Sorry Guys for another question thread regarding L98 performance.

I used search function, visited Vaders performance website and it confuses me even more in the decisions I have to take.

Please help me out


I have an 1986 cast iron heads coupe with automatic gear.
open lid airbox with GREEN filter , TPIS airfoil , AP delete pulley.
SS flow exhaust system.

Tried selling it to buy back a 1990/91 convertible 6speed.
but no luck selling.

Decided to keep the automatic few years longer.

I want to upgrade the engine a bit to modern standard HP.
thougt about going Supercharger but people told me I can have same HP and torque with an N/A engine for less money.

so I looked at TPIS website for headers and runners as better breathing
engine is first step.

then someone told me to buy roller/rockers, pistons, rods and new heads , miniram systems , port engine , crate 383 .................

So I am overwhelmed of possibilities and do not know whether some are overkill or a good addition.


I would like to see good power on a standard freshly re-build engine.
to match the stock freshly re-build 700R4 tranny.

Hoping to get about 100HP impove.

another issue is shipping the items.
Does any of you have Military friends based in Netherlands or Germany
who can help me out avoiding some silly taxes.

regards from across the big pond

 

My website has suggestions, click my name.

We need to know how much work you can do yourself, and your budget outlined before recommending things.

 

100HP is doable but it will most likely cost a ton of bucks to accomplish especially with the fact that you may have difficulty in getting some of the parts. Shipping costs and customs taxes are going to eat up a good-sized chunk of your budget.

You might check with Summit Racing to get information on international ordering. Summit will ship to APO/FPO addresses but the only shipping method for those military addresses is the US Postal Service and the mailing costs are high. Summit does take international orders and you can get shipping information by emailing them at international@support.summitracing.com

You should be able to reach your goal with headers, aluminum heads, a cam and a good exhaust (you didn't mention what brand of exhaust you have). One thing you should consider is driveability; too much cam can be difficult with an auto trans. Also gasoline octane can be an issue. A premium grade of fuel will be required to prevent detonation or knock once you get up in the high HP ranges.

 

People are retarded, especially if they own Corvettes.

When you are starting with a turd (which an '86 L98 is), you have to build from the ground up. Engine, intake, exhaust, drive train.

A set of sportsman-II heads, and a mild cam and some good headers should be about 70hp, maybe a hair more with some tuning. Figure about $1500 or so.

For about $1600-1800 you can put a blower on it and make about 150 more hp..

For $5,000 you can build a really nice motor and make 200 more hp..


Ahhh.. Good luck with that

-- Joe

 

I visited your website before my post above.
but the addition of even more information dazzled me.


I considered powerdyne , but when I checked some experience with some of my friends who owned SC mustangs they all told me to build a stronger N/A engine for less money.



So, can someone divide the engine works into multiple stages.

maybe I can start with 50hp and slowly build my way up in the HP ladder.


about this way of shipping simply means I can spend more in 1 time cause I rather put it in the car than giving to the Dutch IRS

Next month I am upgrading the brakes for EBC with RED stuff EBC pads and goodrich SS brakelines.

So lets get my fingers greased up again

 

You can probably build a vortech S-trim for around the same amount of money. The s-trim on my firebird was reliable and made tons of power.
Powerdyne is ok to. so far, I think my powerdyne is fine. I think the mustang guys over spin them.

Well I told you. A set of heads and a cam to start, then exhaust.
I chose sportsman-II in my example because it is a proven replacement for iron L98 heads. A set of 64cc sportsman-II heads, and a short duration (around 220 degrees) camshaft will give it a good kick, but still be able to support other things down the road.

The TPI intake will always be a restriction. Some guys on here will argue this and that, but when I first switched from a VERY much ported TPI to a singleplane I made the car went 10mph faster in the 1/4. You can't debate that. But that can be done last.

-- Joe

 

what about this kit ?

http://www.boosperformance.com/c4l98_bolt_on.html

or this ?

http://www.boosperformance.com/c4l98_head_cam.html


I just asked them their price without installation.

 

If you ask me, these guys are out of there minds with the pricing!!! heck, I would install same parts, and purchase it for you at half there prices.

 

Cool , are you coming over to me with the parts in hand luggage.
that is a good way to avoid the taxes too

I have an excellent Weber BBQ and know how to use it
So you are welcome to stay for dinner too.

