Owl

Hello everybody!

Ever since i was about 9-10 and i saw my first firebird, i've wanted one.. I'm 18 now and i have one! ( no my parents have nothing to do with it, no co-signer on the loans, no assistance in payments. which makes it more special )

I own a 2002 v6 3800 Firebird, silver T-top.

Car payment per month: 210
Insurance payment per month 240

gotta love the car


anyways. i come from a ricer background as my first car was a 1993 honda accord special ed. with about 5k mods ( engine not looks, i was going for the whole sleeper idea )

but i got a new job, so i had to get a new car! went to the dealer, and saw it sitting in the back of the lot, just in that same day - i jumped in it, it performed like a charm, the dealer said "go ahead and punch it" so i did, the same exact way i did my accord ( apprx 80% throttle ) and it flew!!!! i fell in love that same day, and bought it the next day.


so far heres my judgement of my new car compared to old:

Acceleration = about 4x greater from 0 - 80 - however my honda accelerated faster after 80

top speed... REEKS! i dont know if the car has an engine problem, or are they all soposed to top out at 117? the honda isn't even a vtec engine and it tops at 134 pre turbo -- 128 post turbo

the engine mounting seem kinda weak as well as the engine tends to jerk the car? again im not experienced with muscle cars ( or any for that matter, i just love driving them ) so is it reccomended to change the fasteners to the engine or is it normal?

turning/handling im still testing as the car is much larger i dont want to kill myself by driving it the same way i did the honda, but it seems good so far, ive been gradually increasing speeds on turns.

engine noise ~ love it <- im not into muffler noise but the loud engine still gives me chills in the spine after 3 month

T-Top , im kinda worried about this as if the car were to ever flip, the upper frame looks really weak <-- suggestions?




anyways thats my judgement on the car and i give it a 9/10 =)


anndd on that note: its 1:30 am and i have to wake up at 6:30 for my new business classes tommorow


G'Day err Night

~Tony

RedRocketZ28

iTrader: (19)

I hate to break it to you but you do NOT have an LS1. An fbody yes, an LS1 no.

Allergik2dyin

Yeah v6's are slow. Drive a LS1 and see how quickly you'll want one. And on that note...trade in your car now for a LS1. Insurance will go up...car payments should go up a little depending on how much you spend.

z28C4maro82z

iTrader: (33)

ouch. I hate to break it to yah too but v6. Didn't that pop a red flag in our head that it's missing 2 cylinders. Anyways, go trade it in and get an LS1. I had my v6 before my v8

mcG

iTrader: (1)

i also had a v6 before my current v8. but mine was a 97. theres a lot of good help on firebirdv6.com, thats where i used to post with my 3800.

NotACop97Z

iTrader: (7)

maybe you can get an older ls1 for the same or lower payments... just my .02, on another not, I wish I could afford a 4 year old F-body when I was 18, so good on ya man!

ls1charged

iTrader: (8)

yeah just like some of these other guys have said the firebird yeah its more then likely alot faster then your honda was but that v6 stuff doesnt work on this site unless its a supra or something making aleast 300 hp. if u really want to feel some power trade your car in for something with 2 more cylinders. i have to give u props though u did get rid of your for an f body.

clayton02LS1

I'm 18 and am still in high school and have an 02 LS1. I also have a 2004 Silverado (check my sig for Cardomains). The Silverado I bought myself my junior year (well my mom bought it but I paid the $450 payment) working 45+hours a week while in highschool, and my dad bought my Fbody for me. Then he realized how much I hated paying a loan and bought both vehicles off of me and I pay him 400+Insurance on the car (he pays the truck) and I get to keep both. But when I go to college in the fall, my parents are paying for the vehicles.

5550racing

Props for you for buying your own f-body... I'd keep that V6 a little while and get used to the rear wheel drive and then step up to the LS1... If you think that V6 has some get up and go... your going to **** your pants the first time you lay into the LS1 .

Owl

well heres the deal =) see, being that im paying for my own car, and i have NO CREDIT =P -- ( youll be amazed at how many banks i applied for the loan at ) i can't exactly trade it in for a ls1 ~ however ~ i will be getting a hefty $1,400 rebate check in the mail because the dealer got me on the insurance <_< i dont need the gm extended warrenty crap xD <-- cancelled it and they said theyll give me the pro rated difference which should be about 14 hunderd ( so says the GM guy on the phone )

so here are some questions:

1: an F-body is a F-body correct? so can i swap the engine/headers out? ( of course its a bit more difficult than that, but you get the idea _

a: If so, what LS1 is reccomended ( i ebay searched and there seems to be many types )
b: how much do i have to swap out?

