Should i buy this third gen?? HELP Needed

[ycc456]

I have the opportunity to buy an 85 camaro
It dosent have any rust
No body damage
Original paint is still good No deteriorated clear coat
The inside is in good condition it has one tear in the center console but the seats are a bit Sun faded but no tears
It is missing the radio But those are cheap
New tires
Its a manual
The only problem is that it's a 6 cyllinder
I've always wanted a camaro and third gen is my favorite body and I thought it would be the perfect car to learn stick in ( I'm 18 And have only owned automatic 4x4s)
I looked it up online and it says the 2.8 v8 in these only has between like 88 and 110 horsepower or somewhere around there.....
That's extremely low..
Is this v6 third gen worth the 1500 price?
How slow is the v6 Really?
I'm not going to be speeding or racing or anything like that however I do enjoy having fun and getting up to speed on the highway as quickly as possible
I don't want to spend the money and it be basically topping out going 75 down the highway...
Any input you have is greatly appreciated

[stratman2SSRS]

It will be plenty quick.
I am currently working on an 87 2.8L that I've had since 88.
For $1500 and rust free how could you go wrong?
Do It!!

[DevilsReject97]

Originally Posted by ycc456

I have the opportunity to buy an 85 camaro
It dosent have any rust
No body damage
Original paint is still good No deteriorated clear coat
The inside is in good condition it has one tear in the center console but the seats are a bit Sun faded but no tears
It is missing the radio But those are cheap
New tires
Its a manual
The only problem is that it's a 6 cyllinder
I've always wanted a camaro and third gen is my favorite body and I thought it would be the perfect car to learn stick in ( I'm 18 And have only owned automatic 4x4s)
I looked it up online and it says the 2.8 v8 in these only has between like 88 and 110 horsepower or somewhere around there.....
That's extremely low..
Is this v6 third gen worth the 1500 price?
How slow is the v6 Really?
I'm not going to be speeding or racing or anything like that however I do enjoy having fun and getting up to speed on the highway as quickly as possible
I don't want to spend the money and it be basically topping out going 75 down the highway...
Any input you have is greatly appreciated

Grab it...it's a helluva deal and worth the price.... additionally, they are fantastic looking cars and you can do a LT1 or LS1 swap on them very easily

http://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engine-swap/

[ZiG]

I had a v6 firebird with the 2.8/manual. It wasn't a rocket but wasn't a total dog either. Just don't buy it with any notion of it being faster than a Camry.

[ycc456]

Originally Posted by ZiG

I had a v6 firebird with the 2.8/manual. It wasn't a rocket but wasn't a total dog either. Just don't buy it with any notion of it being faster than a Camry.

Well I mean right now I have an automatic 95 bronco I realize it's at the completely different end of the spectrum and driving my bronco I can break loose the 35s without breaking a sweat and it's stock I'm not going to win any races in the bronco I don't really expect to be able to win any races with a 2.8 I want to get to highway speed quickly and not saying I do a lot of turnouts or anything like that but I like the idea That it could break loose if I want it too.

[ycc456]

Originally Posted by DevilsReject97

Grab it...it's a helluva deal and worth the price.... additionally, they are fantastic looking cars and you can do a LT1 or LS1 swap on them very easily

http://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engine-swap/

The option has also just came up to buy an 84 z28 also a stick but it has the 305 and also has no rust or body work for an extra thousand
Is the 305 worth the extra thousand or just go with the v6?
Keeping in mind I'm a student and won't have engine swap money anytime in the near future so I'll have to live with what it has for a while.
There is also the option to sell the v6 for profit and buy a 305?
I'm terrible at making decisions

[ycc456]

Originally Posted by stratman2SSRS

It will be plenty quick.
I am currently working on an 87 2.8L that I've had since 88.
For $1500 and rust free how could you go wrong?
Do It!!

I'm also worries about a complete lack of performance parts or any parts really for the 2.8 I've been researching quite a bit and the 305 has a ton of options for headers you can get a descent seat of Booker headers for under 200 but the 2.8 has very limited selection of anything and what they do have seems to be double.

[DevilsReject97]

Originally Posted by ycc456

The option has also just came up to buy an 84 z28 also a stick but it has the 305 and also has no rust or body work for an extra thousand
Is the 305 worth the extra thousand or just go with the v6?
Keeping in mind I'm a student and won't have engine swap money anytime in the near future so I'll have to live with what it has for a while.
There is also the option to sell the v6 for profit and buy a 305?
I'm terrible at making decisions

The V8's in those years werent beasts, but if it is in the same kind of condition, it would be a worthwhile purchase. The Z has more goodies, a better motor, and it really will handle better.

Additionally, there are still lots of mods that can be done to that 305 too..

[ZiG]

Heh, in addition to my 87 v6 firebird I also had an 86 v8 trans am with the 305. The carburetor is decent and the torque is amazing. Peg leg diffs in both but the 305 can bark the tires into third under the right circumstances. Why don't you test drive both and see what you think?

The other thing to keep in mind is the carb can be more finnicky than the fuel injection in the v6. I was CONSTANTLY adjusting the choke on mine. The Firebird was kind of nice in that I knew I just had to turn the key and it would start. But yeah you won't be able to mod it, don't even waste your time/money. On the 305, a set of headers and an open air cleaner will help, but it still won't register much on the butt dyno. You can also play around with the jets like I did but again, not gonna see too much gain from that. Oh, and another option is 1.6 ratio rockers, which can be a cheap way to add a little lift if you can't afford a cam. Super easy to install, too. Just get the stamped ones though, roller rockers would be completely unnecessary.

You've heard of thirdgen.org, right?

[DBHWT]

If rust free, complete with all parts....buy it....

[Obsessive Camaro Disorder]

Either car sounds like a good deal. Either one can be upgraded, the one with the 305 will be easier to put more power in (like a 350) because it already has a v8. the v6 trans has 10 splines and the v8 trans has 26 or 28.

Although, be warned the Borg Warner T5 trans in the thirdgens are not strong. It will survive behind those engines but more power will only shorten the trans life and you will need to upgrade to a tremec 5speed or a 6speed. The years your looking at are probably non World Class BW t5's which only handle like 250-275 ft/lbs of torque. If it has a World Class BW T5 that came in the later years of thirdgen, they are rated for 300 ft/lbs of torque. That is the reason the 5.7/350 never came with a manual.