tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/2096819024.html
http://flint.craigslist.org/cto/2147099953.html

im looking into wither of these v6 thirdgens
i really know nothing abut them at all, so if you guys could give me some background on them, your experiences with them, how well they last, power, driviability compared to a v8 and if either of those cars look like dd material, where i dont have to replace a load of parts, but can put plates and insurance on it and drive it to school and work

Gumby

Dunno about auto's happy with my stick.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

ok, my opinions, and only my opinions... nobody get their panties in a wad...


I would stick to camaros... nothing against firebird styling, but it's 10X easier to find good used parts for a camaro than a bird. So important in keeping an older car on the road.

Second, stick to a 5 speed. I don't mind my 5 speed v6, but I had a 2.8 with an automatic, and I just seemed so much slower. It was years ago so I can't put them head to head, but it jsut SEEMS like a funner car to drive with the 5 speed, ya know?

When I was shopping for a car, I made it a major sticking point to find one without power windows. they go out way too often in these cars, and are a PITA to change.

the 2.8 engine can be amazingly durable if it hasn't been dogged. If it sounds good, starts easy, and doesn't tick when it runs, you can pick up a real bargain of a car that will make a great daily driver

Gumby

Well when I had a Camaro, all the girls wanted to know was what kind of Camaro, unless it was a Z, Roc or Berlin .... they thumbed their nose at a plain Camaro.

Never once has it happend with my Firebird, they just get excited.
And thank the designer who made the front seats lay all the way back flat

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

well i have my z28 for my fast car , i just need reliability, and better mpg. i do agree on the camaro parts are easier to find thing. and i dont know how to drive a manual but dont think it could be that hard. as for parts-what have you guys replaced in yours besides basic tune up and maintenace

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I really haven't done too much to my engine at all, other than polished the plenum, alternator, and dryer. I also changed the AC compressor

other than that, most of what I've done is not engine specific. Everything is easy to find, easy to change, and not that expensive on these cars because that 2.8 engine was used for so many years on so many cars and trucks

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

ok how about sound, whats the 2.8 sound like compared to a 5.0 id look on youtube but it wont let me access it. and i know sound isnt really a need but a want

58mark

iTrader: (3)

well if sound is important you dont' want to go with a stock exhaust. I like it, but it's too tame for most people

Lots of muffers to choose from to taylor the sound you want

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I can shoot a video of my car tomorrow idling if you are interested in what a stock ehaust sounds like

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

yeah if you could do that and its no trouble id appreciate it. cause i know my z28 its so loud it gets annoying sometimes, i like the throaty sound but mine is way past that. im just wondering with all around economy and reliability how v6's do. i know how to winter drive a camaro so thats not an issue at all. just want to get to know some basics before hand. 89 was fuel injected not carberated. correct?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

yep, fuel injected all the way, anything 85 and up

I'll take a video tomorrow, it's something I've been meaning to do anyway
I'll also take new pics of my engine. Haven't done it since I put in my freshly polished alternator

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

you could just take a whole bunch of pics and put them on here. i wont complain =). im really considering buying the 89 i found a 91 with a 3.1 but it leaks oil which is probably rear main. i want something i can buy it, and drive it, and i do take care of my cars so thats not a problem at all.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

i think they all leak! I'm going to wait until I have to change my clutch to take care of that. it's not worth doing it now


about all you could ever want to know about my car can be found on these three threads...

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...cupholder.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...en-family.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/5...ppearance.html


but I'll still shoot the video tomorrow and take some fresh under the hood shots

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

woohoo pictures. so is 1500 reasonable for an 89. the add isnt very detailed, but im going to call the guy tomorrow and find how far away hes located from me

58mark

iTrader: (3)

remember, when you're shopping for a V6, especially a automatic one, you have the power as ther buyer. Most owners know they are considered undesirable by the sports car community, so you can talk them down.


For that car, assuming it doesn't have AC, I wouldn't pay more than $1000. There's a 5 speed car in Dallas right now that looks better than that, and it has AC, for $1200

58mark

iTrader: (3)

here's more in your area

remember anything over $1500 is high for a v6, so you can talk them down. it's a buyers market.

that is unless it's an AMAZING V6. I think even after my car is painted and I Do EVERYTHING I want to do to it, I still would have a hard time getting $2K. it's a good thing I don't plan on selling it
http://flint.craigslist.org/cto/2150155851.html

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/2164137685.html

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/2156630890.html

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/2094759261.html

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

i looked at your threads, very nice work indeed. i was interested how you can swap 3.4 heads and intake, that was interesting , i wonder if you can put 3.8L headsintake and supercharger on it. thatd be interesting. of course id have to uy the car first. also liked the cupholder. im really edging towards one of these more and more over a truck now. my grandpa thinks ill have a hardtime driving it in snow, but i managed doing it with my built 305, so i should be fine

58mark

iTrader: (3)

these cars would be much better than a 2wd truck in the show. There's not enough weight over the drive axles in a pickup.

