So I usually get a pretty decent bonus for the end of the year. I'm debating as to what to do with it.

1-I want a converter, I'm thinking a cheap TCI *well, I've changed my mind---REVMAX now*, I know they're not made for big power cars, and since I'm still on a bone stock driveline (only mods for the engine are EWP, !AIR, !EGR, CAI, Long tubes, and a single out Flowmaster). Since I still have a stock trans I'm thinking a cheap converter, shift kit, and trans cooler. I'm doing the install myself, so that's a scratch. I don't want to spend north of $800 on a converter only to have my stock 110,000 mile trans give up the ghost and take a brand new converter. I'll put a better trans and converter in when I do the engine.

2-beef the 10 bolt. I have set of GM 3.73's sitting in my man cave. If I do this I'm going to replicate my buddies 10 bolt that lived in his 600 N/A hp thirdgen. It survived behind a 406 and spray, I'll be good where I'm at and where I'm planning on going. Truetrac, 3.73's, solid pinion spacer, and some axles.

3-VFN sunoco bolt on hood and an LS1 lid. I like the idea, but I don't want to cut my core support to fit it under the stock hood. So I'll get the hood, and then have a bolt on solution.

4-A new pair of MT 275/50r15 radials for my prostars.

I'm not looking for opinions on my parts selection, I just want to know what you guys would do with the money. The car has gone 13.1@102 in great air. It runs 13.2/13.3 pretty regular with a 1.9 60' and not spinning.

 

edge's converters are less than $800, and people seem to like them....

 

M vote is a stall. Just not a tci stall. Do atleast a 3400 also

 

The idea with the stall is to do that, a pan, and cooler for around $650-700 installed. I'm doing it myself so it just includes hose and fluids. That's why the tci. Plus I don't need a crazy lockup since the motor is stock. I even have the stock tune since its a PITA being a 93.

 

The one thing I have learned over the years is spending on something that is temporary until I'm ready to go big on something is just a huge waste of money and time. If you think the trans won't last or you are wanting to do a rebuild, why put money into it? I have blown 5 ten bolts before finally getting a nice 12 bolt, money wasted on the tens that could have went to something better. And of course my labor. A lot of us tend to be impulsive and counter productive just to get that fix we think is gonna make us faster but in the long run it ends up costing way more. This is not an opinion, but advice. So how much will you have to spend? What do you have for suspension? Maybe pick up a few more bolt ons that will still be usable in the over all plan? How bout some valvetrain upgrades? I know the stall would be a noticeable increase but sometimes we need to step back and look and the overall picture.

 

Currently the at has full rod ended Spohn suspension with qa1 shocks, qa1 275 lb springs up front and BMR 1.25 lowering springs in back. I have everything except for the tubular k member thanks to a parts car, including the drag bar. Car leaves really hard for a completely stock drive line. I'm not overly concerned about doing power upgrades at this point in time. I'm actually kinda curious to see where I can get before jumping into the engine. Hence the gear and converter talk. If my boss follows previous years I'll have roughly $800 to spend. Within these constraints I can do all of the things in the poll. With the rearend, I have seen that setup survive years of abuse at the track and on the street and run well into the 9's. when we put subframe connectors on the car, we were expecting the 10 bolt to say F off but it puked the trans instead. Lol. The 10 bolt just kept begging for more. It's still in the car even though its owner has changed. Again, I really can't see spending a bunch of money on a stock trans when I'm sure it will either blow up, or I'll replace it when the engine gets done.

 

And I just saw Revmax converters, and they're a sponsor.....turns out with the current holiday sale, it'll cost less to buy from them then a TCI from Summit and still get a higher stall....so I'll update my choice to a Revmax....

 

I would skip the rear definitely, and the new temporary stall. How about a used stall and some used et street radials? And you could sell the 3.73s you have lying around a pick up an m6 rear. That kills 3 birds with one stone. If you want to be ambitious you could upgrade to obd1 and make tuning easier.

 

I've been doing some research on these RevMax stalls.... Everyone that has them seems to love them. And for the price ($350 shipped) with the holiday discount I'm not breaking the bank and I can get a 3600 or 3800 stall. The rearend is going off my buddies thirdgen that had the same parts in it, and he ran 9.9's at the track consistently, and 10's on the street. I know my car will not be that fast for a very long time (I have two kids, one that starts high school in 2 years), so there's no reason to shell out big money on a rearend. I'm definitely not a fan of putting a unknown used rear in the car, especially since it's only a 3.23-3.42 gear change. The risk isn't worth the reward.

