C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Maximum Horsepower, Minimum Budget

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 8, 2008 | 10:36 PM
  #41  
martinsw's Avatar
martinsw
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 599
Likes: 16
From: vista CA
Default

Wow - lots of strong opinions here. As you have done some to improve your exhaust, I second others inputs - next is intake (carb, manifold, cam and heads). Those smog choked heads are probably your biggest problem - better heads and cam.... my $0.02

Or do as I and other have, put in an LS1!
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 07:08 AM
  #42  
enkeivette's Avatar
enkeivette
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
Default

Originally Posted by chevr0letman
Bought the Cat from autopartswarehouse for 60 and welded everything up.

You mean cats for $120 right?
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 07:08 PM
  #43  
chevr0letman's Avatar
chevr0letman
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Stockton California
Default

No, I mean CAT for 60. As i had previously upgraded my catalytic converter and there was no need to buy 2 more.
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 07:27 PM
  #44  
brngrhd's Avatar
brngrhd
Racer
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 364
Likes: 1
From: Dane Wisconsin
Default

that was what he was talking about before on the true dual exhaust
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 07:45 PM
  #45  
enkeivette's Avatar
enkeivette
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
Default

Originally Posted by chevr0letman
No, I mean CAT for 60. As i had previously upgraded my catalytic converter and there was no need to buy 2 more.
So what are you going to do when you have to smog it?
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 10:16 PM
  #46  
rayluka's Avatar
rayluka
Drifting
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 13
From: Kingman AZ
Default

Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 11:52 PM
  #47  
brngrhd's Avatar
brngrhd
Racer
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 364
Likes: 1
From: Dane Wisconsin
Default

Originally Posted by torqvette
How do you have dual exhaust if you only have one catalytic converter?
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 02:00 PM
  #48  
Snoopysvet's Avatar
Snoopysvet
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,941
Likes: 35
From: El Cajon California
Default

If you are on a budget you are correct not to invest in nitrous, the bottle recharges will get expensive and the risk of blowing up the engine is too great, then you will be right back looking at a crate engine.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 02:56 PM
  #49  
mayordaly's Avatar
mayordaly
Instructor
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: N. Tustin Ca
Default You guys are brutal

I've enjoyed reading this thread, lots of good info and opinions, But...
everyone can't be and expert and it's fine for others to have their own ideas. I was a gearhead in the 60's and thought I knew it all about hot rods and drag racing. The tech stuff nowadays make my head
hurt so I still enjoy tinkering with old school hot rodding. But I would be afraid to ask for advise if I did not know enough on a subject.
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 07:43 PM
  #50  
chevr0letman's Avatar
chevr0letman
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Stockton California
Default

Mayor: Who are you talking about?

Torqvette: Plan to get her smogged at good ole "no hablo english" smog shop. In a word, illegally smog it. I would have to anywho because I don't have air pump anymore and I'm not planning on getting an egr manifold. California is way too strict on smog laws and I'm not going to give up all of that horsepower so liberals can be happy.
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 08:33 PM
  #51  
GlockGuy's Avatar
GlockGuy
Pro
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 592
Likes: 0
From: ElP TX
Default

A good basic somewhat easy "bolt on" start is:
Intake (w/carb)
Cam
Headers/dual exhaust
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 10:28 PM
  #52  
joshtried's Avatar
joshtried
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 39
From: Denver, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Default

everyone in this thread is BRUTAL! just to throw a somethin out there that i read, and i think others may forget this... he asked how to get to 300 horsies.. not how to pass smog.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 12:56 AM
  #53  
mayordaly's Avatar
mayordaly
Instructor
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: N. Tustin Ca
Default

Originally Posted by chevr0letman
Mayor: Who are you talking about?

