What to do with $2000?
I read your list at the beginning, and then i read you want to put a cam in, i am going to suggest a rearend too! All those suspension parts if you are going to do much. If your drag racing witch i assume you are, a rearend is going to give you a way better benifit. I am installed stock 243 castings heads, a cam, a forged motor, built trans, trq converter, and a bunch of other go fast parts and my car ripped, but for only about 2 months because the rearend is garbage now thanks to my mickeys. I am afriad to drive the car now because i think the rearend could go at anytime. Either which way you go i guess your that much closer to going faster, but use the $2000 dollars wisely.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Tinley Park
My goal is to have a 10 sec street car for the summer. I plan on running nitrous but that is way in the future. I want to do a cam only (G5x3 cam) for awhile then save up for some patriot heads. I was thinking of buying with the $2000 full exhaust and Koni shocks and Strano Springs. What do you guys think? Is this a weird place to start?
Last edited by fastz99; Feb 26, 2008 at 11:06 PM.
Well, unless you plan on going to a different rear end, I would have to recommend putting some 4.10's in.. for ~250 that's the best bang for the buck you can get IMO
Maybe do that, and a nice set of LT's (QTP's or Kooks) and some true duals. That should put you right around your $2000 budget.
If you plan on switching out the rear end, and want to get it out of the way, then I'd say do it now like a couple others have said.
But if you want to hold off on that and get something else, you can't go wrong building up your suspension either (Springs, shocks, LCA's, torque arm?).. It will preserve your current rear end by eliminating wheel hop and also will be a HUGE improvement you'll want to do anyway..
One more thought is some new rims/tires.. or just new tires if you like your rims. Getting a nice set of DR's will also help avoid banging around your rear end, and is also something you'll have to do...
You'll be happy with any of these routes, but the way I did it was I got some QTP's and a 2.5" X, just got my nitto 315's and 17" TTM's in the mail yesterday, and next I'll be building up the suspension pretty heavily because I'm getting some pretty bad wheel hop and want to lower it..
That's just my opinion though
Maybe do that, and a nice set of LT's (QTP's or Kooks) and some true duals. That should put you right around your $2000 budget.
If you plan on switching out the rear end, and want to get it out of the way, then I'd say do it now like a couple others have said.
But if you want to hold off on that and get something else, you can't go wrong building up your suspension either (Springs, shocks, LCA's, torque arm?).. It will preserve your current rear end by eliminating wheel hop and also will be a HUGE improvement you'll want to do anyway..
One more thought is some new rims/tires.. or just new tires if you like your rims. Getting a nice set of DR's will also help avoid banging around your rear end, and is also something you'll have to do...
You'll be happy with any of these routes, but the way I did it was I got some QTP's and a 2.5" X, just got my nitto 315's and 17" TTM's in the mail yesterday, and next I'll be building up the suspension pretty heavily because I'm getting some pretty bad wheel hop and want to lower it..
That's just my opinion though
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Tinley Park
I am thinking of getting a rear end that is not a bad idea. Then I would not have to worry about breaking it and i could also get 4.10 gears with it. That would be all my money right there though. Which rear end do people usually recommend? 9inch or 12 bolt?
My goal is to have a 10 sec street car for the summer. I plan on running nitrous but that is way in the future. I want to do a cam only (G5x3 cam) for awhile then save up for some patriot heads. I was thinking of buying with the $2000 full exhaust and Koni shocks and Strano Springs. What do you guys think? Is this a weird place to start?
Bottom line, a safe controllable car is more fun. Do the suspension right and you can go faster AND be safer because you have better control. Shocks
Sway bars
Brakes
TA girdle with stud kit
Quality exhaust
Do it once, do it right, build the foundation for an all around awesome car.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
I would go with a H/C from Texas speed. I am still running the stock suspension on my H/C/I car and it is a blast to drive. If i would have spent the moeny on supsension first I would still have a slow car that handles great. Or like said b4 go with a rearend and put slicks on it and have a pretty fast car also.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Tinley Park
I would go with a H/C from Texas speed. I am still running the stock suspension on my H/C/I car and it is a blast to drive. If i would have spent the moeny on supsension first I would still have a slow car that handles great. Or like said b4 go with a rearend and put slicks on it and have a pretty fast car also.
If this is your daily driver, don't do go fast parts first. Go fast parts make **** break. Upgrading your suspension and brakes and exhaust has zero effect on reliability and make a nice platform for future mods. If this is a weekend toy and not your daily driver, then you can make a case for go fast parts. Fact is, the PROPER suspension mods will also protect the 10 bolt. Go fast parts will only further strain the rear. Is this your daily driver/only car?
Koni shocks
Strano bars
shifter
Exhaust
Alilgnment
It will make the car better in every way, giving up nothing. It will also be so much more fun to drive, it'll be ridiculous. THEN heads and cam it (and brakes). Make sure you have good tires, too many folks take this for granted or cheap out.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Tinley Park
Gotcha. If you have another car, knock yourself out. Shocks are still the single biggest improvement you can make to these cars. You benefit in all areas and sacrifice nothing. In hindsight, if I had to do it over again, with $2grand I would do:
Koni shocks
Strano bars
shifter
Exhaust
Alilgnment
It will make the car better in every way, giving up nothing. It will also be so much more fun to drive, it'll be ridiculous. THEN heads and cam it (and brakes). Make sure you have good tires, too many folks take this for granted or cheap out.
Koni shocks
Strano bars
shifter
Exhaust
Alilgnment
It will make the car better in every way, giving up nothing. It will also be so much more fun to drive, it'll be ridiculous. THEN heads and cam it (and brakes). Make sure you have good tires, too many folks take this for granted or cheap out.
I have some good tires that i bought from the tire rack awhile back. I am going to have to get new ones, but I am going to save up for new rims and do it all at the same time. Otherwise i will have to buy tire again. How do you like the Pro5.0 shifter with the LSS handle? I am going to be getting the Pro 5.0 and dont know if i should get the shorter handle.
