maj75 wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: I had a 4th gen Camaro. It did one thing well, and one thing only. But it did that really wellThought you'd say LS1 and Miata!I'd be looking for a better carrying case for the motor. Like a big ol' sedan. Panther!
LS1 and E36 is a better combination
Scottah wrote: For some reason I just can't get past wanting something with a V8. I've always had underpowered 4 cylinders and turbo charged cars. What are some good, GRM style cheap V8 cars that I can get some good power out of for around $3k? Discuss...
I started with 7 liter + V8s. My first car was a 429 Ford with a healthy cam.
The two cars I currently have that run are a turbo 2-liter and a Mazda rotary with a 10,000rpm tach that sometimes hits its peg. When in full-bore serious mode the stock tach's redline buzzer doesn't shut off after an upshift.
I don't miss having a V8.
What I do miss is my Quantum... the new engine is still powering a stand. It's a 7:1 compression ported/big valve head/short runner intake 2.3l five cylinder and I was planning on running 20psi with a K26 turbo and fuel cut style antilag. Eventually switching to a Precision 58mm turbo because the right side of the tach is the best side and 5 cylinder engines sound WICKED.
Keith Tanner wrote: I had a 4th gen Camaro. It did one thing well, and one thing only. But it did that really well
Rust? 
HiTempguy wrote:yamaha wrote: In reply to HiTempguy: 98+ 4th gen......the t56 in the 93-7 sucks.In what way? A T56 is essentially a T56. Having owned a couple, there is very little difference shifting a lt1 t56 vs a ls1 t56. And you aren't getting a LS1 car for $3k.
They made minor yet significant updates as time went on. Early T56s shifted like poo. By the time they wound up in GTOs they were respectable passenger car transmissions.
Unfortunately, everyone else knows this and GTO transmissions are $bank$ if you can even find one. Da Boss is converting his Monte Carlo and Chevelle to 3-pedal and had been hunting for a GTO trans for a long time. Eventually gave up and bought new.
Missed the opportunity to take a photo of the pallet with the transmissions and swap gear. Two big ol' TREMEC boxes and more boxes of misc stuff. You manual trans lovers would have enjoyed it.
(I personally think anything over 3 liters is no fun with a manual trans. And a high compression 1000hp big block will be freakin' retarded-difficult to drive smoothly with a close ratio 6 speed. But, not my cars, I don't design 'em, I just help make it work)
yamaha wrote: I could have bought a 95 GTS(yes, GTS) Mustang last week for $2800.....the sn95 might be a bit slower stock vs stock, but it is a better car than the 93-7 fbody.
And you didn't WHY???
The GTS was the 5.0 LX of the SN95 world, wasn't it?
And yeah, I agree. The F-bodies were faster but the SN95 is a MUCH nicer driving car. Which is kind of a shock because the F-bodies had it all on paper: a front suspension that worked, a rear suspension that worked, an awesome engine and trans no matter what year it was... but they never were very nice cars. Creaky and groany and crappy interiors and this is in comparison to a SN95 for cryin' out loud 
maj75 wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: I had a 4th gen Camaro. It did one thing well, and one thing only. But it did that really wellThought you'd say LS1 and Miata!
Not for $3k, unfortunately. For that price range, I'd be looking for a car that came with a V8.
Of course, we all know what happened to that Camaro...
96-98 Mustang GT is going to be dirt cheap, but mostly because no one wants them. The pre-99 16-valve mod motors just aren't that good.
94-95 Mustangs are either ragged out or going up in value right now.
I'm not saying you can't find an LS1 F-body for $3k, but I am saying I've never seen one. $5k seems to be about the bottom for those that I've seen.
If you want to buy one just to see what it's like to have a V8 and then flip it, I'd buy an LT1 F-body. If you want to keep it a while, save some more money and buy the LS1.
