Matthias

Thanks for all the answers.
Those cars are collectibles and VERY expensive! Besides....it has the engine on the wrong end.

Sunbeam Alpine:
I do not want a convertible. They are too instable and look poor with a roll cage.

Mazda:
It all sounds good and tempting......but I'm afraid I have to sacrifice weight for coolness, attitude and bad-assmanship ;-)
American Muscle is what I need :-)

Right now I'm tempted by a 72 Camaro with a factory installed steel sunroof! (Swiss production, it's an OPEL sunroof).
The car has new paint, which means it may have body issues. It's a bone stock matching numbers SS. I just love the body style. Price would be 15000 Euros. Means budget would not be enough to go fully track-ready at once. I would install the T56 to the stock 350, overhaul the suspension with good shocks/springs and buy a nice set of wheels. In this condition, the Camaro would be good for two years summer fun and save more money.......

decisions, decisions

My1stFBody

Those can be very cool looking cars, but definitely need to be split-bumpered to look amazing. My dad fixed up an early 70's Camaro split-bumper, put on full Hotchkis suspension, painted it Saab Steel Grey with Graphite racing strips, and 3rd Gen Trans Am basket weave wheels painted black with polished lips. That car had a mildly built 355cu SBC paired up with (I believe) a th350, and it was pretty fun to drive. I had tried to convince him to do an LSx build before he even got moving along on the project but he thought it would cost too much.

Snkebait95

iTrader: (16)

Good choice on the '72. How common are american muscle cars in germany? Any nurburgring blazing 4th gens?

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

1970-1973 Firebird instead of Camaro. Just a preferance, and since you plan to do an engine swap there is no need to buy a numbers matching Trans Am/Super Sport.

1bigoldman

Be careful here. Not all T56's are the same. The models that bolt to a SBC 350 are not the same as the LSx models. The SBC version has a smaller bellhousing and shorter input shaft! I do not know if the LSx version input shaft will work on a SBC as it is longer. Maybe install a .400"(10.18mm) spacer? The bellhousing should not be an issue. You will also need a conversion flywheel. Which run $400+!

Good luck!!

Killer66

iTrader: (4)

If I were you I would go for the mazda FD3 or BMW E3.

Matthias

American Muscle Cars are very much liked over here. Everyone thinks they're reaaaally cool cars.
I started dreaming about American cars when I was 13 years old....in the year 1986. Back then....nobody had the slightest CLUE about American cars. Yes, there has been a small scene of enthusiasts, but those were rather extroverted individualists with.....let's say....a unique taste. Means: 90% of all American cars over here were '79 Camaros or Chevy Pick Up trucks and have been ruined with screaming non-stock colors, tons of bad-taste airbrushs, 10-feet-high High-Jackers, Airbrush on the tank underside, chromed differential cover, yellow and/or red painted suspension parts (if you were lucky....else...they chose mint or pink suspension.....), small steering wheels, suede-covered dashs with chains as door handles, fuzzy-diced-door-**** and -valve-covers (@wheels), millions of Taiwanese-chromed parts under the hood (if you did NOT have at least chromed valve covers.....your car was ignored at meetings), metal-mesh-covers over the rubber water hoses with fake red/blue anodized plastic hexagonal covers over the hose clamps (....insane), Air intake scoops poking through the hoods (on the stock carb and a loooong tube to make it poke through the hood), if someone had money (...not to mix up with "taste") he had a 6-71 blower and if someone had money AND some technical knowledge he had a 6-71 blower on top of a motor that was blueprinted to suit it.
The cheapest looking 15" chrome rims were standard and the first thing they all installed. Not to forget chromed sidepipes, monstrous deck spoilers and hood scoops fitted with at least 4 large cans of bondo.

Back than I started liking 55-57 Chevys. Lowered, wider wheels, Big Block.
NOBODY outside the small scene (and sometimes even in the scene) knew what you were taking about when you mentioned "Mopar" or "Chevelle" or "57 Chevy" or "Trans Am" or "Challenger"....those cars were non existend on the average men's horizon.
Over the years and especially with the upcoming of more and more movies in which American cars were used to accentuate the Hero's coolness and individuality, American cars (especially Muscle Cars) became more and more popular. Many are just used to express a car-noobs wanna-bee-coolness, no passion behind it, just oh-it's-cool?-I-gotta-have-it.
But also many guys catched the spirit right. So over the decades, many cars have been re-imported, knowledge was spread and now you can find some pretty nice and decent cars over here. Sometimes you even meet someone who actually knows about the 69 '69 ZL-1 Camaros and what's so special about 'em, who knows what COPO means and who thinks just like the enthusiasts in your country.

But no, at the Nordschleife American cars are very scarce. Except Corvettes, especially C6s and some new Mustangs. The vast majority of private weekend-racers race BMW E30, E36, Porsches, hot hatches, Japanese I-forgot-their-names-stuff, Caterhams, Opels, Volkswagens.

Actually, building a quick BMW E30 or E36 with stock 2.5liter engine is quite tempting. GREAT handling cars, GREAT engines, cheap, vast variety of parts available....but I NEED the V8-sound!! It simply is the best noise on this planet next to a woman. Period.

I am 38 years now.....dreaming about an own V8 for 25 years, having bench-raced and dream-built sooooo many cars....it is just about time to make a dream come true.

