So I'm not sure I want to do the 89 Turbo Trans AM as I want something I can mod over many years and I would hate to mess up something so scarce so I'm looking particularly at the 87-92 era GTA trans ams one thing that kinda sucks is that T-tops were not available on anything but the 305 from 87-92 but are on the 91 and 92 models, I don't like the 91-92 front end as much but I'm open. The 91-92 is practically as rare as the Turbo TA though. Also the only manual trans is with the 305 though an automatic isnt the end of the world, I'd rather have the T-tops. I as well as pretty much the rest of the world was never real big on the 305 but is there any way to make the power respectable on it, most dont get much more than 300 out of it, and thats with ALOT of work. The 350 would be the better choice but I'm not sure its a possibility short of doing an engine swap which isnt something I'm all for. Is there anything that can make the 305 half worth respectable?
I figure it will be a nice restoration project that kinda bridges the gap between my car knowledge which its 20 years old to me and 20 years newer than anything my dad has worked with. I don't understand alot of the pushrod dynamics or rear end gears, stall converters or any of that stuff.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, April 21, 2009 5:30 PM
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
Get a V6 model Swap in the 350/383 stroker with tpi install frame braces call it a day.. Over years of use a lot of the 350/305 frames got twisted especially with the t tops option. the v6s didn't have the torque to do this and more likely to be found as a grand mas car.
Why pay extra for parts your going to replace when you can get a good base for dirt cheap.
you could get t tops on 350 cars except on 91-92. I had a 91 t/a 5.0 5 spd with t tops and it was a really fun car. It had bolt ons and was pretty quick for what it was.
3rd gens are really cheap and I'd rather find a nice formula, t/a, or gta with a 5.0 5 speed and swap in a built 350/383, lt1, lsx, etc, and a t56. There's nothing really exciting about a stock 350 tpi (245 hp) or a 90-92 g92 option 5 spd 305 tpi (230hp) unless you are looking for just a driver... Either trans t5 or 700r4 are both pretty weak in stock form. I wouldn't bother with a v6 car unless it was practically free because you can pick up a decent v8 car for $1500.
If you're dead set on hopping up a 305 and keeping it fuel injected, a cam, head work, headers, true dual exhaust, an lt1 intake, etc will really wake it up. Good new is all the stuff will also work on a 350 if you end up swapping in one down the road....
Check out www.thirdgen.org
im not set on a 305 at all, i hate that motor def keeping it fuel injected no carb bs
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
Pick up a hot rodding chevy magazine. Get rid of that stock 305 and drop in a built 350. They can even be had, prebuilt with 400+ hp for less than $3000.
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“Poor Al Gore. Global warming completely debunked via the very Internet you invented. Oh, oh, the irony!” -Jon Stewart
Robtco99 wrote: I wouldn't bother with a v6 car unless it was practically free because you can pick up a decent v8 car for $1500.
Damn, I want to be where you are. 3rd gens are going for almost 5K here in @!#$ty condition(some with 100K+miles, bad motors or ruined transmissions).
3rd gen f-bodies are a dime a dozen. swap in a 383 and call it a day. DO NOT waste your time on either the 305 or 350 to be honest..... 383's may be rare up here, but I know for a fact they flow like fountains down there. You Americans have ALL the luck !
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
I also had the thought of putting in Grand National Motor with the same tranny, run it off Accel DFI and make a 89 turbo trans am clone without defacing an original but the cost of doing that may well be more than just getting a real turbo trans am
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
why not just buy a good shell for 2k. and drop in a 383. done......... 5k invested. VERY happy car.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
I'm not really that concerned about the power but I want something with a great sound, little bit of balls, reliable and isnt any worse than 20mpg, I think with a modern transmission and fuel management I see no reason why thats not possible. I'm not looking to drag race it every week, I just want to cruise with it maybe take it to some shows, just enjoy the car and the heritage of it so I don't want to stray too far from the original.
I want the digital dash, T-tops, I mean thats just stuff you can't find in a car anymore
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
You want Mileage..... ...... a 383 driven like a baby & well tuned could do 20mpg.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
I would just stick with what it came with then. Surely changing the gearing would help you with your gas mileage.
