Its a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS with a 305 TBI engine...V8 5.0 liters.

I can understand now that the 305 TBI engines were originally going to be put into trucks and blah blah, and how they are not really performance engines. The car was 1300 dollars and it is in good running condition however alot of the stuff inside and out of the car need to be replaced badly. I'll go over the list for you guys and post some pics up shortly afterwards. Here is what the car needs.

-Brand new set of tires (I am going to go with the Z28 tires because those tires churn out the car's better handling and they go nicely with it)
-Brake pads (they screech like hell when you drive the car and it drives me nuts, but thats a warning that I need to do brake pads which I will do)
-Complete overhaul of the A/C system (the car uses the old R12 freons and its going to cost me 300 bucks to recharge...I am not going to do that when I can just go and reconvert the a/c myself. I hope its not that hard but people told me its fairly simple)
-Smoke on start up only (These were apparently a common problem with the 3rd gen Camaros, the valve seals need to be replaced to stop the smoking, nothing big)
-Both power window motors need to be replaced (can do it myself if I have time, energy, and the will but may just buy parts online)
-Maybe an Engine tune-up just to make me feel like a million bucks
-Left front turn relay switch needs to be fixed ( I recently got the back one replaced that blinks fine but the front is still a problem)
-I may need to replace the battery as it is 4 years old, but the voltage meter is still high and the battery is still going, I may just leave it in there.

Here's what I plan to do with the car after the repairs have been done

-Replace all the decals (some jerk stole two of the hub caps for the back wheels about a year ago and chipped off the RS logo to the right of the car, and half of the camaro logo up front is missing...nothing big but I want it to look nice)
-Install flowmaster exhaust system (I would personally want Magnaflow exhausts but those are way out of my price range)
-Install a 160 thermostat (keeping the engine cooler is always good)
-Install a new air filter (Pep Boys had a nice air filter for about 30 bucks, 5-10 extra horsepower sounds nice for under 50 bucks, I'd get a K&N one if I could)
-Partial paint job with racing stripes (I may want to either get a 3rd gen SS hood or a cowl hood for the RS, they dont look bad on it, but a simple racing stripe across the car wouldn't be a bad idea either)
-Tint the windows (for just under 140 dollars I can have my windows professionally tinted which I have to do, due to Arizona's blazing summer temperatures, atleast the car wont be ridiculously hot as it would w/o tinted windows)
-I may upgrade to the LS1's stock brake systems, the whole package is about 500-600 dollars but they are really good brakes.

When I first bought the car, the only thing maintained was the engine and the transmission. The things that have gone wrong with it was the heater core which was seeping coolant about a year after the original owner bought it. That was replaced along with a 400 dollar bill (ow!) The entire cooling system has been changed, radiator, all the old factory hoses were trashed away and replaced with nice new ones, so the car never goes over 200 degrees no matter how hot it is. That was 600 dollars, I believe there was an alternator problem but the car was strong enough to make it to the shop to get it replaced not a big deal.

Personally, I love the car, for 1300 dollars its a steal but it needed work off the bat. When I put new tires on it hopefully it'll increase acceleration and handling. I clocked the 0-60 on these cars at about 6.5 seconds which is not bad at all. Of course its nothing to the IROC Z28s blazing 5.8 seconds but thats not entirely bad. The car has a crapload of torque which is always a nice thing to have. Its got about 107k miles on it which is relatively low for a 1991.

I cleaned out the interior so its nice and shiny now, the windshield wiper blades need to be replaced....badly as they are in terrible condition and with all the t storms we have been getting its not very smart to drive these cars in rainy conditions with worn wiperblades. I drove it out yesterday when it was raining, I took the turns as slow as possible, and I took no chances as all RWD based cars have a liking to flip around on you on wet roads.

I don't want to get rid of the 305 TBI engine despite its lack of horsepower, if I can get about 200hp at the wheels that'll be more than enough. Its not worth slapping a 350 on that car because I might as well cough up a few more dollars and get myself an LT1 based Z28...

Anyways I am quite happy with my purchase, the transmission shifts very very smoothly I dont feel it at all, the ride is smooth there are a few nicks and rattles here and there but...its an American car and its bound to rattle at some point in its life. The handling is EXCELLENT in this car.

I'll post pics shortly once I figure out how....

 

Sounds like a nice find. I'm selling my 92 camaro if you're interested in it for a parts car or another project. Also got a few parts for sale that might interest you. Check the sig.

 

I had a 1990 RS with the 305TBI for about 7 years. It doesn't run anywhere close to a 6.5 0-60 time stock. Sorry. But it is damn near bulletproof otherwise. When I sold mine it had over 133K and would still run high 14's(lots of mods).

