79 Camaro

I have the chance to buy a 79 Camaro for a couple hundred dollars. The only problems are that it runs hot(we believe it to need heads) which I could get for another couple hundred. Its been sitting for about 5 years, is it worth it? It has the stock 305 in it, and besides a quarter sized dent in the left rear panel, the body is in perfect condition. It also needs a new paint job, but come on, it has the original paint job on it, isn't it due for fading after 26 years? And if it was worth it, what could be done for pretty cheap to add to the 135 horsepower rating?

just pull the 305 and dump in a 350 with a cam, done. those are nice cars, i wish i could get one

The only problem with dropping a 350 in it is getting one. Where could I get one? How much would it cost? How much would putting it in cost?

u can get one from the junkyard for a few hundred, and with minor work it can be ready to go in. sometimes you can get one ready to drop right in with low miles, but beware that some junkyards are only looking to sell and dont feel bad about selling bad motors. i bought a 94 SBC 350 for $300, and just redid the gaskets. ready to go! the gasket kit was like $80 from Advance Autoparts

Update: Well, although I could do that, I have found something that is kind of a "sin" in the muscle car world. I have the chance to buy a 400 modified for $500, good condition, low miles, and runs great. And I know someone who could get the parts needed and put it in the camaro for $100. Is that worth it?

do it up, should make the car run nice

oh, and because one of my good friends works at a quick lube, I could get by with straight pipe exhaust and wouldn't have to worry about emissions. It'd pass no matter what. And the "sin" which I didn't mention, mainly because I forgot, was its a Ford engine. One of my friends has the exact same engine in his truck, its a 76 Ford F-100 with a 6 inch body lift and a 4 inch suspension lift with 39.5" superswampers, it turns the wheels over even with all that weight, so I know they have power. I think if I could get it to bolt up it'd be pretty sweet. My plans for this car is to get another engine, run straight pipes, put a cam in the engine, do other minor engine mods(more later) Paint it black with metallic silver racing stripes, tint the windows out to 2.5%. How does all this sound? Any suggestions?

couple hundred? buy it rip that engine out and put anew one in, do w/e body work u need, good project car

putting a ford engine in????? that isnt a sin, its actually idiotic. just buy a friggin mustang then.

Don't want a Mustang, actually, I don't like most of the mustang body's. The only reason I would even think about putting a Ford engine in is because my funds are limited and I have to deal with what I can get my hands on. I hate the idea myself, but when you don't have a lot of money to work with and your currently driving around your moms old car(ironically, she got a mustang, so I got her old car), you do what you can. Although I did recently get told about a 1995 305, how about that? Would it bolt up? And what all would have to be done to make it work? I hate the idea of a newer engine...I don't want to even get started in all that computer ****, I want to be able to have a good mechanics set and do virtually anything I want to my car. I don't want my "Car tools" to include a laptop computer and a $300 program.

305 TBI or Tuned port would be great for you project. if you want to build an engine, i have empty 350 blocks, and i have a 350 TBI setup. the TBI is so much better than a carb b/c a carb is sloppy. btw, i was only joking about the mustang comment, but cmon man....making that engine work would probably be rediculous to do and it might be cheaper to just get a 350

I know about cars to a certain extent, but when it comes to building an engine or anything like that, I am clueless. What all would be involved in building it and how much for a 350 block and TBI setup?

idk building it is easy, but can get pricey depending on the parts
like i know an oil pan is like $30-100, and the gasket set is like $80, then u got the heads, the cam, crank, pistons, oil pump, and all kinds of odds n ends. where do you live?

In North Carolina...From all that stuff that you mentioned, it doesn't sound like I could do that. I know I could figure it out as far as building it goes, its just getting the parts. Heres my situation, I'm a 16 year old making minimum wage in a **** job. Money is a big issue.

junkyard 350 is the way to go...get one for like $300 with decent mileage on it, and redo the gaskets

That will probably be my best bet. One of my friends dad owns a junkyard and my friend works there most days. Catch him when he's there and I could get a deal on a good engine. I guess I'll get a 350, get a cam, and just have that for a while until I can do more work on it.