Some Advice
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Tempe AZ
Some Advice
So I have a 89 Auto. The entire engine is OEM. and I need some advice on what the best upgrades that a reasonably cheap and easy to do to increase my power. Im not looking into turning my car into a drag beast or anything like that. I got a budget of $500 dollars. and please don't make fun of my low budget. Im a 20 year old college kid who works at Target. Believe it or not they don't pay so well lol
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
My advice is spend your $500. on maintenance and reliability items leaving mods for the future. In stock condition you have more than enough car to get you where you need to go at reasonable cost day in and day out looking dang good doing it. Meaningful mods require some serious coin when viewed from your student status. Be very happy with what have leaving the mods to the future.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,517
Likes: 19
So I have a 89 Auto. The entire engine is OEM. and I need some advice on what the best upgrades that a reasonably cheap and easy to do to increase my power. Im not looking into turning my car into a drag beast or anything like that. I got a budget of $500 dollars. and please don't make fun of my low budget. Im a 20 year old college kid who works at Target. Believe it or not they don't pay so well lol
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
So I have a 89 Auto. The entire engine is OEM. and I need some advice on what the best upgrades that a reasonably cheap and easy to do to increase my power. Im not looking into turning my car into a drag beast or anything like that. I got a budget of $500 dollars. and please don't make fun of my low budget. Im a 20 year old college kid who works at Target. Believe it or not they don't pay so well lol
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,448
Likes: 27
From: Valparaiso
My advice is spend your $500. on maintenance and reliability items leaving mods for the future. In stock condition you have more than enough car to get you where you need to go at reasonable cost day in and day out looking dang good doing it. Meaningful mods require some serious coin when viewed from your student status. Be very happy with what have leaving the mods to the future.
Take Muffin's advice first , i think its NOT what you want to read
but it will keep you out of trouble and you'll be happy to have your car.
If you modify you have old spark plugs,clogged fuel filter and dirty air filter it will get you nowhere,check the basics out first.
If everything is OK, i'll go with longtube headers and Roller Rockers.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 31
From: Australia
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,220
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
My advice is spend your $500. on maintenance and reliability items leaving mods for the future. In stock condition you have more than enough car to get you where you need to go at reasonable cost day in and day out looking dang good doing it. Meaningful mods require some serious coin when viewed from your student status. Be very happy with what have leaving the mods to the future.
If you've still got some left, look at your weatherstrip (over $500). Where do you rate staying dry vs having a bit more growl? What's your interior look like?
Exhaust (unfortunately) is something that will eventually rot out too. That's where the first real modification almost becomes a requirement.
FWIW: A well-kept, good looking car (paint, interior, engine compartment, etc...) should keep value up better than "cheap mods".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 892
Likes: 1
From: New Smyrna Beach Florida
My advice is spend your $500. on maintenance and reliability items leaving mods for the future. In stock condition you have more than enough car to get you where you need to go at reasonable cost day in and day out looking dang good doing it. Meaningful mods require some serious coin when viewed from your student status. Be very happy with what have leaving the mods to the future.
I too have an 89 auto, and the first thing I did was replace fuel injectors. See sticky at top of page... I bought from Jon as most others have.
DO COMPRESSION TEST!!!
The next thing that happened to me was blown head gasket (very common). It was simply rusted out (80,000 mi.)
You can check my profile for other mods that WORK!!!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Tempe AZ
To be honest I keep my car very well maintained i'd like to think. I change oil every 3000 miles and do a full fluid flush every time i change the oil same with the air filter. I know it seems a bit OCD. And I budget really well, the money I have is for mods exclusively. I have separate budget to keep my car tip top shape. I just want a little more power and maybe a more aggressive sound.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,448
Likes: 27
From: Valparaiso
To be honest I keep my car very well maintained i'd like to think. I change oil every 3000 miles and do a full fluid flush every time i change the oil same with the air filter. I know it seems a bit OCD. And I budget really well, the money I have is for mods exclusively. I have separate budget to keep my car tip top shape. I just want a little more power and maybe a more aggressive sound.
Long tube headers
1.6 Roller Rockers
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,220
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
To be honest I keep my car very well maintained i'd like to think. I change oil every 3000 miles and do a full fluid flush every time i change the oil same with the air filter. I know it seems a bit OCD. And I budget really well, the money I have is for mods exclusively. I have separate budget to keep my car tip top shape. I just want a little more power and maybe a more aggressive sound.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
I had an 86 Dual exhaust really woke it up. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
As others reccomended do a search.
IIRC the one thing to wake up any engine is more air in and more exhaust out.
The L98 really wakes up with those things.
IIRC the one thing to wake up any engine is more air in and more exhaust out.
The L98 really wakes up with those things.