Best performance bang-for-the-buck
#1
Best performance bang-for-the-buck
Hey all. Just posted in the lounge about purchasing a '97 SS with only 34k miles. It appears to be a great car so I am very excited.
The mods are as follows: replaced the SS ram air w/ SLP Cold Air Intake, BMR lowering springs, BMR Rear Lower Control Arms, BMR Rear Sway Bar, SLP Loudmouth exhaust (from factory/SLP), SLP Strut Tower Bar. Included with the car is a set of Hooker shorty headers that haven't been installed yet.
Due to some slight dry rot on the tires, I will have to replace those. After that, I should have $2k to $3k that I would like to put towards performance. I want some suggestions on where to go from here regarding performance. I am unsure if I want to keep the Hooker shorties since my reading tells me that mids or long tubes are what I want if I am going for every bit of power available... which I am. Do you all recommend keeping the headers and installing them? Sell them and put money towards a set of long tubes? I am new to NY so I don't know how strict they are with emissions but I imagine they suck. If that's the case, I should probably stick with the Hooker shorties...? What other mods do you guys recommend with my budget?
Thanks!
The mods are as follows: replaced the SS ram air w/ SLP Cold Air Intake, BMR lowering springs, BMR Rear Lower Control Arms, BMR Rear Sway Bar, SLP Loudmouth exhaust (from factory/SLP), SLP Strut Tower Bar. Included with the car is a set of Hooker shorty headers that haven't been installed yet.
Due to some slight dry rot on the tires, I will have to replace those. After that, I should have $2k to $3k that I would like to put towards performance. I want some suggestions on where to go from here regarding performance. I am unsure if I want to keep the Hooker shorties since my reading tells me that mids or long tubes are what I want if I am going for every bit of power available... which I am. Do you all recommend keeping the headers and installing them? Sell them and put money towards a set of long tubes? I am new to NY so I don't know how strict they are with emissions but I imagine they suck. If that's the case, I should probably stick with the Hooker shorties...? What other mods do you guys recommend with my budget?
Thanks!
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Eastern PA,
Posts: 10,353
"Best performance" depend mostly on what you plan on doing with the car. Yes long tube headers get the best Dyno HP numbers, you could say they give you the "best performance" but they have very little gain under 4500 RPM. Short headers are going to start helping around 2000 RPM and will show peek gains around 4000 RPMS. A mid lengh are a happy medium between the two. So which is best preformance? You will find the same thing with heads and CAM. "best preformance" totaly depends on what you want out of the car.
If you have decent gearing and plan on a lot of time at the drag strip the long tubes are the way to go. If you want your car to set you back in your seat when you pass someone on the highway your shories are fine.
If you have decent gearing and plan on a lot of time at the drag strip the long tubes are the way to go. If you want your car to set you back in your seat when you pass someone on the highway your shories are fine.
#3
"Best performance" depend mostly on what you plan on doing with the car. Yes long tube headers get the best Dyno HP numbers, you could say they give you the "best performance" but they have very little gain under 4500 RPM. Short headers are going to start helping around 2000 RPM and will show peek gains around 4000 RPMS. A mid lengh are a happy medium between the two. So which is best preformance? You will find the same thing with heads and CAM. "best preformance" totaly depends on what you want out of the car.
If you have decent gearing and plan on a lot of time at the drag strip the long tubes are the way to go. If you want your car to set you back in your seat when you pass someone on the highway your shories are fine.
If you have decent gearing and plan on a lot of time at the drag strip the long tubes are the way to go. If you want your car to set you back in your seat when you pass someone on the highway your shories are fine.
Tell you what, the best bang for you buck for the 3rd gen cars is this:
High Performance Prom Chips for 1986-89' 305 F-body automatic, (Chips for the 350 TPI and 1990-92 speed density cars available also)Much better acceleration and driveability
over stock. Not even comparable! Blows away Hypertech and Jet chips by far! This will really WAKE the car up. Price is $65 shipped. Custom tuning also available
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Custo...49489875293854
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Eastern PA,
Posts: 10,353
Tell you what, the best bang for you buck for the 3rd gen cars is this:
High Performance Prom Chips for 1986-89' 305 F-body automatic, (Chips for the 350 TPI and 1990-92 speed density cars available also)Much better acceleration and driveability
over stock. Not even comparable! Blows away Hypertech and Jet chips by far! This will really WAKE the car up. Price is $65 shipped. Custom tuning also available
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Custo...49489875293854
High Performance Prom Chips for 1986-89' 305 F-body automatic, (Chips for the 350 TPI and 1990-92 speed density cars available also)Much better acceleration and driveability
over stock. Not even comparable! Blows away Hypertech and Jet chips by far! This will really WAKE the car up. Price is $65 shipped. Custom tuning also available
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Custo...49489875293854
#5
long tube headers and a good exhaust should be first on the list, that is unless your in cali. next is heads, need to have them ported out, lloyd elliott is one of the best in the states http://elliottsportworks.com also does a great job on a stock intake. about 2k for heads, cam and intake.
#6
Who said that? I said best bang for your buck for TPI cars is the chip. TPI cars, meaning 1992 and older. Read more closely next time please.
Last edited by birdman11; 12-14-2014 at 11:00 AM.
#8
Yes. We all know that. That's why everyone is wondering why you'd post a mod for a third gen when the OP has a fourth gen. Your post has no relevance to the topic, therefore, it's considered spam.
I'm not sure how NY does there emissions, but in PA it's by county. So I'd check with your local emissions laws. You may be able to use long tubes, but you may have to get them with emissions. Ported heads/intake and a mild cam will go a long way in performance, but again, you gotta check how far you can go based off your emission laws.
I'm not sure how NY does there emissions, but in PA it's by county. So I'd check with your local emissions laws. You may be able to use long tubes, but you may have to get them with emissions. Ported heads/intake and a mild cam will go a long way in performance, but again, you gotta check how far you can go based off your emission laws.
#9
tune after mods is also recommended. solomon is very good with lt1's. LT1 PCM Tuning - Welcome! pcmforless is also not bad. Home | PCM for Less
#10
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Eastern PA,
Posts: 10,353
Let me see if I have this right. You post in a 6 month old, dead thread that is for a 97 SS Camaro about a product for a third gen Camaro and you yell at me for not reading posts "CLOSER"
Really? wow.
Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam
Really? wow.
Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam
Last edited by Gorn; 12-16-2014 at 08:38 PM.