I have practised working on old cars for 20 years now, owning many old OPEL cars (General Motors owned traditional German company....was founded 3 miles from my house away and having the R&D center, main factory and all right "across the street"....leaving a HUGE impact on my heart and soul).
I have learned the craft of a machinist and studied mechanical (automotive) engineering. I have many many tools and feel myself up to almost any task a car can come up with except upholstery....so yes....I'm READY!!

And since this is about fulfilling a 25-year-old dream...I am pretty nervous about choosing "the right" car....making no mistakes deciding for the right car.....I just don't want to regret the purchase, 'cause this must be the car of my life! The one to keep. The one to represent my soul, the one to undergo an evolutionary process of improvement over the years.

:-)

I'm nervous

turbinesurgeon

How bad is the pricing on a '70s Opel GT? It's a lighter car with the right look. I've seen them done up here in the states with SBC's shoe-horned into them. If you can get one cheap enough, it might off-set the extra $$$ it would take to improve it's already good handling.

My 2 cents.....

Matthias

Two reasons why an Opel GT is no option:

1. It is too small. I sat in one once and....this is NO joke...I got claustrophobic issues!

2. I own an Opel Kadett B, which has also been sold in the US I think as "Buick Opel". It has the same underpinnings like a GT. The GT is based on the Kadett B.
I upgraded my Kadett with Bilstein shocks, special leaf spring up front, special springs in the back, big brakes, Watt's linkage in the rear, big stabilizer bars, GT-steering ratio, PU-bushings all around, wider tires and put a 2.2 litre Weber-carbed engine in...the handling is horrible!
I work as an engineer for Hyundai/Kia.....any Hyundai/Kia outhandles the Kadett easily.

dm79

iTrader: (2)

fc or fd rx7 for a pro-touring car!!both light weight, you can fit massive tireds under them and great handling. especially the fc.

I personally run a 89 240sx coupe. it weighs in at 2500 pounds with the engine and i still have ac and full interior. I can run 10 inch wide in the back with proper spacing under the stock body fenders. (need wider overfenders if not) and there is a HUGE aftermarket support for suspension.

bmw good choice too... both in road suspension setups people run the ground control koni yellow setup

turbinesurgeon

If it's too small for you, I can understand. I'm 6'4" myself, thats why I went with a 4th gen for my project. Way more room.

Handling is still upgradeable with alittle fab work. A front end clip can be added to any car with enough work, and being in germany it has to be easy to track down a complete IRS set-up from a Jag or something to graft in.

The Opel GT too small, got it. Just remember spending more $$$ on custom suspension can make just about any donor you find handle.

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

Datsun 240/260/2880Z?

hefftone

LS swaps are doable in the states for Left hand drive cars, with readily made kits available for E30, E36, E39, E38. Those swaps range from very tight (E30) to spacious (E38).
Currently E46 swaps are being developed...there is a guy in UK that did an E46 RHD swap already....he is on bimmerforums (bikealarmblair)
There is a guy on ebay that has mounts available for Lexus GS,IS, and SC
Nissan 240sx/silvia have swaps available.
Mazda RX7, FC and FD have been done extensively, miatas less so.
Personally, I would love to see a C-class benz get an LS swap.
American muscle-wise,....can put an LS into anything...but it seems doing all the suspension and brake work to put it on a track would get pricey.
I don't know what kind of budget you have,....but looking into a Factory Five GTM, Cobra/daytona replica, or their new hot rod all tempt the hell out of me.

ss454327

iTrader: (10)

Dodge Dart
Plymoth Duster
Mercury Comet
Chevy II (nova)
Chevy Nova
Dodge Aspen
Mustangs are always cheap. My father in-law sold his very clean '65 for $2500 and it was an original running 289 car with all the trim/glass, very clean interior, never been wrecked and only needed a fresh paintjob. I've seen plenty of very clean '65-68 mustangs for under $5k. My neighbor has a '67 with a 4 link, whipple charged '03 cobra motor, AJE K member and a t56.

jasenz

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opel ascona obviously, bigger than the kadett series but smaller than the camaro etc,
i'm putting a 5.3 into a gemini/kadett so it'll fit easily,
and any car can be made to handle its all in the set up

mmarshall

iTrader: (2)

I like the 3rd gen RX7 idea, but feel my FFR Daytona is a better all out platform. Under 2300 lbs and can take up to a 345 in back and 315's in the front. You did say best platform! I have seen over 1.5G's on R compounds.

My Goal is 2200lbs and 500 HP and 2.0G's.



On the track:

merim123

iTrader: (11)

OP -> How about a P1800 w/ls conversion. Check out what this guys is doing, he's building subframes and rear end kits. http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthr...t-Glass)/page1

MMarshall -> start a thread with your car and some pics!!! or link to them, love the FFR cars.

mmarshall

iTrader: (2)

Here is my conversion thread: https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...onversion.html

And pics: http://s464.photobucket.com/albums/r...%20conversion/

Tony Nichols

iTrader: (2)

E36 is pretty easy/cheap and fun to drive with the ls. My car weighed in at 2900 with full interior and 285s under the stock body. I was still under 3000lbs after i put in an lm7 to rebuild my ls1.

boostedskyline

i vote for rx-7, just a great looking car, and light