Engine mods for a new UK based owner!
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Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
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From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
Engine mods for a new UK based owner!
Hi guys!
I've been pestering the guys at the American Auto Club in the UK over buying an american car as a second car as toy for the weekend and with the money I have it looks set to be an 89 Camaro.
If I understand correctly these are available as 5.7L and 5.0L variants.
Obviously I will try and get a 5.7L model if I can, but being in the UK, a country where this car was never officially sold, choice is somewhat limited and most are auto's.
I will mostly use the car for cruising around in and racing cars on the highway . I want to optimise any engine mods for that kind of racing, ie rolling starts from 30mph, 50mph and 70mph as well as some traffic like GP.
I may take the car to the drag strip occasionally but I doubt it will be that often.
I'm finding the tuning world of the TPI cars to be a lot more confusing than for my Focus as there are SO many options and SO many products. I have spent this afternoon reading through as many relevant posts on this forum (6 months worth!) as I can and I'm still confused so if those in the know could enlighten me that would be great!
I'm not looking at a supercharger for the forseeable future due to lack of money, although I may consider NOS.
Bearing all this in mind and what I plan on using the car for could you give me some answers to these questions?
EXHAUST
I know the first thing I need to do is get a decent exhaust (there are agents in the UK for Magnaflow and Flowmaster) and good exhaust headers. What headers would you recommend? And what exhaust sounds the most purposeful ???
INTAKE/FILTER
I know from my Focus that a cold air intake is important, which is considered the best to get? Also, if I understand correctly, the next mod is normally the intake manifold, with the kind of use I have planned which should I get?
HEAD/CAMS
I would probably have to order a new head from the US, so again, with the use I gave in mind what head should I go for? And what cam to match?
What sort of torque and power figures would I be looking at?
What should I do after that?
I don't know anything about chipping (apart from buying an off the shelf Superchip for my Focus) but I appreciate that it needs to be done to make the most of these mods and to ensure enough fuel etc. What would my best option be for mapping? In the UK there are superchips dealers and I know a very good place for doing mapping work but I don't know what is needed to map a Camaro!
Should I change the gearing? Would it make a big difference to performance on the street and fuel economy? Bearing in mind that fuel in the UK is $1.20/litre (about $6 a gallon?)
I will be fitting uprated springs and dampers and getting the subframe connector welded in.
Beyond that is there anytihng I should be considering?
My big problem is a lot of this work might cost big $$$ for labour as UK shops aren't used to great big V8's so I'd have to pay specialists to make sure the job was done right.
Also to help me out what books come highly recomended for tuning this engine/car?
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your help!
I've been pestering the guys at the American Auto Club in the UK over buying an american car as a second car as toy for the weekend and with the money I have it looks set to be an 89 Camaro.
If I understand correctly these are available as 5.7L and 5.0L variants.
Obviously I will try and get a 5.7L model if I can, but being in the UK, a country where this car was never officially sold, choice is somewhat limited and most are auto's.
I will mostly use the car for cruising around in and racing cars on the highway . I want to optimise any engine mods for that kind of racing, ie rolling starts from 30mph, 50mph and 70mph as well as some traffic like GP.
I may take the car to the drag strip occasionally but I doubt it will be that often.I'm finding the tuning world of the TPI cars to be a lot more confusing than for my Focus as there are SO many options and SO many products. I have spent this afternoon reading through as many relevant posts on this forum (6 months worth!) as I can and I'm still confused so if those in the know could enlighten me that would be great!
I'm not looking at a supercharger for the forseeable future due to lack of money, although I may consider NOS.
Bearing all this in mind and what I plan on using the car for could you give me some answers to these questions?
EXHAUST
I know the first thing I need to do is get a decent exhaust (there are agents in the UK for Magnaflow and Flowmaster) and good exhaust headers. What headers would you recommend? And what exhaust sounds the most purposeful ???
INTAKE/FILTER
I know from my Focus that a cold air intake is important, which is considered the best to get? Also, if I understand correctly, the next mod is normally the intake manifold, with the kind of use I have planned which should I get?
HEAD/CAMS
I would probably have to order a new head from the US, so again, with the use I gave in mind what head should I go for? And what cam to match?
What sort of torque and power figures would I be looking at?
What should I do after that?
I don't know anything about chipping (apart from buying an off the shelf Superchip for my Focus) but I appreciate that it needs to be done to make the most of these mods and to ensure enough fuel etc. What would my best option be for mapping? In the UK there are superchips dealers and I know a very good place for doing mapping work but I don't know what is needed to map a Camaro!
