At a cross roads with the old truck

[bigyellow]

I love my truck but it really isn't a joy to drive compared to newer vehicles and it isn't incredibly practical. but as some of you may know i'm in the middle of getting all the parts to do a t5 swap and getting the full ECE 3.5/5 drop kit.

Well heres where the cross roads is. i found a 95 camaro 383 lt1 with a t56 and 3:73 gears. I've wanted a hot rod since we had to sell the corvette i drove alot in high school. The guy wants 4500 for the car. on one hand i can take my money and invest it into my truck or buy a fast as hell camaro. i know that if i get the camaro i'd miss driving the truck around. also i know i'd really enjoy ripping through the 6 gears of the camaro.

what should i do you guys? or should i just buy the camaro and pay for insurance on both and use the truck as my weekend cruiser? ahhhhh

[eric gill]

stick with the truck

[oldblue1968chevy]

leave the truck stock and buy the camaro?

[a_barth]

Personally if I had the money I would probably buy the Camaro and transplant the 383 and t56 to the truck, but thats just me. I have no real use for a 2 door car but a pickup with a 6-speed would be a blast to drive everyday. Plus I'd probably use the seats and maybe a few other things from the Camaro to make the truck a little more comfortable. It all really boils down to what you really want and have time to build.

[crazy longhorn]

Its fun rippin 6 gears in an old truck too.....NOBODY expects that For practical, Ill put my 02 Silverado on the road, take my lill pit bull(she is nasty when you whizz her off), a bed roll, & a glock under my pillow.....thats practical Hot heat/cold air & a cd changer,a good dog & cold beers.....man it just dont get better than that. crazyL

[chevy71c10]

Keep with the truck! Don't settle driving a car that doesn't turn heads just because it has a little speed. Build the truck and put some of the same speed in it. My build is the same thing, LT-1 w/ T-56 swap. Can't wait to fire it up!!!

Good luck!!
Posted via Mobile Device

[doctrouble]

Originally Posted by crazy longhorn

Its fun rippin 6 gears in an old truck too.....NOBODY expects that crazyL

I have to agree.. that does sound sweet... : D lol

[Already Gone]

I just went through the same feelings as you are having now. I've had my truck 10 years and was getting tired of putting expensive gas in her and getting 10/12 mpg. A couple of months ago I decide I'd sell it and listed it locally for "all the money" and had a couple of bites. I actually had one couple come to look at it and I pulled it out of the gargage so they could see it in the sun. Well what happened was I saw it in the sun too and realized what I had there and no amount of money could replace it or the attached memories with it. So I told them I changed my mind and wasn't gonna sell it and I thought they'd be ticked at me after they drove 80 miles to see it, but they both smiled, thanked me for showing it to them and left. I say keep your truck...

[cdowns]

you can haul much big cool old stuff home in a camero

[screamin_c10]

There is a reason he is selling the Camaro.... Keep the truck and drop some coin into it.

[jeffg1010]

The grass is always greener on the other side, but from what I've learned... it's greener because someone's dog's been taking a dump in it. haha!
(or in my neighbor's case... my dog)

I know your pickup would draw a lot more attention than a dime a dozen '95 Camaro. If we were talking a nice '69 or even a second gen Camaro, I'd say maybe. But a '95???? Nah, keep your truck and buy it something special for Christmas.

[fryer1979]

Take it from a guy who has a car similar to what you are looking at (wife's hot rod: '94 Firebird Formula), put the money into your truck. The 4th gens are fun to drive, but they really are rough to use as a driver. Cars like these can be quite prone to problems, and since he built the 350 to a 383, chances are he's driven her hard. I would shy away and keep driving the truck if it were me (ours just sits a lot, hence my wife wanting to sell it). Either way, it is your decision, good luck.

[bigyellow]

yeah thats kind of what i was thinking. so looks like i'm gonna go get my clutch kit for my t5, order my ECE drop kit. get my extra driveshaft cut. and put my 3:73 gears back in.

and then after that...body work to make it perfect. it's not a bad looking truck but it does have chips and scratches and paint flakes. but overall for being a 40 year old truck it's not bad. and it starts every morning and takes me anywhere i want to go. just really wish i had a/c and a smoother ride.

thanks again guys i really apppreciate it.

