V8Rumble

iTrader: (9)

Hi all,

Been lurking for a while (mostly in the 'Conversions' forum), trying to absorb as much info as I could on the LSx engines, finally figured it was time to register so that I could "share in the fun" & learn a lot more...

My project vehicle is a fairly low-miles/rarely-driven (you could also call it a "warm-weather toy") '89 Trans Am GTA that came from GM with all the "good stuff" of the time, but, being a perpetual gearhead, that's just never enough, so I've been working with it for a little while now, trying to increase the car's capabilities as much as I can. Most of the work I've done so far has been to update or upgrade the suspension - which has made it a WHOLE lot of fun on the twisty Rocky Mtn roads near me!

Up until just a few weeks ago, I was collecting all the parts for a forged 383, I already have AFR heads, a decent intake, etc., but then I read this article, & as hard as I resisted, my original plan just couldn't survive it... So, it looks like I'll be selling virtually all of my SBC mods so that I can take advantage of the power/MPG/driveability of an L92-headed "truck engine"...

I first started turning wrenches with my dad, starting with mostly "fix-up" stuff like brakes/water pumps, etc, then moved on to the "deeper stuff". I've also enjoyed lending a hand on a couple of race cars, the first one being a roundy-rounder at Colo. Nat'l Speedway (back when it was still a dirt track! ), a few years later I spent about 4 years working on an ITE-class 4th-gen Z28 road-race car. Felt pretty good when we took home our regional championship in 2000...

As far as my "likes" go, I've always been a car guy, & I come by it honestly - both of my parents have always been into cars, my dad's a life-long Mopar & GM guy, I don't think that mom really cared about make, as long as it would perform up to her lead-footed expectations! The last really fun thing we did before the cancer took her was to attend a Goodguys show that took place near her home - she had a great time, even though she was confined to a wheelchair by then. Me, I've always loved Mopars, I once "politely declined" a roadside interview with the Highway Patrol when I was young, stupid, & driving my 440. Unfortunately, Mopar quit making decent V-8 cars a while ago, so I had to expand my horizons a bit when the time came for me to look for a project. I also have a pronounced weakness for Studebakers, esp. Champions & Avantis - if I ever hit the lotto, you'll find me on Stu Cool's porch with my sleeping bag & my checkbook...

I've been a long-time member of TGO (& have been an original member of two regional F-body groups, the "Cascade Crew" in the Northwest, & Mile High Third Gens here in Colo) so on the off-chance that anyone's interested in my car, you can find pics & (probably) more info than you'd want to find on my vBGarage page... (The car actually looks a lot better than those pics show, it's a bit dusty or dirty in all of 'em...) I'm currently building the car with an eye towards making some runs on the Bonneville salt, hopefully in 2008...

I'm looking forward to learning a lot, & maybe even making some new friends here...