I was able to get a 84 Camaro on a trade. It has the original 305 but has a th400 trans. It runs and engine sounds good. Was told though that he was in gear and somehow put in in reverse, it then started leaking transmission fluid. I put fluid in it and it does shift and I seen it leaking but I haven't been under yet to inspect were it is leaking from. Just wondering if it would be an easy fix or to scrap the tranny all together. Also being it has the original 305 I want to scrap that. I would like to allocate $2,000.00 to this project this year. I would like to make it low 9's in the 1/8th this year. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pretty hard to determine if its an easy fix without knowing where its leaking from. Put it up on jackstands, run it threw the gears and brawl under it and figure out where its leaking from to start

Nick, I have been thinking about your comment "$2,000.00 to spend for the season"

Given that restriction, your only reasonable course of action is to repair the basic package. A 400 trans is common and easily repair no matter what is wrong with it.

The 305 is what you have so use it as a learning tool.

A $2,000.00 season will require careful spending, which, in its self, is a good experience.

One priority lesson will be to become skilled at the starting line. Consistently good reaction times will win many races.

Sounds like a great project. I don't know your skill level or what tools/equipment you have. A T400 in that care would be a rarity. How is the torque arm mounted? What's been done already would be a determining factor as to what's the best course of action. A T400 is heavy but it's heavy duty so it's a good starting point and your goals sound realistic. I would evaluate the trans and see where you are at. What does the fluid condition look and smell like? Where is it leaking from? Start there, so far $0 spent.
I would start with the 305 and go from there. Is this going on a trailer and becoming a race only car?

Eman is correct, I did not think about the torque arm mounting, which in factory trim is mounted at the trans tail housing.

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:
A T400 is heavy but it's heavy duty so it's a good starting point and your goals sound realistic.

Agreed. Never seen any bracket racers changing out a broken TH400 at the track. Great trans.

As of now this will be a street/strip car. I wont be able to check the tranny till we get it to our shop and that could take a while being January is my busiest month. Also will the 10 bolt be able to stand up at the track? I have heard so many horror stories about them. If I stuck a pair of drag radials would be ok?

My brother bought a 91 camaro with a tbi 305 for cheap. It had a good body but had froze and cracked the block. He found a bone stock vortec 350 from a 97 truck. We put a small cam and a vacumme secondary holley 750 with shorty headers and single 3 inch exhaust. Stock 700 trans and converter with a shiftkit and 3.73 gears in the 7.5 10 bolt with drag radials . He would drive it to Bristol ( about 56 miles ) and would run 13.0x in the 1/4, around 8.20s to .30s in the 1/8 . He raced it for 3 or 4 years till he sold it.

The rearend will break eventually, but worry about that down the line. It will take some abuse and later down the road if you up the power you can replace the rear.
Now back to the question at hand. How is the torque arm mounted? Does it still have the factory torque arm?

Somewhere on the internet is a guys build that started with a street Camaro and it is a good guide as it takes you every step as he improves it over time. He printed it in a book form and I might have a copy somewhere. You're building this car at a perfect time. IHRA tracks like Crossville should have the new Sportsman class this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Nick:
As of now this will be a street/strip car. I wont be able to check the tranny till we get it to our shop and that could take a while being January is my busiest month. Also will the 10 bolt be able to stand up at the track? I have heard so many horror stories about them. If I stuck a pair of drag radials would be ok?

No problems with that rear axle assembly running low 9's in the 1/8, I wouldn't think.

Look up the build up of a car called the speed mullet. Started out as a 83 305 camaro. Now is a ls powered 5 speed.track car, but is a long build up. Lots of good info if you can find it.