TL;DR: '92 Firebird with a 3.1L LH0 and a TKX
Hey all, took me long enough to finally make my first post
I've been lurking here for going on 7 years or so now (took awhile to make an account too), but I have a minute, so I figured I'd pop in and introduce my car. Back in highschool (2017), I bought a '92 Firebird with the 3.1L LH0 and a 700R4, and she's been my daily driver since then. Outside of the motor, the car has changed quite a bit: the entirety of the suspension has been replaced/ upgraded over the years, I converted it to the '98-'02 4 wheel discs, has a Torsen LSD from an '02, and a bunch of little parts here and there. My TGO page is linked in my account here if anyone wanted to see a more detailed list, but I'll get to the 60deg stuff.
So, though I had all these grand ideas about V8s and whatnot when I first bought the car, I've grown rather fond of the 3.1L over the years. The motor has never let me down, and I've made a lot of plans for what I'd like to do to give it a little more pep. Seeing the builds of folks like Mars and FastEddi has really inspired me, though I'm not trying to turn it into a racecar. I'd like to keep daily driving it as long as I can, full interior and AC and all. Of course, with it being my daily (and with my dad not letting me pull the motor or transmission in his driveway), I haven't been able to really do all too much to the motor as of now. It has the typical CAI cone filter, 1.6 roller tip rockers, Fiero valve covers I scored from the local yard, smog pump removed, TB heater lines deleted, and some accessories have needed replacing. I've never had the heads or lower intake off, but she still runs like a Swiss watch!
Back in March, I was finally able to get into my first big project. A family friend offered me a space to work in her garage, and I went and swapped the old 700R4 for a brand new Tremec TKX! I ended up using the bellhousing from an '88 2.8 S10, the clutch from an '01 2.2L S10, new stock replacement 3.1L f-body flywheel, a hydraulic TOB with a Tilton clutch MC (S10 clutch fork setup won't fit with the f-body flywheel), and it bolted right in. I did a VERY detailed writeup on this swap with pictures over at TGO, here's the link if you wanted to see what all went into bolting a TKX onto a 60deg. Even with the motor still being mostly stock, the car is an absolute riot to drive with a 5 speed, especially one that you don't have any real chance of breaking
Now that pretty much everything on the car has been replaced or upgraded aside from the motor, the motor is exactly where my next plans lie... though it'd probably be smart to go over to a 3.4, or even a FWD motor, I want to stick with my 3.1 until it gives up the ghost. At the moment, I'm gathering parts and preparing for a hybrid top end conversion for it! Last year, I stopped by the local yard and pulled a bunch of parts off of an '01 3400 Impala: heads, intakes, the DIS parts, and oil pump drive. Earlier this year, I ended up also grabbing an LX9 upper intake from an '05 Malibu Maxx, plus a 75mm TB off of an Olds Aurora, and the adapter from Ben. I do realize that a 75mm is probably FAR too much for an NA hybrid build like this, but I have the 3400 upper/ TB to fall back on just in case. I also have a new crank sensor and multiple sets of 3100/3400/3500 intake gaskets on hand, got a great deal on the FelPro set with the metal lower intake gaskets! There are some pretty important parts I'm missing at the moment though... still need 3100 pistons (don't know if I have stock sized pistons still, so can't order yet..... bores still look great though, won't need an overbore), need to make a crank trigger wheel and sensor mount (I know the BCC notched damper would work, but I don't like the idea of the crank trigger being on the damper), would like to go to ARP main/ rod studs, new bearings for everything, would like a double roller timing chain, might as well get a cam since I'm gonna need pushrods anyways, would like to swap to LS6 springs while I'm at it, injectors, MLS headgaskets, ARP head studs (I have a set for the iron heads that I never installed, so I'll probably email Ben at some point and see if he still offers a partial aluminum head stud set), a wideband O2, and I'm gonna have to pray that I can make the stock 3.1 manifolds/ y-pipe work. Don't have a welder, dad won't allow one at the house, and it'd probably be a bad idea to weld at the garage since it used to be a woodworking shop... don't wanna risk lighting the whole thing up with an errant spark into some sawdust.
My goals aren't all too lofty though, since I'm not trying to build a racecar. If I could get over 200whp after the hybrid conversion, I'd be absolutely stoked. My biggest concerns at this time are with tuning (which I have the equipment for, but not much practice in aside from correcting the VSS for the TKX swap), and with the throttle body. Part of why I want to make the 75mm TB work is that the lever is on the driver's side like the 3.1, though it does pull the wrong way. Running the throttle cable around the front of the engine isn't really something I'm entirely against, BUT, I want to keep my factory cruise control. In a thirdgen, the cruise control servo mounts on the driver's side of the engine bay, on the wheel well hump. The vac operated cable runs around the back of the engine, under the upper intake, then connects to the throttle body from behind. When cruise is turned on, the servo uses vacuum to pull on that cable, therefore pulling the throttle body towards the back of the car. Out of all of the hybrid thirdgen builds I've seen, I don't think any have actually retained cruise control, so I'm flying a bit blind on that front. Of course, it isn't 100% necessary to get cruise working with the hybrid top end immediately, but I would prefer to get everything set up correctly the first time so I don't have to go back and start reconfiguring cables and brackets and whatnot.... I suppose I could run a cable from the servo, all the way around the back of the motor, down the pass side and into the front of the TB lever, but I would like to do my best to avoid that.