2: Ram-air or Turbo w/ cold air ?

3: dont worry, im not gonna pretend like i know something about the nothing i know =) all i know how to do is drive them, i practice at the huge lot by an abandoned warehouse out here.

4: does this muffler system exist/is it reccomended for a LS1? :
a system that delivers exhause from one header side to the tailpipe, the other side to the other tailpipe, a dual exhause that does Y in then ^ at the ends basically, i just dont like the idea of joining the exhause to only seperate them at the end, i looked under the body and it seems like it has ample room for a configuration like that.

~dont ask where i got this idea, just sounds good from a physics point of view.

and can i use the same exhaust with just diffrent headers when i switch the engine?

5: i've been reading here, and im staying auto it seems =)

6: what is a stall?

nomadnate

iTrader: (1)

If you ask me man it is too much trouble to put and LS1 into the v6 when you can wait a little while and get one with the LS1 in it and save your self time money stress and work. 2000 Firebird Formula WS-6 M6.
kick the tires and light the fires

CJDZ24_Z28

iTrader: (75)

Let me get in here,

Im 28 years old now and own 2 V8 Camaro's but i when i was 17 back in 96 my 1st musclecar was a 94 Firebird V6. I felt really happy at 1st just like you but after like 2 months i wanted a V8. I had to keep that Firebird for 1 year and made sure to pay on time cause i was like you just building credit. After that i traded it on a Z28 best feeling ever.Hope you can do something similar.

Now about putting in a LS1 into your firebird. Not a good idea if your working on a budget. There are alot of differences between a V6 Firebird and a LS1 V8 car. Brakes,speedo,transmission,exhaust,suspension etc. Yes there is a LS1 305hp-325hp LS6-385hp LS2-400hp

Again just wait maybe a year and build up your credit and trade up for a LS1. It will be the best move you could make! Good Luck

Owl

Well after you had a car for so long, you fall in love with it xD ( well i do ) so ill spend that extra 10k to convert the car as compared to buying one as an LS1... on that note.. yes i still have the rice =O

Red_Z-29

I am currently 17 years old,the loan is under my dads name seeing i am not of legal age to do anything.I make all the payments to the bank, my payment is 300 a month, i pay for gas and insurance and i am proud as hell of my 2002 Z-28,

Michael55123

iTrader: (3)

Why on earth would you spend 10k+ to convert the car? When for 3-4 more grand than what you paid for your car you could probably get an LS1. ****, with 10k, you better end up with a damn fast LS1. Not worth converting the car, at all. In any way.

TransAm12sec

To save money on insurance, be the primary driver and let your parents be the owner.

My reccomendation would be to keep the Firebird, build up your credit, and get used to rwd.

Look in the automotive section of your bookstore for an F-body book.

99camarosupersport

iTrader: (6)

when i was 17 i bought a wrecked 99 v6 (clean title), fixed it and drove it for about 6 months when i first got the car it kicked ***, but i always had my eyes on a Z. sold the v6, made some cash and found one hell of a deal on my SS, i drove it and fell in love with it. have had it a little over a year and it's almost paid completely off all by me with no help, my advice, go test drive a v8....it will make the decision for you.

Black30thz

iTrader: (2)

congrats on the new car, all the people on this site are pretty smart so listen to them but before you touch your f body get rid of that ricer, and no offense but if you put 10k into an ls1 it better be in the 11's at least so with that kind of cash get an ls2, but it is still easier to get an ls1 car and mod it.


p.s. do not brag about having a fast car (not saying that you have) you don't it is actually pretty slow and people will try and race you for cash and unless it is a ricer you will lose
peace

LookinAtMyPlate

iTrader: (2)

im 18 and i drive a SS that i pay for. even tho i hate paying for it im glad i do or my parents would have looked at all my tickets and just asked for my keysssssss

ls1charged

iTrader: (8)

i think that u need to save your money, and just hold out on the whole v8 idea. cause when u get the money u need to search around (ebay,autotrader) i see trans ams everyday on those sites for 10k or less u just have to know where to look, its going to be alot easier and cheaper going that way then it will be to going through all the trouble of figuring out all the parts u need to get to make the swap work, and if u end up going that way youll find out that theres going to be alot of little parts that u didnt think of that youll need, all the little things add up and gets expensive. im the same age that u are and u have along time ahead of u to get your dream car. me too.