vjgillespie

Finally getting a little closer to finishing what I started almost a year ago. I bought this car with the plan of putting a carbed small block in it and just cleaning it up, then a wrecked 2001 Z28 fell into my lap so I decided to try to install that engine. Since I had no idea what I was getting into I started internet searching and came across this web site.I spent many late nights staring at the computer reading as many build threads as I could and finally getting close. This is my 4th third gen camaro and by far my favorite, so I want to thank all of you that have spent your time posting pictures and going into such detail to help out the rest of us. There are alot of talented people on this site.

GreenCamaro13

danng looks very nice man

vjgillespie

I paid $800 for the car with more dirt in it than on it. 116,000 miles on a 3.1 auto car with at least 1 rod knocking. I ended up putting a 3.4 out of a 1994 camaro in it just to drive it for a while untill I got enough parts and money together to start the LS1 swap. The car has a spohn engine cross member, lower control arms and tranny mount. Lakewood struts and shocks, founders performanse camber plates. I installed a TSP 220 cam kit in the engine while it was out. Single exhaust with no cats and a flowmaster. 4:10 gears in a 4th gen rear end and LS1 brakes front and rear. Also did the 4th gen dash swap while I had the car torn apart.

90-irocdx3

iTrader: (4)

nice looking car, that is my favorite blue on a thirdgen. I don't think I have ever seen swap the whole entire a/c system into a thirdgen. If you looking for headers, hawksthirgen sells longtubes for our cars.

jpgreen10494

Wow nice job. Very clean I love the dash swap, I haven't seen that before

vjgillespie

I looked at the longtubes but man they're expensive. I'm gonna have to do something because the car sounds like hell. Stock manifolds no cats and a flowmaster, the exhaust resonates terrible under part throttle.

86White_T/A305

I agree.. never seen a 4thgen a/c swap.Must work extremely well.Love the car too,clean.What made you choose the 220 cam..seems a bit small,a 224 would be perfect for some lope and a lil more torque being auto.headers..hawks is too much..but those hussler mid lengths look like the new bang for the buck swap headers on our cars.

vjgillespie

Thanks, I was excited about using the 4th gen a/c box in the car. It was alot of work and i probably had the dash in and out of the car 20 times making sure that the a/c box would work. It was a pain making sure it would fit right, that the engine would clear it and it would line up with the dash correctly. It does work really well though. The cam is on 110 lsa so it lopes pretty good but your right I should of went bigger. When I called tsp I planned on getting the 228r and the tech guy talked me into this one. As soon as I get most of the small things finished on the car I'm going to change out the heads and camshaft, I would like to get the car into the 11 second range.

vjgillespie

Already changed the wheels again. Updated the 2001 vette wheels (17x8.5 and 18x9.5) to 2005 c6 wheels (18x8.5 and 19x10). These were a tight fit in the rear. Even with a 4th gen rear end still had to add a small spacer and "massage" the inner fender quite a bit. The z28 hood and blisters are getting painted right now, planning on making this a z28 clone.

GreenCamaro13

aw man i love those headlights, where do you get those?

vjgillespie

Ebay. I like the lights too and thats one of the things people ask about the car more than anything else. I can't take any credit for the lights got the idea from a guy on this board. Do a search for bmw headlights, the guys name was ramair21 I believe. He has one incredibly nice red camaro.

GreenCamaro13

very nice, and those rims are nice too, love it!

vjgillespie

Finally got the Z28 hood and spoiler on the car, still need to fill the holes from the old spoiler but getting closer. Installed a set of sportline springs to raise the car back up to a drivable level. I destroyed my drivers door trying to install 4th gen door panels so I picked up another door and dropped it off at the body shop to get it painted along with a drivers fender. That 220r cam has just been an irritation since I installed it (didn't realize it was such a small camshaft. Just recieved my new raptr cam and fast 102 intake and throttle body, waiting on a new balancer and a 2 piece timing cover and I will get them installed. Dropped car off to get the windows tinted (5% on the hatch and upper windshield 20% on the doors) and will have it back tomorrow, I will try to get some more pictures up when I get it back.

1SICK90RS

can you pass on the schematics you used for your dash swap?

TPI TERR

iTrader: (9)

Well done . How is the clearance by the passenger foot area *having the 4th gen blows motor there does it get in the way ? And is the sound of the blower motor fan any loud ?

Looks really good I would've done this but didn't want to cut into the firewall . But looks like you added some reinforcement in there .

vjgillespie

Sorry no schematics. I used the complete 4th gen harness so everything just plugged in. I don't sit on the passenger side much, lol but I believe it has about the same clearence for your feet. The 4th gen box isn't that big and I can't hear the blower any more than the 3rd gen that was outside the car.

91RSCamaroSteve

I think if you look on the dash you will find a **** called "volume". This is a internal self diagnosis/repairing tool that is integrated into your car so if you hear a weird noise like engine knocking or a loud blower motor you turn up the "volume" and it will self diagnose and alleviate the problem. The only down fall is you hear sick beats and the foot clearance seems like a passenger's issue not yours...lol

Just kidding of course but in all seriousness nice build. I'm about 1/2 way through my 5.3 build and I'm hoping to have it done for this summer. Builds like this are always a solid way to keep me on track so nice car and thanks for the inspiration.

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

Nice car, I love that color blue. Since it's an RS color only, it's nice to see you add the spoiler and hood from the Z28 also.

I've been to Wichita a couple of times. I have a good friend that lives there that is an amazing automotive painter and has a custom LT1 Camaro that is red and black with a big bowtie down the sides of the car that looks awesome. I'm sure you may have seen it around town once or twice.

vjgillespie

Still working on the car just not as much. New intake, throttle body and yet another set of wheels, lol. Installed a set of Hawk's 1 7/8 headers a magnaflow muffler and a QTP electric dump. Changed out the 220r cam for a Raptr, installed sub frame connectors and it is getting a 6 pt cage in 3 wks.

6SIX6

iTrader: (35)

Nice car man. Im about to do the BMW light mod soon too. Do you have any pics of the top of them to see how you mounted them and how did you mount the bottom of them as well.

LivinLarge

Car and motor look great dude! Bet that thing is an animal on the street