Anyways, this post got way out of hand, sorry to ramble like that in my introduction (but not sorry enough to shorten it
). I'm not exactly known for my brevity ! When I get closer to the point of being able to park my car up and get the motor pulled out for a rebuild, I'll likely be starting a separate thread over in the Pushrod Performance section. Hoping to be able to get to that stage towards the end of the year, but with trying to save up to move out at the moment, unfortunately, rebuilding a motor that runs perfectly well is not exactly at the top of my list of priorities.... even though it certainly is in my heart. I'm looking forward to being able to start on the build and accompanying thread when it's feasible for me to do so, but for now, I'm happy to finally introduce my car here!
One final note: though it'll probably still be a while before I can get to the hybrid conversion, to quote General Douglas MacArthur, "I shall return". I'm never selling my Firebird (it's on a salvage title and monetarily worthless anyways), so the project WILL happen at some point. Could be later this year (doubtful), could be 2 years from now, could be 20, but it will happen. If this site is still around (which I sincerely hope it is), there will be a detailed thread to go with it. I love Firebirds, I love thirdgens, I love 60degs, and I love being able to give back to both communities when the opportunity arises. If the 3.1 somehow grenades before I can even get to the hybrid swap, it'll be getting a 3.4 block. Every time someone tells me to slap a V8 in, I grow even more determined to build a reliable 60deg that can outrun the 305/ 350 cars. I love the space in the engine bay, I love how the car handles with the engine sitting pretty much entirely behind the upper strut mounts, and I love the idea of building a thirdgen with something different, at the very least. Again, not a racecar. In a sea of SBC/ LS swapped thirdgens, I really don't intend to follow suit. I may eventually pick up a second thirdgen if I get the space/ chance/ a deal, and maybe that one can get a V8, but there'd be a gaping 60deg hole in my soul if my '92 became just another SBC/ LS thirdgen. In a world where high dollar over-the-top builds seem to be the trend, I just want to keep things (relatively) simple. If someone came along and gave me a million dollars today, I'd still be building my 3.1.... and I'd buy a house I'm gonna go ahead and click the Post button now before I find more things to talk about, thank you (and sorry) if you read through this whole post
Hey all, took me long enough to finally make my first post
I've been lurking here for going on 7 years or so now (took awhile to make an account too), but I have a minute, so I figured I'd pop in and introduce my car. Back in highschool (2017), I bought a '92 Firebird with the 3.1L LH0 and a 700R4, and she's been my daily driver since then. Outside of the motor, the car has changed quite a bit: the entirety of the suspension has been replaced/ upgraded over the years, I converted it to the '98-'02 4 wheel discs, has a Torsen LSD from an '02, and a bunch of little parts here and there. My TGO page is linked in my account here if anyone wanted to see a more detailed list, but I'll get to the 60deg stuff.So, though I had all these grand ideas about V8s and whatnot when I first bought the car, I've grown rather fond of the 3.1L over the years. The motor has never let me down, and I've made a lot of plans for what I'd like to do to give it a little more pep. Seeing the builds of folks like Mars and FastEddi has really inspired me, though I'm not trying to turn it into a racecar. I'd like to keep daily driving it as long as I can, full interior and AC and all. Of course, with it being my daily (and with my dad not letting me pull the motor or transmission in his driveway), I haven't been able to really do all too much to the motor as of now. It has the typical CAI cone filter, 1.6 roller tip rockers, Fiero valve covers I scored from the local yard, smog pump removed, TB heater lines deleted, and some accessories have needed replacing. I've never had the heads or lower intake off, but she still runs like a Swiss watch!
