DigitalMonarch0

Ok guys, spring has sprung here and the Camaro comes on the road in 4 weeks! I am so sick and tired of driving my winter beater all over the place. I figured that I would post this here because it seemed the most fitting. Mods, please move this if you feel it doesn't bleong here.

I can't seem to decide on what I want to do with it this year. I just got a new job so I am expecting a little bit more money in the bank. The damn thing ran a best of 16.9 at the track last year and that to me is completely unacceptable.

I'm planning on spending between $1,000 and $4,000 on the car. Here is what I am thinking (in no particular order)...

1) Sub frame Connectors
2) "New" Motor (350 of some sort)
3) Swap out my 700R4 (w/shift kit) for a manual
4) Headers and Exhaust
5) Rear end gears
6) Delete heat and a/c (I have t-tops and I don't drive the car in the winter)

I don't have my mind set on only those, but I figured that they were the most common ones that you guys would tell me to do. Basically what I want to know is what direction I should take the car this summer. Pics below.

A side shot of the car...


You can see how nice the paint is...


My slow-*** 305...


Please point me in the right direction guys. :hail:

nolanr0413

well , what would be fun is to do the t5 or t56 and then also put in 4.10 gears. If you put headers on it will prolly just make the car louder and not too much faster. A 350 would be at the top of the list but you gotta have the money to do it. The car looks good, just done one of the things i mentioned.

HisDivineShadow

Isn't this a rather cheap mod? 1-200$ or somesuch right?
Later this summer I'm going for these BTW.

Beware, I'm an utter noob and generally clueless about engines and cars.

86'Bowtie

Digital-

One question, on the motor you want to add, would you go w/
carb, or TPI?
Yes, subframes are my next choice as well and am working on getting some for my Camaro.
Nolan0413 had a good point as to going w/ 4.10 gears,w/ a MT.
I run 4.10's and couldn't be happier!DUECE

DigitalMonarch0

I kind of assumed that going TPI would be too difficult because

1) I would have to burn a chip for it
2) I would need to get a new fuel pump
3) It's more expensive to maintain.

I was leaning toward carbed because I figured that it would be a lot easier to do.

HisDivineShadow

Wouldn't TBI be a better compromise? It's an EFI system that is not as complicated or expensive as TPI, but far superior to ordinary carburation anyway.

Or so I've been told anyway

Also I read this huge article on TBI, though it seemed a little rant like at places:
http://www.goingfaster.com/spo/praisetbi.html

JeremyNYR

iTrader: (2)

I voted gears because they'll give you some bang for your buck. I think that'll give you the most immediate difference in the feel and acceleration of the car and it can be compatible with any future mods you do (like dropping in a 350!). I didn't vote for SFC's because they aren't a mod, they're a necessity! As soon as my car is running, that's the first thing i'm getting done to it. your car looks sweet and I hope to see it in person sometime this summer.

DigitalMonarch0

so.. no one has any more input?

89RsPower!

the single biggest improvement you can make is full exhaust, headers all the way back, the stock exhaust systems on these cars are extremely restrictive. I would at the very least do that before I even though of a engine swap. Subframe connecters are also a very good idea if you plan on doing much modding in the future, hell they're even a real good idea on a bone stock car, it will stiffen it up really well and improve handling. The order that would make most sense to do ALL the mods you have listed would be Exhaust, subframe connecter (either one first), then do the engine swap, tranny swap, and gears all at the same time, hell while you have the engine out you could get rid of the ac and heat too. You should be able to do all that within your 4k budget if you do all the work yourself.

DigitalMonarch0

so no more input anyone??

jmd88iroc-z

That's a good looking car, man. I looked out side to see if my IROC was still there (HA!HA!). I think 89rs has the best solution. If you're doing this yourself with that kind of budget, I'd pull that motor and and put what you want in there and do all those other mods at the same time. Break out that wallet, man. That's what you work for, pal. (How's that for turbo boost?).

DigitalMonarch0

Haha, yeah I am leaning that way right now.. but I do want to work on the suspension first.

As for my turbo boost, it's ready for install later in the month... speaking of which... have you all heard about the new Knight Rider movie?