Should I change the gearing? Would it make a big difference to performance on the street and fuel economy? Bearing in mind that fuel in the UK is $1.20/litre (about $6 a gallon?)
I will be fitting uprated springs and dampers and getting the subframe connector welded in.
Beyond that is there anytihng I should be considering?
My big problem is a lot of this work might cost big $$$ for labour as UK shops aren't used to great big V8's so I'd have to pay specialists to make sure the job was done right.
Also to help me out what books come highly recomended for tuning this engine/car?
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your help!
Moderator
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 2
Car: 87 IROC
Engine: modded LB9
Transmission: Pro Built 700R4
Re: Engine mods for a new UK based owner!
I'm in the UK too. I've got a 305 because, as you said, beggers can't be choosers when buying one of these cars in the UK. If you want a 5 speed then it will have to be a 305 as the 350s never came with the 5, only the auto.
Before going any further, if you're going to be worrying about the ammount of gas that you'll be pumping in and the cost of the large quantity that you'll be burning up, maybe you should hold off. There is nothing worse than having a car like this and not being able to use it because you feel it costs too much to drive around in. You've just got to be prepared to put in what's needed, and in the summer when the suns out and you can get the power down, you'll need a lot!
Getting that out the way, and to answer your questions, intake, exhaust and the basic little/free mods like fabbing your own ram-air are a good place to start.
As for heads and cam. The heads depend on if you have a 350 or 305. The 350 have a far larger offering than the smaller bore 305 does. That can only be answered once you get the car. Same goes for the cam really. Before I started my build-up I made a parts list that would work well with each other.
As for gears, if you want the extra speed get the gears. You'll be sitting at a higher RPM when cruising, but you'll get better acceleration. It's a trade off.
As for the chip. I wouldn't let anyone in the UK mess around with that. I've had nothing but idiots talk to me about chip writing for these cars. I would do it yourself or get someone who has one of these cars and knows what they are doing to do it. One of my friends was told by a Ford tuner in our area that altering the chip for his car would make no difference and fobbed him off by telling him he was wasting his time.
As for paying someone to do the work, why pay? Do it yourself. There's nothing I've not been able to do and I'm not a mechanic. Something comes appart, and it gets put back the opposite way, simple. If you get stuck, look at a Haynes manual or ask here and someone will help you out.
Sorry I didn't answer all of your questions.
Regards
Robert
Before going any further, if you're going to be worrying about the ammount of gas that you'll be pumping in and the cost of the large quantity that you'll be burning up, maybe you should hold off. There is nothing worse than having a car like this and not being able to use it because you feel it costs too much to drive around in. You've just got to be prepared to put in what's needed, and in the summer when the suns out and you can get the power down, you'll need a lot!
Getting that out the way, and to answer your questions, intake, exhaust and the basic little/free mods like fabbing your own ram-air are a good place to start.
As for heads and cam. The heads depend on if you have a 350 or 305. The 350 have a far larger offering than the smaller bore 305 does. That can only be answered once you get the car. Same goes for the cam really. Before I started my build-up I made a parts list that would work well with each other.
As for gears, if you want the extra speed get the gears. You'll be sitting at a higher RPM when cruising, but you'll get better acceleration. It's a trade off.
As for the chip. I wouldn't let anyone in the UK mess around with that. I've had nothing but idiots talk to me about chip writing for these cars. I would do it yourself or get someone who has one of these cars and knows what they are doing to do it. One of my friends was told by a Ford tuner in our area that altering the chip for his car would make no difference and fobbed him off by telling him he was wasting his time.
As for paying someone to do the work, why pay? Do it yourself. There's nothing I've not been able to do and I'm not a mechanic. Something comes appart, and it gets put back the opposite way, simple. If you get stuck, look at a Haynes manual or ask here and someone will help you out.
Sorry I didn't answer all of your questions.
Regards
Robert
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
John Lingenfelter's book on the small block Chevy is a great read. There's a lot of TPI related stuff in there. The 3rd generation Camaro handbook is another good read. Not too detailed, but a good general overview.
I'd go with the 350 car if you can find one. If you want a stick swap in a T56 six-speed, which will also allow you to run higher rear gears and still get great gas mileage. I'm running 3.73s behind my T56 and at 80MPH I'm not even turning 2,000 RPM. If you have to settle for a 305 car, get the stick. The WC T-5 used from '89 on is fairly strong.
The best thing to do about power and suspension modifications is to drive the car stock until you can really take it to the limit. Then decide how far past the stock envelope you want to go. There's enough parts out there to do anything you want. N02, nitrous, NOS, or whatever you want to call it is a great way to go fast cheap. Too much can easily damage a stock motor though, so you need to be careful.