Back in March, I was finally able to get into my first big project. A family friend offered me a space to work in her garage, and I went and swapped the old 700R4 for a brand new Tremec TKX! I ended up using the bellhousing from an '88 2.8 S10, the clutch from an '01 2.2L S10, new stock replacement 3.1L f-body flywheel, a hydraulic TOB with a Tilton clutch MC (S10 clutch fork setup won't fit with the f-body flywheel), and it bolted right in. I did a VERY detailed writeup on this swap with pictures over at TGO, here's the link if you wanted to see what all went into bolting a TKX onto a 60deg. Even with the motor still being mostly stock, the car is an absolute riot to drive with a 5 speed, especially one that you don't have any real chance of breaking
Now that pretty much everything on the car has been replaced or upgraded aside from the motor, the motor is exactly where my next plans lie... though it'd probably be smart to go over to a 3.4, or even a FWD motor, I want to stick with my 3.1 until it gives up the ghost. At the moment, I'm gathering parts and preparing for a hybrid top end conversion for it! Last year, I stopped by the local yard and pulled a bunch of parts off of an '01 3400 Impala: heads, intakes, the DIS parts, and oil pump drive. Earlier this year, I ended up also grabbing an LX9 upper intake from an '05 Malibu Maxx, plus a 75mm TB off of an Olds Aurora, and the adapter from Ben. I do realize that a 75mm is probably FAR too much for an NA hybrid build like this, but I have the 3400 upper/ TB to fall back on just in case. I also have a new crank sensor and multiple sets of 3100/3400/3500 intake gaskets on hand, got a great deal on the FelPro set with the metal lower intake gaskets! There are some pretty important parts I'm missing at the moment though... still need 3100 pistons (don't know if I have stock sized pistons still, so can't order yet..... bores still look great though, won't need an overbore), need to make a crank trigger wheel and sensor mount (I know the BCC notched damper would work, but I don't like the idea of the crank trigger being on the damper), would like to go to ARP main/ rod studs, new bearings for everything, would like a double roller timing chain, might as well get a cam since I'm gonna need pushrods anyways, would like to swap to LS6 springs while I'm at it, injectors, MLS headgaskets, ARP head studs (I have a set for the iron heads that I never installed, so I'll probably email Ben at some point and see if he still offers a partial aluminum head stud set), a wideband O2, and I'm gonna have to pray that I can make the stock 3.1 manifolds/ y-pipe work. Don't have a welder, dad won't allow one at the house, and it'd probably be a bad idea to weld at the garage since it used to be a woodworking shop... don't wanna risk lighting the whole thing up with an errant spark into some sawdust.
My goals aren't all too lofty though, since I'm not trying to build a racecar. If I could get over 200whp after the hybrid conversion, I'd be absolutely stoked. My biggest concerns at this time are with tuning (which I have the equipment for, but not much practice in aside from correcting the VSS for the TKX swap), and with the throttle body. Part of why I want to make the 75mm TB work is that the lever is on the driver's side like the 3.1, though it does pull the wrong way. Running the throttle cable around the front of the engine isn't really something I'm entirely against, BUT, I want to keep my factory cruise control. In a thirdgen, the cruise control servo mounts on the driver's side of the engine bay, on the wheel well hump. The vac operated cable runs around the back of the engine, under the upper intake, then connects to the throttle body from behind. When cruise is turned on, the servo uses vacuum to pull on that cable, therefore pulling the throttle body towards the back of the car. Out of all of the hybrid thirdgen builds I've seen, I don't think any have actually retained cruise control, so I'm flying a bit blind on that front. Of course, it isn't 100% necessary to get cruise working with the hybrid top end immediately, but I would prefer to get everything set up correctly the first time so I don't have to go back and start reconfiguring cables and brackets and whatnot.... I suppose I could run a cable from the servo, all the way around the back of the motor, down the pass side and into the front of the TB lever, but I would like to do my best to avoid that.
Anyways, this post got way out of hand, sorry to ramble like that in my introduction (but not sorry enough to shorten it
). I'm not exactly known for my brevity ! When I get closer to the point of being able to park my car up and get the motor pulled out for a rebuild, I'll likely be starting a separate thread over in the Pushrod Performance section. Hoping to be able to get to that stage towards the end of the year, but with trying to save up to move out at the moment, unfortunately, rebuilding a motor that runs perfectly well is not exactly at the top of my list of priorities.... even though it certainly is in my heart. I'm looking forward to being able to start on the build and accompanying thread when it's feasible for me to do so, but for now, I'm happy to finally introduce my car here! One final note: though it'll probably still be a while before I can get to the hybrid conversion, to quote General Douglas MacArthur, "I shall return". I'm never selling my Firebird (it's on a salvage title and monetarily worthless anyways), so the project WILL happen at some point. Could be later this year (doubtful), could be 2 years from now, could be 20, but it will happen. If this site is still around (which I sincerely hope it is), there will be a detailed thread to go with it. I love Firebirds, I love thirdgens, I love 60degs, and I love being able to give back to both communities when the opportunity arises. If the 3.1 somehow grenades before I can even get to the hybrid swap, it'll be getting a 3.4 block. Every time someone tells me to slap a V8 in, I grow even more determined to build a reliable 60deg that can outrun the 305/ 350 cars. I love the space in the engine bay, I love how the car handles with the engine sitting pretty much entirely behind the upper strut mounts, and I love the idea of building a thirdgen with something different, at the very least. Again, not a racecar. In a sea of SBC/ LS swapped thirdgens, I really don't intend to follow suit. I may eventually pick up a second thirdgen if I get the space/ chance/ a deal, and maybe that one can get a V8, but there'd be a gaping 60deg hole in my soul if my '92 became just another SBC/ LS thirdgen. In a world where high dollar over-the-top builds seem to be the trend, I just want to keep things (relatively) simple. If someone came along and gave me a million dollars today, I'd still be building my 3.1.... and I'd buy a house
I'm gonna go ahead and click the Post button now before I find more things to talk about, thank you (and sorry) if you read through this whole post
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