SMS

Hi Guys. I have been a member here for a while, but don't own an LSx powered vehicle. For the last 10 years or so, I have been into turbo Buicks, but have recently sold mine, and am looking for a newer, better supported platform. I know with the Buicks, once you have a clean running STOCK car, for about $3-5k, you can have a reliable, mid/low 11 sec ride. By reliable I mean a car that can run 11.30's all day and not blow the rear end or trans out of it. Some say it can be done for even less, but that's up for debate.

Anyway, what is the rough cost for a 99-02 Z28 to run those same numbers starting with a clean running stock, or nearly stock car? I know it is always cheaper to start with a modified car, but I would rather know what is really in the car rather than take someones word for it. Thanks.

jetlag

iTrader: (32)

Get the newest, lowest mile car you can for your price range.

Easiest way to go fast, get an automatic.

My car runs LOW, LOW 11s all day long with headers, gears, stall, drag radials and a small shot of nitrous.

Nimitz87

iTrader: (17)

biggest thing that these cars need is a rear end...if you go auto its not AS big of a deal that's for sure.

very easy...a cam only bolt on stall'd auto will go AT LEAST mid to low 11's all day w/ the right suspension easily.

Chad

GTOTKO

same question but wha about a gto ? they have weaker rear end and live to squat

jetlag

iTrader: (32)

Pretty much the same setup..

I had the BMR drag bag setup on my 05 GTO and they helped.

ZV8

iTrader: (2)

Its so easy, nobody on here really cares if you run 11's in an LS1, its the norm for a mildly moded LS1. if your not in the 9's its nothing special. Thats just how good these engines are.

Bugsy

iTrader: (1)

What's wrong with 10s?

GTOTKO

My car runs LOW, LOW 11s all day long with headers, gears, stall, drag radials and a small shot of nitrous.

What size stall did you have? what gear ratio did you have? how much spray?

Bugsy

iTrader: (1)

How reliable are the 3.8 SFI engines in the GN/T-Types, when modded to run low 11s? I knew several guys who owned them, and they had problems with the engines.....mostly head gaskets, but, as I recall, two of the guys had problems with cracked ring lands, too. I'm just curious about it, because ten years ago, I was pretty serious about buying one, then I ultimately decided to buy an LT1 car and turbocharge it instead. I've always liked the GNs, though, and may want to buy one if I can find an example that wasn't beaten to death.

I share your views on buying a stock, or near stock car, and then modding it yourself. When I bought my car in early 2006, it only had 32,000 miles, and was totally stock, save for some crappy, cheap, aftermarket muffler. When I mod a car, I want only the highest quality parts on the car, so it is important to know what you're starting with.

jetlag

iTrader: (32)

Yank SS3600
3.73 (but I recently swapped to a 3.50 gear)
100 got me to 11.100 on 3.73s
125 got me 11.04 on 3.50s(and Moser 9" and 6pt rollbar), but the bottle went empty on that pass.hah. On a night with good weather, I have no doubt that the car will be a 10.999 or better on a 125 shot.

SMS

They are very reliable, with one absolute caveat. NO DETONATION. There is a guy on TurboBuick.com who ran a 10.20 on a stock 140k mile short block before finally cracking one of the stock cast pistons. This was an absolute, "don't try this at home" effort where he wanted to see how much it could take before blowing up, and not the normal effort at all. I believe he was running 110 race fuel and spraying methanol. If you detonate one of these engines due to insufficient octane or whatever reason, they won't last weather stock or modified.

There is no doubt, these cars will fly, but being that they are getting near 25 years old now, it's getting real hard to find one that isn't ragged or rusted. Not to mention Buick only made the intercooled cars for 2 years. I'm looking for something a little newer and with a larger aftermarket.

HaulinHawk

Ditto!!!!

SMS

Now I just need to find a clean Z28 near SW Michigan.

jetlag

iTrader: (32)

Don't limit yourself to your local area.

I took a bus from Memphis, TN to Savannah, GA to get my 2002 Z28. A friend and I took a plane to Atlanta to get his 1998 Z28.

Deals are all over the place, and sometimes the price of a one-way plane ticket is well worth the savings you might find.

NAAllTheWay

mid to low 11's.....full bolt ons, 373 or higher gear, 3600 stall or higher, cam/heads.....depending on what size cam and what heads, should put you 11.1-11.5....cost well, thats really open to what brand parts you go with and if you have to pay for labor or not....headers-400-900 catback-350-500 intake-...used ls6-250 all the way up to 1400 if u go with a ported 92/92...gear 150-450 depending on if u get the whole kit wich isnt completely neccesary...stall..350-850.....heads..port your own maybe 200 on the low side up to a set if cream of the crop heads 2500...cams are all around 400..need pushrods...and u need springs if you just port your own heads, gaskets you also need so you lookin at spending....2500-7200 on parts if my math is correct, labor should be around 2500 on the low side and 4000 on the high end, most likely around 3k, just depends on what local shops charge...so anywhere between 2500-11k depending on what you want to do.

solo21

iTrader: (6)

cam and heads,headers sticky tires! should do the trick

rukus1_one

iTrader: (1)

just break your piggy bank

nemss1

Also can break into the 11s stock internal, full bolt-ons with weight reduction

NAAllTheWay

to run mid to low 11's...big weight reduction, about every 100lbs is a tenth...figure bolt ons if u have gear stall, can get you to low 12's u wanna drop a good 500 lbs if u wanna run low 11's with bolt ons

NAAllTheWay

prolly even more....