Removal of the bottom drivebelt pulley, the alternator AND the waterpump is necessary to reach the Opti-Spark Distributor and Spark Plugs.ģ46 ( 5.7L ) LS1 Used from 1998-2002 This is THE engine to have in a F-Body. Just to do a basic tune up will run you upwards of $700 if done by a shop. 0-60mph is ~ 5.4 seconds and 1/4mile is possible in under 14 seconds. With a torque peak of 2400rpm, LT1 equipped cars are stoplight monsters. ( a good running LT1 will give a 05-09 Mustang GT a run for its money ) Output was close to 290hp and 325ft-lb of Torque. Still nothing compared to even TPI 305 cars but its an acceptable choice if a V8 is out of your price and insurance range.ģ50 ( 5.7L V8 ) LT1 Used from 1993-1997 These are the years that Mustangs and Imports started to really fear F-Bodies. You'll lose horribly.ģ.8L Series II V6 F-Bodies began using this in 1997. It was enough to get the car moving and gave it just enough power to pass slower motorists on the highway. 0-60mph was ~ 6.5 seconds and the 1/4 was ~ 14.5 seconds ( assuming your car was equipped with the performance 3.27 rear end ratio )Īll of the V6s used ( and even one 4cyl used in the early 80s ) were all very slow in stock form and should not be used to race even a stock Mustang GT.Ĥth Generation 3.4L V6 Used from 1993-1996. Torque peaked at 3200 and fell quickly after. Great in the lower RPM ranges, the design of the Tuned Port Injection ( TPI ) system made the engine fall flat on its face above 4000 rpm. Weak 305s are the reason that 3rd gens are mostly viewed as slow.ģ50 ( 5.7L ) TPI First put into F-Bodies in 1987, these are the engines that will take some by surprise. Later TPI 305s did get upwards of 220hp and 300ft-lb of Torque. Most of the time, a 3rd gen will have a 305 TBI engine that produces a whopping 170hp. Carburated, Throttle Body Injection, Crossfire Injection and Tuned Port Injection models are all available throughout the years of the 3rd gen. Lets give a rundown of the relevant factory engines shall we?ģ05 ( 5.0L ) V8s These were only used in the 3rd generation ( 1982-1992 ) and are NOT fast. Its the OTHER parts that tend to go out ( LT1 models are notorious for having Distributor problems ) These engines CAN take a good beating and often. The engine itself can run until the apocalypse as long as it hasn't been neglected too bad. That being said, theres a reason Chevy V8s are known for their resilience. Expect to replace parts and perform maintenance often. So, you can almost guarantee that any F-Body you find with less than amazing maintenance records has been dogged hard and often. Most people think F-Bodies are fast, regardless of the engine. In a best case scenario, any F-Body you get is going to be 12 years old. Reliability is, more than not, going to be an issue. Thats not to say that the V6s suck or can't be fun, they're just less car. By buying a V6, you are getting a much slower, less fun version of what the car was meant to be. Their " default " engine was always designed to be a V8. Keep in mind that a Firebird is first and foremost, a MUSCLE car. Insurance WILL be a lot higher than a 4 door car with a 4cyl engine This is aimed at only the 3rd and 4th Generations as these two generations are the most common.įirstly, remember that these are 2 door cars.
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