[68gmsee]

Agree with what Fryer mentioned... I always shy away from hotrodded trucks or cars. A person with one didn't do it just to cruise in it. They've done some burnouts and maybe even raced it some. I know I would have.

[big_al_71]

buy the camaro and pay for insurance on both and use the truck as my weekend cruiser?

Exactly what I would do!!!

[RenoKeene]

I've had a 97 LT1 Z28 almost since it was new and it's a blast to drive....but I get ALOT more attention with my truck and I've never seen another 70 GMC Big Block short stepper at the same intersection at the same time, can't say that about the Z.

[50bomb]

I thought hot rods where pre 40s. and anything like 67 and newer where considered muscle cars? Anywho I say keep the truck stock like it should be and just get a brand new camaro those things are damn fine.

[domeier]

Originally Posted by bigyellow

95 camaro

They're fun to drive, but they're AWFUL to work on - and all the little plastic crap door/dash/everything is ALWAYS crumbling to dust.

First time you decide to change the plugs and lose a pint of blood out your hands, you'll be missing that truck!

My three cents.

[tubbedII]

Originally Posted by bigyellow

yeah thats kind of what i was thinking. so looks like i'm gonna go get my clutch kit for my t5, order my ECE drop kit. get my extra driveshaft cut. and put my 3:73 gears back in.

and then after that...body work to make it perfect. it's not a bad looking truck but it does have chips and scratches and paint flakes. but overall for being a 40 year old truck it's not bad. and it starts every morning and takes me anywhere i want to go. just really wish i had a/c and a smoother ride.

thanks again guys i really apppreciate it.

With the $4500 I'd drop a vintage air system in, then the ECE kit and hopefully have enough to finish the T5 swap...IMO body and paint can wait, but comfortable/fun ride comes 1st.

[chevyman95]

LT1 motors are kind of a pain to work on from what I hear

[bigyellow]

i have almost all the parts to do the t5. i've got the trans and the driveshaft, all i need to do it is u joints and the clutch kit.

and yeah i know those camaros are a pain to work on. half of the motor is under the dash and the interiors sucks but i mean...its a 6 speed 383 lol. thats what made me interested.

i think i'll just dump some money into the truck. cause it really is fun to fire it up and have people ask what motor is under the hood and i say a 250 lol. it's throaty lil motor and it's soooo easy to work on. i can do it blindfolded with a 9/16 wrench and a 1/2 wrench lol. i think over my christmas break i'm going to pull the head and do a valve job and put new lifters in. every once in a while one valve will start ticking really loud but if i shut it off and let it sit a minute it's fine. can't complain the motor is bone stock and from what i can tell hasn't ever been apart except me changing gaskets on it lol

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by chevyman95

LT1 motors are kind of a pain to work on from what I hear

It's crammed in there real tight, got an Indy type dizzy thats expensive, they forgot to put a shield over the crank trigger so if ya throw the surpintine belt it will tear the trigger off...$$$$...but it sure puts the power on the ground. At 198K well maintained miles I can turn the ASR off and break the tires loose at 60mph!

[bigyellow]

ok i was just looking at the ECE drop kit, and shipping included the total comes to 900 bucks...is it worth it? how good is the ride with one of these kits? i've heard good things about them but i've never rode in a truck that had ECE suspension.

[bcutt]

If it was a 67-72 Camaro I would say go for it but its just a 96 Camaro that anyone and everyone has. Your truck will turn heads anywhere you go...In the long run I would think you would be much happier with the truck, put a 600 hp LS motor in the truck and you'll be all smiles :-)

[fryer1979]

Originally Posted by bigyellow

ok i was just looking at the ECE drop kit, and shipping included the total comes to 900 bucks...is it worth it? how good is the ride with one of these kits? i've heard good things about them but i've never rode in a truck that had ECE suspension.

What shocks are you running? I put some BellTech Nitro's on my '65 and dropped 5" she rides like a dream (getting the stock bump stops out of the way and using some short universals helped as well).