It's a crime what you guys across the pond pay for gas and parts. I wish there was something I could tell you about it, but I just don't know enough about it.
I'd go with the 350 car if you can find one. If you want a stick swap in a T56 six-speed, which will also allow you to run higher rear gears and still get great gas mileage. I'm running 3.73s behind my T56 and at 80MPH I'm not even turning 2,000 RPM. If you have to settle for a 305 car, get the stick. The WC T-5 used from '89 on is fairly strong.
The best thing to do about power and suspension modifications is to drive the car stock until you can really take it to the limit. Then decide how far past the stock envelope you want to go. There's enough parts out there to do anything you want. N02, nitrous, NOS, or whatever you want to call it is a great way to go fast cheap. Too much can easily damage a stock motor though, so you need to be careful.
It's a crime what you guys across the pond pay for gas and parts. I wish there was something I could tell you about it, but I just don't know enough about it.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 976
Likes: 1
Hello there,
Firstly welcome to thirdgen! And secondly, I agree with the above comments by Robert and TKOPerformance. Some other brief comments and pointers are:-
I presume you've read the FAQ on this site:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/faq/thirdgen.shtml .Remember you can decode the VIN of the car at this link:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/vin/ .You can decode the cars RPO codes here:- https://www.thirdgen.org/cgi-bin/rpo/index
You are right that in the UK it is harder to find the 350ci cars, but remember that you can tune a 305ci too, and that you can always replace the engine of any car should you feel the urge.
I feel personally that you should purchase the car and enjoy driving it for a while before worrying too much about modifications. You may find some 'niggles' you wish to sort first.
If you are considering nitrous oxide you may wish to look at NOS kit 05151. One supplier is http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...part=nos%2Btpi
Regarding exhaust, there are plenty of header suppliers in the UK. Have you looked at Street Machine magazine? Plenty of supplier numbers in there. Decide on your budget, decide on whether you want long tube headers or short tubes. Figure if you wish to retain the AIR system. Then fit them/get them fitted and get someone to custom fabricate you a system from the headers back, incl. a de-cat pipe if you wish as long as your car was first UK registered before mid-1991.
Questions regarding gears, heads and cams are best answered once you have your car.
BTW you won't have to get your heads from the states if you don't wish to. Though I would encourage to check carefully the UK suppliers price against the US suppliers price, remembering to add on shipping costs, 10% import tax onto the whole lot of that, and then 17.5% VAT on the entire sum total of that. Yes, you will have to pay tax on tax!!!! You can save some nice sums ordering direct yourself.
You said "I don't know anything about chipping". I'd advise you to read, and then re-read this tech article by Tim Siford aka Traxion:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/promintro.shtml
Books:- Please see http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...769392-5615824
Best of luck with things,
Be sure to keep us posted,
Gordon
Firstly welcome to thirdgen! And secondly, I agree with the above comments by Robert and TKOPerformance. Some other brief comments and pointers are:-
I presume you've read the FAQ on this site:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/faq/thirdgen.shtml .Remember you can decode the VIN of the car at this link:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/vin/ .You can decode the cars RPO codes here:- https://www.thirdgen.org/cgi-bin/rpo/index
You are right that in the UK it is harder to find the 350ci cars, but remember that you can tune a 305ci too, and that you can always replace the engine of any car should you feel the urge.
I feel personally that you should purchase the car and enjoy driving it for a while before worrying too much about modifications. You may find some 'niggles' you wish to sort first.
If you are considering nitrous oxide you may wish to look at NOS kit 05151. One supplier is http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...part=nos%2Btpi
Regarding exhaust, there are plenty of header suppliers in the UK. Have you looked at Street Machine magazine? Plenty of supplier numbers in there. Decide on your budget, decide on whether you want long tube headers or short tubes. Figure if you wish to retain the AIR system. Then fit them/get them fitted and get someone to custom fabricate you a system from the headers back, incl. a de-cat pipe if you wish as long as your car was first UK registered before mid-1991.
Questions regarding gears, heads and cams are best answered once you have your car.
BTW you won't have to get your heads from the states if you don't wish to. Though I would encourage to check carefully the UK suppliers price against the US suppliers price, remembering to add on shipping costs, 10% import tax onto the whole lot of that, and then 17.5% VAT on the entire sum total of that. Yes, you will have to pay tax on tax!!!! You can save some nice sums ordering direct yourself.
