rlane: i have a 6 speed with 3.33 gears, i would like to install a 4.11 later in the future which with the lt1 intake i think will help.

i would be more than thrilled if i picked up .5 on the 1/4 that would put me well in the 12's, more than anything i am tired of the motor falling off at about 4000 i know with the cam and heads i can pull to 6000 with the right intake

 

I pick up because I had a good engine from the start. The engine was a .030 350 with ported 180 Iron Eagles heads, and forged .100 TRW domed piston (1970 LT1) I used three different cams in that engine.
I brought the vette to race in the ECSCC at Etown, back in 2005. The compression is 10.1 The stock engine ran 14.1s I had no plans of keeping the stock engine. When I installed the engine with the stock TPI, the car wouldn't run quicker than a 13.7 I intake would not flow enough air. I went on line and learned how to do a LT1 conversion swap.
Your car should pick up some HP, but it depends on how much air your heads can flow.

 

currently i have the stock 113 heads that have been ported which are not as good as the darts but from what i have seen on here will flow a decent amount of power. also i still have the stock exhaust manifolds which is another big cork once i get headers and the intake installed i will probably the .5 that you did.

currently with the tpi and stock manifolds i have laid down a 13.05 @110 so once i start uncorking the power the car should pick up quite well.

i do have a set of dart 200 cc 2.02 1.60 heads but they are strait plug and i do not think the will fit the manifolds / headers

 

My son has a set of Dart 200 on a 383, and it has the GM847 cam that came out of my engine. And for some strange reason, I can't get his car to run no quicker that a 12.0 @ 112 MPH. It's in a an 87 Regal, But with the combo he has, the car should be running low 11s. I have Dart heads, but I'm not a great fan of them.
My combo has change but check my Sig.
Randy

 

Those regals are big heavy cars with no aerodynamics my buddy has a 88 Monte Carlo with a zz4 crate (350 hp) and the best he can run with slicks and a 4.11 is a 13.4 @ 102, he put a 175 shot on it and is just into the 12.8's

My vette with the 383 219 LPE cam, 113 heads, stock TPI, and stock manifolds without slicks ran a 13.0 @ 110.

What can i say Corvettes are just better cars lol

 

update: converted to an LT1 intake and FINALLY got at 12 second pass :-)
ran a 12.79@111MPH on a nitto 555 street tire.
Should run better next time i found a blow RR shock so i installed a set of Bilstens i had in the shop.

 

Are you running an A4 or M6 and what gears? If an A4, what RPM converter?

 

I bet you'll get quite a decrease in 1/4 mile time if you swap out those exhaust manifolds for 1 3/4" long tubes.

 

+1, get some longtubes!

 

I agree. No matter where you end up with your motor it needs long tube headers. that would be my first investment.

 

Its amazing what a difference the intake makes. Intake was the best money I ever spent on this car.

 

yes i agree my next investment is long tubes for sure. at the time i needed both intake and headers so i just did the intake first i knew it would take the most time and work so i just finished it. hopefully i have have the coin this winter to install headers. that should give me another 3 tenths or so.

I am running a M6 (ZF6) so that makes it a challenge getting the car moving off the line. stock rear gear with a 3.33 would like a 3.75 or 4.11 at some point.

 

I'd say a lot more than 3 tenths. I think someone gained closed to a whole second on a stock TPI with headers... And you are really choking that 383 with stock exhaust manifolds.

 

Headers wont get a second. Maybe 2 tenths.

 

TPI/ L98

not LT1.

Whole world of difference there in exhaust manifold. The manifolds on the L98 actually block a pretty big part of the exhaust port. They're so terrible I can't believe they were ever put on a car.

 

Everybody that picked up a second with just headers, raise your hand.

 

It wasn't a full second but I picked up .6 tenths after putting the long tubes on.

Course I don't have a stock TPI intake either. (Edelbrock base and runners, ported plenum) Nothing else I've done to this car, got such a big gain in ET.

I'm hoping this April I'll be able to find another few tenths. Providing things don't go to *** between now and then (my dad's health is starting to look questionable) I'm getting my cam, and a dart 400 shortblock with Mahle internals, and a vigilante 2400 stall converter. Should be a hold onto your *** car after that It'd be even better if the AS&M runners came in too around then...

 

400? Ditch the TPI and go converted LT1 ported or miniram
Minimum a heavily worked over superram .

Course theres always the FIRST if you love the longtubes. Dont choke a 400 down they are too much fun and can use plenty of intake you wont lose any tq
The typical TPI long tube setups even worked over will do a disservice to those cubes

 

I am still on a budget.
I would have to go with a FIRST if I switched it out the rest of the way. The TPI runners look great. And the AS&M runners will give me the missing flow anyway. Assuming they ever do another run for them. (they actually flow a little better on the runners than the FIRST does) The edelbrock base has plenty of room left in it for porting yet too which was a vast improvement over stock. And I don't think an LT manifold is going to thump out 515 ft lbs there abouts at 2500 rpm.

There's an aesthetic with the runners I'm trying to maintain as well. The AS&M runners would be Ideal...if they'd ever make another freaking run on them. If someone didn't look to close, I'm trying to go with a car that at first glance, you'd think it was just another old L98 with some headers, and a true dual exhaust thrown on it.

The reason I'm going with the dart shortblock kit, is because the 350 is questionable right now. with 148,900 (and definitely will be at 150,000 by April) and 25 years on it, and a previous owner who let the intake gaskets go, I don't have a whole lot of faith in the bottom end for future mods, like putting Boost to the engine.

It's held up well so far, but it's a really old engine, and this car was abused before I got it. I doubt the previous owners even put synthetic in it. Between the intake gasket which was so bad that the car popped and knocked at Idle, and the brake fluid that I'm pretty sure was from 1989 when I got it... my faith in the bottom end of the L98 isn't there you know?

 

I hope you find that few tenths that you are looking for. It seems that there is a point when the tenths get harder to find and more expensive. I reached a goal of 12.80 and sort of gave up. That is, stopped spending $$$. Still tried tweaking and tuning but 12.80 is all this motor has in it. To go quicker its going to take a converter and or gears. I used to drive this car 15 to 20k miles per year and was not willing to do that. Now I dont drive much . If I keep it it will likely get those things. Thats if I have a track to race at. Not looking good for the local track.