Hello fellas I am looking into getting another Camaro as soon as i part out my 85 z28. I know i want an 88-92 Z28 TPI t-top either 5.0 or 5.7 preferably manual trans but i know they're hard to come by. My question is what affordable mods (if there is such a thing ) can I do to the car to get good mileage out of it without sacrificing power and if there's a hp or 2 gained then its a bonus I know i read in the southern california section someone said they run high 12's i believe and gets 26mpg. So just wanted to know what i'm getting myself into and how much i should plan on spending before i dive head first into this project. Thanx

 

the first thing is to make sure everything is in good condition, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, all the sensors, injectors & so on. also, the motor needs to be in good condition, good rings, no bad valves & such.
with a properly running stock TPI, you should get up around 25+ MPG hiway.

even with everything right on the car, learning to burn your own chips can bump up your mileage.
if your going to do some mods, burning your own becomes even more important.
the more changes you make, the more you need a custom chip.
aftermarket chips really don't cut it, the changes they make are usually in the wrong direction or wrong places, & many times they do both. plus they do little to nothing for part throttle, which is where your at 99.9% of the time.
with a properly tuned chip, you will see better overall driveability & better fuel mileage.
the best time to learn how to burn your own chips is on a stock motor.

 

yeah i was reading up on burning chips and am seriously considering investing in that equipment needed posted on the sticky. Hmmm i may also try to burn a chip for my 98 gmc sierra assuming its the same type of chips and equipment but thats not important at the moment lol. Thanx for your reply thats what i was hoping to hear.

Also i know this is TPI section but while I'm in this thread can i expect similar mileage from a TBI car assuming its a good engine with good sensors well pretty much does the info you posted also apply for TBI aswell as burning the chips because also have my eye on a 91 Camaro RS TBI vert

 

yes a tbi engine will still pull good mpg fairly stock, they arent quite as modifiable though (can be just takes a lot more tuning).

also they don't make near the power as the factory tpi setups (not because, of the injection system realy, just because, of the hard internals (cam and heads).

you'd be looking at a 20-50 hp difference if considering tpi over tbi depending on if yours has the dual cat option and if its a 5 spd or auto.

btw some cheaper mpg investments include, synthetic fluids throughout, capacitive discharge ignition setup, roller rockers.

basically think of anything that will flow better and or reduce friction and go with it.

 

With proper tuning of the eprom (when my car was still basically stock), I was getting US 30 MPGs on the highway. I invoked something called "Highway Mode" inside the eprom plus a lot of tuning, but I was able to attain some very good fuel economy from my old L98.

 

^^nice i'll give it a shot the only thing thats a problem is you said proper tuning haahhahaha i'm sure it'll take me some time but hey with trial and error i'm sure i'll eventually get it right. and I'll keep doin more research on eprom

 

for starters: replace ignition coil, ignition module, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, have injectors cleaned, 2.73 rearend gears, and most importantly get it tuned.

custom tuning the computer will probably be the biggest help (assuming everything in the ignition/fuel system works properly)

 

Tuning sounds more intimidating than it really is (for most people). Yes, there are some who just "don't get it" while there are others who "just take off & run".

But, for most, they end up having to read everything a couple (or more) times until (one day) a light bulb goes off and everything becomes clear. It is really just an "investment in time" to go through the Tuning Guide on DIY Prom and asking questions when you are unclear on something.

Typically 20-40 hours of reading is the "investment"...but if you add up all the time you spend on sites like TGO, you easily spend that 20-40 hours every couple of months (or so)...and some (like many of us moderators) do 20-40 hours every week!

 

If you want to get into burning your own proms, I can teach you what you want to know. Or you can just bring the car to me and I will burn you a custom prom.
I'm one of the guys running 12's and getting 25+ MPG, my dad is the other. He even does it on 87 octane!