If you want any advice on what to do to hook it up let me know. If you plan on keeping the car over the long haul (or even if it's just a fun car for a year or three) and eventually replacing the engine with a 350 or LS1 don't waste any money on internal engine parts.

I think I still have a Hypertech chip lying around if you want it...just let me know, and if you're interested I'll go into details on all the mod work I did.

 

I may need a few pieces from you as a matter of fact. The power window motors may be a good find for me to buy if you are willing to sell at a decent price. I am going to go to the junkyard this weekend and see what I can fork out for this car...if you are interested in selling the power window motors I may want to buy.

 

The car has substantially low miles and the drivetrain has been taken care of. I heard that if the 305 TBIs were properly maintained, they would last well over 200k miles which is a nice thing to know but I doubt I will be keeping it for more than 30k miles. I plan on driving this car for an extra 3-4 years. By then I will have accumulated enough money to buy myself a 96-98 Z28/Trans Am. I bought the RS because it was cheap and I want to get the feel and look of a sports car. I love the way it handles, its awesome, and I also love the way it looks. The bucket seats are nice, and the car fits me perfectly. I dont plan on getting rid of the 305 TBI as I said before, its not a bad engine at all but it can churn out a few more horses. I do want to ask however what kind of options are available to me if I do want to modify it?

people told me left and right that the 305 TBI motors won't get over 180hp at the wheels which I refuse to believe. I have heard of some 305 TBIs getting 210 hp at the wheels which is what I want. 200hp would be fine, I am not taking this car to the dragstrip as I would probably be embarassed....and roasted by some of the competition there and I know for a fact that these cars weren't built stock like that. I mean granted its still faster off the line acceleration then most cars on the road today but I want more hp, and maybe fork up the torque to around 275 pounds. What is a hypertech chip and what does it do? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Well, there is much to tell...so I will just give a bit now and we will continue in the future.

First thing you need to do is go to www.thirdgen.org so you can hear from other folks who are/have done what you and I are doing/have done. Great site...the LS1tech of 3rd gens.

OK to the mods. Like I said, and since you only want the car for 3-4 years. Don't touch the internals. It's expensive, and the gains are marginal for the cost.

Do: 3.73 rear gear with a limited slip....I used and Auburn limited slip, this will be your most noticeable SOTP mod.

Do: Shift kit(Trans Go..you'll bark into 2nd and maybe into 3rd if you do more mods) also, at least think about a stall....you can knock off a 1/4-1/2 second with one, but it will cost more than any other single mod you do. If you do a stall do these mods together and buy a cooler...honestly I'd probably not spend the cash on the stall for your purposes.

Do: Headers and a Cat-Back exhaust. I had Edelbrock Headers, Catco hi-flow cats, and Edelbrock cat back. Noticeable increase in power, and great sound.

Do: On the intake side get yourself an open air elemnt, 9in size is plenty, lots of people us 14in, but it's an overkill and not worth the money. I also replaced my intake manifold,(Edelbrock) but the gain is minimal, probably not worth the money...only .25in taller than stock.

Do: Go to www.thridgen.org and read the write up on the FREE TBI MODS!! A must. Easy to do, and worth a few HP.

Just to sum up on the power/gear mods: I had Edlebrock Intake with 9in K&N open air filter, Edelbrock Headers(305 size--get350 size if any intention of a motro swap)-Catco Cat, Edelbrock cat-back, Trans Go Shift kit, 3.73 with Auburn limited slip.....Also had Hypertech stage I, II, and finally FastChip Custom Prom.

Oh yeah, also had a Jacobs ignition system and Adjustable Fuel pressure regualtor(Turbo City)...errr, I think that's it for engine/tranny performance.

Before I go into the suspension sysetem let me recap for myslef and you what I'm tryint to say, lol.

3.73 w/limited slip-one of the first things to do.

Shift kit-cheap and easy, a must for an A4.

K&N open air filter-probably the easiest and cheapest mod, do it first...1 sensor to hook up, IAT, easy to do...huge throttle response/intake roar incease.

If you're mechanically inclined, have a lift, whatever...do the headers and cat-back, you will feel the difference and you will sound bad ***.

AFPR, easy to buy or check the FREE TBI MODS. This with a chip and 160-170 thermostat is a nice mod you will feel.

All at once or over time, these mods combined(Intake manifold is helpful though not necessary, as is TBI spacer) will put you in the 215-230hp range, no problem.

 

230hp sounds nice...I want to be able to par up with stock 95 Mustang GTs

I already know of thirdgen.org infact I am a registered user on there now and I have already posted messages asking about the problems and options. It is a helpful site, and they have lots of useful articles as well.

