Well the winter is coming and i am up to any and all upgrades so i will be ready to whoop some rustangs and ricers this coming spring. So now the time has come to do some upgrades. I thought i would ask all of you knowledgable TPI owners on what the first step would be. Im looking for the best bang for ur buck upgrade first. I am completely stock aside from a K&N air filter, and MSD plug wires. I was thinking possibly a bigger throttle body or porting my plenum first. What im really asking for is kind of a checklist of things to do this winter. All i can really think of right now is 52mm TB, remove MAF screens (which i dont know how to do), and port my plenum. Any help?

 

cam is always a good upgrade. also subframes, i know its not a motor mod but you will tell a big difference in the car. do not remove the screens on the MAF, you can ruin it real quick and they are not cheap to replace. id go with a cam if your looking for the best bang for the buck. you could also change the runners and manifold. roller rockers are nice to have too. there are many things you can do, its all on you what you want to spend.

 

thanks for the ideas! im not strictly keeping it all motor mods, i understand that in order for my car to move as quick as the motor can push it, i need the best possible tranny/suspension to keep up with it. So ANY mods to the GTA are welcome. Also, money is NOT an issue for me. Would i have to burn a chip for my ECM if i got a new cam?

 

I would go with Exhaust first.....I think that's the best bang for the buck. Everybody has their own preference on brand, sound, etc....but ANY aftermarket header or catback will give your car some extra breathing room. Id get the Hooker 2055's and a Flowmaster catback. Should give you a good starting point for a bigger cam or ported plenum. Just my .02 Good luck

 

that sounds good. Would it really be worth it to get them hot coated? i know it will last forever but you have to think... the whole car isnt going to last forever, so what good are ever lasting headers without an everlasting car? Also would the headers bolt up right to my stock exhaust as it sits now and do i need a y pipe adapter or something? i have decided to buy the headers first, then the rest of the exhaust after in a few months. i am going with the hooker 2055 shorties.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/tpimod1.shtml

 

I just installed a set of Jet-Hot coated Hooker 2055s. For emissions legal headers, they're great. Easy to install, no tweaking required. The included y-pipe (which is a really nice piece) connects to the cat with a 3" slip-fit connection, so no adapters should be needed. I did need to have the cat inlet expanded so it would slid onto the Y-pipe.

The coating has other benefits too.
Exhaust flows better and faster, they run a LOT cooler than non-coated which helps protect surrounding stuff (like plug wires), lowers the under hood temp, and they just plain look awesome!

Jegs sells a Hooker cat-back for like $210. 3" pipe, chrome tips, and an Aerochamber muffler that sounds really sweet.
If you get the cat-back for an 83-85 (part#520-16822), they're abt $60 cheaper. The only difference is where it connects to the cat, and if you have an aftermarket cat (both ends with 3" slip-fit connections) you'll have to modify the cat connection anyway.

For the $60 you'll save, you can have a muffler shop install the cat-back for you.

 

go with the subframes, trust me. they are the best bang for the buck hands down and they are much cheaper then a cat back. a cat back really doesnt do as much as you think it does unless you have motor mods because the stock exaust is designed for the output of the stock engine. its all designed to work with eachother. so your basicly openeing up more then what the engine flows. sure it will give you a little HP but not a load of it like some people think. now if you geat headers, your letting more out of the engine so a cat back would be a definet. but a complete setup with headers isnt cheap. id say wait till you did some motor mods before exaust, you dont want to be one of the lameos with a k&n filter and a flowmaster muffler thinkin you made 70 HP....cant stand them people. plus headers in an fbody kinda suck to install...... -!SUB FRAMES!-

 

what kind of sub frames would be some of the first i should be looking at, and what all can be done with sub frames?

 

personally i wouldnt spend the money on the throttle body until you get a 383 or somethin like that...just my two cent...i say go exhaust first

 

well i think im going to start with sub frames but can anyone help to point me in the direction of whats the best and how it will help me?

 

go to the top of the page and click the links, most each one has some for sale, i sugest ones that have powder coating for the simle fact of durability and also if you can spend the extra bucks the sub frame conectors that have one long conector and a side off shoot this will help even more than the regular kind, there are all sorts of applications you can get, like dual cats and single cats and different fits like that so if you are really wanting to know the best thing i guess email lon with top down solutions or spohn has some good ones and i hear good things about the kenny brown sub frame conectors, i say just call or eamil the company that makes or sells them, asking about your aplication and desire, and they will be motivated (by profit) to tell you about what would work best on your car, dont stick to one opinion tho

 

i have the hotchiks boxed frames on my camaro. most companies make the same designs but there are some out there that are a bit different. i'v heard good things about kenny browns also. just make sure you get weld in's, not bolt on's.

 

weld them in good point man
bolting it in wont be as durable or strong doing both wont hurt tho