Hey guys, I know you've seen alot of my messages on here recently. I was the one who switched from TPI to a carb. It runs great, 11.99 @ 117mph. BUT, it gets NO traction, even with drag radials. I dont want to chop the car up to get traction, because it was my dad's car when it was new. So, Im selling the 355 that was in it and got an L98 out of a 92 Z28. It only has 60,000 mi on it(so they said), and has all sensors, injectors, etc. I think Im gonna totally restore the car to showroom quality, and just rebuild that motor and put in it. What do you think of that? I thought of maybe just putting a cam in it and working on the plenum and TB a little. What kind of power can you get out of a stock TPI with a better cam, and air flow(intake work, headers, etc)?? Im also gonna get into the prom burning as well, as I heard something about getting more power from that even with a stock motor. Any suggestions?? Comments?

 

You dont have to chop the car up to get traction. Go look in the Suspension board.

If you havent already, boxed or tubular rear trailing arms (also called LCA) will help. Even better, add some LCA lowering brackets.

Relocating the battery to the rear also helps some.

Why take a good running, quick car and put it back to slowness?!

 

Ive already got every suspension component you could have on it.....Boxed control arms with 1LE bushings, BMR trakpak bar, adj panhard rod, subframe connectors, shock brace, Eibach drag springs w/airbag coilover in RR. I guess what it comes down to, I dont want to tear this car up, it being a gift and all. Im working on purchasing an older plain camaro maybe an 82-85 sport coupe or a cheap IROC and build it to play with, know what I mean? I want this one to look like it did the day he bought it....and have another one to beat on. But I still have to say a carb will kick the crap out of a TPI.... I just dont want to take a chance on F-ing this one up.....make sense at all?

 

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. All in what you want.

 

I'll take fuel injection over coffee cans with holes in the bottom anyday!

 

if you're in the 11s, maybe it's time to think about a new rear end and some REAL tires - ET Streets/Drags

And if you're that fast, i see no reason to go back to slow either. Buiy a stock car to cruise if that's what you want

 

Mike Crews's car goes 1.61 60' on BFG DR's and the Spohn set-up. He's running a 383 TPI with a 2600 stall Vigilante. He claims the car has no wheel spin. - BTW He's running 12.3's with too small of a cam. My convertible has been 1.72 w/ CE Sub-frames, and Lakewood LCA's(stock torque arm).

 

Well, the car has a really good rearend in it. It has a Moser 9in, with 4.10 and eaton posi. And as far as the suspension, it has everything on it you can buy, and all tuned right. My 60ft times werent really good, but then again, Im sometimes slow off the light Anyway, When my dad saw the car last week for the first time in about 6 or 7mths, he was like "Oh, so youre tearin' it up, huh?" I couldnt tell if he was kidding or being sarcastic. I just dont think he likes the idea of me racing that car. I have located an 86 Camaro sport coupe for $1800 and Im thinking of getting that and donating all the parts from my 91 Z and putting them on that car and making it my "bitch" I could find some 91-91 Z28 ground effects and make it look the same......Still not sure though

 

Depending on how your budget it, i would buy another thirdgen and put the 355 in that and take out the other motor. Swap motors basically. I mean, if you are looking to get the car back into original condition, its not going to be the same without the original motor. I am guessing you do not have it, or maybe the 355 is it! I understand what you mean, its all about respecting your fathers car/past and you want to get one of your own now to mess around with. good luck

 

Why give up a car running 11.99's for something that will hardly break into the 13's. Go to the suspension board and learn the simple mods you need in order to make it hook up before you go and sell one bad *** 355. Like I said, you can make an 11.99 car hook up if you do some research and do the work right.

 

He's done most of that stuff already - go lookat his list up top, alot of suspension work.

 

Well, its not that I want to take my high 11sec car and make it slower on purpose....when I rebuild the TPI to pretty much stock condition and put the stock components back on, it will basically be for show, and to keep as a keepsake so to speak, maybe give to my son one day, know what I mean?? I can always find another camaro or bird to put my bad *** motor into.....I know with some work, it would go into the 10's easily with a 120mph trap speed.....but I just dont want to take a chance on possibly totalling that one. My dad and I used to work on it alot after I got home from school and stuff....Its more of a memory piece than anything. I know it sounds corny as much work as Ive put into it and as fast as it is now, but a plain camaro would be just as fun. I found a 83 camaro for $1000 thats been redone, minus engine and tranny.....and it had a manual tranny... My T56 would go right in there behind that 355 you know....hehe