i have a chance to get a 88 rs vert. it will need floors replaced and some other stuff but i want to look good and go fast too.i want either a 383 or 406 with stealthram intake.if i just put sfc on it will that be enough to keep the frame from tweekin?

 

With rusted out floors, heaven only knows what else is rotten out of it. I would think if it was brought back to a solid car then it might have a chance.

On the other hand a 400 with 600 HP would twist almost any car and the hope is lost without some serious reinforcement. If your going to invest that kind od money into an engine, start with a better car, and be much further ahead money wise and time wise.

"- I hate rusty cars" - Lightening McQueen from Cars

 

there is no frame on a thirdgen (or any fbody)....

the floorpan IS the car... there is a sheetmetal front subframe assembly thats welded to the floorpan... and the rear subframe/suspension mount points that are welded to the floorpan.. thats it... that floor is the car.

now if you are seriously going to put a badass motor in it, a convertible will need a cage... a rollcage will stiffen up the car more then enough for hooking a 600 on nitrous car... IF the car is in good shape.


because its structural, replacing the floorpan correctly on a camaro isnt easy... but it can be done.

 

well maybe 600 hp is a little too much but i wanna be faster that a new vett.

 

oh, thats all you want.

Do you mean the ZO6 or just the plain Vette.

The base Vette is rated around About 400hp, the Z06 around 500hp.

For this kind of upgrade you will not only need a motor, but I would recommend installing a 4L80 Trans and either a Dana 44 or Ford 9" rear.

The Trans will cost installed around $3000 to $5000, that should include a shortened driveshaft. The Axel will be about $2000. Then there is the engine. For around $3000 you can build yourself a stroker 383 TPI, then you would at least get some fuel milage with TPI. I would think around 22 mpg highway would be about right. To put on top of your newly stroked 383 I would probably go with the Scroggin Dickey Intake, Heads and Cam setup ($2000), add SLP stainless headers & cat-back for around $1000 more...

Oh yeah, before you start on the go-fast stuff, call Baer brakes and get yourself at least a set of 12" rotors to go under it. thats around $2500 more. Stopping is more important that going in my book.

So for around $13,500 to $15,000 you can at least give a vette a run for its money. Then you can consider fixing up the interior, and a paint job.

It would be much cheeper to get yourself an 89 TTA and modify one of those. Then you will keep up with a vette with some tuning, and some inexpensive mods.

JOhn

 

you can take that 4,000 trans and that 3000 tpi motor, and instead spend 5000 on a LS1 with a 4l60e or M6... then toss a cam in it ($300) and make the same power.... then either a stall or a good clutch, and the powertrain is set.

build that 9" locally using moser housing/axles/Tqarm mount, and you can save yourself $500 from that $2000 right there...

and for brakes, total cost should be ~700 if you want some really nice working brakes.... 1200 if you want pretty brakes that work nice.


it is intresting that you say all that you said, then end it with a "get a TTA, it only needs inexpensive mods".... i mean, the rearend, brakes, tires, ect.... all would be the same between the two...
the only diff would be the powertrain.. you would get a 700R4 (inferior to the 4l60e) or spend the cash on a 6spd and a good clutch... you'll need fuel system upgrades.. you'll want a new turbo.. and a diffrent intercooler setup... possibly meth/water/alky injection or something of that nature... ect.... and if you're going to say you dont need that... then you're not near the powerrange of the engine im talking about above...



but all this is silly moot points anyway.

 

well i will save alot of money cause i will do everything myself except the body work.engine,trans,rear-end,electrical i can all do at my shop.and sorry to say,my last iroc that was stolen about a year ago was only a stock bottom end 355 with edelbrock heads,superram intake,gear,and bolt ons and i was rolling ls1 vettes all day.and thats all motor,with no prom tuning.but thatnks for the input.

 

The stock LS1's were rated around 320hp, You are correct to be in the range of 400hp with a cam, its an interesting idea. The only thing that I don't like about the LS1 setup is the fact you have to modify your engine cross member to get it to fit. THe M6 is a great trans, and the 4L60E is a good trans but its basically the same as a 700R4 or 4L60, but with computer controlled shift, everything inside is the same. To make that kind of power and be able to put it to the pavement I would think that a stronger trans would be in order.

The reason I suggested what I did was its STAYBG87Z stated he wanted a 383 or 406 in the first post. I naturally assumed that he wanted to use a Gen 1 or 2 block.

Honetly I would be interested in what kind of setup your referring to. 12" rotors or what. Stopping is by far more important than going at least when your talking about HP like this.

1) the TTA did NOT get the 700R4, rather it got a 200R4, internally it is very different, where the 700 has a really low 1st gear the 200 is more evenly spaced gears. At least thats what I have been told... The only reason I suggested that was the fact that we are talking about a rusted out car, or at least the floorboards were rusted badly enough to warrent replacement. If you bought a TTA, with $350 in parts you can get a low 13/high 12 second car which will keep up with the vette.

Indeed.

John