heres the deal, I own a 84 Z28 that is already caged and has lots of suspension goodies, stripped interior and is a 5 speed. the paint is rough and is a lacking a rear end and a engine.
Car two is a 81 four eye fox body, body is straight but is has a tear in the floor pan. Interior is stripped and its a hatch back base model. It is rocking the stock 200 inline 6 with a SROD 4 speed stick.
So for the F-body I've got complete suspension, torque arm, wide rims and converted it to disk all the way around. I also have big ass sway bars for it.
the fox I don't have any parts except a low mileage non-pi 4.6 with auto complete with harness and it runs like a fricken champ
GOAL, reliable street car that is quick (IE high 13's) that will see auto X duty every so often. IS NOT the DD
GO!
Edit: Also have LT1 Style T-56
NOT the Ford. Are you nuts? The non-PI 4.6 probably makes all of about 175HP and weighs a ton. The I-6 cars have different subframes as well, so you'd have to get a bunch of stuff from a 4-cylinder or V8 car just to do the swap. Not to mention the torn floorpan and crappy stock suspension that will take cubic dollars to fix. Oh, and the wet-noodle chassis rigidity.
Z28 here all the way. Get a cheap 350, bolt on some goodies, find a 10-bolt from an LS1 guy that's upgrading, and have fun.
mndsm
SuperDork
6/24/11 10:46 a.m.
Umm.... the F-body is halfway there and you already have a GM trans. Go for it.
Since I have a LT1 t-56 would it be very costly to convert it to ls1 style? I had a stock cube vortec headed engine in it a number of years ago with a OTS hot cam and the damn thing would straight smoke first and second gear on dry pavement. For someone only looking for 350-400whp is a LS1 worth the extra cash?
I'd go for the Z28. The non-PI 4.6 is not all that powerful, and you'd need to get a lot of suspension goodies for the Mustang.
Modding the LT1 T56 to fit an LS1 does not seem to be worth it.
Go for the Z.... 5.3's are abundant for a song. You would just need to swap the bellhousing to make the T56 work. The mounts are standard fair LSx to SBC to fit the Kmember. Until it breaks, the 10 bolt will survive for a bit.
Blitzed306 wrote:
Since I have a LT1 t-56 would it be very costly to convert it to ls1 style? I had a stock cube vortec headed engine in it a number of years ago with a OTS hot cam and the damn thing would straight smoke first and second gear on dry pavement. For someone only looking for 350-400whp is a LS1 worth the extra cash?
it sounds like you answered your own question........ find that engine again and go with it.
I'm a Ford guy, but if I were you, do the Z, you're miles ahead of the fox already.
Sell the Fox to a Ford guy, ya'll with both end up happy.
As much as I like 4 eye fox bodies, the Camaro is definitely the choice here.
As a mustang owner and long time ford guy, I have to say....build the camaro. A SBC is much cheaper than making a 4cyl fox handle!
Find a 3rd Gen 87 Aussie borg warner 9 bolt LSD disc brake rear end and install, it bolts in.
sanman
Reader
6/25/11 4:04 a.m.
You are a wrecked GM...well so many things.... way from a complete car. If you have the time and patience, $50 roll-on paint job for now.