You said "I don't know anything about chipping". I'd advise you to read, and then re-read this tech article by Tim Siford aka Traxion:- https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/promintro.shtml
Books:- Please see http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...769392-5615824
Best of luck with things,
Be sure to keep us posted,
Gordon
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
Well I now have a car, I bought it the beginning of Decmber.
It's in pretty good condition all in, just a couple of paint defects on the roof and the trunk lid.
It's a grey, 1988 IROC-Z, 305 TPI Auto with T-Tops and 88,000 on the clock. It has positraction, rear drums (!) and 2.73 rear gears (!!!)
It had been decatted by some previous owner and had an average aftermarket exhaust (don't know what it is) but other than it is completely standard.
I have descreened the MAF and am buying K&N's.
It spins its wheels fairly easily but performance is lacking...
I was going to go for a crate engine as I had read so much bad stuff on here about the 305 but I figure it's expensive by the time it's landed here and as I already have a serviceable 305 (I believe) I figured on buying the Procharger D-1SC kit instead.
Beyond that I would have to buy a new 350 or something because ideally I would like 500bhp, depending on what that is going to cost me...
But I need to do all the chassis and suspension work first...
On the motorway it seems ot be comparable to a hard driven Focus ST170 (Focus SVT for you US guys) which is disappointing, but it sure is fun!!!
Given time and money I will sort it out...
Thanks for the welcome guys, I hope to contribute more here (or bug you with questions at least!!
It's in pretty good condition all in, just a couple of paint defects on the roof and the trunk lid.
It's a grey, 1988 IROC-Z, 305 TPI Auto with T-Tops and 88,000 on the clock. It has positraction, rear drums (!) and 2.73 rear gears (!!!)
It had been decatted by some previous owner and had an average aftermarket exhaust (don't know what it is) but other than it is completely standard.
I have descreened the MAF and am buying K&N's.
It spins its wheels fairly easily but performance is lacking...
I was going to go for a crate engine as I had read so much bad stuff on here about the 305 but I figure it's expensive by the time it's landed here and as I already have a serviceable 305 (I believe) I figured on buying the Procharger D-1SC kit instead.
Beyond that I would have to buy a new 350 or something because ideally I would like 500bhp, depending on what that is going to cost me...
But I need to do all the chassis and suspension work first...
On the motorway it seems ot be comparable to a hard driven Focus ST170 (Focus SVT for you US guys) which is disappointing, but it sure is fun!!!
Given time and money I will sort it out...
Thanks for the welcome guys, I hope to contribute more here (or bug you with questions at least!!
Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Sydney, Australia.
FocusGhia (you really need a better nickname mate!) 
The TPI motors are designed for bulk low down torque, not freeway type high speed performance. They are a great motor and a lot of fun to drive on the street with all that low RPM torque. Also very nice to look at when detailed etc.
You are welcome to join our Camaro / Firebird forums, based out of Australia, if you'd like to. We are pretty much across all the importing issues etc, and the fact that no-one in the country knows much about these cars. Also, all of the US cars here have to be converted to RHD, which is a major pain in the ****! ($$$). See sig below.
Regards, Jim.
The TPI motors are designed for bulk low down torque, not freeway type high speed performance. They are a great motor and a lot of fun to drive on the street with all that low RPM torque. Also very nice to look at when detailed etc. You are welcome to join our Camaro / Firebird forums, based out of Australia, if you'd like to. We are pretty much across all the importing issues etc, and the fact that no-one in the country knows much about these cars. Also, all of the US cars here have to be converted to RHD, which is a major pain in the ****! ($$$). See sig below.
Regards, Jim.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
I know, I registered under a new nic but I can't seem to log in...
I'll pop along and register on your forum, different country, but same problems as you say!
I was just wondering, if I supercharge the car will that mean the car will go on producing power beyond the usual 4,500rpm or so TPI limit as the supercharger would be forcing it down those long runners?
I'll pop along and register on your forum, different country, but same problems as you say!
I was just wondering, if I supercharge the car will that mean the car will go on producing power beyond the usual 4,500rpm or so TPI limit as the supercharger would be forcing it down those long runners?
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Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
The problem with the upper RPM limit of the TPI is linked to several components. The TPI is designed for massive low end torque. Consequently it uses a very long intake runner. The heads are fairly restrictive, and the cam is pretty small. All the stock parts work to provide great low end torque, but as you found power takes a real nosedive about 4,500.
If you want 500 horses I wouldn't bother trying to build up your 305. It may be possible to get these kinds of numbers out of it, but by the time you're done rebuilding it you could have purchased a crate engine cheaper.
