I have a line on a 97 6cylinder 5 speed Camaro sans engine for $400 and I have a few questions.
What swaps in easily? (5.3)
What are the suspension differences between the 6/8cyl models?
Can the car do anything well besides a straight line?
Is $400 cheap, expensive, normal?
Whatever the heck else you want to tell me.
The car would be a toy that I use for autocross and occasional drag racing.
Thanks! 
Hmmm...seem to me that it's missing the best part of a GM car - the motor.
well first off, is it a motorless 3.4 or 3.8 car?
$400 sounds 'ok' for a motorless v6 car thats in otherwise GOOD condition.
But i bought a 'otherwise GOOD condition' v6 firebird for $400 WITH a good running motor and a/c.. caveat being it had 314k miles! i flipped it for $1200 and made hundreds more working on it for the next guy..
I think that an old skool 350 will bolt in, but the new LS stuff will not. Gee, I can only haz a 350? Oh Noes!!
LS1 goes anywhere an SBC can. 6'ers got smaller/weaker rear ends, often with open diffs. Otherwise I'm not sure of any suspension differences.
Suspension is the same design, just different shocks, springs, etc. If the body and interior are in good shape, sounds like a decent deal. Check out LS1tech.com for LS1 swapping needs. Any motor will fit with some effort. The AS guys put "old" small blocks in these all the time.The 98 and newer cars have better brakes, but I think they can be swapped over with the later spindles. Please correct me if wrong.
MrJoshua wrote: What swaps in easily? (5.3)
97 still used the LT1 which is more closely related to the traditional small block. LS1 based engines will fit, but you'll need adapting motor mounts and you'll have to notch the crossmember if you want to keep A/C. I also think the crossmembers were different for V6/V8. The transmission won't work for two reasons: 1) a T5 from a V6 is pretty friggin weak, and 2) the bellhousing patterns are different.
What are the suspension differences between the 6/8cyl models?
Springs/shocks
Can the car do anything well besides a straight line?
They can handle well, but they are limp noodles when it comes to chassis stiffness. Subframe connectors (welded, please) and strut tower braces are a bare minimum in my opinion.
Is $400 cheap, expensive, normal?
I'd call it cheap, but look at what it will take to get it on the road. Take a look at what LT1s are bringing these days for what basically amounts to not much more than a Vortec SBC. I think if you want to buy it and drop in a 3.4 or 3.8, its worth it for transportation, but draw up a budget first before sinking money into a V8 swap. Then compare what you can buy a similar V-8 car for and I think you'll find its no bargain.
P71 wrote: LS1 goes anywhere an SBC can. 6'ers got smaller/weaker rear ends, often with open diffs. Otherwise I'm not sure of any suspension differences.
Actually they all got the 7.625" rear... which is pathetically weak. A simple swap to stickier tires is usually all it takes to grenade one. Ask me how I know 
Gearheadotaku wrote: The 98 and newer cars have better brakes, but I think they can be swapped over with the later spindles. Please correct me if wrong.
Spindles are the same, its just that 98 and later got the better discs. You can swap discs from the older cars (or early WS6s) onto darn near any GM RWD platform with the right calipers
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