Hi guys!

Best mods to do to a 79' vette?
Already has a 350 goodwrench replacement 4 bolt main engine, no Idea of HP ( if anyone can help me that 'd be great! Engine was installed in 2005.)
Engine numbers: 1M1118 VP
10066036
Has true dual exhausts as well. Thinking headers and losing the AC to lose weight? But what headers would fit without welding?
I already have the true dual exhaust, but still uses the standard cast iron exhaust manifolds.
I prefer to buy as little/small ( literally small as in little) parts as possible to save a bit on shipping costs, as I'm european . Short headers are less tan half the shipping price probably ( and add 30% tax on both the item and shipping after, unless it's sent as 'gift') .
What performance gains would I see with short headers?
What performance gains would I see with an alloy intake?
I've been thinking about fitting a shift kit too ( got a 350 3 speed auto trans). WOuld it improve 0-60 times a bit?

cheers!

 

Performance gains will only come from internal engine modifications for your street driven 350" engine. Modifications like a higher lift/longer duration camshaft and a higher compression ratio. If you were able to drive your C3 without its exhaust pipes and mufflers headers would allow a bit more power but only at the higher rev ranges..

 

Shorty header do not improve performance much. A touch at higher rpms maybe. They do help loose a few lbs though. There were two threads about a month ago of a couple of shorty headers that fit/might fit the stock downpipes.

 

Cheers!
Was thinking about something like this, just the looks alone are already a good thing for me! :p
Any idea what HP the stock 2005 crate engine has?
I'd love to put some alloy 64cc heads etc on it. But shipping them here would cost way way too much. don't know if the stock heads can be shaved enough and ported. My previous tuning experiences were with classic british ( mini coopers) and ford mustangs.

I know, with those mini coopers etc you can buy aftermarket cams wich don't really need different heads. Don't know if they exist for sbc's too. If my reseearch is correct, the 8.5:1 compression is a bit of a bottleneck.


I'd love to reach a solid 300hp and have the car a bit quicker to 60. Nothing really really crazy, as the sheer looks of these cars are enough to get loads of respect! The 3 speed auto slows it down a bit too probably. Finding a 4 speed manual would be great, but probably very hard to find over here too.

1 thing that really looks too small is the airfilter. THink it should be mor elike 3" in height. Its about 1" now.

Any other super duper aftermarket parts wich are a ' have to have' part now wich improve the general cars performance/drivability/reliability?

All ideas and news is welcome

pic of the car, imported from new york. Included a very very rusty birdcage!

 

My thoughts-go through the ignition system carefully-order a spring kit to recurve it to optimum advance. Shorts, as mentioned seem to really just be a weight savings, bite the bullet and get long tubes-they will help a lot now and in the future. Get a good air cleaner with cold air snorkle(s).

You are kind of stuck as you say with the compression without buying heads or a rebuild with hi-comp pistons.

You seem to have the front end off-makes a mild cam swap easy. A Goodwrench replacement motor with have nothing special in it at all. Cam manufacturers ought to be able to suggest an inexpensive flat tappet cam that will help a bit and a new timing chain will get it performing to its best

Look for a used aluminum intake as used on the L82 and L81 engines. Ought to be cheap so you'll save on tax. It will accommodate your present carb, linkages and fittings which will also save you money and it will save a bit of weight.

With headers and true duals you will likely need to fiddle with the carb to optimize mixture and gain the full power benefit.

 

Where could I get one of these spring kits?
Yeah, front end ( front clip) is removed to be able to weld the birdcage. All good fun - not!!.

Are there any headers wich can be bought and attached to the stock exhaust by cutting the stock exhaust pipe(well, true duals) and using a 'slip joint'? I'd prefer not to need to weld, as I don't have a tig, and there really aren't any exhaust shops around. The joy of living in a car hating country!!

thanks

 

This is a common question. Make sure to do a search. The short version is there the 81/82 and early C4 manifolds but they do require welding the AIR ports shut. In the aftermarket there are a couple units that look very close to fitting the stock exhaust flange/donut. A quick search shows these threads.....

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...k-exhaust.html

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...manifolds.html

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...t-headers.html

 

A shift kit for your TH350 will help wit more agressive shifts giving you better acceleration. An adjustable modulator on the trans should go with this mod so you can modify the part throttle shifts to your liking.

Also a higher stall torque converter is fun and gets the motor higher up the RPM range before the converter is fully locked at full throttle. This gives more torque to the wheels for faster acceleration. Something in the 2500 RPM stall range should be good.
Along with that stall torque converter a trans cooler should be installed. Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. With a stall converter there is more heat being generated.

If it still has the Q-jet then getting that running well is a big boost to performance.
Look up cliff ruggles on amazon for his book that will teach you about the Q-jet and how to rebuild/modify it. Either that or send it to Lars or Cliff here in the states.

As already mentioned recurving the timing is a nice performance enhancer as well. Do a search for Lars' papers. It will teach you how to get better performance out of your ignition timing.