When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Decided to polish out the wheels on the drivers side before leaving for work, I'll get the passenger side done tomorrow probably.
It was a quickie job with a wool pad on a 1/4 right angle grinder and then cotton cloths to polish. Top picture is the before on the rear wheel, bottom picture is the after of the front wheel.
I need to figure out what I am going to do to touch up the paint inside the intakes...… any tips would be appreciated!!
First time I have looked at a C4 vert and thought, "Man that looks good". Never was a fan of the vert, but you have it looking nice.
Thanks, I think it's a great looking car and I'm mostly happy with it so far.
I say mostly happy because I barely edged out a new Honda Civic Si tonight on my way home from work. It was a side by side race and although I was pulling away, I was gradually pulling away. We both backed out at a pretty decent clip and it got me thinking more about performance. It feels like it has more than 240hp because of the gobs of torque the TPI offers...… but there is room for improvement.
I figure I got a good deal on the car and considering the fact that it has a newer engine..... now would be the time to consider some performance upgrades.
I don't have a laundry list of things I want to do yet, but figured I would start with a SuperL98 cam, a 58mm throttle body, and a better flowing exhaust system. We don't have emissions where I live and when I had the PROM built for the L98 in my S-10 I went all emissions delete, no smog, no EGR. It also has a open element air filter and the only restriction in the exhaust is the F-Body manifolds (I have a set of LT1 Manifolds that never got installed) and the Magnaflow muffler. It is an iron head L98 from an 89 IROC running a Vette tune with a 180 degree thermostat to help keep cylinder head temps under control with the more aggressive timing of said tune.
I have thought about long tube headers and a true dual exhaust system for the Vette as well, but would like to hear others opinions. I don't mind loud exhaust when I romp on it but would like it to be relatively mellow when at cruising speed.
Thanks, I think it's a great looking car and I'm mostly happy with it so far.
I say mostly happy because I barely edged out a new Honda Civic Si tonight on my way home from work. It was a side by side race and although I was pulling away, I was gradually pulling away. We both backed out at a pretty decent clip and it got me thinking more about performance. It feels like it has more than 240hp because of the gobs of torque the TPI offers...… but there is room for improvement.
I figure I got a good deal on the car and considering the fact that it has a newer engine..... now would be the time to consider some performance upgrades.
I don't have a laundry list of things I want to do yet, but figured I would start with a SuperL98 cam, a 58mm throttle body, and a better flowing exhaust system. We don't have emissions where I live and when I had the PROM built for the L98 in my S-10 I went all emissions delete, no smog, no EGR. It also has a open element air filter and the only restriction in the exhaust is the F-Body manifolds (I have a set of LT1 Manifolds that never got installed) and the Magnaflow muffler. It is an iron head L98 from an 89 IROC running a Vette tune with a 180 degree thermostat to help keep cylinder head temps under control with the more aggressive timing of said tune.
I have thought about long tube headers and a true dual exhaust system for the Vette as well, but would like to hear others opinions. I don't mind loud exhaust when I romp on it but would like it to be relatively mellow when at cruising speed.
Jared
Figure out what you gearing is,,,probably 2.73 with the Automatic...anyway, best "Bang for the Buck" "Seat of the Pants" feel would be to get to 3.08 or even 3.45:1 if you really want to wake that little car up. Save the money you will spend on Cams and Headers...spend that $$$ on suspension and brakes. Have fun!!
1988 Corvette Convertible with BBS Rims 1994 Corvette Convertible "Survivor"
I really like the lines of the C4 Convertibles...I had a Black/Tan '88 and now a Polo Green Metallic '94.
It's funny that you mentioned the suspension, one of my first orders of business was going to be Poly bushings all the way around and new shocks. The brakes, while stock, are new and I will leave them be for the moment..... my ridiculous theory on brakes is if you aren't slowing down fast enough.... PUSH HARDER!!
The cam talk and exhaust talk was a knee jerk reaction to that Civic. While I will certainly dump some additional performance into the engine one day, the way the car handles is top priority.
Suck that dark brake fluid out of the reservoirs and put in fresh... do it every time it gets dark until it stays clear.
Yep, a brake fluid flush is certainly on the "to do" list. I've got a lot of things on the "to do" list actually. Finances are stable but not abundant at the moment. It's going to be a payday by payday type thing.
When I get to a point that I know I have a big purchase approaching.... I'll just work 2 weeks straight and suck up the overtime.
I'm going to be ordering the steering rack for it today, hopefully get it installed this weekend.
Started Saturday by giving the Vert a good scrub and then spent a few hours with a clay bar pulling the garbage and white overspray out of the paint. Spent the rest of the day doing a little bit of wet sanding and a whole lot of cutting and polishing. The paint while very shiny, does have it's imperfections and is what I would consider perfect for a daily driver. This thing does get a lot of looks while buzzing around with the top down!!
