Hey everyone, I just found this board through chance and decided i would ask you what i have been pondering for quite some time.

For about 2 grand (very tight budget i know, but im a college student), what should i do to my car to get the most performance for my money? There are countless bolt ons that are for sale, but thats not what really matters, i wanna know what works in the real world.

My car is an 88 coupe, Auto, Stock motor, tranny and rearend. Borla exhaust with high flow Cat. K&N with cut airlid, Airfoil but everything else is stock. its a california car (BLEH) but i live in Nevada so restrictions arent bad. My car breezes smog checks now (obviously)

When im talking about 2k to invest right now, im not talking about labor as just about anything you can recommend i can do. Mechanical ability isnt a problem, its all the computers and fuel injection that im not used to. Ive thought about buying an off the shelf Prom chip, but none are really specific as to what kind of mods i have on my engine so why risk 200 bucks on something that may not even help that much? Any advice or criticisms are welcome :)

:cheers:
Milan

 

Do you know what rear gears you have? A pretty popular trend is a new torque convertor along with a different set of gears.

 

Since you've done most of the exhaust finish it up with a 2 1/2" mandrel-bent front Y without pre-cats. If you want to add an extra touch, port your stock manifolds.
Gut the MAF, port the plenum & upper runners,
Change to a 160 deg stat and fan sw, do the TB coolant bypass, relocate the MAT into the air filter lid.
Install a March underdrive crank pulley and lose the "frisbee" afront of the waterpump pulley.
Upgrade the ignition with HyperTech coil/cap/rotor and MSD-8.5mm Superconductor or TPIS wires, and cut-back spark plugs gapped to .045".
Set the TPS to .65Vdc at base idle and >4.5Vdc at WOT.
Set base timing to just below ping at WOT & high RPM (maybe +8 to +10deg); use a scan tool to read knock counts & spark retard.

If you have $500-$600 remaining, install new valve springs w/ Ti retainers & 10deg locks, 1.6:1 ProMagnum rockers on 7/16" studs, hardened guide plates & pushrods.

Finally install a HyperTech AFPR. With the above mods start tuning at about
47psi.

Scan the ECM on a WOT pass, if knock retard with reasonable base timing, upgrade the ESC per my C4 Tech Tip.

To come up to speed on TPI, try these:
"Chevy TPI Fuel Injection Swapper's Guide", John Baechtel
"How to Tune & Modify Chevy Fuel Injection", Ben Watson

If you have any $$ remaining get a scan tool.

NOTE: With the above mods, foreget the "chip". You can tune fuel flow to increased air flow at WOT with the AFPR.

These mods will get you into mid-low 13s; in case you want to get into the mid 12s in the future, you've got mail on some L98 mods with time slip data.


[Modified by 65Z01, 10:25 AM 12/3/2001]

 

well thats one way but you can also get an msd digital 6 with auto timing retard. pull out 8 degress of timing run cooler plugs. ahigher octane gas with a booster and of course nitrous all this 800 bucks and you have 450 to 500 horses with 550 to 650 foot/lbs of torque. you are in the low 12s and a good shot you will run in the 11s

 

To get 450 to 500 HP, he's going to be have to spray 200 to 250 HP shot on a stock lower end motor?? Might get a low 12 second pass once or twice!
:smash: :crazy:

 

The Generals smallblock bottom end is stronger than you think. A sound engine with a moderate amount of miles on makes a good candidate. These motors's design stems down from the later 50's. A proven design that needs more credit and LESS negative retorical comments. How often do you hear of someone breaking a cast crank? Bending a rod? Trust the General, he did well in this area. :smash: :chevy

 

basically the only thing that hasnt been covered is maybe a set of TPIS headers.

 

That's because, with his current state of build and limited to $2k, he will get more overall benefit from putting that $750 elsewhere. And headers will be more effective after doing heads, cam and intake.

 

I would say gears. Stock 2.59s are not the quickest...
Harold

 

humm Thanks for all the responses. I really really hate NOS so there isnt going to be any of that... Costs too much in the long run.

I like the recommendations from 65Z01 a few im not understanding too well though.. Like how do you adjust the Throttle position sensor? I get what you mean with the voltage, but how do you actually make the changes? would one of the plug in TP recalibrators do the same thing?


so lemme get this all straight, jerk out the screens on the MAF right? You said Gut it and i tend to be a little literal so i better ask before i cut the damn thing apart hehe :)


Again thanks for the input :)

:cheers:

Milan

 

GRX- I don't think the rods or the crank will be victim of the 200-250 shot. It will be the rod bolts. On another motor I ran a 175 shot frequently and when I tore it down I had several hour glass shaped rod bolts. i currenly run a 200 shot on a stock 400m (ford) crank. I haven't had any stretching problems with my arps yet.

 

Our motors have a slotted TPS so that it can be rocked; my method is on my site. I haven't tryed the calibrator but sounds like it could work as well.

I was partially literal about the MAF; remove the end caps and cut out the cooling fins (on my site).

 

Go to driving school, you'd be surprised how much you can learn.

 

What do you mean goto driving school?? Ive got money to spend, and id like to put it in my car. Yes, i could goto driving school and learn to take a few tenths off my time. But that costs money.. Alot of money for the good schools too. I really am failing to realize what kind of a point you are trying to make.. I am a good mechanic, but im used to working on late 60's engines.

I dont know much about the TPI im running in my car except that there should be alot more power coming out of it than there is. I know how capable these cars are by reading about your rides, i just dont want to waste time and money systematically relearning what many other people already know.

Im sorry if i sound like an jerk, but im 19 and have a crappy job that hardly allows me to save any money. Ive got the money now and would love to finally carry out a few dreams like running a sub 13 second quarter in my car. No im not going to do it with what im able to do right now, but this take mes one giant step closer!

Thanks for input everyone :)

:cheers:

Milan

Edit: spelling


[Modified by 88'Cubka, 5:39 AM 12/4/2001]

 

I foregot that "Insider Hints" by TPIS is also a good book on air flow and other mods to L98. Though slanted toward their products it has some interesting info on mods to our motors.

 

What gears do you think 65Z01 has ?

I have 3.07's and that is all the gear I need.

Vic

 

How do you like the 3.07 rear end? I was really considering going to that. If im going for quarter mile times, there is no need for having the 150mph gearing. Besides that If i wanna go 150, ill just hop onto my ninja and go at it. In anycase, i dont wanna go to too high of a ratio becuase i still want to be able to take it well over 100 once in awhile.. The 3.07 seems like a good balance to me.

!! :cheers: !!

Milan


[Modified by 88'Cubka, 10:26 PM 12/4/2001]

 

If you want to optomize your gearing for 1/4mi (within limits) I suggest you get Drag2000 software (~$50 at http://www.motionsoftware.com/).

Plug in your torque curve (or intended one) and it will let you optomize drive train factors for best 1/4mi times. Then you'll know if it's worth the $$ and effort. You can even play with different torque curves for best results.