Hi guys, complete newbie here, to the forums and to really any performance related automotives.

Last weekend I went to the dealership to see the new camaro (killer, btw) and one of the lot techs was talking about an old one they just got in on trade. It was a 95 z28, 383 stroker with no cats. I looked at it, you can see where the last guy use to have a nitrous bottle in the back, switchs still in the ash tray, etc. I talked them down from $7300 to $3800. Figured it was a good deal, only 65k miles on it.

So a few questions, the dealer had no idea on specs on anything on the motor, so is there a way I can tell if its actually a 383 without tearing it down? It doesnt feel like the power a 383 should have, nor does it really feel like what a 350 should have.

I also took it in for a oil change at a local Grease Monkey shop. When they pulled it in the guy came out and told me the guy in the pit was hearing some odd noise in the bottom end, thinking maybe a wrist pin. I dont hear anything unregular from standing by it, and cant get under it. Is there any other way to check this without dropping the pan? They didnt see any metal in the oil I guess, atleast didnt mention it. If it is a wrist pin, what harm am I causing by driving around with it and how long apx can I get away before major damage?

The last owner also has an aftermarket throttle body on it, how can I tell if its a 52mm or a 58mm?

I hear a lot of people saying the stock 10 bolt rear ends are crap. The Grease Monkey guys checked the oil in mine and found a lot of air in the oil. Doesnt that just mean there was to much oil in the housing, or to little or something? Either way simple fix by replaced the oil right. And has anyone tried putting c-clips or whatever they are called into the rear end with upgraded gears and seeing how long they last? I want to get a set of 4.10s but I cant afford a whole axle right now.

Lastly, aside from all above, I have been looking at getting a nitrous system but I dont know what to get. I want something that is decently priced and has the capability to be easily upgraded as I get more into the car. I have been looking at the nitrous outlet package linked below, but a few questions on that as well:

http://www.nitrousoutlet.com/catalog...roduct_id=2809

O the window switch it says it has Multi-gear lock out setting. Id assume this allows the nitrous to only work with the WOT switch in certain transmission gears, if so would that work with a manual. If not then what is the function of this feature?

It doenst list it comes with a WOT switch but the window switch has a built in TPS, but being a 95 its a mechanic throttle. How is this going to work or is it a different function?

Over all, is that kit a good price for what is in it?

Thanks everyone!

 

IF it was a dealer trade in it probably was someone elses wore out street car

 

Place I worked at they traded in a "z28" ended up being a v6 car with badges

 

hmm...Nitrous car at dealer?...not so good...

only 65k miles and you got it for $3800? i would say the miles were rolled back. im guessing more like 165k... my opinion.

Carfax??

 

Carfax was clean, correct mileage. No doubt someone abused the crap out of this car, but for the price to whats been done to it, I think its a good deal for a project. Worst comes to worst I could part it out and atleast get what I have into it.

 

I think you might be OK, the odometer does not start over at 99999 like the old days. As for the "wrist pin noise" if it is a 383, it might have forged pistons which are a little noisier when the engine is cold. For the throttle body, just measure the bore, this might be easier if you remove it. Pull a valve cover too and see if there are 1.6 roller rockers installed as opposed to the stock 1.5 stamped rockers. Telling if it's a 383 might be tough without dropping the pan. Maybe someone else has a good idea how to do it. For the rear axle, you can put a girdle style cover and upgrade the axles, but the original might hold up for moderate to aggressive street driving, but not racing. I've had mine in for a long time. Good luck!

 

He also stated it had no cats. I dont think a dealer can sell a car to someone that has to have it pass emissions legally when it wont pass. My guess is they were about to send it to an auction or something, figured selling to him wouldve atleast got them what they had into it maybe?

 

You got the car for wholesale. Not a bad deal at all. Only way to tell if it has been worked is to pull a cylinder head and measure the bore. Aftermarket parts won't tell you much. Do a compression and leak-down check to see how healthy the engine is.

 

Where are you. Maybe you are near someone who could look the car over. You would be amazed at the things an enthusiast knows compared to a mechanic.

If you are near Green Bay WI I will volunteer to try and help.

There are a LOT of badly done strokers out there and most people would not believe the power you can have without ever rebuilding the engine.

