Jump to content
HybridZ

NEW GUY, and already need a little help !


Recommended Posts

I have a delima here.

 

my 240 needs a new passenger side fender which seems impossible to find, and ive come across two fiberglass fenders on craigslist for $300 which is great in two ways, NEW FENDERS & THEYRE LIGHT! good buy or what ?

 

the problem is im saving up my money for an LT1, JTR kit, etc (no job, and this cars a temporary money pit! lol) so im tryna see should i buy the fenders and get that over with now or should i just wait and save my money for the LT1 and kit ???? HELP I NEED OPINIONS :fmad: cant decide!!

 

i have about $400 saved up, and i could find LT1's all day on craigslist for under $1000.

 

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3386805 check the car out see thhe problem i got !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice, June of 1970. Not an early early 240, but early enough to be worth something eventually. You have more at stake here than just the decision of motor/body. You CAN NOT drive a car and restore it at the same time. It just doesn't work. I've tried as have many others. You always end up needing another vehicle eventually. Not to mention, it will nickel and dime you to death just keeping it on the road. I say strip it and get the body right first. Then worry about the engine options later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Save your money for the engine swap. $400 is only the tip of the iceberg for a LT1 swap. There are a lot of other things you will need before you have a drivable car. The body work can wait as long as the basic structure of the car is strong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Save your money for the engine swap. $400 is only the tip of the iceberg for a LT1 swap. There are a lot of other things you will need before you have a drivable car. The body work can wait as long as the basic structure of the car is strong.

 

He speaks the truth. Get it running how you want it, then make it look good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You really need to be sure the structural part of the car is sound before you start making big power. I mean the frame members, floor, brakes and suspension need to be able to support that big power. This doesn't necessarily mean you need a roll cage or even beefed up frame connectors but the basics have to be right. Get rid of any rusted metal in the unibody part of the car. The front fenders, hatch and hood and paint can wait.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OH yeah just in case you haven't researched the LT1. When you're looking for the engine get at least a '94 or newer so you can program the computer from a laptop. The '93s are speed density engines and have some tuning concerns. Good engines, its just the later ones with a MAF are better. A '95 or newer has the better vented optispark but other than that there isn't much difference. Camaro/Firebird engine have aluminum heads and a bit more HP stock that the big Chevy/Buick cars and Corvettes have 25 more HP than the Z28. TransAM. I ran a 115K '94 Z28 LT1 for 10K without problems before building my new engine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OH yeah just in case you haven't researched the LT1. When you're looking for the engine get at least a '94 or newer so you can program the computer from a laptop. The '93s are speed density engines and have some tuning concerns. Good engines, its just the later ones with a MAF are better. A '95 or newer has the better vented optispark but other than that there isn't much difference. Camaro/Firebird engine have aluminum heads and a bit more HP stock that the big Chevy/Buick cars and Corvettes have 25 more HP than the Z28. TransAM. I ran a 115K '94 Z28 LT1 for 10K without problems before building my new engine.

 

thanks alot for that LT1 info Deja, i didnt even know all that !

and thanks for the tips on the body

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good place to look for body parts are auto dismantlers, sure you may have to look for a while to find one that isn't completely useless or has no dents. Trust me though, for the price, it will be worth the work you put into looking for the right one.

 

Also, if you are looking for a new fender you can always check out black dragon automotive (http://www.blackdragonauto.com/). If you check their website you can ask for a free catalog and browse all the body parts that they have. As I said before they are all new. However, they are much more expensive then buying a used one, but, if you are serious about getting show quality results out of your restoration then it will be worth the extra money. I just simply recommend the auto dismantlers because you said you were on a budget.

 

happy building!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, helps me get a little more familiar. im always around LS1s so i get those way more then LT's lol, and i also ordered my JTR book today so i cant wait till that comes, do you have pictures of your swap ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OH yeah just in case you haven't researched the LT1. When you're looking for the engine get at least a '94 or newer so you can program the computer from a laptop. The '93s are speed density engines and have some tuning concerns. Good engines, its just the later ones with a MAF are better. A '95 or newer has the better vented optispark but other than that there isn't much difference. Camaro/Firebird engine have aluminum heads and a bit more HP stock that the big Chevy/Buick cars and Corvettes have 25 more HP than the Z28. TransAM. I ran a 115K '94 Z28 LT1 for 10K without problems before building my new engine.

 

what software do yo use to program the ecu for the Lt1 ? and where can i find it ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

if you ever come to the DC aria, I can give you a new roof. Its been sitting in the basement for 3 years now, time it gets used by someone.

 

EDIT: You can get the motor cheaper from a you pick it place. Heck, I ended up swapping with the guy and got the motor for about 4 hours of computer work.

 

96 LT1 (iron heads) T5 with Megasquirt 2 and Ford EDIS, self tuning with a NAW_7S Wideband

Edited by Geking
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...