I just got a 88 Iroc-Z, I LOVE this car to death, it is rather quick right now, but I want to make it faster, Please give me a list of upgrades for this car. I dont want to make it a 350, I want to beat people with a 305!! Please, what can I do with about thousand dollars! Thanks guys!

 

Not a lot of help for a 305 with around a thousand dollars! ODB might have a different opinion about this tho' so you should talk to him!! Just make sure you make it clear to him that you only have a thousand dollars to deal with so he doesn't go suggesting rediculous upgrades that will cost you more!



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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear
Completely Stock
Soon to upgrade to a 350 converted from TPI to Carb, Edlebrock Carb, Edlebrock Performer RPM Intake, Headman Shorty Headers, Vortech Heads (possibly ported), comp Xtreme Energy cam, proform HEI distributor kit w/MSD 6-AL Ignition box!!
Current project: Keeping my car running until I get the money for the above mentioned project! :-)

 

Well, you need to figure on ething out from the start...do you have a carb or TBI? An 88 IROC would have TBI as the base engine. Also, if you have TBI and only a grand, and are a complete newbie, you might as well give up on beng really fast for a long time.
If you do have a carb (actually either way) you'll want to do gears (and posi if you don't have), and a complete exhaust including headers. All that will end up running you near a grand. Past that your next weak point is the cam, which you can get cheap anough, the hard part is putting it in.
And there's always tuning and such to keep you busy. And for god's sake get teh stock aircleaner off first thing and swap an open element on.
...ed

 

(Edit: Ed & I must have started typing at the same time. I got a phone call...)

88's didn't come with carbs. What does yours have now - TBI? If not, who changed it, what all did they change, and what's on there now?

The weaknesses of the 305's are the cam, heads, air cleaner, and exhaust. Assuming you are going to keep this as a daily driver, (and w/$1000, that's probably the case), then exhaust and cam would give you the biggest boost for the least money, and would be good groundwork for later mods.

Exhaust should be first. Headers range from about $100 for no emissions fittings/y-pipe, to about $600 for coated stainless w/y-pipe. Since you're talking carb on an '88, emissions won't be a problem, but y-pipe would add another $150 or so to the lower number. Now, either get a high-flow cat or put a pipe there, $20-130, and a good cat-back, $150-300.

An '88 would have a roller cam, so that's about 2-3 times the cost of a flat tappet cam. Figure about $300 for parts to do that job. Don't go too heavy on lift, or you'll need better valve springs and screw-in rocker studs.

So, where does that leave you? Hedman non-emissions headers w/y-pipe: $275. 3" pipe in place of cat plus clamps and other misc., $40. Dynomax cat-back, $260. Cam & gaskets to install, $300. Open element air cleaner, $35. Total: $910. Looks like you're close to your budget, if you do all the work yourself. This also assumes you DO have a properly set-up carb on there now as well. You still haven't done anything about the heads, but you're ready for them when the budget does allow, and you're running better than the average 305 bear.

Just don't expect to come and pick me off when I've finished all that I've got in the works...

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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/LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, WP 305 heads ported & polished, 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" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

[This message has been edited by five7kid (edited February 20, 2001).]

 

Hey Guys, Yea My car is a Carb. I know they dont come with them in 88, so I guess the engine is not stock. But would there be a reason to take out the engine and put in this Carbed 305? Or maybe I dont even know it and its a 350. If all I did at first was put in headers and full exaust would I feel a difference in pick up. thanks again guys!

 

There are reasons why guys convert from TBI to carb, and plenty of guys on these boards that have converted from TPI to carb. The engine may not have been pulled and replaced with a carb'd 305, may have just converted the TBI 305 to carb.

Do a search on casting numbers for posts on how to determine what block you have. You may have a 350.