83 T TOP notch Another project,what would you do?

SMOKEDYA

Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Jul 13, 2003
3,637
8
79
Tucson AZ
I might pick up a 83 t top notch. Would you guy's convert it over to EFI? or leave it carbed?It will be my nice day driver not 100% drag car or 100% street and daily driver.If i get it i was thinkingof swapping everything off my 93 coupe over to it. Is this a big task and what all is needed?I was thinking all i needed was the complete engine harness and computer as well as the fuel lines and tank.Does anyone know if the fuel pump wires run in a seperate harness to the tank or are they mixed in with one of the harnesses running to the back of the car? Will i need the full harness out of my 93 (every harness and every wire?) I will keep it a 4 eye all i'm doing is swaping the engine trans rearend and front syspension.I would like to keep it EFI cause as some of you know i just swaped a 351w in my 93 and it's EFI.peace







john:p
 
  • Sponsors (?)


For simplicity/cost sake, if it were mine, an 83 would definitely have a carb. Much easier to set that up well than to build an EFI system for it, and the money you spend on said EFI will never come back:nice:. What wrong with the 93 that'd make you wnat to strip it down as parts?:shrug:
 
Nice!:nice: Yeah, see, I'd be satisfied there, but I know how that goes, when you get there, you can see the next mountain to climb! If'n you got that 83/T Top, I know I don't hafta tell ya, get all kinds of bracing to tie it up, subframes like train rail, strut tower braces that double as aircraft carrier decks- it'll want to bend itself into the Mr. Salty pretzel guy if ya let it:eek:!
 
This is my brainstorm for this car...total stream of consciousness:

A nice little carbed small block (306 or your 351) backed by a tremec and an 8.8 with 3.73's, tubular k member, eibach pro-kit (or similar), koni's, rear LCA's, boxed uppers, subframes, strut tower brace, c/c plates, SN95 5-lug with cobra fronts and rear disc, equal legnth shorties, off road x, mac 2.5" cat back with 3" tails, 84 GT front bumper cover (same grill as 83 but with fog light valence), 2.5" cowl hood, all trim painted stock black, black interior with stock dash and door panels but 90-93 black seats (or Corbeaus), rear seat delete, sitting on 17x8.5 and 17x9.5 ROH ZS wheels

did i leave out anything important? i just winged it on that one! :nice:
 
just went through the same thing last year. On my t top i decided to go efi, just leaves more room for expantion, i converted everything over to 87-93, that way when and if i ever want to sell it i will get top dollar. 95% of people like 87-93, 5% like 79-86 and thats why there is a large price diff.

do what you can afford and makes you happy b/c it is your car and not some pimped up whip siting on 20"s
 
I wouldn't pay more for one that looked like it was a later fox, it still isn't one. I would pay more for a nicer four eye than a beat euro nose. I love the 4 eye, specially my old 86:nice:, its just easier to find newer ones, cuz they made so many, I spose?:shrug:. I'm not at all a fan of T tops, never, ever saw a set that didn't rattle or leak after a couple years, and its always fun to go out on your driveway, and find someone stole your roof last night:notnice:.
 
I say buy it if you have the money and build it separate from your 93.. I have 351w swap headers, an edelbrock performer intake and a set of windsor heads i'd let go really cheap.. i also have a 4cyl T5 but i'm trying to hang onto that for when mine breaks. Good luck with it either way and keep in mind a full T top weather stripping kit costs 350-400.00