Ok guys I have been looking at third gens for sale and most of them seem to be fuel injected. I am guessing from what i have seen and research that with a carburated engine it is cheaper to make a 300HP and around 400 Ft. of torque. The only draw back of not using fuel injection is the MPG. Am i right i saying this. I know this is the carb section but would you guys recommend a TPI or carburated car? Buy the way i want to achieve the above numbers on about a $3000 budget. Thanks Tom

Does the $3000 include buying the car?

One issue you didn't mention was emissions - if you have to go through test/inspection, then fuel injection is your only choice with '88-later vehicles. For '87-earlier, you're still looking at computer control, so retrofitting an injected car with CC carb components doesn't make much sense.

Yes, this is the Carb board, and I probably reply on this one more than all the others combined; but to me, it doesn't make any sense to go backwards in technology if your car already has injection. The only possible exception is if you're taking the car off the road for strip-only duty (but I assume that isn't the case since you mention MPG).

Yes, you will probably spend fewer $/HP with carb, but a TPI 350 can easily achieve the numbers you indicate - for a street car, stick with TPI.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere w/open diff & slipping tranny. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

No the $3000 doesn't count the price of the car. i haven't bought a car yet, but i am looking very hard. I know that i would have to look pre 88/87 for a carburated engine. I do have to pass emissions, but i figured if i keep the cat and the smog pump (and other emissions controls). I agree fuel injection is better, but i am only 18 and to get the power i want it just seems to be to expensive with fuel injection. Does anybody else have a opinion on this?
Thanks
Tom
BTW five7kid thanks for your input!!

It would be wise to take into consideration what was stated by five7 . As far as running a carburated setup it is way cheaper than fuel injection even if fuel injection is already installed on the engine. To upgrade fuel injection parts is costly. A carburator like a Holley is easy to upgrade you can change jets , powervalves,secondary springs,pump cams(amount of pump shot) and shooters . Ofcoarse this parts do cost money but not alot of it. I put in a 383 on my 86 Z that came originally with a cc carb I pulled the computer put in a different distributor and did away with the lock up converter. The power is great. I myself would recommend buying a Camaro that is 86 or older then do the swap I did. I still passed emissions. Good luck

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Big 454 72 Chevy Nova
383 86 Camaro Z28
10.5:1compression 186 casting Heads,234dur.488lift exh&int,Edelbrock performer intake, Holley750 vac.sec 400 crank,flat top pistons,edelbrock valve springs and lifters,tranny shift kit,2500 stall converter. Will install 3.73's later on and might go with a more aggresive cam.As of 4/01 added Hooker Headers,2.5inchpipes with 40 s. Flowmasters.Ignition upgrade include: MSD Coil and MSD module.

[This message has been edited by Big454blockchevy (edited April 23, 2001).]

Well i live near chicago and our emissions are pretty tuff. i don't know if everyone else has to do it now, but i have to run my car a a dyno (treadmill). I'll have to check and see if it will be hard for me to pass.
Thanks
Tom

If the "emissions are pretty tuff" meaning underhood inspection and stuff, you should talk to some of your buddies and see how closely they check the engine bay. You may get by with swapping out that CC carb if you left the snorkle on and everything appeared to be hooked up... Or buy either a second gen f-body, or and 82 and wait a year (provided you have 20 years=exempt).

Definately

MAYBE in that price range, certainly not easily, and definately not w/o already owning the car.

Its all in the tuning! Slightly less mpg, and tuneup for any season/altitude change, but its all good.

[This message has been edited by x5finger (edited April 23, 2001).]

to answer your question yes a carb is cheaper hp/$$ especially compared to a TPI 350 they are very expensive stock. So after you buy the car forget about modding it with a $3000 budget!

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I WOULD RATHER PUSH A CAMARO THAN DRIVE AN IMPORT

1983Z28 350w/ edelbrock performer RPM power package with 64cc aluminum heads, dynomax shorty headers, 700R-4 with shift kit, 750cfm carb, edelbrock 3" exhaust system, ASCD SS hood, 16" IROC rims.

future mods:
completely done over suspension, black paint with flames, Hurst shifter, dakota digital gauge package, procharger supercharger.

I would argue that a carb engine can get very respectable MPG numbers... I get about 25 mpg on the highway which is not too bad for close to 400rwhp. I will know Saturday if I pass with the Holley on there. I'm hoping with the stock air cleaner and all the AIR tubes... they won't notice it isn't the ccQ-jet

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock with the exception of the Holley 750vac... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

Biochem Would you mind posting the specs to your engine. i know i can't afford Edelbrock heads, but even with other heads i could probably get good power. Also you seem to get good gas mileage.
thanks
Tom

You can definately make more power cheaper with a good carb and intake setup.

I just went to a swap-meet yesterday and saw a new performer-RPM intake for sale for $110.
I bought 4 four-barrel carbs (thermo-quads) and 3/4 of another one for parts... all for $30. Each of those thermoquads flow well over 800 CFM, have small primaries with double-boosters, 3-step metering rods, and can run in either vacuum-secondary or mechanical secondary mode.
All those carbs need is some cleaning with a $1 can of carb spray.
It works out to about $7.50 for over 800 CFM of carburetion. There is no comparison between carbs and EFI.

ODB



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*I do custom performance mods on Edlebrock Performer carburetors (dualplane intake mods in the works),
White 1986 Irocz, 305 with iron #416 heads,
383 with aluminum TFS heads,
Edlebrock Performer-RPM intake and Performer #1407 carburetor, +110hp shot of crack, 700R-4 tranny, Vigilante 2400 lockup converter, 3.25:1 Ford 9" rear, Mcreary Road-Stars, SLP-stainless 1.75" shortie headers & Y-pipe, single 3" Borla exhaust, Linginfelter-TPI camshaft part number 74216 pulls 17" vacuum solid. Cam specs 213/219 @.050 114-LSA, sometimes advertised at 216/219 @.050 112-LSA .462/.470 lift @1.5:1 ratio. Using Harland Sharp 1.65:1 roller rockers. MSD-6AL, billet distributor, multi-retard, blaster-3 coil, and RPM switch. SouthSide machine subframe connectors, SSM lift-bars, Moroso 4" underdrive crank pulley.

N/A runs 10.9 @124,
Crack-runs 10.3 @135
haven't run at track since Oct-99
* vizit miy homepayge * http://www.geocities.com/trailerparkpage/