And as I've said before in Mustang vs. Camaro threads: The SN95 Mustang is a better car. It's more comfortable and less awful in terms of being a machine that takes you places. But the 4th-gen Camaro has a better suspension and drivetrain. Decide which matters more to you.
I am going a compleetly different direction. How about an early GS400?? I have wanted one if these since they came out but you don't see them any more.
Reliable as gravity 300 hp and almost the same torque in stock form. I am sure these can be made to handel well as street cars go. And I am sure the aftermarket has come up with easy ways to bump the hp.
Fbody, LT1 is good and fun and has peak torque at like 2500 rpms, very fun on the street, LS1 arent much faster stock, but are. Its just not a big a gap as people will make you think, LS1s are easier to work on and make more power modified.
Ive been around F bodies a long time, particularly 4th gens and outside the 93s the LT1 and LS1 t56s arent much difference (besides mating and clutch hydraulics), and I have seen no durabilities differences between them common enough to warrant a trend, plus they are like the last part of the drivetrain you worry about.
LT1s are way cheaper though, atleast last time I looked, I had a very well sorted and modified (cammed and bolt ons, new suspension including konis, sways, springs and all bushing and wear items, new paint, and new interior) LT1 but high mileage (~200K) and sold it for 3K. They are probably one of the best performance bargain out there right now.
Keep in mind if you want a T56 (which you should, unless you are only drag racing and plan to modify) a T56 is generally worth quite a bit more than a A4 car.
Also one with non smoked suspension components doesnt handle that bad, IIRC a 02 Ws6 ran through motortrend slalom faster than an E36 M3, I used to be able to find it when I wasnt too lazy to google it. The people that race them will tell you its better than most people give it credit for stock, and all the info is out there to make one handle great, try frrax.com.
I agree. Gs400 is fun, but you pay the "baller status" tax. If you want sweet Lexus v8 goodness, then buy the poor mans mk4 supra= sc400. They can be converted to manual easily. And cheap too. I'm using a ls400 1uzfe v8 for my Celica build. It's going to be bonkers. Plenty of aftermarket too. Ppl that say there isn't, either don't look hard enough, or don't realize don't like spending money to go fast. 1uzfe/ m90 blower= 275 to the wheels. M112 makes it about 350.
In reply to Knurled:
Basically a no option v6 shell with gt drivetrain and suspension. And I didn't buy it because I have too much already.
The easy way to fix any mustang is to ditch the 2.73 or 3.08 final drive gearing and toss in 3.73-4.10 finals.....they actually are competition for the fbodys at that point. Fbodys of that era usually had 3.23 or 3.42 finals.
yamaha wrote: In reply to Knurled: Fbodys of that era are worlds better in every category than a mustang of that era.
FTFY 
Even though I am a ford guy, I have always had a thing for Trans ams, ls1 with the ws6 scoops, or 1970s with the over the top screaming chicken on the hood, don't matter. One day I will have one and let my mullet fly in the wind
In reply to nepa03focus:
I've owned several, and my mullet was permed in the eighties
Knurled wrote:Scottah wrote: For some reason I just can't get past wanting something with a V8. I've always had underpowered 4 cylinders and turbo charged cars. What are some good, GRM style cheap V8 cars that I can get some good power out of for around $3k? Discuss...I started with 7 liter + V8s.....
similar here... I've had my share of big thumpen V8s... (428SCJ, 400 Ram Air III)... in my case instead of a super twisting rotary, I like high twisting twin cam 4s these days... as far as power, or more correctly avoiding "underpowered" you just need the right combination of parts, put together by the right builder...
now as far as cheap V8s... the answer is 1UZFE... often times you can get a perfect runner for $500.00, sometimes LESS!!
I kept a mullet wig in the Z28 and would wear it racing or with the ttops off.