If I were you I'd look for a good 383 shortblock. Get one with forged internals (pistons, rods, crank). Top it off with a set of AFR heads with 2.02/1.60 valves (consider 2.05 intake valves at this power level too). Stab in a good hydraulic roller cam. Top it off with a medium to short runner intake (HSR, LT1, MinRam). Go with a 58mm TB. 30 lbs/hr injectors should be fine. Good headers (1-3/4" primaries) and a free flowing 3.5" exhaust. You will need some serious computer modifications to run this setup. The MAF may be a problem at this power level (I'm not an expert, but this is what I've heard). If so, convert to a speed/density system (either stock or aftermarket). Add a nice mild supercharger kit and you'll make 500 horses easy, and tha car will be very easy to live with day to day.
If you want 500 horses I wouldn't bother trying to build up your 305. It may be possible to get these kinds of numbers out of it, but by the time you're done rebuilding it you could have purchased a crate engine cheaper.
If I were you I'd look for a good 383 shortblock. Get one with forged internals (pistons, rods, crank). Top it off with a set of AFR heads with 2.02/1.60 valves (consider 2.05 intake valves at this power level too). Stab in a good hydraulic roller cam. Top it off with a medium to short runner intake (HSR, LT1, MinRam). Go with a 58mm TB. 30 lbs/hr injectors should be fine. Good headers (1-3/4" primaries) and a free flowing 3.5" exhaust. You will need some serious computer modifications to run this setup. The MAF may be a problem at this power level (I'm not an expert, but this is what I've heard). If so, convert to a speed/density system (either stock or aftermarket). Add a nice mild supercharger kit and you'll make 500 horses easy, and tha car will be very easy to live with day to day.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
It's the computer work that's the problem.
I've spent the last few months reading the articles on flags, constants and tables (where the articles get vague and basically say you're on your own) and I understand what they mean (did some computer programming at College).
The only worry I have about burning my own proms to deal with this stuff is how to test if the car is running right, eg I'd need to make sure I wasn't running dangerously lean and that my ignition timing was spot on...
Obviously very easy if you've got your own dyno and a wide band gas sensor, which of course I haven't.
I know someone who is very good at mapping Turbo cars and various other cars you guys would class as "imports", although for us they're "domestics" and my Chevy is an import, hehe!
But that company charges $150/hour for mapping time which soon adds up!
On the tables for fuelling what are the values, or rather what is the unit of measurement? Is it a percentage or just a number that can vary between say 0 and 255 ?
The same goes for the timing, what units do the software use?
How do you guys evaluate your changes and ensure your engine isn't running lean or running too much advance?
I've spent the last few months reading the articles on flags, constants and tables (where the articles get vague and basically say you're on your own) and I understand what they mean (did some computer programming at College).
The only worry I have about burning my own proms to deal with this stuff is how to test if the car is running right, eg I'd need to make sure I wasn't running dangerously lean and that my ignition timing was spot on...
Obviously very easy if you've got your own dyno and a wide band gas sensor, which of course I haven't.
I know someone who is very good at mapping Turbo cars and various other cars you guys would class as "imports", although for us they're "domestics" and my Chevy is an import, hehe!
But that company charges $150/hour for mapping time which soon adds up!
On the tables for fuelling what are the values, or rather what is the unit of measurement? Is it a percentage or just a number that can vary between say 0 and 255 ?
The same goes for the timing, what units do the software use?
How do you guys evaluate your changes and ensure your engine isn't running lean or running too much advance?
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
You can use an EGT (exhaust gas temperature) gauge and sensor to monitor mixture readings. These are plenty accurate, and you can use them in the real world. Even dyno tuned cars usually require tweaks in the real world, because the dyno can't simulate every driving condition.
There is also a wideband O2 sensor setup now that is fairly cheap. Do a search on the DFI forum and you'll find it.
There is also a wideband O2 sensor setup now that is fairly cheap. Do a search on the DFI forum and you'll find it.
Supreme Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 17
From: Somewhere
Car: 88 IROC
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.73
Sounds like you are going to get stuck with a 305 car. So to answer your orignal questions here is what I did to my 1988 Chevy IROC 305 TPI car. With 88,000 miles and totally stock the car ran a 16.2 in the 1/4 mile.
