I am a first time Camaro owner and dont know a lot about them. I picked up a 1984 HO 305 that has decent interior (no tears in seats or carpets). No trans or drive shaft and the motor does not run. Body is in decent shape with only a couple small dings and I couldn't find any rust anywhere. Also has some suspension upgrades it loooks a bit lower and I noticed billet parts aon the rear end. Anyway I paid $600.00 for the car and was wondering if I did okay. Also from a project perspective are there any "gotchas" or things I should look out for or concider when planning the project.

newZman

 

You can,t really go wrong for $600!One thing you should verify is that that is a l69 HO car originally& if it has the orig. rearend(posi?)One other thing, does the 305 have the dual snorkel air cleaner?These things are hard to find.Welcome to the club.

 

Thanks, I am picking it up tomorrow and will get some pics up. I didn't see the carb or air cleaner I'll ask about them but based on what you said I'll be lucky if they are there. and I dont think it has a posi rear end since the guy I am getting it from said he one for it. I'll verify the details yuo mention as well.

The 305 that is in it is said to have a bad cam shaft. I am assuming at the least I'll have to completely rebuild it or get something else. Which would be a better idea from a resale standpoint?

 

A cam would be a cheaper option,but like you said that motor might need more to be running well.IMO if that car is a HO L69 that will change things b/c if this car was an lower/end model perf. upgrades,etc also would be approached differently.

 

Personally, I'd scrap the 305 and put a carbed 350 in it with a TH350 if you want to keep things simple and not have to mess with much wiring.

If you want to do something more interesting you could always put an LS or LT in it, but you had better be ready to spend some money if you do not have a donor car.

I had a carbed 305 T/A and it sure was not a speed demon.

 

I checked the VIN and it is originally an L69. I'll have to get more on rear end.

 

Thanks for the input Adam96Z, I like the idea of the 350/TH350 upgrade thought. Is the change over to the HEI ignition difficult from an electrical standpoint? And will modifying it in this manner majorly affect resale value? Maybe I shouldn't worry too much about resale value.

 

I sold a completely original 83 TA for $2200 that needed a little work back in 2001, they are worth a bit more now but unless the car was originally something special I would not worry about resale myself.

A 83 or 84 z with a hillbilly converted 350/th350 combo sold for $3000-$3500 in my town last year. Body/paint was great, interior was crap. I think if done right you could get $4-5k which would probably be breaking even for you.

I have not converted a Camaro, but an 84 should not be all that hard. I think you may get better answers on a third gen board as to specific wiring to make the tach & speedo to work with a TH350. Its been 10 years since I owned a 3rd gen so they are a bit fuzzy to me.

I wouldn't hesitate to take on a project like that though. After working on my 96, a nice simple open engine bay would be a blessing.

 

Im not a fan of the TH350 swaps unless you are strictly racing it.

I like my overdrive.

 

I never really missed not having OD in my '75 TA with 3.23's, but you could always go 700R4, 5 speed, or T-56 if you wanted the extra gears.

 

Is it an automatic or 5-speed Z?

I agree with redneckgames, I would prefer OD as well.

 

Good choice. In 1984 the L69 was a 4 bl. Carb. engine, 190hp. It already had a 4bl. and the HEI Distributor. So there is NO convertion to do, just pick up a 350 or larger V8 and do it. There is room in the engine bay for a big block if you wanted to do that. Also in 84 the speedo was gear driven so putting a TH350 does not require any convertion, just the correct trans. "speedo" gear. The Tach. runs off the HEI dist. The only thing the computer in the 84 controlled was the electronic carb. metering. It and the wiring for it can be taken out completely with no problems.
What are your plans? Street/strip, strip only, road race? No "gotcha's" that I know of. The car is very simple with little electronic, the front suspension is modifide McPherson Strut and the rear is the same as 4th gens. (torque arm with a pan hard rod, and LCA's).
Welcome to the board!

 

Wow, great feedback really awesome.

Yeah Adam96Z, that's kind what I was thinking as far as resale goes. Since you kind of confirmed what I thought, I am leaning toward hanging on to it for a while and putting a decent power train in.

Thanks ZZ28SORR that's really good information to know. I am thinking about some sort of crazy (performance wise) street rod that I can pretty much burn up the tires at will and looks cool under the hood. I'll probably keep the body stock for the most part with a nice paint job, tires and rims. There are already some upgrades to the suspension so I think I can put some pretty decent power under the hood. I dont currently have a tranny. Any suggestions for a power train to get the performance I mention with out breaking the bank too bad.

Guys, I am interested in the upgrade thing, but am concerned about cost and the difficulty level of the conversion. Wouldn't there be modifications required to mount the newer transmissions? Also I am tossing back and the idea of a manual 5-speed as opposed to the automatic. Any thoughts there.

I got the car to my garage so I will get those pics posted soon canuck94z28. Also I got the dual snorkal air cleaner with it, but no carb. And the rearend is not posi, but the guy I got the car from says he's got a posi rearend that he would sale me for about $200. Is that a reasonable price for it?

Hey thanks all of you for pleasant welcome!

 

L69 cars all came with posi. 3.23 gears were standard, and 3.73 gears were optional. You might have an Eaton lock-rite differential in there with some used-up clutches, but it still might lock when you need it. Wire brush the axle housing on the passenger-side to find the ID numbers, then cross-reference to determine exactly which axle it is. If the axle has disc brakes, then it's most likely original and most likely a limited slip.

 

If your concerned about cost and convertions then keep it as simple as possible. There is nothing wrong with the 700R4 automatics, and if you want to, you could always get one that has had the performance upgrades done.
That way you don't have to worry about the trans. cross-member or drive shaft length, etc.
Stay with a 350ci. engine as it has the same external dimensions as the 305 and there are plenty of them out there in all levels of HP and cost.
Here are some examples: Engines
http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...?Ns=Rank%7cAsc
http://sdparts.com/details/gm-goodwr...gines/10067353
http://sdparts.com/details/gm-perfor...parts/19210007
http://sdparts.com/details/gm-perfor...parts/24502609
Check E-Bay, etc.
Trans.: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PMA-PA70102/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATI-701700/

http://www.thirdgen.org/ Good data!!