Wore it for a halloween costume and my friends told me the camaro was the best part of my hillbilly costume, after that I always kept it in the Z
In reply to oldeskewltoy: picked my ls400 up for 500$. Plenty of spare tires came with it.
i have somewhere in the vicinity of $2500 into my POS 86 Camaro and i love it... it had a V6 when i got it, but it's got a vortec headed 355 and 700r4 in it now (have a T5, just need the money tree to give me enough to get the clutch and flywheel) backed with a 3.42 locker rear with disc brakes from an 02 Z28, which compliments the "LS1" front brakes that i swapped on a couple of years ago. thanks to the Summit replacement IROC springs and the WS6 front sway bar, it handles pretty damn well for a car with worn out shocks and suspension bushings.. its noisy and it creaks and gorans, but it gets close to 20mpg right now (still need to tune carb and spark for new vortec heads, so it will get better) and according to my ancient G Tech meter it goes 105mph in a standing 1/4 mile...
I am struggling with this right now as I shop for a S197 Mustang. The duties it will be asked to do say the V6 is the way to go but the temptation to spend nearly twice as much to hear the rumble of V8 pipes is extremely difficult to resist. I already have multiple playthings and just want a good looking car for DD work. The 4.0 is perfectly adequate and yet...
I solved my V8 noise-and-hooning desires last year with the purchase of a tow vehicle. $3500 and collectible/interesting and it probably handles nearly as well as a stock 'muscle' car from the era.
Knurled wrote:Scottah wrote: For some reason I just can't get past wanting something with a V8. I've always had underpowered 4 cylinders and turbo charged cars. What are some good, GRM style cheap V8 cars that I can get some good power out of for around $3k? Discuss...I started with 7 liter + V8s. My first car was a 429 Ford with a healthy cam. The two cars I currently have that run are a turbo 2-liter and a Mazda rotary with a 10,000rpm tach that sometimes hits its peg. When in full-bore serious mode the stock tach's redline buzzer doesn't shut off after an upshift. I don't miss having a V8. What I do miss is my Quantum... the new engine is still powering a stand. It's a 7:1 compression ported/big valve head/short runner intake 2.3l five cylinder and I was planning on running 20psi with a K26 turbo and fuel cut style antilag. Eventually switching to a Precision 58mm turbo because the right side of the tach is the best side and 5 cylinder engines sound WICKED.
Yep, me too. I have had many V8s over the years and don't miss them and don't want another one. Big heavy lump out front and you can feel every pound of it hanging out there too. I auto crossed F bodies for years. Now I love the love the boosted fours. Think STi, Golf R and Focus RS (coming soon).......that's where I like to play now. Of course they can be budget busters and it's all just personal preference anyway. Having said that, you need to get the V8 craving out of your system so it's LS all the way.
Nick_Comstock wrote:yamaha wrote: In reply to Knurled: Fbodys of that era are worlds better in every category than a mustang of that era.FTFY
Flawed correction, misguided at best. Seriously, throw a set of gears at the Moosetang and it'll be better. Whomever though it was a great idea to put 2.73 and 3.08 gears in those cars needs to be shot.
This is probably a case of grass is greener on the other side.
Having owned all sorts of drivetrain cars (onpy midsing flat six and rotary at this point), they all have good and bad things.
I think the two most favorite types of drivetrain i have had are big torque v8, and 8000rpm dohc 4cyl. Completely opposite, but both fun in their own way.
To the op, buy a cheap small block something and experience v8 torque for a bit. Then make your decision
Surprised no one mentionned S10/Sonoma. Around here, the only ones that haven't returned to the heart seem to have a V8 in them. And they can be made to handle...apparently.
Buy an SN95 Mustang GT (with the 4.6L Modular). Install Flowmasters. Nothing sounds better than a 2-valve with Flow's. Hoon the snot out of it. Utilize the copious aftermarket to upgrade parts as you brake them whilst driving like an irresponsible 16-year-old.
E39 540i's are starting to get down around your price point. Big, fast, fun, do everything well. Sound great. Expensive to fix when they break.
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