Zeeboinc

I've seen bits and pieces of cheap/easy to make mods throughout these forums but there's no congregated thread. For instance I saw something about a penny mod for the FPR in which you place a penny over the spring to mildly increase fuel pressure, 15# injectors from ford V6's were a better flowing upgrade, you can make a cai out of some PVC and a cone filter. These are just a few examples of cheap mods that can be had for our cars. I just wanted to stir the water and see what quick/easy/cheap/or direct fit mods anyone else would like to share (i.e. suspension components or brakes that were stock on another car that would be a great improvement for ours). Make a list and lets find out what we can collectively think of.

Sheriff420

I've hear the dual snorkel air cleaner is a good one.
I got one for $5 from a junk yard but I still need to get a rubber hose to reach from it to the throttle body and I need some filters for it.

jensen73110

iTrader: (4)

Didn't come up with much last time....
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/5...-upgrades.html

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I think you're thinking of the TPI intake. The one that goes over top the radiator. The Dual Snorkel intake was on the TBI/carb 305s. It looked like your traditional round filter style intake, but had 2 inlets on it instead of the normal 1.

As for other cheap "junkyard" mods, here is the list of ones I have done/plan to do:

Done:
-Larger sway bars from IROC, Z28, or WS6
-Foglights
-Dual Low beam headlights(For Camaros only)
-AC Delete(Using fan motor housing from an S10)
-Ford Explorer washer/coolant tank
-Vacuum charcoal canister(from carb swap)
-Fourthgen seats
-Extra fusebox\relay panel
-Cavalier cupholder
-Seats from Dodge Rampage(tight, but they fit)

In the works:
-Disc/Posi Rear from third- or fourthgen
-3.73(or other ratio) gears from 80's S10/S15
-Auto-dimming mirror from Olds 98
-C4(89-96) Corvette front brakes
-Fourthgen center console
-Vortec cylinder heads/valve covers(paid $50 for the pair and they were fresh rebuilds with less than 10k on them)


Other known swaps:
-Fourthgen dash/door panels
-Trans swap from third- or fourthgen
-C5(97-02) Corvette front brakes
-Fourthgen LSI front/rear brakes
-Aluminum driveshaft from third- or fourthgen
-Firebird/Hi-rise Z28 spoiler
-Ground Effects
-Wheels - Any third- or fourthgen Fbody, C4/C5/C6 Corvettes, S10/S15, Monte Carlo(80's), or anything else using the same bolt pattern



That's all I can think off the top of my head. This is all just stuff that bolts in, or takes very minor modification to fit. There are other things you can do of course, but they take a bit more work.

Zeeboinc

One ive seen but takes some modding is the ford 8.8 rear end. Which makes me wonder how bout a whole 4.0 V6 Cologne w/ awd transfer case, tranny and 8.8 rear? The 4.0 is 170 Hp so there's 35 HP without any machine work, plus the added benefit of the AWD. Not sure how much adding weight will hurt the HP calc but with all the Ford aftermarket parts im sure the 4.0 cologne could handle more then the stock 2.8 (or 3.1 for early third gens). Although it takes away from the whole cheapness aspect w/ aftermarket mods. ANyway the reason I'm even mentioning this is because I have a 93 explorer at my disposale. Debating if i should swap it in a junker 2.8 I have as a good learning experience or if it would all just be a waste of time.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Trying to swap in the AWD would be a complete waste of time. Swapping in the 4.0 V6 would also be a waste of time just because by the time you are done it would of cost 4 times as much as swapping in a v-8 and will be making half the power.

Camaro305SB

Nothing worth doing is free, or even cheap for that matter. I guess you can swap some take-off parts (exhaust, rear end, etc) from a higher trim car, but thats about it. Cone filters if they are in the engine bay without being sealed off are doing more harm than good. Larger injectors without the need for more fuel is a waste of time/money/effort. Honestly for brakes the stock system is really good when you use quality parts, fresh brake fluid, and your brake lines/hoses aren't worn out and leaking/expanding too much.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Free? Almost never. I say almost only because I got my 350 and carb for free. The engine was from a friend who was looking to downsize his collection of spare parts(had 3 complete engines+parts to 5 more) and the carb was a birthday gift from my brother.

Cheap? Easily done if you have the time/patience to find good deals on parts along and have the knowledge/willingness to learn to do the work yourself. U-Pull type junkyards are a great source for cheap parts, at least here in PA.

Krik

iTrader: (4)

I removed the air baffles under my air-filters.
I added a throttle-body blade (not free, but damn close)
I did the hot water through the throttle-body bypass (again not free, but damn close)

All easily reversed if i want to sell my car (yeah right).