I saw an air filter over at Pep Boys, I forget the brand name, but it was 30 bucks and I believe the perfect size for the 305 TBI and its quite cheap. I'll probably research online for a K&N filter. The problem that I have with them however is most air filters are chrome made, wouldn't this make the car run a little hotter than usual and if it is not installed right it could really clog and choke the acceleration, or this is what I have been told.

Before I do any modifications though I must do the maintenance that needs to be done on the car. Flowmaster exhaust system wouldnt be a bad idea.

EDIT: I do greatly appreciate the information you have expressed to me, I will take a closer look at some of the TBI mods thirdgen has on their site.

 

Where do you live? Just curious.

Any open air filter is basically fine. You will have to put a hole in the base to have the IAT in the actual air intake, or you can hook the sesnor up and leave it sitting on the engine....it matters not, really.


30-70 bucks is what you should pay for a filter and housing.

Too your earlier question about what a "chip" does. It advances your timing, changes your fuel curves, etc....

Keep reading up on third gen and you'll be all the wiser.

 

I had a 92 RS w/the 305. I did all the fluids to synthetic, new brakes, a brake line, tires, headers/ypipe/cat-back, K&N filter, and a bigger throttle body. I perked it up but it was never a fire breather. Still, on the other hand, it got 28 mpg on the highway...

I enjoyed it, but didn't feel too bad when I traded it for my 98 Z28. You got a good car for a decent price. The add-ons will make you a better mechanic, and will give you hours of automotive pleasure.

Good Job!

 

Here is a picture of my 90RS, the Baer Brakes I had on the front, and the engine bay.

 

yeah I am still trying to figure out how to put pics online....dang it

 

how much would a really good paint job be on a car like this? Not like expensive high quality paint job but something less than 1000 dollars and something reliable.

I was looking at some of the other RS Camaros online and I stumbled upon one very nice looking 3rd gen camaro with a very nice paint job. Here is the pic...he's also got a nice stock Z28 hood on there how much would something like that cost?

I want to do something like that similar color or perhaps black but the gray color is not half bad looking AT ALL. The color I have slapped on now is dark red/maroonish color and the paint is slightly fading from the top.

 

For under a grand you might be able to get a decent paint job...if you do alot of the prep work yourself. The prep work seems to be the key to getting a nice, non-cracking, bubbling, etc, look. Try the appearance and detailing section for more info.

A Maaco paint job for 300-600 bucks will buble, have swirls etc, but if you did alot of prep work beforehand it might not come out too bad.

 

I have the same motor (305 TBI).
Mods to get about 275HP out of it will run about $4500..
I decided to not waste the money and put it towards the future LS1 conversion.

 

as much as I like the sound of having a 275hp 3rd gen Camaro, 4500 dollars is a little too much money for me and I would much rather have the Lt1 based Z28s.

A few people told me that in order to save myself some money I'd have to primer it, and alot of people told me Maaco was a bad place to go to to get your car painted. There are a few bodyshops around and plus I know someone who has a very nice paintjob on his car but said it was costly...I like that dark gray metallic color, it looks very good and if I get a Z28 stock hood along with that, the car will look awesome.

 

Is the dashboard In good shape we got a perfect dashboard for a thirdgen on ebay but it is from a non A/C camaro I know you're planning on redoing the A/C just thought you might be Interested.

 

Dashboard is in perfect condition

EDIT: The only things I really want on this car or to be replaced for that matter are the hubcap wheel covers, the car was vandalised about a year ago and the side emblem RS logo to the right of the car was chipped off, and the two back wheel center covers covering the lug nuts were stolen...

Kind of pissed about that since the hubcaps can only be bought in a set which is like 200 dollars and those logos are like 100 dollars for a pair.

I am going to go to the junkyard tomorrow to see what I can dig out...of some old beater cars maybe with luck I will find a Camaro there...

 

Hubcap wheel covers? You mean the center caps I assume. You should have good luck finding those at a junkyard, or check a used wheel store/reconditioner...usually lots of them in stock.

http://www.gmsports.com/inventory.asp?catnum=3
These guys sell repro center caps(w/out logo cap)...they also have IROC-Z centers...give them a call, they may have RS stuff.

 

I checked online at Ebay and they had a set of all four for like 200 dollars I was like come on there has to be cheaper. I was actually looking for a site like that....

The side emblems is also something I am looking for, I dont really want to buy hubcaps for a car I dont have they do have the nose logo which is what I need.


Thanks for the site

 

Year One has a awful lot of new parts for thirdgens not listed in their website in their F-body catalog . Definitely worth purchasing.