ls1runsthis

i have a red 2000 z28 with 140k miles. i have around 8k to waste on it engine wise. and rims, if anyone of u guys know what would be a good way to start off as in parts and ex. it would help me out. thanks a confused z28 owner

bluenightmare

What are you goals for the z28, drag, autocross, road warrior? There is a lot that you can do with 8 g's. Even more if you can do your own labor! How much power do you want at the ground? Remember to consider that engine upgrades can mean upgrades to transmission, suspension and brakes.

ls1runsthis

hmm idk maybe around 420 to the wheels.... i want to be able to demolish these cocky guys that drive corvettes.

1bad99

with 8k im pretty sure if you wanted more power you'd find it easy with that kind of money. Vettes are cocky till they get eat up by a F-body LOL. What you got in mind N/A, Boost, or juice. Boost is gonna be lil expensive but still in your price range.

1bad99

My bud had a 98 auto Vette and thought that he had something. He called me out and all i got is a stock SS with exhaust and i eat him up with my 6spd. Not braggin but those vettes arent that fast till you get to the c6 Z06 then you got your work cut out for ya.

ls1runsthis

haha these guys here have . z06s and h/c and stuff like that . i was thinking stroking it out to a 408 and possibly a sts turbo or something like that. the 8k its just all i have now maybe in january for income ill get 5k more

1bad99

Hell the 408 dont sound bad with a lil shot on it. Im not a spray type person i prefer boost, but depends on what you prefer. But a guy around my parts has got a notch stang with a 347 LS engine and a good size shot on it and its nasty for a ford. But if you need some help spending that $ im sure i can help ya. LOL Im also waiting on my taxes. Still contemplating on my build.

ls1runsthis

see im only 18 and still in highschool ive said my penies since ive been 16. but yeah i really just wanted to get the 408 or maybe a 427 but its going to be my daily driver. and well the rest is just to play around with. there charging me 4500 to stroke it out. but i really wanted it to be a sleeper maybe ls6 heads and cam. im still not sure any ideas?

OutlawDrifter

iTrader: (9)

if you want a sleeper, put a quiet muffler on it.

find a 6.0l block, bore it, put a good set of heads on it, a good mid-range cam, possibly rebuild your tranny(are you auto or manual?), subframe connectors, and update your rearend.

420rwhp isn't too tough with a 6.0l and a cam, add the heads and you'll put out a lot more. 1nasty86 is at 460+ with an ls2 block, fast intake, heads, and an eps cam.

make it fast first, then worry about stuff like wheels. its more fun to shut somebody down in "stocker trim", than something that looks like it has a bunch of money under the hood.

1bad99

Yeh what Outlaw said. Ive thought about doin a LQ9 swap myself, there nasty when done right.

ls1runsthis

see but then id have to pay more for labor . id have to get someone to do the swap and the heads i can possibly do the headers and the cam itself but . no one around here bores it , and i would want to get forged internals but no one aroud here does that. this is my first car and im just berly getting into engines and so forth. and its a auto

OutlawDrifter

iTrader: (9)

find a low mileage LQ9 or LQ4 long block(that doesn't need internal work). slap some good heads on it...if you can turn a wrench, you can swap heads. put the cam in, get a good stall converter to match up to the power range. then find someone to swap it in for you; or spend the money on an engine lift, a good floor jack, and some jack stands.

you don't need forged internals unless you are going big hp or forced induction/nitrous. if you look around your area, someone does machine work and can bore your block if you wanted. talk to the guys charging you $4500 to stroke it, i bet they know who could, if not, find someone else to work on your engine.

this can be done easily, and if you truly have the money you are talking, you should be able to come in under budget with your hp goals.

set realistic goals, create a budget, and add 15-30% to it to cover the stuff you didn't think about.

do lots of research, shop around for parts, don't be afraid of used stuff thats low mileage or in good condition.

again, DO LOTS OF RESEARCH, use the search button on this site, it is your best friend. the only way to learn to do stuff, is to jump into a project and do it.

if none of this sounds appealing to you, skip all the above, buy a supercharger, and call it a day.

SSickLS1SS

Since you have an auto the best thing you can possibly buy is a converter. Go for something like 3600+ get full boltons and a 25% under drive pulley. Go for ported 243 heads with a nice higher mid range cam and a set of drag radials and your lookin at low 11s with a nice trap speed. And make sure to buy a trans cooler with the converter. With all that ud still be way under your budget

ls1runsthis

yeah i might do that. i just go to school and work 40-50 hours a week. so its kinda hard. for me to do research ... but i just bought my brother a v6 and im thinking of just doing a ls2 swap in that instead .

need2speed94

Engine mods are up to you... but I suggest you get these mods indefinitely if you do any power adding mods;

9" / 12 bolt
Tick master cylinder
Tires
Better clutch
Short shifter

^ That'll get you started. From there, I think it's up to you on how you want to make more power. If I had 8 grand, I'd get a forged rotating assembly/stroker kit and stroke mine to 383 or possibly 408. With that, low compression pistons to set it up for boost later on. You might lose a bit of potential with the low compression pistons but the stroker kit should give you a little bump in power in the mean time while you're N/A. Any left over $ I'd put into major mods... H/C/I full exhaust, whatever I could get.

OutlawDrifter

iTrader: (9)

why would he need a tick master cylinder, better clutch, and a short shifter with his auto?

ls1runsthis

the swap would be better i think. but theres alot of things that i would need like the computer wiring harness and a new rear end. ls2 long block will be better for nitrous in the future right?