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I'm looking to upgrade my 1986 corvette. Right now it's complety stock and I want to get headers, cam, intake, chip, performance spark plugs, throttle body spacer, full exhaust and other things of that nature, unfortunately I just switch from jeeps to corvettes so I'm nit too good with these parts for this car. I want the vette to be loud at idle with the new cam and a lot faster. I'm not gonna spend more than 3,500 dollars. If someone could send me some links for some parts or hook me up with someoNE or a shop in the San Diego area that could help me that would be very much for apericated
1) Standard spark plugs will work fine. Forget the hype on special plugs.
2) Throttle Body spacer a waste of money, no appreciable gains to be made.
4) How many miles on the block? Depending on mileage, you might want to consider a new short block.
3) You will have to research and consider replacing the plenum and runners to make some serious power....if you can find a use SuperRam or a MiniRam. If you can't go this route, then bigger runners, intake with larger ports and consider porting the plenum.
4) A good set of aftermarket heads.
5) New cam = new lifters and think about 1.6 roller rockers.
6) Need to find a set of CARB approved headers if there are any. I know that there were NONE for my 85.
7 You are probably looking at more than $3500 unless you can find some good used parts. Especially if you have someone else do the build for you......$$$$$.
Last edited by John A. Marker; Mar 21, 2016 at 03:43 PM.
You will need to set a goal and assemble toward it.
It will take a combination of parts to reach your goal, the key to power is well matched parts.
For a fun street ride, I would recommend:
-Good aftermarket heads, 195's
-Mini Ram, or LT1 converted intake.
-1.6 roller rockers
-Good cam or convert to a better roller cam.
-Tune
-Headers
-True dual exhaust
-2600-2800 stall converter
-3.54 or better gears
Last edited by James93LT1; Mar 21, 2016 at 04:20 PM.
I'm looking to upgrade my 1986 corvette. Right now it's complety stock and I want to get headers, cam, intake, chip, performance spark plugs, throttle body spacer, full exhaust and other things of that nature, unfortunately I just switch from jeeps to corvettes so I'm nit too good with these parts for this car. I want the vette to be loud at idle with the new cam and a lot faster. I'm not gonna spend more than 3,500 dollars. If someone could send me some links for some parts or hook me up with someoNE or a shop in the San Diego area that could help me that would be very much for apericated
Figure out who is going to do your dyno work first. It That is going to be at least $500 and up. For $3000 or less, to do what you want is going to take a lot of scrounging and used parts and you have to do the work yourself. I don't think the performance plugs are going to do you much good just as the throttle body spacer won't. So how fast is "a lot faster"?
You will need to set a goal and assemble toward it.
It will take a combination of parts to reach your goal, the key to power is well matched parts.
For a fun street ride, I would recommend:
-Good aftermarket heads, 195's
-Mini Ram, or LT1 converted intake.
-1.6 roller rockers
-Good cam or convert to a better roller cam.
-Tune
-Headers
-True dual exhaust
-2600-2800 stall converter
-3.54 or better gears
Really great recommendation. I have a 85 with a Miniram, cam, AFR 195 Eliminator heads, long tube headers 1 3/4", a corsa true dual 2 1/2" exhaust, 1.6:1 roller rockers and 3.75 gears. My car is also a 4+3.
I absolutely love this combination. There is no better combination for my car than this IMO, other than more cubic inches. And the 4+3 makes it really great because I can drive in direct drive and ring out of the RPMs with the 3.75s or I can switch overdrive on while around town and it makes it seem like I'm driving a 4 speed with 3.08s.