1. MSD 6A ingition with Accel coil and MSD wires.
2. Cut out the air boxs, SLP airfoil. 160 theromstat.
3. Shift kit in the trans, Adjustable full pressue regularator and Jet stage II over the counter chip.
4. Hand ported the throttle body and plenum a little.
5. 3.73 rearend gear. (2.73 was the stock one)
6. hypertech fan control switch
7. Headmen 1 5/8 headers with no cats and flowmaster muffler
8. NOS nitrous wet kit 5151, 150 shot.
The car now runs 14.95 on motor and 13.58 on the nitrous 150 shot. Ran 13.8 on the 100 shot. The best mods I did was the rearend gear (got 6 tenths with that mod) and headers and exhaust (got 3 tenths on that one) and the MSD ing. and fan switch (got a 2 tenths on that one). And off course the nitrous kit was good for over a second.
Hope that helps and the first thing I would change is the rearend gear. I have never lifted a valve cover off the car and motor it self is untouched.
1. MSD 6A ingition with Accel coil and MSD wires.
2. Cut out the air boxs, SLP airfoil. 160 theromstat.
3. Shift kit in the trans, Adjustable full pressue regularator and Jet stage II over the counter chip.
4. Hand ported the throttle body and plenum a little.
5. 3.73 rearend gear. (2.73 was the stock one)
6. hypertech fan control switch
7. Headmen 1 5/8 headers with no cats and flowmaster muffler
8. NOS nitrous wet kit 5151, 150 shot.
The car now runs 14.95 on motor and 13.58 on the nitrous 150 shot. Ran 13.8 on the 100 shot. The best mods I did was the rearend gear (got 6 tenths with that mod) and headers and exhaust (got 3 tenths on that one) and the MSD ing. and fan switch (got a 2 tenths on that one). And off course the nitrous kit was good for over a second.
Hope that helps and the first thing I would change is the rearend gear. I have never lifted a valve cover off the car and motor it self is untouched.
Supreme Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 17
From: Somewhere
Car: 88 IROC
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.73
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
Nice looking car!
Is yours a manual or an auto?
The numbers I read said manudals were WAY quikcer than auto's, yet I was advised by almost everyone to get an auto for drag racing...
I'd like to be able to run in the 14's with it without splitting the engine open to fiddle.
So far it has:
Decat
Some form of aftermarket catback exhaust (need to check)
Descreened MAF
I will be adding K&N's with some hacking of the air box.
TB Airfoil
TB Coolant Bypass
It also needs new plugs etc (which I have got)
After that I'll see what it costs to get the rear end gears changed as they sure seemed to work for you...
The porting stuff I'm not too sure on, if I understand correctly it means to smooth edges of stuff and make the holes bigger etc?
What did you "port" on the throttle body etc?
I've been trying to find pics online of what bits to cut down but no luck...
Is yours a manual or an auto?
The numbers I read said manudals were WAY quikcer than auto's, yet I was advised by almost everyone to get an auto for drag racing...
I'd like to be able to run in the 14's with it without splitting the engine open to fiddle.
So far it has:
Decat
Some form of aftermarket catback exhaust (need to check)
Descreened MAF
I will be adding K&N's with some hacking of the air box.
TB Airfoil
TB Coolant Bypass
It also needs new plugs etc (which I have got)
After that I'll see what it costs to get the rear end gears changed as they sure seemed to work for you...
The porting stuff I'm not too sure on, if I understand correctly it means to smooth edges of stuff and make the holes bigger etc?
What did you "port" on the throttle body etc?
I've been trying to find pics online of what bits to cut down but no luck...
Moderator
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 2
Car: 87 IROC
Engine: modded LB9
Transmission: Pro Built 700R4
It's possible to pull a high 14 with a pretty stock 305.
Post some pics of your car. I'd be interested to see it. Also, keep an eye on the Euro board. It's going to get pretty busy in a couple of months pnce the weather gets better and the shows start comming.
Post some pics of your car. I'd be interested to see it. Also, keep an eye on the Euro board. It's going to get pretty busy in a couple of months pnce the weather gets better and the shows start comming.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
All very standard at the moment but pretty good condition I think...
No rust in the usual places and no tears on the interior/headliner.
Engine running pretty sweet too.
The steering feels a bit vague in the straight on position, dunno if this is normal.
Also sounds like a rubbing noise when taking even gentle right hand bends.
There is also a rattle coming from the drivers door/rear interior panel.
So nothing majorly wrong with it...
I dunno if this was the place to post pics of it, couldn't find a "showroom" forum so...
No rust in the usual places and no tears on the interior/headliner.
Engine running pretty sweet too.
The steering feels a bit vague in the straight on position, dunno if this is normal.
Also sounds like a rubbing noise when taking even gentle right hand bends.
There is also a rattle coming from the drivers door/rear interior panel.
So nothing majorly wrong with it...
I dunno if this was the place to post pics of it, couldn't find a "showroom" forum so...
