I can afford to do one more mod to my car before I have to start putting back $$$ for the upcoming semester of school (beer money =) ....SLP runners, or a cam? Not worried about the price difference...here's my setup.

'89 RS originally w/ LO3 TBI

350 TPI (GM crate motor w/ '88 TPI setup....13,000 miles)
rebuilt 700R4 (900 miles)
stock intake w/ bottoms cut out and K&Ns
gutted MAF
air foil
AFPR (set at 48 psi, timing set at 12*)
hedman headers
2.5 inch. flowmaster catback (might go up to 3 inch...should I?)
3.73 richmond gear/ auburn posi
160* stat
CAT! AIR! SMOG! Coolant bypass

The crate motor is a 9C1 Caprice Police motor that was intended for TBI, therefore has a peanut cam.

If I get a cam, i will get a chip burned need be
If I get runners I will port the plenum need be, but will not siamese the intake till later.

So what do ya think? Thanks.

 

Well I'd proly do cam, but then u need to match ur gears and torque convertor with the cam to get the best results.

 

The runners are probably the 2nd biggest restriction after the exhaust.....

 

Nothing is as big of a restriction as the base.


I'm running STOCK (yes stock) runners on a stock ported/siamesed base with the engine below and it pulls like a muthah

I'm not saying it doesn't have more in it, but im saying the stock runners are hardly the death of your engine. Go with the cam.

 

Not saying your wrong,but I would imagine those Sportsman IIs have something to do with it...

 

hahaha, yeah, but i'd still go with the cam. you'll get more power from a cam than runners. upgrade the runners after the cam or just wait and save up for both. good luck!

 

My point was that with the air flow (of the sportsman II's) the stock runners can deffinatly still feed it if you address the base.

 

I would get a TQ now and cam and runners later.....but my tranny is under warranty for a year....so i'm gonna wait on that.

 

Now what if I decided to go ahead and siamese the intake, then would a cam or runners/siamesed base give me better results?

The reason I said I'd wait to siamese the intake is because I just put the TPI setup on, and dont feel like taking it all off again....haha

 

I hear that!

But with practice its quite easy

I've replaced intake gaskets from running to apart to running again in a single night after work before it got dark.

Just takes a few times to get under your belt.


Yes you'd DEFFINATLY feel gains, the cam will give you another 500rpms to play with and alot stronger upper RPM pull, accompany that with a siamesed base and it'll be a great ride, gain as much as 1,000 rpms over stock and quite a bit of a tug.

 

I can take off the intake....it's a piece of cake...done it many times....it's just that i dont feel like it!! I guess I'm just to that point where as long as my car runs fine, i dont wanna mess w/ it...i guess i'm just burnt out at the moment.

You did bring a good point to my attention....if I add a cam, it'd be a really good idea to siamese the intake...thanks.