I know this has ben asked a hundred times before, here is a 101 .I just bought an 88 iroc 5.0 for $3000 in california. I dont know where to start I have about $1500 left over and I want to get my money's worth. What could I do myself that would give me some more power. Appreciate any help.

 

The first thing I would do is invest in a good set of heads, and a matching cam.
Thats going to give you some good hardware to build apon in the future.
Latter down the road, you can invest in less expensive stuff like intake, injectors, TB, .......
Even if you decide to super charge it down the road, then you'll think yourself for investing in those heads !


Ron

 

if your engine is TPI you'll also have to figure about$350 for a chip to get the performance outta the heads and cam. $350 would also get ya a setup for burning your own chips too. If you have a tpi I'd get the vortec intake and vortec heads about about $900 and thena cam and chip. you'd have a BIG increase in power that way.

 

IMHO, you should start with the basics. In this order.

1. Exhaust (if it hasn't been done); Get a high flowing cat-back and maybe even a high flow cat. Headers if the budget allows it.

2. Intake; High flowing filter such as K&N, or even the FIPK from K&N if they make it for your car. An airfoil for the TB, or just a 52mm TB like BBK's. Don't get the 58mm unless you're planning serious mods in the near future. And a high flow MAS.

3. Get a more aggressive cam; Crane and Comp Cams both make some that are computer friendly, but will still let you use the stock rear gears and TC.

4. Custom burt chip; This won't be needed unless you get a much more aggressive cam, which you'll need a higher stall TC and lower gears (higher numerically) for anyway. But even if you get a custom burnt chip with the "computer friendly" cam, you will see some gains.

Other considerations; If you do a cam swap, you may as well take off the heads also. That way you can at least gasket match the runners, intake ports and intake runners on the heads. And also get the heads redone and add a pocket port to them.

I can say that with the Complete Exhaust-Gasket Matched Intake & Runners-Slightly Better Cam-Gasket Match/Pocket Ported heads (if all done right) can easily give you about a 50-60HP gain. Maybe more if you wanna get into the bigger cam. But agian, the drive train has to be matched to the cam. And the stock TPI plenum/runners is only good to ~4500-4800 RPMs. So be conservative with you're cam choice.

If you really want great advice, talk to the guys at TPIS. They know their shi...... I mean stuff.

G/L

AJ

 

My suggested order of priority...
1. Heads
2. Cam
3. Exhaust
4. Intake
5. Gearing

Or in order of bang/buck but!=expensive
1. Gearing
2. Headers
3. Cam
4. Heads
5. Intake

 

Exhaust should be done first. First of all, the stock system sucks, and putting heads or a cam on won't do any good with the stock exhaust. Meaning get headers and a cat-back. This is what should be done first then I would get gears. However, since you do have the money all at once, and depending on how often that will be, it might be the best choice to go ahead and get yourself a good set of heads and a cam. And later down the road it will be a lot easier to save up for headers, gears or intake than heads. Just a thought though.

 

Ha. My second list was for if you want to feel a difference right away. I realize in my first list that the heads and cam won't make much of a difference with the crappy stock exhaust. My reasoning behind that was more because it's gonna be harder and harder to have 1500 bucks sitting around all at once, and you might as well get the most expensive component first.. That was just a personal suggestion.

Oh nevermind, I just read the last part of your post.. You got it.
"You were smelling what I was cooking."