Gumby

I wouldn't poo AWD, cept the furd part
-----

side note:
[There is a guy here local who makes adapters for subaru/toyota AWD units to work with strange combo's of just about anything to make drifting cars.
He spends like $5000 to make a mold but sells them for $300 or less. [ google bill hincher] one of his project is a V 6G72 Mits / T5 adapter. which only has one customer for but long as it sounds like an intresting build, he does it.]

personal note:
Been dreaming about a AWD 3rd gen since the 90s

86ttopbird

I don't have a V8 car...YET! But so far I have done the Ford MAF swap with the 165 ecm repin and burned a PROM to make it all work as well as the Ford V6 injectors. Somebody already mentioned about the cone air filters that are under the hood being a waste because all that does is cause the engine to inhale the hot, turbulent underhood air thereby defeating the purpose of having a high flowing COLD air intake in the first place. As for bypassing the throttle body coolant lines, I live in Pennsylvania and it gets damn cold here in the winter so I really don't relish the thought of a frozen throttle body. The U-pull junkyard near where I live has great prices and I am just waiting for a V8 thirdgen to show up so I can nab the sway bars and rear-end. I have a V6 Firebird so the only thing I can do is the old one tire fire. I am on the lookout for an aluminum driveshaft too. But that is about it as far as that goes. Oh and the Cologne V6 from the Ford would be a bad idea. Those are known to have upper oiling problems. That could be why every one I have ever heard raps like Jay Z. That is not counting the amount of $$$ that would be required to make it work when you could swap in an LT1 or 5.3 Vortec probably for less and have way more power. A good swap would be the aforementioned or a complete 3500 V6 out of an Impala or Malibu. Or build a hybrid out of a RWD 3.4 block and 3100/3500 top end. The RWD 3.4 is a direct bolt-in.

Krik

iTrader: (4)

I can understand that. I only drive my car when its nice weather anyway.

86ttopbird

My car is my daily driver. When it snows heavy is when I look for somebody to give me a ride :P

bl85c

iTrader: (2)

You should lift it and put the ford frame underneath. Then paint a dixie flag on the roof with a roller.

If you want to put the ford rear in there it's not a terrible idea but the rest of the drivetrain is a bad idea.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

That point is moot... I don't even remember when I bypassed my TB (it's been a while though), and I live in WNY, close enough to both Lake Erie and Ontario to get somewhat blasted by lake effect snow from both directions when times are right. I've never had a problem with the TB freezing. CTS, on the other hand, can be a pain and cause a long hard start along with cold fuel and injectors.

As far as JY mods, I'd either get a 3.4 or the entire top end off of a 3x00, both will probably cost about the same (if you get EVERYTHING, including the oil pump drive and the coil pack/ICM with connectors, missing a bunch of parts), WS6 sway bars (got them finally), a disc brake posi 3.42 rear (if I ever find one for a decent price, maybe), A/C delete blower fan box (mine's from an 84 unoptioned base Camaro), and, if you can find the right ones, the front springs from an S10 that interchange to the Moog 5658 springs (FWD guys love these and they apparently have the same spring rate as stock springs but at an inch lower ride). Then there is the TPI air cleaner box mod for the Camaro (that leaves us Birds out due to different nose designs). And of course, 4th gen parts, including the aluminum driveshaft and plastic gas tank, wheels, etc. Almost forgot to mention that if you come across a set of the aluminum brake drums, I'd get them... They may be hard to find, but I'd imagine the weight difference is quite noticeable. Unless they have problems with warpage, of course.

86ttopbird

I have had moisture buildup in my throttle body from condensation. So I left the coolant lines alone.

affliction1

cadillac shifter ****=2$ jy
1989 chevy caviler steering wheel=15$(best mod ever for the$)
all the jy mods i have,besides finding a perfect dash with a 1 inck break on the left side(60$)
center console lid perfect,and arm rests perfect(15$)
(bl85c everyone knows the general lee was a dodge charger...not a ford dont put that on them)

Guest

A 2.8L doesn't even need the Ford 8.8" axle. Not even with a turbo. That's still under 450 HP, and our 7.625" axles will take that.

Guest

Pic? please!

affliction1

ill take one tonight gotta goto work

affliction1

the 89 cav wheel

affliction1

caddy shifter

other horn button

awsome jy dash

affliction1

my old wheel after rattle can repaint(never remounted it to see how it looked.

K-slice

iTrader: (2)

I always thought those cavi steering wheels were pretty tight!

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

I forgot to mention the last time I posted that there is no flow difference between our stock injectors and the Ford ones everyone seems to enjoy switching to... If the Ford ones are indeed 15# flow rate at our system's pressure, then they fall right in the middle of the flow rates of the 2 injectors used on our V6 engines (not counting 3.4 or 3x00 hybrids). The pintle cap style injectors (RP P/N 523-5210) flow 15.4# and the Multitec injectors found on late 2.8 and 3.1 cars (I use the 14084888's) flow 14.7#. I might have the flow rates backwards off of the top of my head, but those are the 2 injectors the V6 cars used, and some 2.8's between 86-88 may have had both between one engine and the next (but not the same engine due to being almost a full pound/hr flow rate difference).