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
Rubbing noise could be from a broken sway bar endlink. I had this problem.
Supreme Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 17
From: Somewhere
Car: 88 IROC
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.73
I have to agree that is a pretty clean looking IROC you got there, I would hold on to that one. My car is auto but I did have a shift kit put in the trans. When I ported out my Tb my brother gave me some kind of special bit from his work that was designed to cut aluminum. (he's a body shop repair and painter) He also gave me a new paint job for nothing but the cost of materials. Just cursious but whats the history on your car and how did if find a home in the UK?
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
FYI, single cut burs work best on aluminum, because they don't load up with material as quickly. Dipping them in ATF also keeps them clean longer. Double cut burs are for cast iron.
Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Sydney, Australia.
That looks like a really nice, clean, IROC-Z. Heres some pics of my IROC that I sold in 2002, I miss it!
I pulled a 13.05 ET in the IROC, on street tyres with a lot of smoke! That was with a modded 305 plus 100 HP nitrous shot
I pulled a 13.05 ET in the IROC, on street tyres with a lot of smoke! That was with a modded 305 plus 100 HP nitrous shot
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
Thanks for the tips guys.
I assume I can do this porting work with a Dremmel tool or is that severely optimistic? I don't have air compressor or space for one for that matter...
I'm currently researching the cars history.
The dealer that ordered it was Sun Chevrolet @ N Kendall drive, South Miami. But in 1999 the dealership (or land at any rate) was sold and a mall built. Pity as I had hoped to contact them for their records of who they sold the car to...
I have checked with Carfax in the US and they have 0 records on the car.
It came into the UK in 1989 so I suspect it was bought by an individual or dealer in the UK brand new and unregistered in the US, thus it came straight here?
I am going to try and get the info on all the previous owners (there have been 5) too see what I can find out.
The previous owner to me was a middle-aged guy (early 60s I would guess) who kept it garaged and had it for about 1.5 - 2 years covering some 500-1000 miles per year.
He bought it from his friends wife who used it as a daily driver I think... Her husband has a large country house and they collect classic cars I believe. So I imagine they kept it in one of their many garages too... She had it a few years and covered about 10,000 miles a year initially falling to about 3,000 when she got rid of it. I have all the old MOT certificates for the past few years which indicate the mileage (that's annual road safety and emissions test for you US guys).
I will double check all this info with the guy I bought the car from and take him up on his offer of putting me in contact with the woman in question.
Sory if that bored anyone, I love finding out a cars history, especially a car that doesn't belong in this country!
The car has 2 modifications to it, 1 is the rear fog lamp attached under the reer bumper (required by UK law) with a switch mounted to a panel under the dash on the right hand side of the wheel. And it has been decatted.
I have the original owners manual in a clear plastic "bag" and another manual bought off e-bay to "use". I also have the original bags for the t-tops and the funny spare wheel that inflates in the boot along with the jack etc.
The car is in excellent condition overall, no rust on the panels just a slight bit of siurface rust in a couple of places underneath (from my intitial inspection anyway), but being a Van Nuys car there is a patch of paint about 1" by 2" in front of the t-bar roof that has worn to the metal almost and there is a similar sized spot of laquer on the hatch lid that looks to have some pinpricks, or bubbles in, ie lots of white dots.
So it's not far off of being close to mint, just a couple of little things for me to do.
The only impact it has ever had (that I can tell) was when the woman that owned it previously misjudged the length of the bonnet when parking and hit a concrete bollard with the front nosecone which was replaced immediately with a new one. The res tof the front appears undamaged from my intial inspection.
It's in such good original condition I'm loathe to modify it, but I wanted a super powerful (read 500BHP+) model in black with torque thrust II's...
<sigh>
What to do...
I assume I can do this porting work with a Dremmel tool or is that severely optimistic? I don't have air compressor or space for one for that matter...
I'm currently researching the cars history.
The dealer that ordered it was Sun Chevrolet @ N Kendall drive, South Miami. But in 1999 the dealership (or land at any rate) was sold and a mall built. Pity as I had hoped to contact them for their records of who they sold the car to...
I have checked with Carfax in the US and they have 0 records on the car.
It came into the UK in 1989 so I suspect it was bought by an individual or dealer in the UK brand new and unregistered in the US, thus it came straight here?
I am going to try and get the info on all the previous owners (there have been 5) too see what I can find out.
The previous owner to me was a middle-aged guy (early 60s I would guess) who kept it garaged and had it for about 1.5 - 2 years covering some 500-1000 miles per year.
