I am still looking around and trying to figure out the best way to ring out a high 14 daily type driver. IF, I stuck with the L03, ran an LT1 cam, Edelbrock TBI intake, open element w/ stock TB, with ultimate mods, headers, high flow cat and 3' catback.... would the stock computer be ok? Increase fuel pressure needed? Custom chip? What would be needed to make this combo run smoothly?

Is it possible that this setup with 3.42/3.73's, posi and sound suspension would run 14's? Seems a little far fetched, but I'm trying to do this on a budget. Wives don't appreciate lots of money in cars!

Again, how well would this combo work? Would any custom chip be needed? Run reasonably fast? (In comparision to stock) Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give me.

 

It "will" run on the stock chip but I doubt you will break into the 14's with stock chip. It probably won't get great mileage either since you will have to adjust fuel pressure considerably to keep from running lean on top. That extra pressure will make it run really rich down low. My car needed a custom chip before I took any valve covers off. Just FULL exhaust, TBI mods and open element made mine run that way. Cam will push the powerband up the rpm range from the stock cam.

You might get by the fuel pressure problem with a Vacuum Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator. That would keep the pressure lower at idle and more pressure with more throttle.

 

Same here. My ECM has fits with my mods, and I have never had the intake off. It's really weird too, sometimes she'll run like a champ, and other times she feels like she's on her last leg.
To answer your questions, I don't think 14's are far fetched, especially if you put a higher stall converter in her. I'll have to try to sway you away from the edelbrock TBI manifold though, and tell you to use a carb manifold instead.
I hear ya about the wife-but if you can convince her to let you spend $250-$300 on prom burning equipement, you'll be much better off.

 

So a custom chip would be the way to go then huh? If I am completely inept and don't think burning my own would be possible, would one from Ed Wright work well? Would anyone on this board be able to do it?

Why would you try to sway me from the Edelbrok intake? Which one would you use? Use a carb intake with an adapter? With the right chip, would all this come together with out too many problems?

Thanks for the responses so far.

 

The main problem with carb intake is that it's not plug and play and hood clearance.

1. If you are running a stock hood then it is not as easy to get a carb intake and the adapter to fit under the stock hood.

2. Throttle linkage. The bracket that your throttle cable and cruise cable are attached to will not bolt onto a carb intake without a good deal of modification.

3. Ignition coil bolt to 2 little studs on TBI intake that doesn't exist on carb intake. So you would have to deal with that issue.

4. Some of the carb intakes that even have EGR provision relocates the EGR valve where it will interfere with the IAC sensor on TBI unit.

Conclusion, there are a lot of carb intakes manufactured so finding one that will flow better than Edelbrock TBI isn't that hard. But if you are wanting something relatively simple to install and get decent performance the Edelbrock TBI is a decent choice. The Holley TBI intake manifold performs a little better but has some of the install issues of the carb manifolds.

 

Some of the carb manifolds have the coil mounts, my Performer RPM did. Im not running a wingnut on the top of my aircleaner becaue there wasnt room, I just have the hood pushing down on the top of the element, but Im still running a 14x3 air cleaner. If you dont use the giant 1" Holley 4bbl -> tbi adaptor you shouldnt have any clearance problems though. Throttle linkage was trickey lol. I still dont have that one 100% right, my throttle only opens about 95%...

but bharris is right, if you want something that'll bolt on easy get the Edelbrock tbi, it'll work fine for what you need it for. Hell NJ SPEEDER went 14.2 with it.

As for the chip, yes it'll be very useful. My fuel pressure is way up from stock and its killing my gas milage. Plus its rich as hell at idle.

 

Nother question for you guys.... I am looking through some stuff and see the Vortec conversion kit for Chevy trucks that is emissions legal. I know this is for the 5.7's, but does GMPP make this kit for 305's? I'm seeing it at Jim Pace, was just thinking, if there was a kit for 305's that would be heads and intake right there, add a well matched cam and custom chip and it may be a nice little combo? Any such thing exist? Otherwise the first combo might be an easier way to go.... thanks again!

 

The Vortec heads are an easy 50hp+ upgrade to the 305 heads. You will just loose some compression ratio with the 350 Vortec heads. You could spend money on them to have them milled down to 58cc combustion chambers which will add to the cost of the conversion which I am sure is not a cheap one. The LT1 cam would still be a good cam in that engine.

 

As far as budget goes, one must always keep the wife happy.

Start by changing the airfilter with the ultimate TBI mods.

Then change the ENTIRE exhaust system.

Now that the engine is breathing the way it should change those gears and add posi.

This will give a great seat of the pants improvement and get you near the 14's. Also these modifications will be good base for any engine modifications that you may do in the future. That way you haven't charged a small fortune on your credit card that you will have to explain (AS MUCH) to the wife.

Then you can work on the money for the heads, cam, and intake modifications. At that point you will have to consider the mileage on the 305 as whether that motor is worth dumping close to $1000 in the heads, cam, and intake or if your going to need a shortblock or crate engine added to the bill. Those will be harder to explain to the wife.

Then you must consider (she will point that out) whether your car is worth all this trouble or should you just buy an LS1 4th gen and get instant gratification and better resale value for the money invested.

I chose both. I have my 91 Camaro Convertible because I love the 3rd gen body style. I bought the 99 Trans Am because it was a HELL OF A DEAL and loved the way it drove. I have been slowly building up the Camaro so that one day it may run like the Trans Am but until then I will hot rod in the TA and cruise with the top down in my Camaro. I realize that the money I put in my Camaro is a one way trip that if I should decide to resell in the future I will never see one dime of this money again.


<b>Just thought I would put my $.05 in.</b>

 

Thanks bharris. That all makes perfect sense. Sounds like you have been down the "explain this bill" from the wife road yourself! Truth be known, I AM on a budget, and as much as I'd love to I can never afford a $3000 crate motor, basically because there will always be something else that requires attention (and money).

I have even given thought to selling the Firebird and buying a GTP, with a few mods those run close to 300 hp, which I will NEVER touch with my Firebird. Plus, its front wheel drive, bonus in Wisconsin, so I can drive it all year if I want. This would eliminate driving a daily driver with higher mileage, and worrying if it will puke soon or not.

Sigh, then I think about not having my rear wheel drive, V8, American muscle car and get sad. So I come to the realization that I am stuck keeping the Bird and using the little money I have to make it go. Tis' life huh?

 

I have almost all of these mods except for the cam and I never had any ECM problems, before or after I used the Fastchip.

The open air filter will increase the amount of air going into the engine, and the ECM will raise the idle while the car is moving to compensate. I bet that bumping up the fuel pressure would fix this.

I wouldn't recommend a "off the shelf" custom chip. The best bet is to make your own. The money you will spend on the prom burning equipment would be the same that you will spend on a custom chip.

Its been proven many times on this site that you can get high 14's to low 15's on an LO3 without getting into the block.

Good luck on getting your mods done, and on getting around the wife to do them.

 

what would be a good cheap chip to buy???

 

With my mods, I was in the high 14's. No internale work what so ever. Just bolt on's.