 

http://www.boosperformance.com/c4l98_bolt_on.html

junk

http://www.boosperformance.com/c4l98_head_cam.html

Would work fine, but I wouldn't use several of the parts in that package.

First thing I recommend you look at is heads, start there because 86 will need them to get your power goal. If you want it to be a daily driver and stay as a 350, and only for your 100hp goal, look for something 170-180cc. Start researching there first, and then we'll point you in the next direction.

 

The package is OK but if you can do the work, you can buy all those parts for about $4,800. So they are charging over $3,000 in labor.

Vader has the right approach. Cast iron heads have to go. Stay with 170-180. Anything larger than 180cc may actually yield a negative result because the larger runner reduces the velocity. High quality heads will cost around $1,500 plus gaskets, bolts, etc.

As long as you have the engine torn down that far, look at a retrofit roller cam. Competition Cams has several designed for the TPI. Don't try to get one that will get max Hp at 6000 RPM. The TPI is not designed for high RPM. Its more a low to mid range engine with lots of torque. the 260XFI is nice for a daily driver. The complete cam package should run around $1,000.

Since you are not in California, you can replace the intake and runners. TPiS and Edelbrock make them. TPiS also offers a 52mm throttle body. The package should net approx 35 Hp. The cost is approx $1,200.

Headers will make this engine wake up. Long tubes with larger primaries can yield some real Hp when coupled with the other changes. Figure another $1,000.

This should get you in the ballpark of 100+ Hp and retain the stock look and driveability.

This approach probably won't require a computer change and your stock converter will work fine.

 

thanks for the help, but this sets me back

heads $1500
cam pack $1000
intake $1200
headers $1000
total $ 4700

and there is an additional $3000 for shipping and taxes


I kinda hoped I could do some magic for $2000

like intake and headers only.
or hotcam+rollerrockers with adjusted chip
or going supercharged

but I guess I am facing what many people have done already.
cheap power is not for sale.

 

In my opinion, you can beat the prices listed above:

-Decient heads = approx $1000.00
-Cam = $300 If you go flat tappet. If you go retrofit roller it will closer to $700.00
-Intake = $300 to $1000 depending on what you are doing.
-Headers = $400 to $1000 depending on what you buy.

If you shop around you will be able to add 100 HP to your car for around $2000.00 excluding shipping.

 

Since, like most of us, you have budget realities, try this. Go to the Competition Cams website and download their simulation program. Its called CamQuest 6.0 and its free. There are other simulation programs that give higher accuracy but they are not free. This will give you the capability to try different combinations and see the effect on Hp and torque. You can then get a good handle on "bang for the buck". The numbers may not be exact, but you will get a better feel for how the different components compliment each other. If you're like me, you come out of it with a long term plan to buy the things as you can afford them and be sure they will work together. Forget about the gadgets people advertise that will get you 5 Hp here or 10 Hp there. Most are not magic, they're just crap.

 

If you're having trouble selling, then 90/91's should be too. The price you must lower yours to sell should be proportional to the price you'd pay for a "depressed-economy" car.

In fact, maybe the difference is less if everything is lowered by a certain percentage. 20% less on a $10,000 car is $2000. On a $5,000 car, it's only $1,000. In this example, the lesser-value owner could sell for $4,000 and still pay the same difference as he/she would in a good economy.

Perception....it's all perception!

BTW: Today's headlines say used car sales are picking up. I figured that would happen as people try to spend less on cars. With more demand on used cars, the prices have to go up!

 

I would recommend ebay and find some of the parts used to save money. You could easily find TPiS headers for $500-600 in a good condition, for example. Only do so after you've decided what it is you want as the final product.

 

Will start with a set of used headers. and a set of Rocker rollers which I can get at a fair price. as my socalled stage 1

then intake manifold and runners from edelbrock or a used set.
as my socalled stage 2

and then maybe heads cams.
as final stage.

off to Ebay now

 

your price list is way off. by a couple of hundred bucks each item you listed. Also if you are going to redo the whole motor, just pull it and put in a crate 500+ hp motor for 5K That is just me. You probably won't wreck the rear right away because you could never get a stock untuned suspension to plant it. The trans might be an issue eventually though.

 

I just had my engine and transmission fully re-build.

So crate engines are not an option.

just wished I had done this information check before I did order the rebuilds.

then I could have done upgrades and leave the automatic dead and taken a ZF6 or tremec56.

but you all know the story : what iff and I could have

 

I've noticed that...

-- Joe