first of all i live in markham ontario so i might have to come down sometime this summer (yeah yeah road trip) and check out your project car.

Second be careful with counting on the springs of the iroc. Sometimes over the years they start to sag a bit and are no good anymore.

Third just so you know 3000-3500 dollars canadian isnt that much. If you want to build a virtually stock camaro thats in beyond mint condition from the sounds of what you want to do that amount of money would be enough, but just as an idea purely talking about parts i have a list about 20 000 dollars worth that is purely performance things no interior stuff nothing that i want on my third gen. I would definitly start pricing performance parts depending on how much of a monster you want to turn this thing into.

Last of all you love your neon?!?!? my mom had like a 94 dodge neon and it was the absolute biggest pos i have ever sat in. I know who was making the neon changed a bunch of times over the years but the dodge we had had about 30 bucks worth of metal in the car. Scary feeling kind of felt like just riding on the frame. It was so awful the windows wouldnt seal when you closed the doors (this is right from the factory) youd have to roll the windows down and then back up or you would get this massive whistling noise....couldnt convince me fast enough to get rid of one of those things

 

As sad as it may sound, I do love my Neon.

I haven't got a project car yet. When I do, you can sure come down. Every friday there is a local classic car show. Sometimes they show Vipers, and Porsches, but it's mostly all classics.

I don't need a complete show car. I might end up just building a complete stock car, but just clean, with a little performance parts.

This is just a project car, so I can learn on it. It's not fun waiting for parts on my Neon to go because it doesn't seem to happen that often, and I thank god for that.

Will a 350 from any other car work? A Caprice or what not.

 

I have been looking at alot of project cars.

Here is what I looked up on, and what I plan to do.

1989-1992 Nissan 240SX, with a SR20DET Swap. That is a 2.0 Dual Overhead Cam equipped with a turbocharger. A car with this swap can push some serious power. The stock internals of a SR20DE can handle up to 15psi of boost.

1996-99 Dodge Neon, with a DOHC 2.4L Swap. Turbocharged or not, this car can push good power to weight ratio, with good handling, and gas mileage. A car weighing only 2600-2700lbs with 190-200HP, at the wheels, can easily rip the road apart.

1988-1994 Chevrolet Cavalier, or Pontiac Sunbird, with a 3400 V6, 3.8 V6, or a 3800 V6 Swap. I would probably do the 3400 because it seems to be the easiest, and the 3.8, and 3800 have some fitting problems. A stock 3400 V6 Swap was dynoed at 165HP, at the wheels. Realistically, I would expect 160HP, at the wheels. Imagine doing modifications to it. You can easily reach 200HP, at the wheels. The power to weight ratio would be insane. Few Cavalier drivers actually crammed a 3800 Supercharged V6 into their car. That's pretty sick.

1982-1992 Chevrolet Camaro, or Pontiac Firebird, with the 350 Small Block. Don't know much about V8's, but I do know that parts for a 350 should be easy to find. This car should push some nice muscle power.

Still looking around. Probably won't buy anything until my Neon is on the road, on July 15th. That way I can see everything, and compare every car. Some cars are out of town, which I haven't seen yet.

What about Honda's? LOL.

I went to check out that IROC Camaro I was looking at. The owner wasn't there, but the lady said he is asking $1500. That's high for something that is garbage. I just want what's under the hood. The body is ****, no T-Tops, and bad wheels. Who would $1500 for a 305 Small Block. Considering that he pretty much had no options, it is probably a 305 TBI, which is even worst, IMO.

Later on, I saw a 5.7 Litre Trans Am. Nice wheels, T-Tops, but front end damage. Nothing near the damage on the Camaro. No one was home, so I have no clue if he or she is willing to sell.

The bright side of having a 240SX, Neon, Cavalier or Sunbird is that it will FIT in my garage. The Camaro, and Firebird will fit, but good luck doing anything.

Other projects I thought about, but are a little bit more money.

1995-99 Chevrolet Cavalier, or Pontiac Sunfire. The 4 Door Sedan is preferred, and I would swap a 3400 V6 in it. It would cost a lot because nothing is compatible, but it will be the ultimate sleeper.

I personally want a V8 Muscle Car, but when the 305 Small Block is all I can get, I don't think it's worth it. I used to own a 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier, and the 3400 V6 Swap seems really tempting.

Who knows?

 

Well i sure as hell dont but im going to pretend like i do.

I personally couldnt live with being another dumb *** punk in a cavalier with one of those stupid looking body kits and to drive a nissan? blah. I am going to list some of the mods planned for my car and give you an idea for the sort of gut wrenching power our cars can put down.

First of all id like to point out how easy it is to mod these cars. You can get parts from almost any company on the planet that will fit a camaro its rediculous.

