I only get to the strip about once a year, but I improve about 1-2 tenths every time. My one time this year, I got 5 runs in, all in the 14.4s. Each year I do some mods to it, plus I am getting better driving the car. I have the lowly 2.77 rear end, and the tranny is stock. The heads and manifolds have never been off. I have done many of the basic, easy, free mods. I run street tires(BF Goodrich Comp T/As) and let the tranny shift from 3rd.

Trouble is, there is Mustang fella at work that thinks my car is slow. He thinks his '87 5.0 carb will run high 13's, but he doesn't know. My car is much heavier than his. I think I do all right for what I have. With a gear change and some tranny work, I could get into the 13's, you think??

I checked the timeslips website, and most folks in the 13's are newer cars, or have cams, headers, or head work. I want to get into the 13's without that work. Is it possible???

------------------
Best ET 14.413 @95.57 without
pulling valve covers or manifolds.
Also with stock 2.77 rear end!!!

 

That's not bad for an L98 car, I've seen a lot worse, I have a stock 305, and with exhaust and free mods, I could only hit a 15.24, so I don't think your time is bad at all. The newer cars are a lot faster, just look at the difference in Horsepower. LT1's are 13's from the factory and the LS1 is in the 12's from the factory.

 

A shift kit and higher rear end gear would definitely be good for a few tenths, and running 14.4s currently would put you pretty close to 13s. It's those last few tenths that are always the toughest to get though. And unfortunately the major weaknesses in the thirdgen 350 are the very things you don't want to work on, ie mild cam, restrictive intake, heads, and exhaust. Not sure if you can get into the 13s without touching any of those areas.

 

Do a torque converter swap, put in 3.42 gears, and most importantly...throw on some drag radials. High 13s shouldn't be out of reach. To get down in the low 13s, then you'll need to do some serious bolt ons to the motor.



------------------
1989 IROC-Z, ZZ3 shortblock with some bolt-ons.
13.20 @ 108.69, 2.2 60'

 

Thanks for all your tips, fellas. A gear change and some tranny work are high on the list. In fact, I talked to my mechanic today about a rearend swap. He suggested finding a complete rear that has the gears I want allready installed. He said that a 10-bolt out of a Camaro would work.

Some folks say a big jump in gears is almost good for 0.5 sec in the 1/4 mile.

The major engine work is not totally out of the picture, I just want to get the right gears and firm up the tranny first. I basically want a fast street car.

 

If u don't want to do the engine work, then get a Trans Go shift kit, Corvette servo, 3.42s and Flowmaster or the exhaust that u like. Your car is running pretty much stock and the times u have for a stock L98 are good.

------------------
Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.