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

well i saw a 88 stepside guy wants 1100 obo because #2 cylinder isnt firing and he thinks the trans is going. i have a 307 from a chevelle i could put in it and i can learn to rebuild a trans im very mechanically inclined

K-slice

iTrader: (2)

If you can drive a F body in the winter you can drive anything in the winter. These things are geared to take off fast, which isnt something you want on snow. I'd drive my now gone RWD S10 over my bird anyday.

In the junkyard I frequent tere are 2 3rd gen firebirds Firebird and 0 camaros, so i dont know about the parts thing. Looks like the first link is gone, but I like the 2nd one. The V6's are prone to burn or leak oil, I'd be surpried if you caould find one that does neither. But they're very reliable engines. The Body will fall apart before the engine dies.

Are you on MIFbody.com Tyler? If not, definitley check over there for cars! I haven't been on their classified in a while so IDK what's in them right now..

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

i am on mifbody and have already looked on there.nothing eally thirdgen v6 under 2000. im assuming your an mifbody member also?

K-slice

iTrader: (2)

yep, There's more info to be had over here, but MIF has a great community!

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

yes they do. what kind of performance options for these

58mark

iTrader: (3)

you can build up a 2.8 to 200 HP, but it's not easy. you can can more by swapping in a 3.4, but again, it's not cheap, and if you are asking about MPG, you're trying to drive this car to save a little money.

My advice... you already have a Z28. (not sure if it's a TPI or not) If you want to drive fast, drive that. Don't worry about spending a ton of money trying to squeeze and extra 10-20 HP out of a daily driver. Just enjoy it for what it is, a nice looking cruiser

uploading a video to youtube right now for you. I'll post it in a few minutes

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

z28 is carb'd tried starting it today and now its having issues=(. and im excited for the video. i was just wondering about the upgrade parts because i saw the 3.4 intake and heads in it, but what else is swappable sparked my curiosity

58mark

iTrader: (3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPa_rNAbFwE


I might reshoot this... it didn't get the sound of the revving very well. it's actually a LITTLE louder IRL

I didn't have anybody handy to step on the gas while I stayed behindthe car. But as you can tell.. it's very quiet

58mark

iTrader: (3)

there's tons of information stickied at the top of the V6 section.. it will take a while for you to read through it all

remember when watching the video that I have a totally stock setup. You will get a totally different sound with a different muffler

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

that actually sounds pretty good, i like the added louvers on the back. i have some too woohoo. and i just discovered the v6 stickys tight before you said something about it, still a tad confused but ill get there

Project 3.4 Camaro

Just put the camera behind it on the ground, granted if you're in a bad area this could be a bad idea....but thats generally how people do exhaust clips if they don't have someone handy to hold it, sadly I never did get around to taking an exhaust clip of my car...modded 3.4 with full exhaust, not trying to flatter myself, but imo its one of the few v6 thirdgens I've heard that I would say sounds good...most get a real nasty rasp when you rev them.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

thanks... the louvers are a pain sometime because they really do obstruct vision in the blind spots, but they look so darn cool I put up with it. I just have to be really careful

My philosophy for the V6... if you can't run fast, you gotta look good. It looks OK now, but after I finish my impala I'll give this one a paint job that I can be proud of.

took a new pic of the engine today... it's a little hazy... guess it was the morning fog

Project 3.4 Camaro

That's a good philosophy, I've always been the other school though, care more about going fast than looking good,lol-like Idk why but I actually kind of almost like the sleeper muscle car thing, my car is primered and looks like crap, but it would give a stock 305 tpi a run for its money, cause when someone starts getting in their head its a POS you just change their mind with the right pedal...

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

my louvers dont obstruct any vision at all, you barely notice they are there. your look factory style, minie are cragar aftermarket ones. as for the sound clip and pictures. looks really good, and im loving that philosophy also

58mark

iTrader: (3)

ok here's the second video, done the way 3rd gen RS suggested... LOL You can tell i'm not a racer, I've never even thought about the best way to do an exhaust video, or looked at what others have done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egx0R_hndEg

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

thats actaully really nice, its not obnoxious because ive heard some aftermarket ones and the sound horrible to me.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

i think so. It doesn't sound like either a sunfire or a crown vic, it sounds a little throaty, but not obnoxious.

