I have a 1984 with 67,000 miles and will one day want to either replace the engine with a higher performance engine or have this one rebuilt to gain better performance. Located in Atlanta, who do you recommend to talk to about this?

 

I just had my 158,000 mile motor built into a 383 stroker motor by Carolina Machine Engine in Johnson SC. and they did an excellent job and I couldn't be happier! It is noticably faster, with more response, torque, and pull than before, and came back with a warranty! The cost was waay reasonable for the service received. I waited until I had a full 500 miles of break in before I hit it hard, just to get a quick feel. It lit up the tires and now I guess I will have to invest in some street radials.

When I plugged into the computer I found it is running a bit too lean so I will be putting it on the dyno on Sunday to tweak it and to get real time figures and re-program the air/fuel mix, etc.
I am currently running with hedman long tube headers, a Corsa exhaust system w/o cat's, 1.6.1 Crane roller rockers and Accell 24 lb. injectors with a stock throttle body, and a 308 positraction rear end and stock auto trans. The cam is .480 x 274 x 224 and is noticably "lopey". The rebuilder tells me that with a edelbrock high rise and a 750 cfm carb, that this particular build produces about 400 h.p. It will be interesting to see what it will produce with the TPI system instead of a carb. The real beauty is that I actually had an improvement in gas mileage and got 20 mpg on my last tankfull on the highway at about a 75 mph average! I am, as they say, a "happy camper!"

 

Perfect, this is exactly the kind of place I was looking for.

 

If you want to learn more about what type of mods are out there you can do some research here.
http://www.crossfire.homeip.net/
thirdgen.org has a lot to offer as well

 

For those interested regarding my 383 rebuild tuning results, I spent part of Sunday afternoon at Twilight Performance tuning in Opalocka, Fl. on the Dyno with Lenny Wo, (about the only guy in So. Florida that has tuning programs for the TPI's C-4 vette's) tweaking the chip. The best pull of the day produced 302 rwhp with 371 ft. lbs. torque out of my newly built 383. The bottom end especially, is fantastic! This is a daily driver that I just wanted to have a bit more power than stock, and to spank a few of the 5.0 Mustangs in the neighborhood. Mission accomplished!

 

Glad you had good results.... but you do realize that this is a CFI thread not TPI?

Most machine shops that are building motors don't know that much about CFI. That is why us 84 owners have to research hi performance mods on the net. A lot of them say just go TPI... which is not the right answer. Since the TPI has its own restrictions.

 

Yep, I got that right at the top. My first reply was to your question about possibly rebuilding and getting more power. The 383 build will work your CFI motor too! The other post was just to show what can be expected from a 383. Of course, your CFI may get different figures, but you will still see a big gain. Another alternative would be to dump the CFI altogther and go for a carb and intake. Everything will have its own set of problems. It is what it is!

 

ok...i'm well aware of what mods are out there for the CFI, and if you look at my sig above you'll see I'm building a 383.
The whole carb thing...or even converting to TPI..we just won't go there for now. There are a lot of other threads that debate that. You also mention in one of your comments is it should be interesting what you'll make with TPI? Well I'll answer that for you..Less. If your gonna go back to injection your much better off with a miniram. Not the TPI to much restriction just like the CFI

 

I'd love to go miniram, but unfortunately my lotto ticket doesn't have the right numbers on it! On the other hand, if it did I'd be looking real close at ZR-1's etc. lol.

 

funny my ticket reads the same.

If I decide to change intakes again thats the route I"m going...Miniram. Since I now have a computer that will allow me to do that it doesn't make sense to just keep trying to do something different with the intake.

 

There is no reason to go very far. In the Atlanta area there a quite a few very good engine builders. Talk to Robbie Chastain, Don Dixon or Russell Johnson.

Chastain Engine Center Inc
1065 Post Way
Jonesboro, GA 30236
(770) 478-7780

Don Dixon Hi Performance Engines
2801 Cole CT
Norcross, GA 30071
(770) 448-3166

Russell's Automotive
88 Woolsey Rd
Hampton, GA 30228
(770) 946-4848

They are all racers and hi performace engine builders. Robbie is an oval track racer. Don has an IHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Russell has a number personal race cars (including a real Shelby GT350H vintage road racer).

If you've got plenty of money to spend, PM me. I can give you Al Moody, Gary Dingler, Billy George, Johnny Williams, Johnny Thomas, Gary Grimes or Jon Kasse's number.
Will