Since the bosses are out enjoying Drag Week, I decided that my contribution to the events (besides keeping BangShift rolling along) would be to mess with the Rough Start parameters in the goal of creating a competitive car. I’ll admit that I don’t know absolutely jack about the rules…hell, I barely know the classes…but instead of the buy-in of $2500, I’m kicking it up to the full $5,000 budget under the guise that you are allowed to make ONE major modification besides rule-requirement stuff in order to compete. I will pick a car from the local area of the track, so for today, we are in Tulsa, Oklahoma again.
And the first one is this 1995 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. If that seems like low-hanging fruit, well, it is. At $4500 bucks, you’re under budget already. If you sell such things as the HID conversion kit and the MTX audio gear, you can recoup even more. The running gear is the LT1 350 coupled with…a transmission, but which one is unknown. It’s not like you can really lose, though. You can already bank on a brake upgrade, slicks, and maybe some mild cagework. But for the one big mod? Forced induction. The motor was recently refreshed and punched .030 over, and while a turbo is probably the best route, I’m thinking a centrifugal supercharger to keep things hidden. But with 4th Gen F-cars being both cheap and oddly unloved, I say screw it and jam the first Roots-style blower on that fits. That should stuff you into Small Block Power Adder. If you’re good you can make a decent showing. If not, at least there will be entertainment to be had.
Click Here to see this Camaro’s Craigslist ad
Pass, this thing is way overpriced. Auto trans, owned by someone who thinks HIDs and stereos are cool, body is beat and paint is shot, likely the trans is on its last legs. Spend another grand and you get into LS1/6-speed territory (and cars that don’t live in the ghetto).
I wonder if all three sets of wheels shown in the pictures come with it.
My friend just picked up a V6 ’96 for $100 bucks (no joke, the V6 is pretty dead and the interior is gone but everything else is good) and plans to jam his $200 4.8L in it with a budget turbo kit.
I’d rock it. Chassis / brakes are modern enough. The LT1 gives me no warm and fuzzies but it’s just a blower away from awesome. I think I’d be more interested in the 80s model, though, because it is uglier and slower.
Price is a little high I will admit. However, I have a 94 LT1 that I bracket race in sreet and no box (over 130,000 miles on it) and a pristine ’95 Formula LT1. Not an LS but stong and fun.
I have a running 94 Z28 6spd sitting in my yard now that I picked up for $1100.
The deals are out there.