L-82 Performance Upgrades
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 39,406
Likes: 171
From: Into the Mystic And yet, despite the look on my face, you're still talking TN
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '25
Interesting thread. I have a 79 L82 4 speed with 65,000 miles that has not been messed with. Still has the air pump even. Ignition and carb (thanks Lars) tweeks helped quite a bit but I have resisted doing anything else because of originality.
I didn't buy the car as an investment (owned it almost nine years and it's maybe worth slightly more than what I originally paid for it, certainly I will never recoup all the money I have put into it over the years) and the point of these cars is fun so why not make it a little more fun with some subtle performance upgrades? A stock head looks like an AFR head on the outside, right
Maybe ditch the cat and go to true duals. That should wake it up and still keep it close to stock appearance. It's not like I'm going to cut a hole in the hood for the blower.
A Pace Car with only 7,000 miles that has been in your family since new I would be concerned about preserving it's originality for sure, but I am rethinking my decision to leave mine alone.
Hmmmmmmmmm
I didn't buy the car as an investment (owned it almost nine years and it's maybe worth slightly more than what I originally paid for it, certainly I will never recoup all the money I have put into it over the years) and the point of these cars is fun so why not make it a little more fun with some subtle performance upgrades? A stock head looks like an AFR head on the outside, right
Maybe ditch the cat and go to true duals. That should wake it up and still keep it close to stock appearance. It's not like I'm going to cut a hole in the hood for the blower. A Pace Car with only 7,000 miles that has been in your family since new I would be concerned about preserving it's originality for sure, but I am rethinking my decision to leave mine alone.
Hmmmmmmmmm
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
I think that if you installed a 2 1/2" dual exhaust system with headers, (save the old exhaust system, if possible) and re-curved the distributor, you would be surprised at how much more SOTP power you would have at your disposal. And, if you decide to go further, you'll already have a nice exhaust system to support it. That's what I would do first, before spending the big bucks on top end kits and such. Exhaust system mods are almost always the first mod on any cars I've ever hopped up.
Scott
Scott
If you decide to step things up a bit, see my signature. A GREAT '2nd Step'.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 3
From: Tampa Bay Florida
Racer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 425
Likes: 2
I think it depends on your goals and what the car has now for rear gears. If you have 2.73 or 3.08 gears I'd build a 406 or 408 with a mild flat tappet cam and vortec heads attached to a 2004r trans. Pull the original engine and trans and store it in the garage for safe keeping. Use some C2 exhaust manifolds with the 2.5" outlets and have them ported. Pypes makes a true dual exhaust for this car. Enjoy it the way YOU want to.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,945
Likes: 851
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Pace - The only manifold from Edelbrock that will fit under the stock Corvette hood is the 2101 (non-egr) or 3701 (egr) Performers. The Performer Air-Gap (2601), Performer RPM and Performer RPM Air-Gap are all too tall according to the Edelbrock catalog, requiring modification (ouch!) to the stock hood or use of a big block hood. I'm keeping mine all stock, or at least stock appearing (shhh).
