That's not a bad looking cruser. One thing you haven't mentioned is your rear end gears in your vette or the impala. I bought a blue 87 automatic. about two years ago. My wife liked it so much that I bought her a red 86 4+3 pace car. Her 86 would walk off and leave my 87 even thought I had a roller lifter engine. I finally figured out that she has a 3.07 gear and I have a 2.59. Mine had some mild mods. Hers was painfully original. The little ricers could get a jump on me on the take off. I didn't hit the power band till I was doing 90 mph.

Now the 87 blew a head gasket. One thing is leading to another. I found a 3.07 rear end on ebay cheap. It's on the way. The heads have been redone. and will get porting and polishing along with the intake. The heads are getting new springs to match the ZZ9 cam. I'm putting in new Flattop Hyperutecnic pistons, roller timing chain set, roller rockers, adjustable fuel regulator, new bosch/mustang injectors, and K&N filter with cut lid. I'm having the engine balanced. I am either going to put on headers or gut my precats and also add a random technologies main cat. I don't know exactly where I'll end up money or horse power, so I'm gonna have tpis burn me a custom chip.

For exhaust, I love borlas. The side effects side pipes are great also. I drove a 86 with a 383 stroker motor with similar mods to what I'm doing that you had to hold it back. It had the side pipes. It sounded like a souped up motorcycle. Wierd and hot.

You need to check your rear end gear ratio. If it's a 2.59 and want it to be quicker, the fastest and cheapest mod you can do is drop that rear end ratio.
Everyone who has done that has said that that is the one mod that made the biggest difference. I got mine for $200.

I think I've opened pandoras box with mods. I'll have my entire drive train out this week, but the Rice burners won't be able to mess with me. Good luck!! :auto:

 

By the way, be careful on your exhaust. Some exhaust will resonate in the cabin at certain speeds. I don't have this problem with the borlas. My wife's 86 has dynomax and their terrible. The Borlas cost two and a half times what the dynamax costs also. You need to hear the mufflers before you plop down a lot of money.

 

1990 corvette I do have to agree that the vette looks a million times better than the SS and is more fun to drive. We cruised today in it and went about 80 miles and it was a blast. I don't see the SS being too much of a interest anymore. I think that it is vette all the way from here on out.

 

Just my opinion but....

The stock cam is very wimpie although it's probably a little better in your later year than mine. According to the Desktop Dyno 2000 software, I gained 50HP with my CompCam 501-8 roller. And it feels like it.

Then, you'll need to work on the intake system. Once you install a K&N filter and open up the air cleaner lid, the next biggest bottleneck is the runners. Get some good aftermarket ones like SLP or TPI Specialties. At the same time when you've got that apart, get an adjustable fuel pressure regulator because you'll need more fuel for the increased airflow.

Next, get a good "Cat-Back" exhaust. At least muffler eliminators. The air has to get out if it went in.

The above should get you flyin' by the SS.

Just my opinion.