Im torn between 2 choices

A. Buy a beater car and throw a big cam, ported heads, etc and make this car as fast as it can be NA with stock bottom end
or
B. Throw a small "streetable" cam in it and continue to use it as my daily driver (300+ miles weekly)

Im not sure how big is streetable... I know the hotcam/cc305 are streetable cams but I want something a little bigger, yet the capabilites of stop/go traffic with not so much cam surge (but i want some lope )

i like altjars GM847 cam, but i believe that would be too big for me on the street, but if I went with option A. I would probably throw the GM847 in with ported heads...

Now what I DONT like and DO like about my 2 choices

A. I'll be driving a beater and will only be driving the car on the weekends, but will get mad props... Have to save $$$$ for a LONG time... im an 18 year old college student and buying the beater will take me awhile to save up... I only have $800 right now... looking for a $2000 or so car

B. Wont be as fast as option A. but will be able to drive it all the time and wont have to save up for another car... BUT I have to find the time to install everything between school/work as this is my only mode of transportation

What do you guys think, i need some help making my decision...

Damn did i ramble or what?

-Robert

 

btw car has original 52k miles

 

Get the beater car. I got a 87 Accord for a little less than $800 and it's paying off bigtime. Great gas mileage, and I'm already planning my rebuild for next summer. 355 with ported/polished heads, Comp 230/236 cam, 3600 stall, 4.10's, the works. Can't wait. You can get a cheap beater car and still do the major build to the Z, it just takes a little longer.

 

keep what ya got, that car runs very strong especially w/ those tiny headers

 

Ya I had the same plan to buy a beater and go all out on my LT1 but I ended up buying a 01 SS. So now I drive the SS and the TA is just a toy and yes I am broke.

Don't forget the cost of Insuring two cars.

 

get a beater car!

 

if im reading it correctly i think he was wanting to buy a beater car (older camaro, etc. etc.) and put the big cam and stuff into it.

and keep the camaro for his everday car, and just keep what it has on it.

jmo,
steve

 

dont get a beater, get a daily driver...=)
spend a lil more and get a good runner

 

get a beater, it'll defiantely pay off in the end... I'm one step ahead of my f-body, since I already have the daily beater.. now I just need the f-body

 

my vote: get a beater/daily driver

i would hate to think i had to depend on my Z to get to work, in my experience when you "hop a car up" it loses dependability.

plus if you have a daily driver, you wont be rushed to complete mods, i.e doing a cam swap in a weekend

i like to take my time, i have been working on longtubes/true duals/intake leak for a month now

jesse

 

Get the beater. I got an 89 Celica for $150, and the check was never cashed. Even after a new motor, I've still got less than $1000 total into it in over 2 years times. That little thing is a snowplow too. It will go through anything. There's plenty of cheap cars out there to be found.

 

buy a beater i have an 1989 v-6 camry fully loaded for 1600.00

 

306 daily driver here

 

I used to drive my 95 Z28 all year round, but after tons of mods including ported heads and a GM847 cam, it isn't that much fun to drive around anymore. I seem to have more fun in my 86 Dodge Aries knocking over construction barrels. If I could do it all over again, I would not have done as much as I've done now. Just bigger brakes, suspension and a few boltons and keep it at around 300rwhp.

 

I just get a car every winter and drive the Z all summer... If your in a climate where u can be driving the Z all year round i say do that, i hate driving my beater... I always seem to pull up to some kid in a 4.6 stang or a civic that wants to race my bonneville ... im sure if the camaro was out it would be a whole different story... I miss the car more then you can imagine in the winter.... and love having it out... i vote drive the Z all the time