He bought it from his friends wife who used it as a daily driver I think... Her husband has a large country house and they collect classic cars I believe. So I imagine they kept it in one of their many garages too... She had it a few years and covered about 10,000 miles a year initially falling to about 3,000 when she got rid of it. I have all the old MOT certificates for the past few years which indicate the mileage (that's annual road safety and emissions test for you US guys).
I will double check all this info with the guy I bought the car from and take him up on his offer of putting me in contact with the woman in question.
Sory if that bored anyone, I love finding out a cars history, especially a car that doesn't belong in this country!
The car has 2 modifications to it, 1 is the rear fog lamp attached under the reer bumper (required by UK law) with a switch mounted to a panel under the dash on the right hand side of the wheel. And it has been decatted.
I have the original owners manual in a clear plastic "bag" and another manual bought off e-bay to "use". I also have the original bags for the t-tops and the funny spare wheel that inflates in the boot along with the jack etc.
The car is in excellent condition overall, no rust on the panels just a slight bit of siurface rust in a couple of places underneath (from my intitial inspection anyway), but being a Van Nuys car there is a patch of paint about 1" by 2" in front of the t-bar roof that has worn to the metal almost and there is a similar sized spot of laquer on the hatch lid that looks to have some pinpricks, or bubbles in, ie lots of white dots.
So it's not far off of being close to mint, just a couple of little things for me to do.
The only impact it has ever had (that I can tell) was when the woman that owned it previously misjudged the length of the bonnet when parking and hit a concrete bollard with the front nosecone which was replaced immediately with a new one. The res tof the front appears undamaged from my intial inspection.
It's in such good original condition I'm loathe to modify it, but I wanted a super powerful (read 500BHP+) model in black with torque thrust II's...
<sigh>
What to do...
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1
From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
You can port stuff with a Dremel, but if you need to taek off any serious amount of material it gets time consuming quick. An air die grinder is a lot faster.
Supreme Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 17
From: Somewhere
Car: 88 IROC
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.73
That picture of the right hand drive IROC just freaked me out. Let tell you if that car was in the states there would be a rather large crowd around it. They must have to change the steering box and bolt it to the other side of the frame. Anyone have a pic of under the hood on one of those right hand drive conversions. I am curious to see what they do under there.
FocusGhia, good luck on your history search I like doing that stuff too. Interesting, looks like it was built in the U.S. and the shipped right over to the U.K. Probably, never had an America owner which is why you cannot find any history on Carfax. I am not sure if this will help any but you should find the factory build sheet on the Car under the drivers side seat. You will have to remove the seat completely from the car and turn it over to get it out.
You may also want to try calling the General Motors Chevy line, they may by able to at least tell you who orginally purchased the car. But, I am not sure if they keep records that far back. Here is the numbers they list on there web site.
U.S.:
1-800-222-1020
Canada:
1-800-263-3777 (English)
1-800-263-7854 (French)
I am also in the Midwest F-Body association and I believe a couple of guys on that site work for chevy dealers and may be able to look up some history on the car for you. The site is mostly 4 gen cars but I think one of the dealer guys would be able to help you out. Here is a link.
http://ubb.mfba.org/
FocusGhia, good luck on your history search I like doing that stuff too. Interesting, looks like it was built in the U.S. and the shipped right over to the U.K. Probably, never had an America owner which is why you cannot find any history on Carfax. I am not sure if this will help any but you should find the factory build sheet on the Car under the drivers side seat. You will have to remove the seat completely from the car and turn it over to get it out.
You may also want to try calling the General Motors Chevy line, they may by able to at least tell you who orginally purchased the car. But, I am not sure if they keep records that far back. Here is the numbers they list on there web site.
U.S.:
1-800-222-1020
Canada:
1-800-263-3777 (English)
1-800-263-7854 (French)
I am also in the Midwest F-Body association and I believe a couple of guys on that site work for chevy dealers and may be able to look up some history on the car for you. The site is mostly 4 gen cars but I think one of the dealer guys would be able to help you out. Here is a link.
http://ubb.mfba.org/
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
Car: 88 Camaro IROC T-Top - Gunmetal Grey
Engine: 305 TPI V8
Transmission: Auto
Thanks for the tip!
I'll get on those sources over the next few days.
As it happened I looked under the drivers seat this weekend while cleaning the interior, all I could see was a mess of wires and motors but then I wasn;t looked for a build sheet. I'll be very happy if it's still there!!!
I'll get on those sources over the next few days.
As it happened I looked under the drivers seat this weekend while cleaning the interior, all I could see was a mess of wires and motors but then I wasn;t looked for a build sheet. I'll be very happy if it's still there!!!
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