Hello everyone,

I have a 1984 C4 corvette that has been updated slightly since I acquired it. It's a daily driver that roams the New York City streets as well as attending cars n coffee and other car events. Due to its not so pretty shape, mainly the engine, I believe its time to start modifying. I'm looking for any sort of improvements I could make to the engine and/or cosmetics. Feel free to pitch any idea, from cheap to costly.

Below is a list of what has been done:
Bought new tires
Bought new performance brakes and pads
Oil flush
Coolant filled up after a plug came out (filled up and burped)
Coolant plug replaced
Steering wheel horn cover replaced

 

If you are looking to modify the best bang for the buck is long tube headers It is also the best “seat of the pants” modification feel

 

If you don't have emission requirements drop the ancient catalytic converter and let it breath, followed by removal of the smog/air pump and various pipes. Check this thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...errerid=311101

 

The Long Tube headers, hi-flow front Y Pipe and a single Free flow Cat if required and a nice cat back with free flow mufflers ( personally, I like the cost and sound of the FlowMaster Cat back assembly). A super tune with he best plugs, wires, distributer cap, coil you can buy. A K&N air filter, Clean the TBI. New Fuel filter and I believe one upgrade is to put an 85 fuel pump, but my memory fails on that one, others here can tell you about this upgrade. Lastly, two items I would put on an 84' is 1.5 or 1.6 Roller Rocker Arms, and 3:55.1 rear gear ratio. These should compliment the items you already have. I also believe its been stated that the 86 to 91 Factory shorty headers out flow the 84's version. Not sure if they are interchangeable but should be as I believe that the same heads were used from 1982 to 1985 on all corvettes. Both Crossfire and Tuned Port. 205hp for 84' and 230 for 85'. If you added a mild cam which is a little bigger job you can add 30 to 40hp to your stock setup. Cheers, Good Luck - Jarrod

 

I agree with above posts. Anytime you can make your car breathe and exhale better is a plus. The hp gains may be nominal but you will feel it. You didn't say whether your car is an auto or manual. I had an 82 with the CFI and installed a Hypertech computer chip to get better shift results out of the 700R4 auto. As for cosmetics there are several companies that offer spoilers, splitters, and other ground effects kits. Some look ok others are over the top and take away from the clean lines of the C4. There are so many things you can do, it just depends on your budget.

 

Where do you source your performance chips?
It's automatic

 

Here's a starting point: https://www.summitracing.com/search/...s?fr=part-type

 

I think that a chip of any kind is a complete waste of money. If you plan to mod the motor to go faster, ie... headers, heads, exhaust, TBs, injectors etc...the EBL is the way to go hands down and start tuning to accommodate your mods as you go. There are other 84 owners out there that have the EBL installed and will more than likely tell you the same thing. A stock ECM will not get you where you want to be, nor will you be able to tune it. It's a good product and works well and the newer USB Flash II EBL works great, comes with a stock 82/84 tune and plays well with NOS if so inclined.

 

This Chip is only $144 dollars allows you to use a 160F Thermostat and would help at wide open throttle - Hypertech ThermoMaster Computer Chips 11402. It may benefit the transmission shifting operation. If you do the suggested airflow enhancements suggested earlier and add a good torque converter (2,400rpm to 2,800rpm) and a shift to 3:45.1 to 3:73.1 rear gear ratio will really wake up the car.

 

Once you have done all the above you could consider this like a stage 1 package, as others have said further changes would require much better computer control and parameters' and customizations for each further major enhancements EBL would be the way to go for any stage 2 or 3 upgrades and good horsepower numbers. Good Luck...

 

listen to Buccaneer, those chips are junk my 84 cross fire Auto ran better with stock chip then the hyper chip ,before my wife got cancer i did test between stock and hyper chip and stock ran better .

 

If you're up to it, port the stock intake. That being said... it's best to ask yourself what you want out of it as this is a rabbit hole few go down.

 

Also, PLEASE explain to me how a 160* stat makes your car run faster at WOT? That is BS and your motor will not stay at 160*. Having a 160* stat installed and your cooling system is junk, it will go wide open at 160* and the temp will continue to climb until where the system happens to run and keeps the motor cool, period. If it goes high, you have a cooling issue...fix it. GM put a 195* stat stock in the engine and it will run just fine with that stat. It all depends on the condition of the cooling system. GL with your 84.

Why did you do all LARGE caps anyway? It makes you sound pretty angry to me.

 

Apologies on the font size, I cut and paste the Chip Part number and made everything go in that large font. No yelling here. I run my fan motor on start up and run continuously, overall the lower temp keeps the car running about 20 degrees cooler in spirited driving instead of see 240F degrees you average about 220F which is perfect for emissions, the catalytic converter and the computer to go into closed loop operation, I believe the GM ECM is set to do this at 135F and above, so warm up may take a few more minutes, but not having a yo-yo temp up and down tripping on the cooling fan as the sensor kicking on the fan and then running for a few minutes to bring it back down to them recommended temp range. Also the Throttle Body bypass mod. this is on a Tuned Port but the principle is the same lower the heat sink in the plenum and the operating engine as a whole while meeting all the requirements for the ECM to control emissions, fuel and spark delivery and a consistent air fuel rations.
When you live in climates where ambient air temps are up over 110F. A cooler running car will make a little more power. This especially the case where you are running stock radiator and don't have the auxiliary pusher/booster cooling fan. All the aftermarket shops for the better part of 35 years recommend and use 180F or 160F in-favor of the 195F many of those shop built cars were modified from mild to wild. If I remember right the tables in the aftermarket chips do not stray from stock unless in closed loop and WOT where they have more aggressive timing, fuel and and air fuel ratio to produce more power, some chip manufactures also claim to influence a higher and firmer shift point on the automatic. I have no clue of sooner locking up of the torque converter and shift point as advertised are real as my main vette with work is a 4+3. Once again sorry for the large font size, I just lost my younger brother to a heart attack Sunday morning so being on the Forum and talking shop is a way to deal with my loss. Cheers, Good Luck to all and God Bless - Jarrod (Sorry)

 

I completely understand that a cooler motor runs a bit better than a hot motor after living in Arizona for the last almost 30 years and we see 119* temps in the summer. However, putting a 160 stat only means that the stat opens earlier at 160 and is wide open. Once wide open, it's wide open and doesn't cool any better and the rest is done by the entire cooling system. Again, if your cooling system is not up to par, it will run at the temp it runs whether that is 180 to overheat. By having your aux fan always on, would tell me that your system may not up to par and needs attention and will wear out your fan faster by always being on. I hope this helps and sorry for your loss.