That's the reason I like the stock exhaust, and never plan on going to flowmasters or anything like that

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

overall i think id be more excited for owning another thirdgen and that id get good gas mileage while driving one for once

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I get around 22-24 MPG in mine. a little better if it's just highway driving.


glad you liked the video, and thanks for the compliments! It's nice to not be ragged on for being a V6 owner

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

well its a thirdgen, this is a giant community of people who love these cars, we should all be kinds towards another instead of agging on someone elses cars. if i decided to super or turbo charge it. trubo charging likely being easier, are there any prosuction gm vehciles that were trubo equippee and the manifolds would fit a 2.8. i just couldnt think of any and i probably wont trubo charge it right away because there are many variables to it, but just thought about it

Project 3.4 Camaro

Their was a brief run of turbo grand prix's that had turbocharged 3.1s(I'm pretty sure they were 3.1s) so those manifolds should fit, but good luck finding any.....its a rare car.

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

you mean these http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/2152323309.html

58mark

iTrader: (3)

dang.... nice price... wouldn't mind picking that up myself

Project 3.4 Camaro

Not quite the body style I like, but there is a specific body style of the 90s GPs that I really like, wouldn't mind having one of those, a z34 lumina, or a 2000+ monte carlo ss far as fwd GMs go.

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

i still would rather have a thirdgen than the trubo grand prix, never liked the feel of them, my friend has one without turbo but its still the same ride, and its just not pleasing to me

58mark

iTrader: (3)

yeah, if it was rear wheel drive it would be a different story. I've always been a classic grand prix fan. My third car was a 1975 LJ

Project 3.4 Camaro

Notice I said for a fwd gm car,lol-there is a reason were all here on this forum :P

tylercamaro

iTrader: (1)

yeah i did catch that, i like being pushed, not pulled, to me rear wheel cars are easier to control

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

There's a thread called something like "The Best Mufflers for V6"... Search for that, and you can find any combination of muffler, engine, and exhaust you could possibly think of, for the most part.

Second, no FWD exhaust will ever work on an RWD platform, period, so the thought of getting the turbo and exhaust off of a Turbo GP is out. The front manifold dumps into the rear one via a crossover pipe our RWD platforms have no room for between the lack of space at the windshield and the accessories and brackets in the front.

Third, granted, I love my Bird, but I'd give a kidney to have a 94-95 GP with the 3100 (about the only way I could afford one right now ). I knew someone who had one with either the 3100 or the 3.4 DOHC (not sure which, never saw under the hood), and I knew I wanted one as well. I like the exterior styling (provided it's a coupe with GFX and fog lights), and the interior reminds me of my father's 00 sedan (RIP).

Last, I don't know about the lack of Birds in the yards compared to the Camaro... My usual yard crushed a couple of each, and still has 2 birds, a base 84 Camaro with that 4 banger, and a Berlinetta. The 87 Bird is lacking its powertrain (and most other options), but had GTA door panels and a sunroof, the 91 and the Berlinetta each have a V6, and the other Camaro is as unoptioned as you possibly could get from GM, and pretty well stripped.

:edit: And I would still rather drive my Bird in the winter as just about anything else... Once you learn to drive one of our beasts in the winter, you won't want anything else either. It's a hassle at times, but if you learn to control her, she'll do better than pretty much any FWD.

Personally, not knowing you, I'd get the V6 while it's still around in one piece. I've seen a lot of them crushed, parted, or swapped over to a V8. It would be a shame to see that car in a junkyard in a few years because nobody wanted it (or because of some stupid government program like Cash for Clunkers ).

Project 3.4 Camaro

I'm surprised you would rather have a GP with a 3100....Idk what state your car is in atm, but you might be able to trade it for a gp, personally theres really only two cars I would rather have than an F-body(as far as realistically obtainable goes) which is a 3000gt/stealth or a fiero, but fiero and F-body are about even far as how much I like them.

And I'm not sure why you would rather drive the fbody in the winter than a fwd car, but then I haven't driven mine in winter, just fwd cars.

K-slice

iTrader: (2)

I had a turbo GP come in the shop once, took it on a nice long "test drive" afterwords. Those things can really hustle! And their seats really hold you in there.

Despite the very poor traction these have in the winter, I dont drive mine for a bigger reason... SALT! Almost every other F-body in town has visable rust somewhere on it, unless its a summer car like mine! In the winter my lifted Bronco II becomes my daily driver, and in the summer it goes back to strict off road/sand dune duty

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Well, if I were to sell mine right now, I'd probably get about $500 from a scrap recycler... I'm still kicking myself for letting my 93 GP go for $300 and change (after I had just put $400 into it to pass inspection, nonetheless).

Once you drive an F-body in an ice storm, you can handle just about anything. I especially like the fact that my Bird will pull itself out of the driveway quite easily in Reverse (albeit with about 150 pounds of sand and stuff in the back and snow tires) and the FWD cars we have need to be pushed...