I posted this in the lt section but I wanted responses from the ls people too
i want to slowly start buildingthe car, and i would like it to run high 10's-11.5 or so 1/4th.(when I am finally done putitng money into it) should I buy an LT-1 camaro with a lot of miles (160k)for about 2-3k and start a rebuild with all the parts I want to add, or buy the same car with 100k for 5-6k and start my rebuild.(this seems like a dumb option but i added it anyway) another option is to buy a LS-1 which would cost a lot more but weigh less and have a decent base, however this car stock will never get me to where I want so I would have to completly build up this engine too right? so wouldn't that be a waste of money? the last option is to by a broke *** camaro and drop a crate engine in it, what do you guys think would be the cheapest route? start up costs for this car i would like to be under 10k, giver or take a couple k's

 

o yeah manual or auto

 

well personaly i would got for the LS1 lighter weight nearly 100lbs lighter thant the LT1 and a manual is cooler for street but an auto is faster shift, unless you go with a sequential 6 speed but thats pretty spendy

 

There are many ways to get there.


You need to sit yourself down and determine

Is this vehicle also to be your daily driver

do you want to run 10's on pump gas or racing fuel?

Do you really have to do it N.A. or are you willing to go on the bottle?

How much creature comforts do you want in the vehicle?

How do you feel about roll bars in your daily driver?

if also a daily driver, is ride comfort something you are willing to sacrifice? If not, then adjustable suspensions are more expensive.

what is a legitimate budget you have in mind (good, now multiply it by 2)

how much time and effort are you willing to invest? is there a place where the project can be kept without any hardship as projects tend to always take longer. There is that 1 bolt that stripped or broke off, the defective part and you must go through an RMA process to get a new one.

 

You need to sit yourself down and determine

Is this vehicle also to be your daily driver
no but i would like it to be street legal

do you want to run 10's on pump gas or racing fuel?
either doesn't matter

Do you really have to do it N.A. or are you willing to go on the bottle?
anything goes

How much creature comforts do you want in the vehicle?
just my seat and a passanger seat

How do you feel about roll bars in your daily driver?
as long as i am safe some discomfort is ok

if also a daily driver, is ride comfort something you are willing to sacrifice? If not, then adjustable suspensions are more expensive.
It will be set up for drag suspension all the time

what is a legitimate budget you have in mind (good, now multiply it by 2)
10k to start, no limit

how much time and effort are you willing to invest? is there a place where the project can be kept without any hardship as projects tend to always take longer. There is that 1 bolt that stripped or broke off, the defective part and you must go through an RMA process to get a new one.
no time limit, as long as I am having fun it could take years.

 

If it were me, and what you say is true, that you aren't in a hurry (make a sign of that too and hang by the car), and you must have the 4th gen body

then I'd find a broke Z that the body and suspension are in good shape and start to troll craigslist within 500 miles of my location looking for a project that ran out of money and there is a crate SBC for sale. If time is of no consequence, and it's race only, and you want 11's or high 10's, then get rid of all the computer stuff and go simple.

Since you threw a number of $10k, I would actually start looking for an already built race car where the guy/gal has $20k-$30k invested and is in tough times looking to dump it. If the goal is to get the race car, and you have the cash, go buy one because people need money today and are unloading toys such as race cars.

If your goal is to have a project that takes time, then go looking for a broken car.