Well as I was outside wondering why the hell my shift light isnt working on my Sunfire..... it reaserted a feeling that I've been having lately... I've been thinking... "Is this car really worth all the time and money im putting into it?
I need to get something V-8 RWD... preferably older that I will always be able to get parts for and actually be able to make fast reasonably easy.
What I really want is an old muscle car but I doubt ill find something.....
So im thinking LT1 or LS1 F-body (would really like a LS1 Trans am).... I can find some of the older ones reasonably cheap... and since I want one for the sole reason of modding it.... I can live with a more dated one as long as the platform is right..
I've noticed that older 5.0 Fox bodies go for a bit less.... (but they are slower) I found an 86 Cobra at a reasonable price...
Has anyone ever owned both? Im wondering if I would be better off saving for an F-body or just get a FOX and hop it up..... (my dad has an 86 5.0 LX so at least I know those cars a little)
Either way Im planning on it being a car I will keep for years.... and mod within that time...
LS1 F-body, you wont regret it one bit. They come stock with more HP and the do respond well to mods.
Alittle motivation.
Plus cammed LS1s sound sexy.
"Project 69'"
1969 Chevrolet C/10, 1/2 ton, 2wd
-Boosted LS1?
-Richmond ROD 6-speed(will get sometime)
-Posi 12-bolt(built w/eaton posi unit and richmond 3.73 gears)
-Disc brake and 5 lug swap
+little extras
^^x2
I loved my '89 LSC. But I would definitely rather have a GM...
F-body all the way. Its to easy to make a fox body fast. The fox's are a lot lighter,thats why they are easy to make fast, but they have junky ass interior and they are ford....
13.520 @ 98mph! 220whp 234tq
I just got rid of an LT1 formula and I wouldn't touch another one with a 10 ft pole....
That being said I think it all boils down to your budget. Cheap thrills= fox body. a little more money=LS1
In the end the LS1 will be the better car out of the box- more power and better mpg make a good daily driver. I've seen some priced about the same as fox bodies.
I totally feel with ya on this issue. I've driven a few fox bodies and for the price you can't beat them because of the cost of parts is low, and they scoot for a little bit of dough. Hell my buddy is parting out his natchback and plans on selling the sheel soon. However I've had many ls1 cars that my friends have owned and I've always wanted an LS1 powered car They sound butal and respond well to mods, but they cost a little more to get into.
I'm going LS1 my self but I'm going to drop the motor into a 95 dodge dakota I have, and it will be cheaper in the long run with insurance and total cost.
Either way I doubt you will regret getting one or the other to mod...I would say it boils down to preference.
Weebel wrote:Well as I was outside wondering why the hell my shift light isnt working on my Sunfire..... it reaserted a feeling that I've been having lately... I've been thinking... "Is this car really worth all the time and money im putting into it?...
That's a question you have to answer for yourself.
I love my J-body cars, and my Cobalt. Very easy to work on, and plenty of aftermerket support.
I like the J's so much that I'm actually looking for another one to replace the 96 Sunfire GT, lol.
But if you do rid yourself of the J, go with an F-Body Camaro for sure. An instant classic some day.
2006 CHEVY COBALT SS SEDAN 2.4 ECOTEC V.V.T.
Musclecars aren't that dear if you know your cars and can buy the less desirable models. Also, a lot of cars made between 1955 and 1963 are losing serious value as people collect them less and less. The 55 to 57 Chevy's are holding their price (though it has dropped) and the genuine 409 or multicarbed cars will set you back, but everything else is becoming affordable again as those models are thought of as "old man" cars.
The time to buy is now.
3rd gen, you can supercharge them and make well over 400hp to the wheels for much less than you will pay for a LS1, plus you can actually get to the engine because its not halfway under the windshield
orrr theres also the 89 Turbo Trans AM, the fastest trans am ever built but your going to pay 4-5k more than what you would for a LS1 and 4-5k into a LS1 is much faster than a stock TTA
Theres choices but I think you will enjoy most of them.
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
Third gen f body, a hell of alot easier to work on then a lt1 of ls1 and you can basically put any motor into them for cheap and the old school SBC/BBC aftermarkets is outrageously huge.
I am bais though.
-Borsty
Best of both worlds- LSX swap in a notchback!!! Quite a few lsx swaps in fox bodies over on www.ls1tech.com
Just remember you will never be a real v8 rwd drive guy. Im a real v8 rwd guy and was raised by real v8 rwd people. I hate it when people go out and buy a v8 rwd car and then park next to me! Yuppies! Only real v8 rwd people and people that read weebels OT thread will get this (probably)
Robtco99 wrote:Best of both worlds- LSX swap in a notchback!!! Quite a few lsx swaps in fox bodies over on www.ls1tech.com
I've never understood this at all. It's much more expensive to buy a Fox and then swap the engine (even the 4 banger) for an LS1 than it is to simply buy a 5.0 Mustang and then just upgrade the thing. The 302 Ford is plenty capable of going fast.
get a fox and do a 4v swap
Rodimus Prime wrote:plus you can actually get to the engine because its not halfway under the windshield
Meh, it's not that bad once you do it a few times. You have met me(so you know that i am not a small guy) and i can fit my arms around the back of a LS1 F-body. Granted it is a tight fit.
