89 Coupe needs more HP
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 146
Likes: 1
From: Williamsville NY
89 Coupe needs more HP
Hope I'm in the correct thread. My stock 89 is so slow. Heck, a late model Camry V6 can out run her. Runs great but want more bottom end speed. I'm no engine mechanic. Not familiar with 90% of the mod terms I read about here. Need advise on what I can do to boost HP 100+. Willing to spend $2500-3000 and assume someone else will perform the work. Is this possible? I started looking for a ZR1 or a modified C4. Is that a better option than to invest in the stock 89? Thanks for any feedback.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Camrys are quicker than a lot of L98 C4s so dont feel like theres something wrong with yours. To pick up 100 youll need good heads, cam intake mods injectors, tune exhaust, etc. Not sure youll do it for 3k maybe... You should have a real solid 13 sec maybe better car and know what you have. Buying a ZR1 will get you mid 13s or better right out of the box but youll have to pay through the nose for someone to work on it and pay the hoarders top buck for parts. Fortunately the engines almost never break and most ZR1 problems are nothing more than typical C4 stuff.
As far as the word invest goes youll never see a return except the smile on your face when you stand on it, usually dont recover mod money at least most times.
As far as the word invest goes youll never see a return except the smile on your face when you stand on it, usually dont recover mod money at least most times.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
Not with paying someone else to do the labor. Just headers, exhaust, and intake work (with labor) could break that budget.
If this is really something you want, you might look for an LT4. (Or C5) But that's probably above your budget too.
Nitrous?
If this is really something you want, you might look for an LT4. (Or C5) But that's probably above your budget too.
Nitrous?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
If it's got performance gears, maybe a superram/FIRST and exhaust? That'd get you 1/2 way there.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
You probably can't get 100 HP for $3000 unless you do all the work. Figure at least $50 per HP with shop labor. I have a good running 1989 but I don't didn't buy it to race. Hang around and you will learn how to add 30-50 HP pretty cheap. My advice, if you want a fast car buy one.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,160
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
No youre not going to get there on that budget. You need to sit and make a plan for how to get there and do your research.
Click my name and read through my website, that should help you with some of these terms you dont understand yet.
You might be better off selling it and moving up if youre not mechanically inclined though.
Click my name and read through my website, that should help you with some of these terms you dont understand yet.
You might be better off selling it and moving up if youre not mechanically inclined though.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 146
Likes: 1
From: Williamsville NY
Movin on up
Thanks to all that responded. Getting my stock L98 to 330+hp is too much work and effort for someone like me. I think I'll start looking
for LT4/C5 to get that extra 100 HP.
for LT4/C5 to get that extra 100 HP.
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Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
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Racer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 337
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From: Kanata ON
Ditto. You won't find 100 HP anywhere cheaper than nitrous -- at least until you really start going through the bottles! Stock L98's can take about 150 shot and nitrous adds that amount the whole time it is flowing (assuming no progressive stuff) so it gives the same speed as even more NA HP.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Need advise on what I can do to boost HP 100+. Willing to spend $2500-3000 and assume someone else will perform the work. Is this possible?
Be advised that even boosting the HP from 240 to 300 will greatly enhance the performance though I think it would still be above your stated budget.