DauntlessZ28

I vote for subframes. Yea, they don't cost much. Yea, they're a necessity. so with you're budget of $4k, you could do a full exhaust and rear end gears and still have enough money to do a free a/c delete. OR, spend a little more time and decided on what specific 350 you want. if you listed a ZZ-4 in place of the '350 of some sort,' i'd be voting for the ZZ-4

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

My votes are: 1)subframe connectors first(to save on chassis stress for jacking the car up and down when doing the rest of the mods; 2)change your rear end gears(that'll work well now and with whatever future changes you make); 3)delete AC(you'll have more room under the hood for making future under-hood mods easier to accomplish). After that, you're on your own. But I'd say don't do the headers and exhaust until you decide to or not to swap your engine.

But EVERYONE(not really everyone, but a lot) swaps their engine for a 350. Be original and don't, lol. Spend the rest of your money on a manual transmission, from which you're likely to see more benefit from your new 3.73, and beef-up your current engine and exhaust.

Besides, with those tires, you shouldn't be going much over 120 very often anyway, lol.

pwood02

sweet antenna!:hail:

Z28GEN3

As much as i like my TBI, i'd have to say the comon argument is that TBI is choked to death from the get-go where as TPI isnt but it does run out of air at high RPM's ! wether any of this is true im not sure, the TPI can be made to continue its power band even beyond what the factory setup was made for. TBI if you have have a large enough one like a 454 w/ 2" bores on a 5.7L youve got plenty of room to mod, but you better have patience because the computers on TBI cars are stupid-thats what i think anyway. either way you go with EFI you will enevitably have to burn your own chips unless you want to be mailing them off everyother day to have them changed-its not feesible to buy jet$**t chips or the others those are a waste, and in my opinion its a hassle to mail chips back and forth, its certainly cheaper then buying your own equiptment, theres more pros than cons to chip burning.

first decide what kinda fuel delivery system you want then go from there if its a carb then i'd go with soemthing bigger then the 5.0L engine so you have some power to work with. you might want to start with suspension first then start working on power-you can have all the power you want but if you cant get it to the ground and make it stick then your going nowhere.

TheMysticWizard

iTrader: (1)

Well, I see it as if You're gonna go for a bigger engine (350) you've gotta do exhaust work, and suspension work first (SFC's), so your car will support the extra power a bit better. As you're doing the engine, just eliminate all the A/C and Heater stuff, When you pull the engine, drop your tranny, and get your new tranny and gears ready to go in. Drop the new motor in, bolt up your new tranny, get your rear put together and back in... That is if you're planning on doing all the mods.

Alone I would say the gears and/or tranny would be a good bang for your buck. Exhaust would probably be second on the list, as our stock exhaust systems choke our engines.

I assume you already have replaced your plug wires, cap and rotor. I would also suggest a high performance coil and air filter.

The L03's are not total duds, with a bit of bolt ons, they can move. I have a friend that ran a 14.791 on stock shortblock, stock heads with 1.6 rockers, stock cam, and all the suspension mods known to man. He was running a stock 700r4 and Torque Converter and 3.73 gears. His nick on here is vjo90RS8, search him up, read his mods.

DigitalMonarch0

Thanks, it was $20 at autozone. Best $20 I have ever spent.

UPDATE: I bought my headers 2 days ago. Hooker 2055's totally ceramic coated (including y-pipe). I need to buy an exhaust to match up with it. I want a flowmaster 40 series, but I don't know where to buy it from, or what the model number is.

jmd88iroc-z

Get them from Jegs or Summit Racing and install them yourself.

GASGZLR

Go with the Hooker 3inch catback system. It sounds 10 times better than Flowmaster. Everyone (especially mustangs,trucks) has flowmaster exhaust. Get the hooker it bolted right in and it sounds soo nice. It was noticably faster than the old Flowmaster system I used to have. Oh yeah, it is less expensive too!


HOK-16820 for direct bolt on
HOK-16823 for TPI /HO-only difference is this one has bigger inlet
HOK-16822 for 83-85 HO only diff is it has a four bolt flange but the rest will fit.

I say get the catback, delete cat and put a cutout like me in place of the cat. Then do the T-5 swap you will be glad you did. Going to a T-5 gained me .3 seconds and like 7 MPH in the quarter, and I had a 700R4 with a shift kit AND Corvette servo AND a stall converter.

Oh yeah, if you are going to keep the auto though, definately get the Vette servo. It is 20 bucks from Pro-Built Automatics and takes like 30 minutes to install and it will make your car hit hard when it shifts.

EDIT: I would not recommend 3.73's with an automatic. Your first gear would be use less, unless your motor can pull to 6000 rpm.