i have a 1990 formula with an lo3 im am looking to make some good power but im on about a 2000$ budget just wondering if you guys could help me out with some suggestions?

 

Replace the 2.73 gears with a (2 series) 3.42 ratio set. Invest in a good set of long tube headers and a full free flowing exhaust system. Replace the OE air filter with a K&N filter too. That should pretty well spend your $2K if you hire the work out but those mods will improve the cars performance.

Good luck

 

ok thanks for the help and i have a garage where i can do almost anything to the car so would you have any more sugestions? i was looking at 062 heads

 

also got things like under drive pullies, or a head cam intake swap...

 

do you know any place that makes the (2 series) 3.42?

 

for street lt1 cam

for track use bottle, 75hp shot

 

I would just buy a rear from a 4th gen they go for about $200 on craigslist, full exhaust, and try the ebl flash, i think right there alone would be about $1500.

 

ok thanks for the help

 

what is the ebl flash?

 

look around you mightt be able to find a mild 350 for that price

 

You should check this out
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...-tbi-what.html
and this is were you could buy it from
http://www.dynamicefi.com/

 

ok thank you guys just one more thing any recomendations on long tube headers that will fit without major moding?

 

I think the hooker 2210 but they are expensive about $300 or $500 not sure

 

o ok thank you but dont they make a a painted version thats cheeper?

 

I looked at the tech. articles on TGOs home page and it looks like you do indeed have the 2.73 ring and pinion and a open differential. Id make changes to that on top of the list with also opening up your intake with at least a open air filter assembly and a better flowing full exhaust. If you are not going to be pushing your car real hard at the track with slicks than up-grading your differential could be the way to go. If you decide to rebuild/upgrade it from scratch here's a list of items to consider.

1. 3.42 or higher ring and pinion =$ 200.00
2. master bearing kit = $ 90.00
3. axle bearings and seals = $ 30.00
4. 28 spline Eaton posi. Unit = $ 500.00 ( highly recommended )
5. installation/labor = $ 300.00
6. and if you want ,a LPW Ultimate support cover = $ 160.00 ( also highly recommended )
   Thats 1,280.00 counting the cover and leaves you with $720.00 out of 2,000.00 to do the exhaust,etc.

Thats just a estimate price wise but is also a list of what I have done to my daily driver and is by far the best/most noticeable seat of the pants modification to date. Feels like a totally different ride. If your going to be taking it to the track and pounding on it with slicks you may want to go with a 9” or 12 bolt .Something that will take a lot of abuse. Here's a link to Eaton = http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/Produc...iLSD/index.htm and heres a link to the LPW cover = http://www.jegs.com/i/L.P.W./619/301-7.5G/10002/-1

 

i was looking at a 3.42 posi rear end out of a forth gen (about $300) and some 062 vortec heads with headers and maby a cam

 

Yea they are cheaper but you can find them on here for about $400 coated

 

ull have to grab a new intake also with the vortecs since they use a diferent bolt pattern so remember that when your adding your pricing up. but lt1 cams can be found here pretty cheap ive seen them 50 shipped all day long so.

 

if i remember though if you go that far with a build with the tbi engines they will run like crap unless you make a prom to match your changes.

 

yeah i was going to get the intake manifold from a junk yard and maby the heads if i can find 062 but if not i have seen them on ebay for like $300 and will the lt1 cam fit in the car with out mods? what is the lift on an lt1 cam?

 

look on here for a lot of the parts, you could probably end up doing more by getting some used parts

 

I think for the lt1 cam you need to change the springs especially on the vortec heads

 

LT1 cams CAN be used with stock valve springs (just below the limit in lift) but its a good idea to upgrade if you can. Cant remember the specs but its a nice difference in performace compaired to the peanut cam in your car now.

 

ok i got a few more questions what is the lift on the lt1 cam and should i get a 3.42 rear end from http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...ectprices.aspx or should i look in junk yards for it ?

 

Well i googled it and this is what i got for the 96-97 lt1 engine 0.418/0.430 lift 111 LSA

 

ok thank you for all the help

 

Yea shure no problem

 

ok on last thing has anyone got thr ebl flash and if so what does it do and is it worth the money?

 

There are several people on here with it and they say its well worth the money im also
thinking of buying it to learn how to tune but unsure if im gonna switch to hsr or carb or stay with tbi. But since how you say you have $2000 i would get it definately instead of paying someone for all your tuning you do it yourself.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...ga-tuning.html

 

ok so i was looking around and found some things on tip motors and i was just wondering if it would be worth it to swap to tpi or should a stay with the tbi?

 

Well if you wanna switch to tpi you will spend about $800 just to complete all of the tpi parts unless you get a parts car. But its up to you do whatever you feel like to do.

 

is it worth the money how are the power gains? would it be better in the long run if i switched?

 

if i was to do it i was looking at the used motors on hawksthirdgenparts.com the tpi 305 is 1000$ and i was just going to swap the parts over to my motor cuz mine only has 67,000 on it and the motors from hawks come with at least 100,000 on them

 

Well yea but the reason the tpi have more power too is because they got better heads and cam so you wont see much gain it would be best to get some vortec heads and a good matching cam and from their you choose which intake route you wanna of going tpi or tbi.

 

ok so would it be worth it to spend the 1000 on the tpi motor and swap the heads and cam in to my motor along with the intake system?

 

Well thats up to you on buying the motor since its your money. But it would be best to buy a parts car that go for about $800-$1200 and get the parts you need and sell what you wont use and still get what you want.

 

check local craigslist ads. half the time u can find local stuff that people have been trying to get rid of for a while that basically are just giving it away.earlier i found a whole tpi engine with wiring harness for 150 bucks! was a 305 but didnt matter to me i just wanted the tpi parts and harness.

 

I'm not saying you shouldn't come here, but I recommend you do a ton of reading outside of this site before you drop any money. Also be realistic on your goals. What kind of power are you wanting to make, and how do YOU want to make it? TBI? TPI? Carbureted? You've got $2,000 to work with and you can make a fairly quick car if you're smart with your money. Just remember that being smart (getting a good deal, and being patient by waiting for one) and being cheap are two WAY different things. You always get what you pay for.

 

ok so will a 400small block bolt to the t5 tranny and will the motor bolt in the car right?