Ok I have a 1988 35th Anniversary Edition Corvette with 4 + 3 manual Transmition. The bad news is, it’s a California car. I live in Florida and have no intention of registering my car in California so mod’ing is fine. So far I have a K&N air filter, open air lid, removed screens from MAF, TB air foil, relocated MAT, 160 degree thermostat, cool fan switch/sensor, Hypertech Thermomaster performance chip, performance cap and wires, Rapid Fire plugs, upgraded all the electrical system with 4awg wire and ANL fuses, and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

I was planning on bypassing the TB but can’t find the tubing for it. All the Vette catalogs just have the C5 kit and Lowe’s doesn’t carry the tubing I will need. Where do you get yours?

I also want to upgrade the exhaust system. Being a California car I don’t want to screw up anything because of all that emission control crap. Any ideas on exhaust upgrades? Something that will boost HP but with MINIMAL resonance? I had the opportunity to remove the front cats but was told not to because it was a California car. I was told I was stuck with the 3 stock cats and would only be able to go with a cat back setup. I don’t believe this, is it true?

I looked for this “Frisbee” I read about on here but I can’t find one on my car nor can I find any reference to it in any of my manuals. Was it just put on a limited number of engines? You would think anything that can rob HP they would stick on a California car. :lol:

I also have a problem with this damn speed limiter. I can’t go over 105 MPH because the car shuts down. I am assuming this is part of the California emission control system. :mad :cuss

Any mods I’m missing?

All advise, help, suggestions, recommendations or consultations would be appreciated in no small order. Sorry so long,

Thanks :D

P.S. I don’t want to go too radical with the mods. I don’t want to harm the collectible value of it. If need be I would want to be able to put everything back stock. Thanks.


[Modified by The^Nomad, 3:33 AM 4/14/2002]

 

Maybe I went too far.......Nah
:D

 

I looked for this “Frisbee” I read about on here but I can’t find one on my car nor can I find any reference to it in any of my manuals. Was it just put on a limited number of engines?

Hi
I have 35 th too (1414)
Frisbee is in one engine pulley on the front of engine (between engine and radiator). It is iron disc bolted to water pulley. It is directly under Mass Air Flow sensor (It has "Bosch") about one inch below MAF.
I have owner manual too and there is nothing about that item.
If you can't go much for exhaust (emission restrictions) there is not much do-yourself mods (I gluted all 3 cats and have mufflers eliminators) but I think it has more emission :) )
Jerry

 

Early 88's did not come with the frisbee.





[Modified by 8388, 4:49 AM 4/14/2002]

 

Congrats on becoming the owner of that great Corvette and welcome to the Forum!

My 35th is a Jan15,1988 build and had the "frisbee". Look for a 1' dia disk on the front of the water pump pulley. If it's still there toss it (details and pic on my site).

Mine was a CA car, registered to me in Mesa, AZ and now driven in NY; read my mods on exhaust. The CA EMISSIONS RPO is only a paperwork (read $$) thing; no hardware was involved. It is 49-states legal to replace the two pre-cats and the stock cat with a 3-stage main cat such as sold by Random Technologh. If you have trouble finding an exhaust shop try Cape Coral Exhaust. Try replacing the front Y with a 2 1/2" mandrel bent unit and a Random Cat. If not too loud, consider a cat-back with a cross-over tube to minimize resonance. My setup, with TPIS cat-back, has resonance at low RPM but I don't mind it; the power and roar at WOT is worth it.

Get a piece of heater hose (5/8" I think) with a 180deg bend in one end, about 3' in total length. Also get a plastic or brass coupler and three hose clamps. That is your TB coolant bypass kit. Two large rubber vacuum nipples can be used to clock off the TB coolant fittings to dress up the job.

I put a mod in C4 Tech Tips that works slickly on our cars. It ties the main and aux fan control to the aux fan switch. This will bring both fans on at 160deg (if you have a 160 deg aux fan sw installed of course). It should be a good mod for a FL car.

All my mods will of course work directly on your Vette and will bring it to about 300HP at the crank, more fun to drive than with the stock 240HP.

That 105mph speed limiter is news to me. Last fall during dyno pulls in 3rd gear to 5,200rpm the speed went up to 145mph. Maybe you should check fuel pressure to see if it's falling off. If it sounds like a miss, do the HyperTech coil/cap/rotor upgrade; it will fire strongly well above our stock units. A scan tool in Monitor Mode would tell the story. I wonder if there's an aftermarket speed limiter or if the problem is peculiar to the 4+3 setup.

Also on my site is a link to the 35th anniversary registry. It costs $35/yr and has caps, T-shirts, etc available with the 35th logo. If you would like to make a trip in the end of Aug. to Carlisle, PA, we have a tent in the infield at Corvettes At Carlisle. Usaully about 12-15 35ths show up for the 3-day all-Corvette event.

BTW, what is the build sequence number of your 35th? Mine of course is in my call sign "65Z01".



[Modified by 65Z01, 5:29 AM 4/14/2002]

 

I was always told that early 88 did not come with the frisbee, maybe its more like manual tranny's didn't come with them. I've seen a couple of manual tranny 35th, and even one with only 25 miles on the clock, and it did not have the frisbee. Who know's ?

 

first thing you need to do is get rid of those tires, goodyears suck

resonance is always gonna happen but you can minimize it, id go Power Effects or Borla, Flowmaster may also be good for low resonance but i havent ridden with them enough to know.

 

Sorry for not mentioning it earlier, my 35th is #1725 and one of only 266 4 + 3 Manuals made. :D I don’t know the build date on it though.

I bought the car on New Years Eve 1998 and drove it in the driveway for the first time on New Years Day 1999. It had 56,000 miles on it when I bought it and it has 60,000 miles on it now. I have done a lot of work to it since I got it like repainting it and the rims because the previous owner let it get bad. I rebuilt the headlight motors gears with dowlan rods. They are VERY strong now. ;)

I have also designing an elaborate custom sound system in it, which is an ongoing, never ending affair, as anyone into car audio knows. :lol: (BTW if anyone has questions on car audio I would be glad to help, you guys are terrific!) :D

I have added the mods I listed earlier as well as in my sig but am ready to get more out of the car than I have already so thanks guys for all your help!

8388: WOW, your car looks nice and shiny! I use “3M Pink Filler Polish” but don’t get results like THAT! What do you use, Zaino? :lol: I need to get some of that stuff! I also have a VERY DIRTY engine compartment and inside fender wells, how do I clean that without screwing anything up?

65ZO1: Thanks for the great advice! I would like to speak with you further about the mods seeing you have a Cali car also and seem to be doing very well with it! I already have a cool fan switch and 160 degree thermostat and the fans cut on around 160 or so, is that what you were talking about? Also, your Vette didn’t have a speed limiter??? I’m TOTALLY stumped now; I thought it might be a Cali car thing??? :confused: I am hoping I can do something about that exhaust and seeing your car gives me hope! :lol:

Vader86: The Eagle F1’s seem to be doing quite well, they have already got me out of a serious jam due to how well they stick. ;)
Also the Flowmasters are notorious for resonance, especially on Corvette’s so I think they are out of the running for me. I have heard people have problems with the Borla’s with resonance and fit. The Power Effects have raised my eyebrows and seem interesting but they are black aren’t they? Thanks for the advice.

Sorry to be so long winded here guys but I FINALLY found a place where there are people who understand my cars and I can actually get experienced advice on them! I’m like a kid in a candy store now! :lol:

Thanks everyone for all the help!! :seeya


P.S. I also have a 1997 C5, (1,017 miles) but that’s another novel length post for another time. :D