Mods and power for my car....note this is a 5-10 year plan and all prices are in american funds taxes not included....
-Free ram air mod from fog lights listed on thirdgen.org
-tpis mini ram with fuel rails i believe about $1400 good for extra 75 hp on a virtually stock car mind boggling how much power put down with modded engine
-edelbrock victor jr intake or something along those lines about $800 i think all these prices are off the top of my head and could be way off
-24 lb injectors cost???
-new heads company undecided
-slp headers on car when purchased might switch for a header with larger collectors
-3" exhaust with cutout $1000 total with both
-need an electric fuel pump not priced yet
-need an aluminum radiator also not priced
-msd difital 7 ignition system $1400
-kenny brown sfc's and roll cage $1000
-about $3000 dollars into the suspension but theres no need to spend that much however with the amount of power youd be making you should upgrade to something
-Slotted and vented rotors as well as bigger calipers about $2000-2500
-carbon fiber drive shaft $1000
-ford 9 bolt rear or possibly a 12 bolt? need something stronger then the 10 bolt i have to hold this power
-all of the poly bushings and sway bars and etc etc not even going to attempt to price

-at some point i will probably get the engine stroked and go to a 383 and then id do the cam a ndall of that fun stuff

-Dodge viper tremec t-56 6 speed transmission modified for our cars $2499 rated up to 550 pound foot of torque
-low pro tires and 17" wheels also not priced

The goal for my car is to hit the 600 hp mark. I purchased my iroc for 7200 canadian but it only has 86 k on it and is in mint condition minus a few parts to get it up to emissions standards for now. I was kind of iffy as to what car i wanted to buy at first (was thinking about saving up a bit more and buying an 81 t/a or a 76 corvette) but now that i have my iroc i am glad i made the decision i did. As you can see from all of the mods i want that are purely performance nothing interior is even mentioned that there is a rediculous amount of stuff you can do to these cars. The sad thing is i could make a list about 3 pages longer of mods i want for my car this is just a sample. Go with the camaro you wont regret it and besides its sexier then any ricer pos youll ever find

 

How can it be a ricer if it puts down the power?

I simply put stock parts. I also want to do modifications, and I can also list 3 pages of stuff to do too.

It's personal preference. This is the only site that actually dissed the fact that I thought about other cars. I can go to a Cavalier/Sunfire site, tell them I'm thinking about a Honda, and they wouldn't talk smalk, only the dumbnuts. I'm not dissing, but come on. How much money do you plan sinking in that car? $40-50 000 CDN?

What's the difference between car guys anyways? Nothing, they both like cars, so who cares what I want, or what I own.

I don't want or need 600HP, at the crank or wheels. If I want to build a car like that, I will wait till I'm older because I'm in school right now. I pay for my school, my insurance, and all that other bull****. That would suck finishing school with a $40 000 Debt, and 98% of it was for my car.

If my Neon pushes 200HP, at the wheels, with the car weighing at 2600lbs, than I'm happy as hell.

It's not like I'm slapping on cardboard body kit, and spray painting my lights, on my car. I want power, so I wouldn't call that ricing. Just so you know, I seen plenty riced out Camaro's with there screaming exhaust, from a mean powerful V6. LOL.

How can you call it a rice burner when the car can blow away yours? Stop talking 5-10 years from now, start talking now. Anybody in a Honda can lose to a race, and say "Your car SUCKS! Wait 10 years, from now, and I'll smoke your ***."

It just doesn't make sense to say something like that.

Whatever car I choose to go with is my business, and it will be done to my personal preference by next summer, and not 10 years from now.

Sexier? Please don't talk about looks because that's what ricers do. Guys like different girls, guys also like different cars. Weird eh?

 

Your car won't be a ricer. Don't get so offensive. Never did Doug say, "Your car will be a riceburner." And no where did you mention altezzas, 3' tall wings, fartcan, graphics, etc. If you want to get a "compact" car and make it a quick little thing, then go for it. You're right, it's all about preferences. And my preferences are:
A. Rocking side to side at idle because of your radical cam
B. Watching the front end rise as you nail the throttle
C. Loud, throaty exhaust tone
D. Being able to go sideways (around a turn W/O the E-brake)
E. And lastly, watching the face of an unexpecting ricer as you blow his doors off.

There aint nothin better than good 'ol American Muscle

 

F. Seeing a Muscle Car driver punching his steering because he lost to a Compact Car.

For the letter D, a Nissan 240SX is Rear Wheel Drive.

I still have 2 weeks of researching and thinking. What really turned me off of the Camaro was that doing the 305 or 350 Swap would be costly, on a V6 Camaro. The V6 Camaro was the only one with good body, and not rusted like a ****.

I don't want to spend $7200 CDN, for just the car. Imagine spending that much on my Neon. I should easily be capable of doing Turbo setup with 10 PSI of boost, and I would be pushing over 200HP, at the wheels, which is alot of power.

Powerful Sport Compact Cars.

 

Really? Sweet, my buddy's getting one of those next week. I haven't seen it yet, it's a 5-speed so thats cool. Let's not turn this into a Rice Flamefest.

 

That's what I liked about it.

It's kind of sad that it's only a 4 banger. I heard that the KA24DE can push a maximum of 190HP, at the wheels, with serious work, and money. Not to mention it might be a KA24E, which is even slower.

If someone plans to make that kind of car go fast, he or she will need a SR20DET Engine. In other words, a lot of money.

Depending how much you spend buying the car, it shouldn't be too bad. I could pick one up for $800 CDN, but I decided not to go that route because parts are pretty rare. Good luck finding any at a wrecking yard.

All cars have their ups, and downs, whether it be weight or power, they are all cars.

I'm really pissed off that he wants $1500 for his banged up IROC Camaro because I picked up a 1991 Cavalier RS, with less damage for $100. No frame damage, engine and tranny had 180 000km on it. The interior was MINT, which is why I got it.

I wouldn't buy that IROC Camaro for more than $250 because who would spend $1500 not knowing if it runs.

I'll keep looking, and who knows what I'll find. It just might be a Honda Civic with 20 inch wheels.