Tip: It is easier to install long tube headers on a LS1 F-body than "shorty" or mid length headers.
"Project 69'"
1969 Chevrolet C/10, 1/2 ton, 2wd
-Boosted LS1?
-Richmond ROD 6-speed(will get sometime)
-Posi 12-bolt(built w/eaton posi unit and richmond 3.73 gears)
-Disc brake and 5 lug swap
+little extras
Rodimus Prime wrote: plus you can actually get to the engine because its not halfway under the windshield
.
this coming from someone who probably never even worked on an LS1. lol
the spark plugs can be a bitch to get out if they have been in there for a long time like mine were. now that they have been changed i can get at them with minimal effort. the long tube headers i had helped put on were easy to install. perfect fitment. the old stock manifolds were more of a pain to come off than the long tubes were to put in. i recently helped install an LS6 intake manifold and that wasnt too hard either. took about an hour. you can change out the stock heads and put in a new cam with the LS1 still in the car. but thats more that what most people with 4 bangers even dive into
you can get well over 400 hp with an LS1 with bolt-ons and a tune. cant go wrong with an LS1 car
Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!
I really dislike the design of F-bodies after the 1st gen. They arent a very comfortable or streetable car unless its a perfect day out. But I would still kill for one. I was raised on Camaros. Dad had a 69 and I went to a ton of shows. I mean as long as you arent going over 20 miles and dont have an passengers youll be fine.
Now Ive seen modded Fox Bodies going for 4k on the Craigslist around here whereas a good F-body goes aroung 8k but maybe thats just this area.
Ya... I've drivin (and worked on) my dads Fox body quite a few times...... the car isnt any faster than my sunfire LOL... but its still a fun car..... this big turn off for me is the problem with the OIl pan because of the Rack and pinion steering... among other things... the engine is just such a PITA to work on...
I would really like a clean 72 Nova since I like those cars and you can sometimes get those cheap and you can do anything to old cars..... but they are really hard to find around here...
I could save the money for a LT1 F-body over the winter pretty easy.... but I would rather have an LS1.....
How do the LT1 and LS1 F-bodies compare to each other? Stock 1/4 mile time... horsepower, reliability?
I could save a little longer and get what I want.... im just curious...
Im not planning on beating on it like in those vids.... and it wouldnt be a daily driver..... my Sunfire isnt even a DD... and I would probably keep it even if I get an F-body since I cant picture someone else owning that car.
To be honest.... any car I own doesnt get drivin that much... I ride just about everywhere.... I drive my buick to work in the winter (damn its a POS car) and to the store.... The Fire (right now), or F-body if I get one would be a summer / weekend car that I work on for fun.
Im just thinking about what I really want out of a car and the long term down the road.... and F-body seems to be the most realistic..
And KG.... please keep the BS in the other thread where it belongs.
Thanks for the insight guys.
Quote:
How do the LT1 and LS1 F-bodies compare to each other? Stock 1/4 mile time... horsepower, reliability?
good question
while the LS1 is superior engine, the LT1 aint no slouch. friend of mine has a 96 firebird with the LT1. best time he got was a 13.7. he had slicks, and exhaust. and recently on LS1tech.com someone got a LT1 into the 9's in the 1/4 mile and others have had similar results. the main thing about the LT1 is that lousy opti-spark crap that it uses for spark.
Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!
Theres also the factory LT4 kit which beefs it up with bolt ons, i think its a cam, heads, intake mani, pretty nice gain
As far as disliking the design of the f-bods after the first gen I can agree if your solely talking about Camaros, the first gen was the only ones that looked half decent.
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
Lt1's are good running motors when they are actually running good.
I bought a 96 formula convertible a few years ago dirt cheap and wished everyday that I would have held out and bought an ls1 car. That car was nothing but problems... wiring nightmares, sensors going bad, bad opti's,changing 02 sensors all the time, etc. If you kept one stock(which is hard to do) I think it'll be ok , but if you mod it be prepared to work on it and put $$ into it just to keep it running.
After I sold theLT1 I went old school and bought a 69 chevelle because it's easy to work on. Old cars are where it's at if you're just looking for a toy. 4th gens go down in value everyday were as a classic car will go up. If you want a 68-72 nova start saving and get one IMO, then save up for an lsx swap for it