 

I live in Castle Rock, Colorado. More than willing to take any offers for help. Dont have much to offer in return but ill do what I can.

 

Do you think the car would hold up long enough to drive it to Green Bay?

 

^^ haha, quit picking on him, I don't want to drive to Green Bay, and I'm right outside Chicago. I've done that trip a few times, it's boring. I can only imagine the ride from CO.

 

No way to really guess how much power a 383 should have. It all depends on how it was build. Put together a 383 with heavy components, shitty heads, and a baby cam and you probably wouldn't know it was a 383 at all.

Price is not bad, but I would never buy a modified engine without knowing all the specs or who built it.

 

Hey:

If it was at my local dealer I would have bought it too.
I would pull the driverside valve cover and take a peek inside, just to see how clean it is inside (see if it is a fresh rebuild, or untouched dirty and dark), as well as a look to see what is in the valvetrain. If it has good quality rollers in it , it might be what it was stated and a good one at that, if not drive it till it don't go anymore, saving some money up and build it like you want.

Alot of 383 builds with parts that don't work well together as a combo are slower than if left stock. Seen quite a few poor 383 builds go wrong with people buying aftermarket TBs, cast cranks, big aftermarket injectors, big heavy lower compession pistons, stock heads, cheap SA rollers, off the shelf without taking a measurement pushrods, fancy valve covers, crappy loud catbacks, lt4 hot cam, shorty headers, balanced from a machine shop unfamiliar with LTX's, without a tune, go grenade themselves, and the ding dong blaming the LTX as a POS, when it was really the combo had no chance of working with all the money they spent. And the shop bad mouthing LTXs as unreliable, because that setup worked in all the other SBC builds they have done.

So I say enjoy it for what it is, take pics of under the valve cover and post them up. Who knows you might have got the deal of the month, I hope you did. Maybe the last guy was just bored with it and removed some of the key parts that made it run great, to sell off.

Also what other supporting mods did it have, any aftermarket adj LCAs, PHB, or torque arm, Ls1 brakes or anything like that? That gives a little insight of the previous owners vision for the car.

Dub

When In Doubt Do Without

 

Whomever ended up with my first car definitely did. I traded it in after fresh paint, headers, heads, cam , SS hood, 3.73 and other mods because I really wanted a BMW. I traded it without even thinking. I miss that car. Hopefully its still alive. I even left the dyno sheet in the car for the next guy!

Jim

 

check out all the forms for someone that has a new Camaro that traded there LT1 in. Cant be many

 

OK well obviously you are a bit far away for me to help you but hopefully there is someone closer who can. Get a knowledgable enthusiast to poke around the car a bit and figure out what you have before you try and do anything else to it.

Who knows the engine could be great but the tune terrible.

One of the guys on the Impala board bought a totaled f-body one time with a 383 that they tried to tune with JUST a AFPR. People do some stupid things.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to pull the valve cover if not the head too. Ill get some good pictures of the car in and out plus some vids to show ya guys.

So far I can tell, edlebrock headers w/ egr, throttle body, sounds like a small cam, !cats, flowmaster () exhaust, hurst shifter, aftermarket tach. I havent really looked under the car yet but I doubt there is any work there done yet.

Another off side question. The aftermarket tach idles barey above rpms than the stock gauge, but while driving it shows around 1000rpm. It has a built in shift led, and a limiter built in too. Cant see exactly where he plugged it into to but where should I start looking and how can I correct this difference?

 

IMO the aftermarket tach is a sign...A BAD ONE...why would the headers have egr with !cats...just a thought. If I had that car I would drive it as much as possible. There has to be a reason only 65k miles. Granted I dont have much room to talk. I have a 95 with 64k miles. Also IMO remove that CRAP flowmaster exhaust. Mine had flowmaster when I got it...After I drove it some 300 miles home...the next day I cut that CRAP off and got Magnaflows...I LOVE IT!!!

 

Explain the aftermarket tach conspiracy, please. I have headers with EGR/AIR provisions, but yet do not run cats - so? My '97 has ~57k miles. So? I ran Flowmaster and really, nothing wrong with it at all. I liked the way it sounded, but went to true-duals when I passed the 420rwhp mark. I honestly wished it still sounded like the Flowmaster. You like the way your Magnaflow sounds - I would never say that's crap.