I'm gonna either put a whole new exhaust on my car or a stage2 chip. I was wondering if anybody had done those and which one added more power. I plan on doing both but I only have to money for one of them for several months. I have a 5.7 liter tpi in and 87 transam. Thanks!

 

Go for a exhaust, headers and a 3" catback.

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GTA -89:383, 4-bolt,Free flow muffler,dual 3" HF cats, Edelbrock headers, Canfield heads, 1.52 RR 7/16, ZZ-9 cam, Big Mouth, AS&M LTR, !plenum, 52 TB, MSD 6AL, TPIS level V prom, Superior shift-kit and all the minor mods soon superram and DFI http://www.itv.se/tacs/members_cars/m279/m279.html (Swedish Trans Am Club)

 

Exhaust for sure.

 

Get the exhaust cause it will work better for future mods by freeing the airflow. Plus a better sound.

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89 Red GTA
Rebuilt 350
Homemade Cold Air Intake
WS6 Suspention
9 Bolt Posi w/ 3.27
Flowmaster
Air Foil
Coming within 3 months....Headers, Runners,Intake,Drag Radials
Look at my brothers 91 Z28. His name is Z28z!

 

Does anybody have any dyno numbers for adding headersand a 3" exhaust? I gonna take off the cat. and use a flowmaster muffler with dual 2.5" outlets

 

Don't get the chip! because I have it and I think it sucks.

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89 T-Top GTA 350 5-speed (soon to be 6-speed)
(Jet hot coated)1 3/4 SLP headers,flowmaster force 2,no cat's,SLP cold air,MSD 6al,march pulleys,ported plenum,air foil,B&M ripper shifter,180 stat,alston SFC,spohn LCA relocation brackets,ES LCA and Panhard bushings,free mods.

0-60 5.2s
Track Time
60' 2.049
E.T. 14.14@96.7MPH (2270 FT)
13.76@99.4MPH corrected

 

Chips dont really help that much. Tuning your car at a tuning shop does.

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Chris
-94' firebird formula(I used to have a 91,thats why im on this site)
-Mods: Hypertech programmer 3, ported and polished MAF sensor, slp loudmouth exhaust.
-Future Mods: slp intake, pullies(have them just havent put them on).

 

if i was you i would do exhaust as well. I put on a Hooker cat-back and noticed a decent SOTP difference. Over last winter i did headers and gutted my cat(going with high flow this winter). I added cam and stuff at the same time so i can't tell you how much of a difference they made on my 88 350 but my friend has a 305 i put headers on and they woke that car up like no other, he has uncontrollable wheel spin with his 4.10 rear gears(bad choice on his part). I would go with SLP 1 3/4in headers, catco high flow cat, and hooker cat-back, great sound exhaust tone. I get complements on it everytime i meet someone that knows something about cars. I've had people roll down there window at a stop light and ask me what i had for exhaust u choose what u think will be better but my vote is for exhaust 110%

 

go for full exhaust, i wouldnt go with flowmaster, it sucks...i have it and it sucks, for my newer iroc i have the SLP catback and headers with y pipe and a catco cat, i like it alot better...

 

irocL98, what is your exact exhaust setup and engine mods??

 

IROCZTWENTYGR8, you wouldn't be trying to defend flowmaster now would you? j/j I would also go with the headers and catback. I would also pass on the flowmaster system. As far as personal preference goes, I just don't care for the sound. But the new flows that my employers have just started carrying look like crap. The welds are among the worst I've ever seen. Hopefully we just got a bad batch because I know a lot of people are very happy with their flowmaster systems. Anyway, skip the chip and go for exhaust.

 

LOL, you've read my posts before!! U got it!!

 

Oh yeah, go with a nice exhaust system over a chip, much better mod. U could advance your timing and get almost the same results.

 

Definitely exhaust. Bypass the stage II chip. They suck. Get one custom burned or one from TPIS.

 

I agree. Unless you are going to burn your own eprom where you control the timing and the knock retard PROPERLY, just get the exhaust and play with the timing - it does basically what those "off-the-shelf" eproms do.

I will not comment on the quality of TPIS eproms (plenty have already), but for the price of the TPIS eproms you would own all the equipment to burn your own eprom and have much better results. But if you want to control the timing and knock retard (L98s are quite prone to this and one of the main reasons they are not as fast as they could be), only if you burn it yourself will you get the results you are hoping for from an eprom.

 

Thus the statement have one custom burned (assuming either by yourself or some other person.) I myself have no clue as to how to do one myself. Therefor I have mine done for me. To each his own depending upon their abilities. Still, stay don't waste time on Jets or Hypertechs.

 

Want to learn? It's FAR EASIER than most people think. If you can tune a carb'd engine with a non- computer distributor then you'll have no problem in burning your own eproms.

The mechanics of "burning" is very simple, it's that actual tuning that is more involved but the objective is exactly the same as a carb and reg. dist. Except you have even more control and don't get dirty doing it.

Go to the DIY Prom Board for more information. Scope out a few of the "newbie" posts as we generally post a link to where you can learn the mechanics of burning an eprom.

Better yet, just go here --> https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/promintro.shtml

 

Thanks, I'll go check it out!

 

Looking forward to it. Feel free to e-mail me anythime if you have any questions.

 

well, i dont have an 86 iroc anymore, now i have an 88 iroc with a tpi 350, i have the ram air air box modification, msd blaster coil, msd 6al, super conductor wires, i have SLP 1 3/4 headers with a catco cat, SLP catback exhaust, i have hotchkis springs, and subframe connectors, i have 3.73 gears in the back with the stock differential, i have a tpis zz9 cam, different valvesprings, screw in studs and guide plates, stainless intake valves, comp pro magnum 1.5 roller rockers, then i have a crane afpr, a holley 255 lph in-tank fuel pump, and a tpis airfoil...soon i will be putting the b and m upshift valve in, a transpak and holeshot 2000 converter, the casper plug in throttle response, and a different intake system, probably going with the tpis mini ram and then do the bottom end, charge it, get a new rear and do all suspension...handling work. i havent ran the car yet bc everytime i was ready to go something would happen that would stop me and now the track is closed until april...id rather just run it when it was completely done anyway...

 

Get the exhaust! Seriously If you have a stock setup and put on a stage 2 chip it may actually take away power. In order for a stage 2 chip to add a noticable amount of hp you have to already have and upgraded exhaust system and low temp thermostat(160 and below). I read that on a site that sells a stage 2 chip, forget which one, anyway that is my future plan, upgrade exhaust, headers, low temp thermostat and then a stage 2 chip. So it you get the exhaust now and chip later+ low temp thermostat, you will notice hp gains for each mod.

 

exhaust

 

then burn your own chips

 

I got the 3" catback and that made a good difference, next up headers and a y-pipe, afpr and a cold air intake. (next couple weeks or so) thanks for all of the help!