fmagl59

What is the single best performance mod for a 1994 Stock LT1 Spd. Would the Hypertech Power Programmer III give the most bang for the buck? Or does most of the performance gains come from tricking out Auto Trans.

If not Hypertech then what?

Nathan Plemons

Certainly not a hypertech. Gears will give you a great kick in the pants but you won't make any more power. Heads / cam is the only way to fly for real horsepower all the time. Nitrous is the cheapest way to go fast, but only until the bottle runs out.

Mr Mojo

Practice driving it. That is the best thing you can do. The faster you drive it the faster it wants to go.

FELNGR8

The hypertech won't do squat for your car. After you do some serious modding you could use it to change fan temps and rev limit or adjust for different gears. But to retune the PCM, not worth it.

I don't think there is a single thing to do that is worthwhile alone. One mod leads to another, and some work best together. Like if you put on headers you would benefit from a better exhaust. Then when you do the cam you won't get the full benefit without ported heads. Or if you do a cam you really need headers to get the most out of the cam.

Once you start you can't quit, it's addictive.

Aqua94vette

Spray it

Glasman66

Without a doubt the most bang for the buck was gears.

You'll feel it in the seat of your pants. Don't "f" around either, I went with 4.10s, very very happy!

Amazing1

OK, I've just got to ask. I'm a newbie with this Corvette stuff, so would someone be kind enought to tell me what it means when you guys are talking about changing gears to 4.10.

How much of the engine is taken apart and replaced when new gears are installed, can it mess up anything else on your car, and approximately how much would such a modification cost to a LT1?

Thanks...

ZF Six

You have a 6 speed, do 4.10 gears, you'll be amazed.

Glasman66

The gears are what transfer power to the wheels for m the drive shaft.
They are contained in the differential in the rear axel. When you chang the ratio you make it easier for the engine to work because you are multipying it's power.

If you can imagine a bike chain and sprocket, it would be like putting a larger sprocket on the rear wheel. It would be easier to peddle but you'd be giving up top end in the sacrifice.

With the ZF6 transmission, the 4.10 gears make the transmission more usable.

Here is a good place to go to understand better
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential3.htm

JCD

Yeah, the gears sound like the best option (I think I've seen people recommend forged pistons before you run nitrous or super/turbo chargers).

OK, easy question; who does rear-end work and what is the typical cost and down time?

PreferEuroRacing

The higher the number the higher RPM is needed for a certain speed. So, acceleration is quicker. It's needs to be balanced by how you drive, however. If you do a lot of highway driving at 70-80 MPH you may not like the higher RPM. But, a Vette makes so much power that you can use it's power band better. I have 3.45 in mine and am happy with it but I don't drag race.

cicch95

But, with a 6 speed the rpm shouldn't go up to much on the highway. Anyone with a 6 speed and 4.10's care to comment. Right now I tach at like 2,000 at around 80 with my 3.42's.

-Rick

fmagl59

OK I agree.... gears will kick up the hole shots.... but I do a lot of highway driving, and If I remember correctly from my Muscle Car years, if you throw in 411's or 410's, then your really screaming on the highways. Is there a middle ground?

Hypertech quotes 25hp and better torque gains. Is that BS?

vetterlatethannever

Just from what I've read I wouldn't spend the money, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

BAM92

I put a Hypertech in my Trans Am and it didn't do squat. I uploaded the program and just left the cooler fan settings. Gears and muffler eliminators are best bang for your buck. Gears will really make your car more fun to drive and louder exhaust will complete the feeling.

TIMSPEED

ok, I'm lost..you say you have a 6spd, then you also say you wanna trick out the auto trans...???
If you do in fact have a 6spd, then I would DEFINATELY say get the 4.10 gears. Next, for little money, have the mufflers/resonator replace with straight pipe. That's 100% the best bang for the buck on an LT1 6spd car.

bamabcs

Don't forget that changing gears could change gas mileage since you do a lot of highway driving. maybe someone here could tell you how much since I haven't changed my gears.
I would say exhaust upgrade would be among my first choices.

But if you really want bang for the buck....stroke it...

I stroked my 94 auto, and actually improved gas mileage.
I do a lot of highway driving too.

Nathan Plemons

Yes you can go with 3.73's but that's a change that is hardly worth it. Remember from your muscle car days that most of those cars had a 4 spd. If it had an overdrive 5-spd you were lucky, a 6-spd wasn't even thought of. The ZF-6 in the Vette has 2 overdrives, which makes it a dream for gears.

On a stone stock LT1 car, 6th gear cruises 71 mph at 1600 RPM's. Throw in 4.10 gears and you're up to all of 1900 RPM's, still an idle compared to what a lot of cars cruise at.

Mr Mojo

Other than my advice on driving the car hard, put a Corsa on. I never believed the claims from a cat back exhaust, but on both my cars I gained 1.5 mph in the 1/4 mile. If that isn't a gain, I don't know what is.

I wouldn't touch the gears until further down the mod list.

F1Fan

If you'll remember, you didn't have 6-speed transmission with a 2:1 overdrive 6th gear back then! That makes ALL the difference for hwy driving/hwy mileage. I have 4.10's in my Camaro, and they rock, just about the best bang for a buck in a Camaro (already had the catback). It's the first mod I'm going to do to my C4.

Also, if your going to do many mods to your C4, get a laptop and LT1-Edit, it's way better than a hypertech. And I don't see how a hypertech is going to give you 25 hp safely.