot stage 2 heads for 800 and I'll sell my 243's w/springs for at least 300. I would never spend that much for AFR heads, most tuners I've talked to say there are much more alternatives to the afr's that make the same power.
I was just throwing out a number...couldn't really think of the actual price. If I go with a big motor instead of going power added on forged LS1, I'll look at set of 245cc+ heads with a 102. Still trying to decide but I'm leaning towards a procharged, forged, LS1.
01-31-2015, 05:46 PM
My 2000 Camaro Z28 (Project: IMSLO) 