I'm supposed to look at an 86 Camaro this evening, a friend found it sitting in someones driveway for sale
I looked around and it seems pretty easy to drop an LS1 into these cars. THAT would be a fun car. Doesn't that motor get pretty decent mpg on the highway? My moms LT1 Trans am would get around 30 on trips to houston(it was completely stock though). I know you're not that open to motor swaps, but if you are going to do one I'd make it worthwhile
In your searches, how much are they running for? What price/condition?
the transmission has more to do with it than the engine, 305 or LT1 having the 6 speed in there with that overdrive gear delivers awesome numbers
well basically two types im looking at the 87-92 GTA with 60-70k on them and in otherwise good shape are going for 5-8k, the 89 Turbo trans AM is going for around 11-20k depending on how original they still are
If I did any swap at all it would be the 93-95 LT1, the LS1s Ive saw looked kinda sloppy in there
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Thursday, April 23, 2009 2:42 PM
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
trade the cobalt in on a used vette.
---I am parting out!!!!---
12.5@116 2.0 60ft
NightmaresCavy wrote:Get a V6 model Swap in the 350/383 stroker with tpi install frame braces call it a day.. Over years of use a lot of the 350/305 frames got twisted especially with the t tops option. the v6s didn't have the torque to do this and more likely to be found as a grand mas car. Why pay extra for parts your going to replace when you can get a good base for dirt cheap.
Don't do this. You can get a 305 car cheap anyways. The money you save buying a v6 is not worth it. You will have a lot more hassle swapping it and the money you save you'll spend 5x over on the swap. Trust me on this one. I've swapped a 350 into a v6 and a 350 into a 305 spot.
If you're gonna swap swap engines not trannys. If you want a manual get a manual and swap the engine. Exterrior wise the 305 and 350 are identical. So its basically pulling an engine out and putting another back in. No fabrication no bs everything bolts right up.
I would advise against T-Tops. Even stock they twist. If you add any type of power what so ever it'll twist enough to actually crack the dash. This is a huge problem with them. Not to mention they leak. Not if....when. Every couple years you'll put new seals in the them to keep them from leaking. I have known many third gen owners to actually seal their t-tops up. They are nice when they are off but thats about it. Too much of a hassle in my opinon.
If you can find one with the option code G92. Thats gonna come with bigger gears, mild cam, better exhaust. You'll be happy you did if you find one.
Having built up a couple of 3rd gens I have some opinions to offer.
a mild 350(350hp/375ftlb) will eat the stock t5 manual trans. I twisted 2 cases before switching to the turbo 400.
Sub frame connectors are a must especially with a manual trans vehicle. An automatic will absorb some
of the shock load that dumping a clutch can cause.
Anything over 400 hp you really need to look into swapping the rear end from a 7.5" ring gear. There are several
companies that make drop in axle tubes for a ford 9".
Unless you want to go with an LS1, switch it to a carb. The tunability of the obd1 computers leaves much to be desired.
LT1's are way to much money to build and very picky to tune at 100-200 bucks a custom chip for the computer.
With the right gearing and cam you can get 25-28 mpg on the highway with the T56 with the double OD. 80mph at 1600rpm
dollar for dollar you'd get much better performance from a properly built 350 and a demon carb
but these are just my opinions
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.
I'm not a 50 year old man, perhaps in another 22 years I'll be interested in a Vette
The 89 turbo trans am makes alot more power than the 305/350s of the time and I've never heard anyone complain about the T-tops then again perhaps they are braced differently
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
its a known fact on the camaro forums that having t-tops aint the greastest thing far as performance and handling. thats why people get sub frame connectors
Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!
If you want a manual you can swap the T-5 our for a T-56 rather easy. It bolts right up just have to use the rear tranny mount from the T-56
I have two cars with t-tops. A '88 Monte Carlo SS and a '80 Trans Am Pace Car. You will have nothing but problems with the t-tops leaking. I've tried a lot of different things to stop it but they don't work. The Trans Am is basically a (barely) street legal drag car (650 HP 600 ft.lbs.) and I have NEVER had any problems with the t-tops twisting or dash cracking but that may just be me.
