1979 Sports Coupe Find

[Stretch]

Hello this is my first post here on this website. I recently have purchased a 1979 Camaro Sports Coupe that has lived its life mostly in a garage down in Newport, CA. The car is in amazing condition but given that its been sitting for a long time, things like rubber rot and engine fluids sitting for that long have taken their toll. While I've flushed all the fluids and did the basic tune up to the engine (spark plugs, spark wires, redistributor and cap), and the guy who sold me the car brought it to his mechanic to get the car running, this is the first older car I have worked on. I'm not by any means a seasoned mechanic but I am wanting to learn how to make this car run the best it can with the engine it has. I have been told the suspension should be worked on and my trans has a slight problem with shifting high. With all of that being said I have contacted Tom Langdon about my straight six and he has recommended a 4 bbl carb (Holley 390cfm), exhaust headers, a new manifold, and a 200 R4 automatic trans. Are these mods something that I can learn to do on my own? What do I need to know about before I dive into the world of working on pre fuel injection cars? Any suggestions for suspension?
I want to know more about my 79 Camaro and hopefully I could learn something from you guys. Thanks!

 

[loyal guardian]

with the exception to the trans, for a basic first timer, all of the engine bolt ons can be swapped in 1 day. hardest part is tuning the carb. the rest is pulling bolts and parts and replacing them.

if you wish to keep it a 6 go ahead, id probley recommend v8 or ls upgrade. depends on how clean and original everything is.

also google GM heritage, i think i paid $50 for an original microfilm reprint of window sticker and some related information. all you do is give them your vin and money and when they find your paperwork they will send you a PDF that you can print out. its cool to have the history of the car with your paperwork

 

[71 COPO?]

I agree with loyal guardian on upgrading the engine to a V8 or Possible LS motor. 5.3 LS truck motors can be had for around $500-800 and are very stout motors and can make great power with a cam upgrade. If you could the truck you get the 5.3 out of still has its transmission then it would also be worth getting for the swap.

If your not looking at getting to crazy into a swap I would say go ahead and grab the parts you mentioned but idk if you truly want to sink money into a straight 6. Especially from that era

 

[Stretch]

So far I've been pretty set about keeping the original motor in the car. I'm not too crazy into making it a speed demon but the extra horses I would get out of the mentioned parts is an added bonus. My goal is to make the Camaro as reliable as possible with parts that are an upgrade beyond the OE capacity. Ultimately I want a smooth responsive ride with a small bump in mpg that can get to highway speeds without having to wait 18 seconds

 

[351maverick]

OP don't waste a nickel on "performance" parts for that six - get it running the best it possible can and drive it, perhaps a carb rebuild is it's been a while

a swap to a 200R4 overdrive is pointless at this stage...your TH350 3 speed automatic will work perfectly fine

the six will always be slow, but enjoy that - it's just a cruiser

 

[Stretch]

OP don't waste a nickel on "performance" parts for that six - get it running the best it possible can and drive it, perhaps a carb rebuild is it's been a while

a swap to a 200R4 overdrive is pointless at this stage...your TH350 3 speed automatic will work perfectly fine

the six will always be slow, but enjoy that - it's just a cruiser

What would be your recommendations on making this engine running the best it possibly can?

 

[lumpy12]

If it were mine, and I wish it was , I'd keep it a 6 and look into an OD trans. I don't how far you can go performance wise with the 6 and still pass smog which, I expect you'll have to do every 2 years.
Nice suspension upgrades along with better brakes and you'll have a sweet ride

Enjoy!

Tim

PS - post some pics of it!

 

[8pack]

It sounds like you don't have much experience working on cars. For now I like the idea of sticking with the V6. Before you change the transmission, if you haven't already done so, drain the fluid and clean the filter and refill it. Whatever issues you are having may be from old fluid or a dirty filter. Drive it for a hundred miles or so and see if the transmission cleans up.

Since you are in CA you have to deal with all the smog rules which makes it more difficult task to do any serious upgrades.

In terms of getting it running well get the carb rebuilt if you feel it is not running at peak right now. For the price of the rebuild you may be able to get a new one. There are quite a few high quality carb rebuild guys out there who you can send your carb to or can make a recommendation on a practical upgrade. Replace all your vacuum lines and check all your wiring to make sure it is safe and solid.

Put your time and money into replacing the body bushings, suspension bushings, springs, shocks etc. and get the suspension nice and solid and safe. Research and buy good quality parts. You can always upgrade the engine later and there will be no money wasted in having a really solid nice handling car. Maybe lower it and get some sweet wheels.

Then just drive it and enjoy it. Don't make any big decisions right now drive it, and figure out what you want.

 

[Stretch]

Pictures as requested

 

[8pack]

Just put a little elbow grease into polishing that up and drive it! I bet the paint come back nicely. Start with a simple product in one section like the trunk, do it by hand and see how it shines up. If it shines up really nicely you can look at some higher quality product. I would start with a simple all in one product from the auto store.

Let's see it again when shiny!