V8 Fever... Will it pass?

I Caught the fever at three, it never goes away.

I just picked up a running 89 auto C4 vette with a blown transmission for less than your budget.

I plan to swap in a a spare T5 5speed I have laying around for my firebird. The tpi cars are really a V8 performance bargain.

I'd look for a late 80s IROC Z or Firebird Formula with the TPI 350. They are cheap as chips, smaller and more nimble than the 4th gen cars, look good, and are full of torquey fun. The only bummer is the 350 came with auto-only. The 305 came with a 5-speed, so there's that if you're set on a manual.

3k V8.. hmm. I'd find a first gen Q45 and hoon the snot out of it. Super cheap buy in.

I've had this fever for over a year now. Will probably go the Mustang route as it's easy and I don't care for how the f-bodies look. I've been looking for something NOT in the mid-west as my previous Mustang was rusty and I'm done with working on rusty cars.

Trucks are an interesting option though...

I'm going to the Good Guys in Columbus Saturday and will do some visual research.

"Wait. You want v8 power? Or the sound of v8 power? For sound, buy a lousy stang, chumparo, or "the Walton's" farm truck. For a REAL rush, get a light rwd chassis and stuff a v8 in it."

Or buy one of these: http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98 that will make your car sound like a V8, V-10, V-12.....

Then you can own a modern high tech 4 cylinder with more power than half the V8s out there as well as better fuel economy!

yamaha wrote: In reply to HiTempguy: Infuriating pull clutch, optispark, waterpump, etc are just beginners. The inner doors sheering off the door skins are just a bonus. While fast, they could be enjoyable in a "Wad it up and throw it away" kind of way. 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.

So, we're not talking about issues of a t56, but issues of owning an fbody in general. The guy said cheap v8 fun, I prescribed it. Never said everything was perfect, but a lot of your issues are seriously overblown.

And to the guy talking about 5.0L's and their power, show me a 5.0L that doesn't require serious work to get much more than 325whp. Usually past that power point is serious heads that cost $$$, a blower, or stroker kit. Oh, and keeping it fuel injected, not carb'd because welcome to the 21st century.

I got the V8 bug after my E36 was totaled and ended up with an LS1 Camaro. Cross shopped with SN95s, as well as Miatas and MR2s. I actually never got to drive a Mustang before buying because it seems the worst sellers on Craigslist all have SN95s or Fox bodies, so I can't compare (Seriously, tried to look at about 3-4 of them and got tired of dealing with flakie rednecks.)

~15 months on and I have no regrets whatsoever, despite the car's many glaring flaws. The car is my DD and sees a fair bit of auto x use as well. The LS1 puts a smile on my face every single day and returns an easy 22-23 mpg in fairly aggressive mixed driving while doing it. Yes the interior sucks, if you don't like it you can strip it out. Sure, the rear most spark plugs are a huge biatch to change with the exhaust manifolds in place, but that's a fantastic excuse for headers . Some people seem to hate the driving position, but I actually love it. Seems to fit my 6'3 frame very well. Build quality is atrocious and I've found runs in the factory paint job, but it is a mid 90s GM product so what do you expect?

As Opti mentioned, the handling is way better than people give it credit for. I absolutely believe that a Trans Am could out slalom an E36 M3 stock-for-stock, it just lacks the tactile feedback the Bimmer offers. The car came with a Flowmaster catback already installed and I've added Koni shocks, Strano springs, and some C5 Z06 wheels shod in front 275/rear 295 BFGs and it is a freakin blast to hustle around the cones or down your favorite back road. New shocks are a must IMHO, as the stock DeCarbons sucked when new and haven't gotten any better with age. I haven't been overwhelmed with the desire to add power yet, 300 lb-ft from 2k rpm has been enough to keep my attention thus far.

Unfortunately, $3k isn't going to get you an LS1 4th gen anywhere that I've seen, despite the assertions that some here have made. $3k gets you a wrecked drivetrain donor around here. I was initially trying to keep to about your budget but ultimately said eff it and borrowed the difference to get into a relatively clean LS1. If you're gonna do the V8 thing, which you NEED to do, do it right and go LS1!

No, you need the V8. You want the V8. In fact, you want a V12.

I bought a thoroughly-refreshed fox, and even done up right, I do not like the way it handles. That's just me; others seem to get much joy.

My 302 V8 is going in an E36 coupe chassis. This swap is a well-worn path at this point. If you don't mind starting with a somewhat ratty E36 chassis, I think $3k is an attainable budget.

Some people say the LS swap would be better. A few people have even done it. All I know on the subject is, you will need to make your own headers. The available third-party options would, I think, sink the budget from the get-go.

I've owned a few Fox bodies (92 GT and '92 LX notch - both manuals) and currently have an '01 Mustang GT (also a manual). I know the F-Body is faster and handles better, but I love driving the Mustang. The sound of the 4.6L is addictive, I currently have the "quiet" Flowmasters and still roll down the windows and romp on it at least once a day (usually when going under the overpass).

$3k gets you a higher-mileage New Edge. Don't be afraid of the mileage if it's been maintained. I love Fox bodies, but the New Edge is a much more pleasant car to drive on a daily basis. And you get much more for your money with them, as the Fox bodies have been increasing in value over the past 5 years or so.