3.73s, K&N drop in, catless exhuast, my shift kit isnt installed yet

my first EVER run down the track, 16.1 @84, 2.2 60'second and third runs redlighted, fourth, 15.9 @85.2 mph with a 2.2 short time again

if anyone needs me, ill be running my car over with a bulldozer

 

you have to figure that that l03 is only 170 at the flywheel, not a power horse.lol but I feel ya, thats why I went with the lt1.

 

I did 15.9--with a 4.3L stall, shift kit and Coevette servo.

Damn near the same as my new daily driver---a 2.4L 4 door automatic Cobalt

 

I think it's time for a 4" bore mod. LOL

 

or the upgrade to the LS1 4th gen mod

 

i thought that chevy measured hp at the wheels? i read it somewhere. forget where...

 

I wish

 

Am I the only one who thinks that 15.9 for an old LO3 with really only gears as a meaningful mod and his first time at the track is actually pretty good?

 

No you are not Gunny. I thought that was pretty decent. The problem is usually in unrealistic expectations (much like at the dyno).

Now you have a baseline to work from bud. Go out and have some fun!

-Schultzy

 

Yea, I'd be tickled to death if my LO3 was that fast first time out. Just cause it's a V8 doesn't make it a race car.

Dave B

 

Saw an all stock auto here at MIR pull off a 15.8 with just a muffler and 150K miles.

 

no way in hell is a stock auto LO3 going to pull a 15.9. i have 3.08s, vette servo, headers, y pipe, gutted cat, catback, open element, posi, relocation brackets and my best time 2 days ago at the track was a 15.8.

 

I disagree, my 1994 G10 Shorty Van with its 305/700r4/3.42 combo ran a 16.7 on a stock longblock, stock TBI, stock intake, stock exhaust manifolds.

The only additions were a high flow cat, flowmaster 50 series muffler, shift kit and S10 converter in the rebuilt 4L60E. Custom tuning as well.

 

Or a N20 mod.

 

Yup I saw it happen, and I dont doubt TBI motors like everyone else. They are not the best, but mine with all of the stuff done to it before I parked it ran with my buddies stock 89 lx.

 

That's about right... 16.2 with 2.73's

 

The TBI motors were designed to be good on gas with a broad torque range. Its not a performance motor.

 

NOOOOO said it isn't so!!!!!

 

Last month I ran a 16.07 at 84 mph with a .112 reaction time and 2.3 60' in my stock lo3 firebird. 700r4 w/ 2.73 gears. only mods were a open element filter, no cat, and a hooker muffler with a hole in it about 5X2 inches lol. 133,000 miles. i guess thats pretty good then?

 

I pulled a best of 16.1 with my 91 lo3 5speed 3.08 rear with a peg leg and worn tires. completley stock. If i could hook i could drop her into the 15's

 

Its pretty sad actually, my 67 Chevy C10 truck with 283 engine was faster than my 90 L03 Bird with 5 speed manual tranny and 3.08 gears.

 

I've never lost a race with my 3.1 against an L03 F-bucket.

 

I got a best of a 14.7 with my old l03, it was from a 88 manual car. Had headers, duel 2.5 exaust, 3k stall, pegleg 3.42 rearend, stockstyle carb intake and a holley 650dp. Rings were leaking prety bad (70psi in 2 cylenders). That run was made with 50° temps and 1.9 60fts.

 

15.9 first night out with open element.

15.7 with open element and flowmaster

14.92 with 670 TBI, LT1 cam, Performer RPM intake, Vortec heads, 2800 stall, SLP Headers, and Horrible "custom tune"

And hopefully much faster this summer with the Demon swap

So there's definately potential in the motor. You just need to get some air moving in her. I would bet mid to low 14's on my tbi setup with a perfect tune. I've spanked severel 350's, they probably weren't modded much at all but they hate themselves when beat by a 305.

 

Yeah man, now you have a starting point. You can only improve. Try all the "free-mods" you can learn on this site and try them first. Get rid of all the uneeded weight like spare/jack etc. Rig up a cold air induction, fresh good sparkplugs and a good set of wires is rather inexpensive. If you've done all of that, i would go with exhaust from headers all the way back. You can always keep the exhaust if you swap motors later on. You will also run faster on a cool night with good traction.

 

Don't forget you can adjust the base timing and FP. There are definitely gains to be had in doing it.

 

Wow, my best stock 1/4 time was 16.43 sec @ 82 mph. I'm gonna have to run it now with my full exhaust.

 

not too bad. Are 3.73 gears a good match for the L03's powerband?

 

No, 3.08s are better. The 3.73s will move the L03 out of its power-band too quickly. Swap the heads/cam and this changes though.

 

of course... so what i'm gettin at is maybe he's more disappointed with his track times due to the fact that his car isn't geared right for his setup.

 

I dont feel so bad pulling off a 16.19 in my Taurus last Friday now. It was about 85-90% humidity and the lowest temperature was 93. I left the track and i got about a mile down the road and it was POURING down rain.

Weather plays a fairly large part at the track. There was a guy running almost a full second slower then usual while i was there. That was one sweet supercharged (ford) 427 stroker powered first gen Camaro though

If it makes you feel better there was a 350 powered thirdgen there that could only pull off a 15.3. He was purging his nitrous before every run and icing his intake between them. The only mods i know about it are loud exhaust, Nitrous (dont know what shot), and a fairly tall fiberglass cowl induction hood that was hiding nothing.

 

You sure it was a 350 thirdgen and not a 305?

And what was the trap speed?

 

I'm positive it was a 350. I didnt pay too close attention to the trap speed cuz i was getting ready to stage at the time. I will reiterate that it was horrible track conditions and on a decent cool night with traction he probably could have dropped into the 14s. It also could be that it wasnt running right. I dont know.

 

You would know its a 350 by how loud the owner was screaming when handed his timeslip.

 

What's a good adjustment on the two?

 

3.73's work good with my TBI motor however mines a L-98 TBI engine with a 5speed. So probably can't compare the two motors, aside from crappy gas mileage I like the out of the hole pull it has. I want to run it one day before I sell it with a 100 shot.

 

Play with it some, my 4.3L TBI picked up .2 on my G-tech Pro by bumping the static FP from 9 to 13 PSI, and I advanced my timing about 4 degrees from base (0 deg) I believe a lot of 305 ppl go to about 6 deg BTDC, and run mid grade or premium so the knock system doesn't pull timing. To get it optimal it's best to play with it some. An AFPR requires a pod rebuild kit probably as well as a gauge (loan a tool) or you can adjust it 1/8th or 1/4 turn at a time as long as you show gains at the track. You can make one out of your stocker pretty easily by drilling the bottom out, and slotting it for a screw driver or welding the end of an allen key on so you can adjust with a wrench.

 

15.6 at 89.12mph was my first run at the track ever. 88' camaro L03 5 speed 3.08's with open diff, olny mods intake, exhaust, fuel pressure and timing thats all. my 60ft. was 2.52

 

15.9 is nothing to scoff at

A brief history of my car:

First time at track (Open element, 3" Cat, Hooker Catback): 17.3, 18.3 (spun horribly), 17.1
A few more times at track, learning to drive: 16.8
Drag Radials, tune up, more learning to drive: 15.9
3.42 posi rear, Spohn LCA's and relocation brackets: 15.6
LT1 Cam, Edelbrock Intake, 'glass hood: 15.2-15.3
Headers, e-cutout and Tuning: 14.87, where I am now

If I would have run a 15.9 at the track my first time out I would have jumped for joy. Location has a lot to do with it as well, you boys out at sea level run some damn good times!