WaynesRS

Ok guys , you know I've been asking ya'll about almost about every mod there in the last few months .Well the time has come , b-day and Chirstmas So I need ya'lls help in deciding
My current mods are : dynamax , ramair with k&ns maf screen removed , gutted cat .
I have a new motor , so I cant put a cam, rockers , or anything else internally yet .But here's what I've been pondering :

1 . higher stall converter .
2 . gears .
3. shift kit .
4. high flow cat
5. convert crappy small pipe from cat to muffler to 2.5
6. jet stage 2 chip

I would like not to spend over $700 with parts and instalation , what mods , even if its only 2 , do you think will give me the bigest bang for the buck and not run me over $700 ? .....Thanx as always guys ! G O D Bless America !

92_CamaroRS

Cam and rocker. Thats about it. The instalation is going to kill you, Im assuming your having it installed.
You might possibly get away with a Dmax.

SAEspinz80

well he said he "can't" do a cam and rockers because his engine is new. as for the chip, you will get the most out of the chip only after you do the cam and rockers (from what i have heard). and, the cam and rockers are best to do after your ignition has been upgraded in order to provide a more powerful spark for the new cam. i'd say where your car is right now you can go ahead and do the i-pipe and cat cause the muffler is doing much of anything on its own. but you WON'T notice huge gains!!
from your list i would say go for the ipipe, cat, and shift kit. i haven't done one yet, but i hear you will see a very noticable difference. if you do go that route transgo is the best for the transmission.
so i would say finish off the exhuast and do the intake if you haven't already. and then go with the shift kit. save the chip for later. and you are probably looking at about $500 altogether - catco cat, some 2.5" exhaust pipe, and the shift kit and installation.

then think about the some of the other stuff. just my .02 and the route i would take.

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1990 Firebird 3.1
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- Auto Trans, TA Body Kit
- Home Made C.A.I. (KNN-RE-0810)
- ASP Underdrive Pulleys
- MSD 8.5mm Superconducter Wires (custom-cut)
- MSD GM Blaster Coil (8226)
- AC Delco Cap & Rotor
- Bosh Platinum +4 plugs
- Mobil 1 Synthetic Fluids
- 2.5" Hooker Aero-Chamber Cat-back (27121)
- 2.5" Hooker Elite Stainless Extension Tips (31503)
- GTS Blackouts (stickers removed - #GT034)
- TB Bypass

KILLS = Dodge Daytona, 2000 Toyota 4 Runner 4WD,
1999ish Explorer XLT, "older" Jeep Cherokee, 68ish Mustang (died completely when the light went green )

LOSSES = 300zx (took me in 2nd )

"The racing dice added 5hp...I SWEAR!"

[This message has been edited by SAEspinz80 (edited October 29, 2001).]

Brian K

1. Nitrous, 50HP shot the first few months then 75 once you learn how to use it.


2. Gears won't be drastic since you already have 3.42 but never hurt...

3. Hold off on the chip... Look into suspension mods.. LCA's, Pan Hard Bar, Torque arm, drop spindles...

TomP

Ask for tools!! Premium socket set, torque wrench, timing gun, breaker bar, metric wrenches, toolbox, GM repair manual http://www.helminc.com , digital multimeter, an electric die grinder (like a Dremel) with grinding wheels to do some home-made intake porting, ...

Suspension mods -would- be btchin' at this point... you can get a front end rebuild kit from http://www.p-s-t-.com for $159 (or an Energy Suspension "Hyperflex" one from Summit for $129), Lakewood boxed rear LCA's for under $100, polyurethane anti-sway bar bushings (mounting and end links) for $40/bar, larger junkyard sway bars, etc. Installation for all of these is the cost of the tools (and a $40 torque wrench); they're all straightforward to do. If you rebuild the front suspension, you'll need to get an alignment done afterwards.

The $26 polyurethane torque arm mount from Energy Suspension (thru Summit Racing) is a good idea, too... it took the "wiggle" out of my car's rear suspension, and made the car feel completely different.

Got your original shocks/struts? If you don't know, then you probably do... and if you replace 'em, the car will feel completely different.

A higher stall convertor requires the transmission to be dropped- but, A shift kit doesn't, and would be a great idea. You might want to skip the $30 one I installed (the B&M shift kit)- it's supposed to hurt the trans in the long run. Like SAESpinz said, the "kit of choice" is the TransGo kit, for $120. Installation will run you $0 (since they're easy, albeit a bit scary, to do)- and I think the TransGo kits even come with a video.

A higher voltage coil would give your car some extra punch at higher RPM's. The MSD direct-drop-in ( http://www.msdignition.com ) is what some of the guys here use. If you want to spend less, you can buy a $20 Blaster and modify your car's wiring harness to use it.

Gauges are always fun if your car doesn't have 'em... no performance boost though.

You could buy a set of junkyard fuel injectors and send 'em to Rich at http://www.cruizinperformance.com ... I noticed a big difference when I had my spare set cleaned. (Cost for cleaning/blueprinting/flowtesting 6 injectors = less than one new injector).

A shifter like the B&M Megashifter would also be fun... no performance boost though.

The I-pipe would be a great idea; I know Dynomax has a part # for the I-pipe so they might sell it separately. I've heard of magazines using a Dynomax I-pipe and Flowmaster muffler, so either they stole the I-pipe from another car, or they bought "just" the pipe.



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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

Project: 85 2.8 bird

get some tires with a smaller sidewall /profile. While not as good for top speed, you shoud sccot a liitle quicker with them.

WaynesRS

Thanx guys !

Tom , what is a b&m megashifter ? I have often heard of this but did not know what it is .lol

Tools hehe . I have so many and I have a bunch of tools that are funny looking and dont know what they are . My PAW PAW owned a auto repair shop back in the day and he past away about 2 years ago .Recently I learned that some of the tools were pully pullers , i big one to take my underdrive pully off to put a pully on Just dont know if i wanna talkle that yet .I have tools used when you change brakes , two jacks , a creeper( so much more easier chaning my oil now with that. :wink: Anyway ...Yeah I HATE that wiggle my rear does My shocks and struts are new and also some other new stuff underneath there so Im really not ganna mess with that stuff .What is an I pipe ? ....I think my motor must be almost broke in by now . I have put 10k miles on it . It RUNS for a 2.8 .I passed some girls in a ***** today on the interstate and I was doing 95 before I knew it , I was like I better slow down !!!!. But , sence I ever I did that homemade ramair , I noticed how torquey it feels at midrange , high ....Hmm wonder if I will get any gain in performance from the shift kit ? ...Thanx again guys ! Wayne

TomP

Check it out at http://www.bmracing.com ; plus, you could search the Appearance and Transmission boards, you might find a picture or two.

Cool to hear you've got tools; I need to buy a few more, it's been a while. I also have to finish welding up my creeper; I got as far as the frame (1/2" square tube) and stopped. Where the heck did I put that bag of casters??


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

WaynesRS

To bad you dont live closer Tom . I'd loan you some tools and we could mod our cars together on the weekend Wayne