84 Tune-Up
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 233
Likes: 1
From: Parkersburg WV
84 Tune-Up
My 84 with automatic is home in the garage from the shop with a vacuum leak in the intake manifold. It runs like a plug isn't working, it kind of started with poor performance and hesitation, now it won't even shift out of second at full throttle. I am going to get a Renegade, don't want to have to do the work twice with the manifolds, I have to wait till July and am going to put in some plugs and wires myself and see if it runs better. What do you experienced Crossfire owners recommend, I want high performance and could change the plugs often it it's easy
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
I owned a crossfire for 12 years. If you really want to know what I recommend, here it is (you asked).
1. If you want a fun, reliable daily driver, fix the issues and leave it stock.
2. If you want more power, change titles.
Seriously. And since your last sentence indicates you want high performance, unload the 84 before you sink a ton of money into it. You can pick up 95 HP in an afternoon by selling it and buying an LT1 car. The Renegade may not even exist judging from the banter on here. Why not just change your intake gasket, correct all the vacuum leaks, tune the CFI correctly (including balancing the TBI's) and sell it as a good running car and buy the car you really wanted in the first place.
You asked opinions of us who have owned them. Now you have one.
1. If you want a fun, reliable daily driver, fix the issues and leave it stock.
2. If you want more power, change titles.
Seriously. And since your last sentence indicates you want high performance, unload the 84 before you sink a ton of money into it. You can pick up 95 HP in an afternoon by selling it and buying an LT1 car. The Renegade may not even exist judging from the banter on here. Why not just change your intake gasket, correct all the vacuum leaks, tune the CFI correctly (including balancing the TBI's) and sell it as a good running car and buy the car you really wanted in the first place.
You asked opinions of us who have owned them. Now you have one.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 233
Likes: 1
From: Parkersburg WV
This is my second quick reply, I don't know what hapenned to the other one! I hope I can get some discussion about this. My mechanics said it has the leak and there would be some leak when they fixed it because the manifold warps and the top plate where the throttle bodies attach isn't flat. I will also be getting the throttle bushing service, a high performance catalytic converter, I have some cat-back B&Bs, and the tune-up. There will be a K&N and I use Mobil 1 and Z-Max. Almost everything else on the car is GM. I even take it to the dealer for service. I really love this car, it could see 25,000 dollars. You should see the guy from DCS's 84, it's on their gallery, that's why.
Thanks for the reply Friz, I really appreciate it, Hi everybody!
Thanks for the reply Friz, I really appreciate it, Hi everybody!
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 365
Likes: 92
From: Arkansas
I owned a crossfire for 12 years. If you really want to know what I recommend, here it is (you asked).
1. If you want a fun, reliable daily driver, fix the issues and leave it stock.
2. If you want more power, change titles.
Seriously. And since your last sentence indicates you want high performance, unload the 84 before you sink a ton of money into it. You can pick up 95 HP in an afternoon by selling it and buying an LT1 car. The Renegade may not even exist judging from the banter on here. Why not just change your intake gasket, correct all the vacuum leaks, tune the CFI correctly (including balancing the TBI's) and sell it as a good running car and buy the car you really wanted in the first place.
You asked opinions of us who have owned them. Now you have one.
1. If you want a fun, reliable daily driver, fix the issues and leave it stock.
2. If you want more power, change titles.
Seriously. And since your last sentence indicates you want high performance, unload the 84 before you sink a ton of money into it. You can pick up 95 HP in an afternoon by selling it and buying an LT1 car. The Renegade may not even exist judging from the banter on here. Why not just change your intake gasket, correct all the vacuum leaks, tune the CFI correctly (including balancing the TBI's) and sell it as a good running car and buy the car you really wanted in the first place.
You asked opinions of us who have owned them. Now you have one.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 27
From: Monroe Twp, NJ
If you really like this car and are willing to invest your time and money you can have just as much enjoyment out of your 84 and then some. If you dont want a air bag stearing you in your face and all the glitter the newer C4s have you will probably be happier if you keep you 84. The myth that the crossfire is a dog is just that a myth.When set up right it will perform as well or better than the L98. My 84 is set up the older school of modifacation which 8 years or more was the Wealand Xram set up .I also have had the TB inlarged , a 85 FP and a performance chip and a Camaro ECM. I dont know if the Renegade is fact or fiction but you can have the stock crossfire manifold ported. The crossfire needs to breath. 13 second quaters are a reality with a ported manifold, and some ignation and exhaust work. I love my 84 and would not trade it for a newer C4. You also are exempt in most states from the thread mill or sniffer. You just need a safety check. If you have a Z51 car thats a plus. It was one of the best handling Corvettes ever built. Get in touch with the guys on the " Crossfire Injection Forum". They know how to mank 82s and 84s run with the best of them.
Last edited by ps374; Jun 14, 2010 at 06:15 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 233
Likes: 1
From: Parkersburg WV
Thanks everybody. It has been along first year with my 84. I just wanted a sports car before I bought it and didn't look very much, I looked at a nice TR6 and found out I couldn't get a loan for it and made plans to save about six months before I saw my Vette. My first car was a 72 Midget and I had a 72 914 to drive and a 924, the Vette just totally blows me away, best handling car I have ever driven. I hear what you are saying about leaving it stock. I think one of the reasons I want to mod is it has always had this vacuum leak and has been kind of slow and now there is something else wrong. My top speed before was 128. It started off just running kind of bad, hesitating a little and now it seems like there is a plug out. The car was never maintained well, I would have changed the plugs a year ago but I have had to fix other things, they look horrible, rusted so bad I am going to soak them with Liquid Wrench for a couple of days and blow them off with canned air. I really do drive fast and I want something that performs well but will last, Thanks. I was also really wondering about this "chronic" problem of the manifold warping.
Last edited by AstroMan1; Jun 15, 2010 at 08:00 AM. Reason: I forgot
Racer
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: Shelton CT
I agree with get it running properly and leave it stock. My stock crossfire is dead reliable. Basically runs like new. Yeah it's a bit slower than the L98's, but so what? It's still pretty quick and handles like a gocart with the Z51. Lot of fun to drive.
If you want a lot more power it makes more sense to sell it and move up to at least an
LT1. A lot cheaper and easier than modding the crossfire.
If you want a lot more power it makes more sense to sell it and move up to at least an
LT1. A lot cheaper and easier than modding the crossfire.