This morning was dedicated to a complete brake fluid flush. Picked up 2 bottles of Synthetic DOT3 this morning and almost used all of both bottles. I'm glad I did it as there was some air coming out of the right rear for awhile under vacuum. I have a HF vacuum pump and 1/2 gallon glass jar I use for fluid sucking purposes. Works really well and was cheap to assemble. I have one of those hand held vacuum pumps with the tiny reservoir and have never had good luck with them.
Brakes actually feel better than they did before I started, and the reservoirs are clear again!!
My remanufactured Rack and Pinion will be here tomorrow according to tracking info, and last night I ordered a complete Prothane bushing kit for the entire car. I plan on getting that knocked out next weekend. Next payday will be 4 new Bilsteins and after I get them installed, it's off to the alignment shop!!
Anyways, enjoy the pictures and DRIVE SAFE!!!
Jared
Last edited by lotsofspareparts; 04-28-2019 at 09:33 PM.
Indeed a beautiful car.
I notice the high oil pressure, indicating a very tight motor. From the looks of those wheel covers I'd say you have the quick steering also.
To add a little more power:
-cut open the air filter lid and install a K&N
-if the "frisbee" is still on the WP pulley, toss the damn thing
-install a 160deg T-stat
-remove the spare & jack and run around with ~1/2 tank of fuel (1/3-2/3)
Indeed exhaust mods will bring some very nice performance gains.
Indeed a beautiful car.
I notice the high oil pressure, indicating a very tight motor. From the looks of those wheel covers I'd say you have the quick steering also.
To add a little more power:
-cut open the air filter lid and install a K&N
-if the "frisbee" is still on the WP pulley, toss the damn thing
-install a 160deg T-stat
-remove the spare & jack and run around with ~1/2 tank of fuel (1/3-2/3)
Indeed exhaust mods will bring some very nice performance gains.
Keep on enjoying your new '88.
Thanks for that!!
It is a Z52 car, hence the 17in wheels and the tight steering amongst other goodies.
Frisbee is gone, as is the spare tire. Has 180 degree thermostat installed.
I will dabble with more airflow in the future, finishing up the steering and suspension is on top of the list at the moment.
65psi at cold start high idle.... 1100rpm. Hot idle is between 40-45psi. One of the other indications the engine was fresh.
Jared Cold start oil pressure Hot idle after 33 mile drive to work. I'm running Mobil 1 Advanced Synthetic 5W/30
Last edited by lotsofspareparts; 04-29-2019 at 06:51 PM.
I ordered my 4 new Bilstein shocks from AJusa yesterday, very very fair prices BTW. My grand total with WA State sales tax added on and shipping (free) was $333. That was for the OEM equivalent B6 shocks. What sucks is that I probably won't see them for 3 months!! They are apparently on a nationwide backorder.
Ordered my Prothane Complete Urethane Bushing kit which takes care of the steering rack mount, upper and lower control arms front and rear, trailing arms, differential mount?, and the kit includes urethane boots for the tie rods. I had to order the front and rear swab bar bushings separately since the C4 came with 3 different sizes of front bar, and 3 different sizes of rear bar. The red sway bar bushings are on backorder also for a few weeks.
My remanufactured rack and pinion arrived on Monday, I will be waiting to install it until the sway bar bushings arrive since I have to disconnect the sway bar to pull the old rack out.
I made an appointment to have the car dyno'd for Friday next week. I want to get a baseline before I start my improvements. I'm starting with intake and exhaust, I've selected Hedman ceramic coated LT headers, the cats will be deleted, and I am going to go with whatever the speed shop recommends for piping and mufflers. and I haven't decided on a throttle body yet, but will probably go with a BBK 58mm unit. After those 2 modifications it will be back on the dyno to see the improvement. The cam install will be the last thing I do, I am leaning towards a "Super L98" cam and 1.6 rockers, or possibly a ZZ4 cam.. I figure it's better to get the engine to breath better before it starts gasping for air with a new cam.
My goal is to be in the 300hp 400tq range at the wheels.
Anyways, that is as far as I have gotten so far.
Jared
Last edited by lotsofspareparts; 05-01-2019 at 03:12 PM.
Man your moving right along on yours. Ive been putting time in on mine, but its just creeping along, but its a pretty major project. Just some food for thought on your choices, of course these are all just my opinions, so take it like that. Headers and exhaust should make a decent difference. headers are on my to do list, Ive heard almost all the sets take some work to get in even though they are "made" for our cars. Are you trying to stay mostly stock? The blisteins are a decent shock, but I have heard good things about the kyb gas adjusts for our cars and I think you can get a full set for around 130 bucks on amazon. Another really good option is the qa1's, but their a bit pricey, probably 600 for a full set of single adjustable s. Im going to use those, but do coil overs in the fronts. Either way though you could have them in a couple days instead of months. Cam and 1.6's is a great as well. I would vote against the TB though, at least for now. The stock intake on our cars is basically crap. Dont get me wrong I love they way they look, but they choke the hell outta the engine. With your plan, your really gonna starve it even with a bigger tb. The big runners and the porting dont really help that much either, with the flow numbers Ive seen, some porting even seems to hurt them a bit for some reason. In my mind, with your mods, that thing is screaming for a miniram, While the looks arent near as appealing, at least to me, it really flows and lets the l98 rev like it is supposed to and will compliment everything else your doing and make a huge difference. They are a bit pricey new, but you see them pop up used here and there for under 1k and a lot of times they already have a bigger tb. Anyway just something to think about. The superram is also an option, but I just think there hideous looking lol. There was a guy on here that used to mod lt1 intakes for an l98 that was similar to miniram stats and were economical, but dont think he does that anymore. Im really kicking myself for not picking one of those up.. Keep up the good work. Also with the bushings, let me know how they turn out. Ive heard that the urethane bushings squeak a lot more than the rubber ones, though they should last forever. Not even sure if you can get a rubber kit anymore.