Torqvette: Plan to get her smogged at good ole "no hablo english" smog shop. In a word, illegally smog it. I would have to anywho because I don't have air pump anymore and I'm not planning on getting an egr manifold. California is way too strict on smog laws and I'm not going to give up all of that horsepower so liberals can be happy.
I'm on your side chevroletman, I heard what you were asking then I watched the thread grow into all out debates. I have had cars where
I was on a budget (flat broke) It was fun and educational to see or feel
what you did to a car ..Carbs, headers, then comp. clutches, whatever
I could aford at the Time. I never knew what my HP gain was,
never went to a dyno. Just found out on Grudge night at the strip.

Who cares if its 10 or 15 HP and what would have been a better way to go. A good ole gear head always find out by trial and error, not from a spec book. That my 2 cents

brngrhd: I love your Avatar

Last edited by mayordaly; Apr 11, 2008 at 01:03 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 01:09 AM
  #54  
spike1360's Avatar
spike1360
Instructor
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 119
Likes: 2
From: Baton Rouge La
Default

Originally Posted by gkull
Shorty headers are not much better than cast iron ram horns. They are just pipes not true tuned headers.

Weiand 144 ci supercharger for about $2500

Isn't their a minimum horsepower requirement for the block before a supercharger will even work? Thought I'd heard that, but what do I know
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 02:15 AM
  #55  
GZVETTE's Avatar
GZVETTE
Racer
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
From: Prattville Al.
Default

Originally Posted by gingerbreadman1977
speed is just a question of money..... how much do you want to spend?
hp and budget dont mix
SO TRUE MY MAN! This is a great thread

Last edited by GZVETTE; Apr 11, 2008 at 02:22 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 04:35 AM
  #56  
enkeivette's Avatar
enkeivette
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
Default

Originally Posted by chevr0letman
Torqvette: Plan to get her smogged at good ole "no hablo english" smog shop. In a word, illegally smog it. I would have to anywho because I don't have air pump anymore and I'm not planning on getting an egr manifold. California is way too strict on smog laws and I'm not going to give up all of that horsepower so liberals can be happy.
Originally Posted by chevr0letman
But I'm a little harder to please than that. I want permanent, legal, power.

This being said, there are obviously two realms that nox exists in. Your realm, and mine. You're in the race realm, I'm in california.
Wonder how I got the wrong impression. Anyways, good for you. Having a dual exhaust is not going to cause more pollution, I run two cats and on DC dyno day my car made more power than any other car there, but my car was one of only a few that didn't make it hard to breathe in the dyno shop. Smog laws are guided by strict rules rather than a knowledge of proper function.

Originally Posted by spike1360
Isn't their a minimum horsepower requirement for the block before a supercharger will even work? Thought I'd heard that, but what do I know
I suppose if your engine made less hp than it took to drive the supercharger you might run into problems. And I don't think that anyone in here is running a VTEC engine.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 09:25 AM
  #57  
TedH's Avatar
TedH
Le Mans Master
Supporting Lifetime
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
Default

This recipe works great in my book. You can stop with the modifications once you are happy with the results. You can probably do ok without the cylinder head replacement (perhaps a refresh and 3-angle valve job) and pistons but I'd consider the camshaft if yours is not the L82 (otherwise, your cam is fine).

See my response here:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1993970
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Maximum Horsepower, Minimum Budget

Old Apr 11, 2008 | 11:53 AM
  #58  
OregonVette80's Avatar
OregonVette80
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 830
Likes: 1
Default

Thread needs more skin...Less Egotistical Confrontation.

Reply
Old Apr 11, 2008 | 04:08 PM
  #59  
martinsw's Avatar
martinsw
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 599
Likes: 16
From: vista CA
Default

Originally Posted by OregonVette80
Thread needs more skin...Less Egotistical Confrontation.

I have an urge to go swimming now
Reply
Old May 10, 2008 | 11:01 AM
  #60  
derek 91 vette's Avatar
derek 91 vette
Advanced
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
Default

what about 3.73's,3.90's or 4.10's?
Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:45 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE