cronsformula350

Hows everyone doing, I picked up an '87 IROC-Z today with a vbelted L98 tpi. Its basically the same motor thats in my 89 formula 350, but with the vbelts and 9th, cold start injector. The car will be replacing my '84 cavalier as a daily driver. It needs some minor body work, and a new power steering pump; however, I may just run a manual gear from an s10. I'll see, but my question is for anyone on the board with '87 IROC 350s. Have any of you with this car and motor combo, had any serious problems?

MasterEvilAce

hmmmmmm..
I have an 87 IROC, 350 TPI...
No real "problems" exactly... just the normal faults that a car should have when it's 16 years old, and where the previous owner(s) seemed to like to neglect some things

Rice Killer87

na,the only "fault" of noticed is that the 350 TPI cars will brake tranny mounts w/ the great torque they have.

just watch out for the 1 time u stomp it and u hear a thump...thats when its broken. then u can just buy a polyurethane 1 from Energy Suspension and it will last alot longer.

krazzycowgirl

I have a 87 T-top car with a 350 as well. No major problems with it just it likes to over heat. The car is not going to be stock much longer. But its MY Car & i love it.

scott9050

Not trying to be nosy but what did you manage to pick her up for ($)?

cronsformula350

Well, I've owned an 89 formula 350 since july '02, and I know the insides and outs of my car and the 88-92 f-bodies, so I'm aware of how the cars run, I'm building my bird up to the tune of aroud 500+ horses, when the eprom is done. I was curious because, this 87 has the 9th cold start injector, v-belts, and some different, more oldschool things, So I was just wondering, if any of you on the board have had any major problems. Right now the car has a new alt, brakes, radiator hoses, exhaust, airpump, and stereo, has 138K on the motor, but runs great, and needs only minor body work, also not a biggie. I worked on the car before, so I knew it had potential, the previous owner wants to get a truck, so he doesn't die in the winter, lucky for me I have a beater. But I will drive this car as soon as winter is over, and it will take my cavalier out of service for the first time in over three years, which also has 138K miles on it, an '84 tbi 4 banger, blows no oil, gets 30+ mpg and has always been there for me. I happened to bring the guy down in price from 1000$ to 850, and the only real thing it needs is a power steering pump, but I may just get rid of it, and run a manual setup out of an s10 or blazer. I will put my old flowmaster exhaust from my bird on it, perhaps get a set of edelbrock tes headers, and port my intake, advance the timing, alter the tps voltage, and do some other things for the drivetrain to freshen it up, oh and install some new valve seals.

cronsformula350

I brought the iroc home today, I'll start working on it when its not snowing or when I have time. I had enough time to vacuum it out, too. I covered it up, and it will not see street duty until the winters over. OH yeah would any of you guys happen to know if an 87 iroc with t-tops, black exterior paint, red interior and 5.7 would be more rare, my buddies with there 91-z28, and 89 iroc z say it may be, I'm just curioes, wish me luck with the overhaul.

MasterEvilAce

more rare? possibly, because of the red interior

the other stuff is all too common...

but.. being rare in this instance, wouldn't increase the price of the car, any... there are way too many thirdgens out there.. your car would have to be VERY rare for it to fetch more money than you would normally would get... someone who has stored their thirdgen since they bought it (ex... 1000 miles or less) would have a car that is rarer than yours... (rare being that it has so little miles put onto it.. unlike the 100,000 miles ++ most thirdgens have..

plus the person would have to LIKE the red interior for it to be considered a "likeable rare"

91 GTA Ramair2

L-98's are awsome but when you buy one that has been beaten in to the ground Glued to gether and beat in to the ground again ..... it makes it really hard to make it go.........
My poor acr why did i by it again.........
oh yeah it was shiney

cronsformula350

OH yeah, I'm aware of the beaten L98's, this one is not one, and has over 75K highway miles, runs smooth, no blowing oil, and runs strong. This motor runs better than my buddies 80K 91 z-28 with city miles on it. I wasn't really worried about the rareity, but since I owned a pontiac first, I know more about them, and the camaro production numbers, are what I will look into later, I'm getting pictures developed of the car tonight, and I'll post them on my website. My formula has been quoted by a local dealer ship, to be one in 25 made in 89, so that is what I would consider rare, as it has 1le suspension from the factory, had the high performance 3" crossover pipe from the factory, aluminum driveshaft, and several other things, that my dealer told me were more rare, when he looked up the vin #, later fellas.

91 GTA Ramair2

Every LB-9 can walk all over my L-98 but i don't seem to care it's sjiney all tho the LO-3 that beat me ticked me off a bit But thay's just cause of the owner.......

cronsformula350

Oh don't worry, I'll never have a 305 beat me, thats my guarantee, even if I kept my tpi 350's stock, they still wouldn't beat me. I may be putting a lt4 cam in the iroc, along with a fresh timing chain, advanced timing, ported base, plenum, and maybe my own siamesed runners later on. I picked up a 91 formula 350 base wednesday for 25$, along with a fresh dash pad, drivers side sill plate, and kick panel, so I'll put those in when the weather is nicer. I'm going to do some things to this motor to make it rock, although the car won't look perfect. I have pics too, but my scanner is fucd up, so I'll put the pics up on my site probably after the weekend, check them out. Heres my site:

http://www.cardomain.com/id/cronsformula

joecool72

Hey, congrats on the new addition man! Sounds like a steal of a deal for the miles and overall condition. Only $850??? Where in Illinois did you steal such a deal!?!

By the way, a couple of the guys here are right about the rarity of your car. There are so many that have been kept in perfect, showroom condition that you have to have a fairly special one to get a good price for it. Here's a link to a breakdown of production numbers for 1987 IROCs from www.iroczone.com .

http://www.iroczone.com/specs/camaro/camaro87.html

Either way, have fun with it! If you're interested in a Camaro club, check out the Illinois Camaro Club, link in signature.

96LT14u2Nv

nice!!!!!

creme de la creme of the thirdgens!!!!! nice find.

91 GTA Ramair2

as long as it's healthy 350 you should be fine.
I my self am not a 350 Fan i think there junk.
But there fun till they brake a rod.
There just too comon and cheaply Built.
But i do have to admit When on a tight buget the 350chevy's,302Ford's,318Mopar's are engine's to use.

Every 350 i've had alway's spun #7 or #6 Rod bearing.

My poor L-98 is About dead i think it's got 120,000miles on it only run's 16.11's.
MODS:
1. High Flow exhaust 3".
2. Open element cone filter.
3. MAF deleted.
87 GTA L-98 350TPI, 700R4,3.23 gear's,amd 235/55R16's.
Ran it twice.
16.11@88.9mph. .
manually shifted.
16.23@86.3mph..
Automaticly shifted.

Now my 91 GTA with 350TBI,700r4,3.42gear's,and 245/50R16's,with190,000miles.
Ran 15.69@90.2mph auto shifted. .

tune up, K&N x-streme filter open element,new 3'single exhaust,3.73 gear's,and295/50R16's,190,200miles.
Ran 14.86@95.78mph Auto shifted..
Sadly the 350TBI spun #7bearing @190,500miles.
But it's getting a 406 Dual duce TBI upgrade .

G-Tech pro times but still should Be close.



Engines I like to run:

AMC:343's,390's.

Ford 289's,351's,400's,427,428,429.

Chevy:265's,283's,327's,400,427's.

Pontiac:389's,400's.

Mopar:360's,400's,413's,426's,440.



These are some dynomite Engine's

More info. posted on the 91and 87 GTA's in other forum's.should check them out.