Man your moving right along on yours. Ive been putting time in on mine, but its just creeping along, but its a pretty major project. Just some food for thought on your choices, of course these are all just my opinions, so take it like that. Headers and exhaust should make a decent difference. headers are on my to do list, Ive heard almost all the sets take some work to get in even though they are "made" for our cars. Are you trying to stay mostly stock? The blisteins are a decent shock, but I have heard good things about the kyb gas adjusts for our cars and I think you can get a full set for around 130 bucks on amazon. Another really good option is the qa1's, but their a bit pricey, probably 600 for a full set of single adjustable s. Im going to use those, but do coil overs in the fronts. Either way though you could have them in a couple days instead of months. Cam and 1.6's is a great as well. I would vote against the TB though, at least for now. The stock intake on our cars is basically crap. Dont get me wrong I love they way they look, but they choke the hell outta the engine. With your plan, your really gonna starve it even with a bigger tb. The big runners and the porting dont really help that much either, with the flow numbers Ive seen, some porting even seems to hurt them a bit for some reason. In my mind, with your mods, that thing is screaming for a miniram, While the looks arent near as appealing, at least to me, it really flows and lets the l98 rev like it is supposed to and will compliment everything else your doing and make a huge difference. They are a bit pricey new, but you see them pop up used here and there for under 1k and a lot of times they already have a bigger tb. Anyway just something to think about. The superram is also an option, but I just think there hideous looking lol. There was a guy on here that used to mod lt1 intakes for an l98 that was similar to miniram stats and were economical, but dont think he does that anymore. Im really kicking myself for not picking one of those up.. Keep up the good work. Also with the bushings, let me know how they turn out. Ive heard that the urethane bushings squeak a lot more than the rubber ones, though they should last forever. Not even sure if you can get a rubber kit anymore.
I've heard good and bad things about the KYB's. I installed a set on our 06 Limited Durango and was happy enough with them, but heard that the valving in the ones that are sold for our cars doesn't match the spring rate of our cars. I'm sort of a purist..... I really like OEM stuff, or OEM styled stuff. I went with the Bilsteins because they were still available, and immediately recognizeable. When I popped the hood for a buddy at work today he commented on the Bilsteins and was amazed at how wide the tires were. That being said (more purism).... I have always been in love with the looks of the TPI intake, it is another one of those things that are immediately recognizeable. That is the main reason I installed an L98 engine in my S10. If someone were to offer me a LT1 car with the newer interior in trade for my car.... I would most certainly say no. I got lucky and got the car I was waiting for. The cool digital dash and square interior, and the L98 engine!! I personally think the square interior ages better. I see a lot of 90's C4's that seems like parts of the dash get warped and just don't seem like they fit right. I do like the softer look of the front and rear bumpers of the mid 90's C4's though.
I may eventually break down and pick up one of First's TPI setups, which retains most of the original TPI look but can make massive amounts of power. https://firstfuelinjection.com/
A funny side note about the digital dash..... when I drove the car up to my fathers house he mentioned that he test drove a C4 back in the 80's when he was shopping for a truck. He looked in the car and said he had forgot that the dash was digital. He commented on how far ahead of it's time it was..... and he was right. Look at a lot of new cars you buy today with digital dashes.
Urethane bushings can certainly be noisy, it is important to grease them good before installation. Never install them dry!!
In the end I am just counting on having a car that is safe and fun to drive, that looks cool and retains it's originality...… with enough power to pull away from a Honda Civic...… and pull away with authority!!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. We should get together at some point, you have been the closest member who has commented.
KYBs are for a cruiser only, I have them, I don't like them. If you just want to cruise then they are good. Bilsteins if you want to feel the road and stick better to it.
Be sure to lube the hell out of the bushings or they'll squeak.
Until you go big cubic inches, a 58mm TB is a waste of your money. Stock 48 is perfectly fine for a L98, its the rest of the L98 induction that limits you. I'm only running a BBK 58 because I have a 398 underneath with a SR. If I were still running a 350 with the SR, I'd be using only a 52mm.
ZZ4 cam is fine, I'd go with something like an Accel 211 or TPiS ZZ9 and open the rest of the intake up with siamesed runners/ported plenum/base or aftermarket base and runners at the same time, which then will require a custom chip tune. If you want that power at the wheels,I think these all will be required.
04-22-2019, 01:59 AM
