Right now, I'm thinking about buying a 1992 Firebird with the 305 TBI and an auto transmission. I'm stepping up from a 2.8 86 Bird. Mostly because I sold it earlier this year to make up the difference on a Cadillac I was buying, but now I miss the Bird too much. But anyhow, how disappointing do you think the step from the V6 to the V8 be? A friend of mine had a 1984 Z28 with the 150hp 305, five speed. It would have been quick enough and torquey enough for me. Even with the lame 2.73 or whatever the LO3's had for a rear end, will the TBI be any quicker, around the same pick up or slower than the 84?

Also, just out of curiousity (I'll search for it as well) with a budget of say five hundred bucks (the cheaper the better really, but isn't that always the case? ), emissions being no concern, what would you recommend to pick up performance a bit?

 

cam
headers
can be a good start

 

Making it breath better is good for any motor. Probably the first place to start.

 

Going from a V6 to a V8 is never a disappointment (unless the V6 happened to be a TTA). Also,if the 84 with it's 150 hp would have been good enough for you then the 170 from the TBI should be good as well.

 

Agreed. The LO3 will fell great compaired to the 2.8. Not to mention it can net you 25+ mpg all day long.

 

Go with headers and exhaust...

 

I can verify the 25+ MPG comment as well. I've only had my RS for 3 weeks, and with carboned-up plugs, a coroded distributor cap, crappy wires, an O2 sensor that looks like the original and a non-working EGR valve (solenoid was broken), I still got 22.6 and 22.4 MPG from my first 2 tanks, doing 80% highway cruises at 75. Not bad, eh???

I know it will never beat my LT1 though...27 MPG on the 2,400 mile road trip to the F Body Gathering in Bowling Green, KY last summer averaging 78 MPH WITH STOPS INCLUDED (normally cruising 80-85) with the A/C blasting the whole 14.5 hour ride

 

Since I do own a V-6 Turbo 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am,
I have a blast driving my girlfriend's '91 Firebird with the Sport Appeatrance Package car!
Since I knew that her car would never come close to the speed of mine, I went a different route. You may consider this too.
I installed 16 inch Diamond Spoke black wheels/245-50-ZR16 tires all around.
Changed out the flat hood to the power budge Trans Am/Formula one.
Chenged out the stock taillights to ones from a 1985-1990 Trans Am.
Installed 36mm front hollow sway bar, with polyurthane bushings all around, as well as a wonderbar, and,as well as installing a 24mm rear sway bar!
She now handles as well as my 20th TTA!
Oh ya, I also installed 1984 15th Anniversary front recaro seats!
Oh ya, and a rear hatch/spoiler of a 1991 GTA!
We love it!


George

 

if you get the car and want to up the power and mpg a bit i reccomend the helix power tower. i went from 180 to around 12.7 gallons of gas to about 240 to the same amount and that was with the car shifting 300+ in every gear do to the way i adjust my tv cable. the car would not shift under 2800 under any circumstance. the only way to get the appropriate power tower is to find the one for the gmc jimmy,s10, or blazer with teh 4.3 liter tbi motor it is a direct fit. this thing works by spinning the air as it enters the intake and the fuel along with it and allows for better atomization of the air/fuel mixture. now on teh tbi it goes underneath the throttle body assembly and on top of the intake manifold. it did seem to improve the power band of my 91 rs and it made it sound like it had a supercharger under the hood by the way it whistled when i sparked the throttle. for those of you skeptics to the power gained by this, i can only say that i dont endorse any product that i havent tried for my self as i believe that they are mostly all gimick(not that my endorse ment should really mean anything). the only reason i tried this was because i got it for free from my friend. i also did a few other mods to it too. i did the ultimate throttlebody 1 and 2 faws here at TGO. and i also reccomend the edelbrock pro flow open air intake or other equivelent product. the prow flow has a foam air filter which ive been told is the best possible air filter. the only downside is you have to wash it every 2000 miles, but i never did. all these things will make your engine "breathe" better and should compliment cams, headers and heads.
sorry for the long winded post and product pushing, and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

hope you get the bird.

 

The tornado like product you mention does NOTHING for power, it's been proven on countless websites. That spinning action you speak of gets cancelled right out when the air hits your throttle blades. Be happy you didn't pay for that intake whistle.

I've also heard and seen several of the proflow air cleaners self implode and send foam down into the engine. The foam likes to dry rot over time and get brittle, eventually falling apart and getting sucked into the engine. On top of that there really isn't that much filter area. When it comes to filters just make sure you have enough filter area for your particular engine. A 14x3 air filter should have you covered for about 3 times the airflow of a stock engine.

 

this product is nothing like the tornado. the tornado is a waste of money. however i believe that this product does give you a gas milege boost since that is waht i experienced when i used it.