z28newbie

Hey guys, I just recently purchased a 79 z28, with 62k miles. It is bone stock but looks great inside and out. I am completely undecided what to do about the motor and tranny though. It runs and drives great, but as you guys already know it really lacks in the power dept. I don't know where to start. Should I keep it stock but put heads and cam in it for more power or pull the original motor and tranny and opt for a new power plant and drive gear. I want to maintain the driveability as a weekend cruiser but I also want to lay a few black marks on the pavement and blow away a few of those noisy *** Honda's and maybe a mustang or two lol. Any help would be appreciated. Also what is the best way to get an overdrive ready that matches my car? I plan on doing most of the work myself, I am very mechanically inclined but this is my first muscle car. Thanks

Injuneer

Welcome to CamaroZ28.com!!

Sounds like you are going to have some fun with the 79 Z28. I will advise that we are sort of limited on 1st and 2nd Gen members, so replies may take a while.

The "Site Help & Suggestions" forum is not the best place for a tech question. I'll copy this to the "General 67-02 F-Body Tech" forum, and close this one. See the link below to track down your thread.

https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/gen...4/#post6980438

As far as your question about the engine and trans, what trans does your 79 have now? As I recall, the 5.7L/4 bbl Qjet 175HP engine was standard with the Z28, and it was available with the standard 4-speed manual, or the optional TH350 automatic.

With regard to the O/D, you would have to upgrade to a more recent trans like the 700R4 to replace an automatic, or a T-5 (5-speed) or T56 (6-speed) to replace the 4-speed manual. Another option is a Gear Vendors 0.78:1 O/D unit that attaches to the back end of whatever trans you have. I’m using one with a TH400, and it makes the RPM much more bearable on the street, particularly with 4.11 gears.