 

My buddy just got a great deal from Yank on his 3000 stall ($475), give them a call. If you buy a TCI or cheap converter, you're likely going to be buying another in the future.

Also, a good set of DR's transforms any car. If you're getting a good stall, get DR's as well.

Beefing up a 10 bolt is a waste of money in my opinion, why polish a grenade before you use it?

 

Every time I've run the car it has been in DR's. I'll be buying another set before the season starts anyway. Come to think of it, I'll probably do the rear as well. I'm leaning towards the revmax converter. So far everything I've read about has been good, and considering I can get a 3800 for $350 shipped. It doesn't have the anti ballooning plate, but I'm not planning on spraying my stock engine. I think this is the route I'm gonna go. If it ends up killing the trans, it just gives me an excuse to upgrade.

 

If you buy a good converter they can be repaired if the tranny goes out and the repair costs or later restalls for varying engine mods are pretty reasonable compared to the cost of a new converter.

IMO an Edge converter is a very good balance of budget and performance.

Far as all the hoopla about deep pans and coolers that is for OLD high stalls or cheap junk. Modern lockup 9.5" converters built decently really don't generate that much heat unless you drive in a manner that never lets them lockup. Plus with a modded car we pretty much always turn down the fan temps a good 20+degrees even with a stock stat, even more with a 160 so the factory in radiator cooler is doing a lot more cooling than it would have with stock programming.

IMO 3800 on a stock engine is too much and stock gears will aggravate that as you add power the stall will be pushed higher and higher.

IMO with a stock engine unless looking to set records I would do 32-3400 and then as you do a cam and such the stall will be pushed a little higher without getting out of hand. Most of the fastest bolton cars do seem to be up around 3600 or so rated stall.

As another poster already mentioned, temporary mods or "good enough for now" sort of things are just pissing money into the wind. We have all done it and usually endup regretting it. Buy at least "middle of the road" level stuff and always look for a little overkill. You buy a cheap converter now and then over the winter find a screaming deal on a heads/cam setup or something and then overpower the cheap converter.................

 

Thanks for the input. From what I've seen revmax is a pretty good company. I've also seen that their stalls run a tad tight. That's why I was thinking in the range I was, but if I go with a 3600 and it actually flashes at 3400 then I'm ok with that. The gears will probably be done after I get my taxes back, as will the new DR's. unfortunately that will pretty much tap me for the year with the wife. Lol. But if I can get everything done for under $2000 I'm ahead of the game. An I'm not planning on any engine mods until I do the engine. At that time I'll do a built 4l60e and most likely the 24x swap to allow for better tuning. This will last new a couple years until that can be put together.

 

Take it from me buy the good parts now so u want have to spend extra money on buying the same part again

 

I would suggest getting a 160* stat and a performance tune (chip) first, I used Alvin at pcmforless. Followed by a good exhaust system, duals with X pipe ect. Install the 3.73's and put the rest towards a Yank SS 3600 ,a cooler and shift kit.

 

I have a 160* stat sitting in my garage. Darn car runs too cold with it in. I wasn't getting above the first hash mark on the gauge. I have the LT's with the single in/out flowmaster. I haven done the tune yet, but I may do that after the converter and gear. It will really depend on what I can do with the stock tune.

 

flux capacitor

 

I daily drove my car through Wisconsin winters with the 160 stat for several years and had adequate heat in that huge interior even with temps in the teens below zero. No the needle didn't rise very high but the heat was fine so I don't really quite understand how it was "too cold".

At the same time I don't think it is the magic bullet most believe it is a friend kept the 180 stat and with a cam only setup was running within .3 of trailered stroker cars at an event. Now that is not to say the 180 made him faster, the trailered stroker cars were all "popularity builds" with all the parts that are best but don't actually work well.

 

Agreed. With the wife and kids in the car, I'd rather keep the 180 in it. I don't see it hurting the way the engine runs in any way. Since my car currently has the low speed fan on a switch, I can turn it on and keep the car cooler in the staging lanes anyway.

 

i run a 160 in my truck, gto and race car.....truck blasts heat no prob in sub zero temps...gto runs perfectly fine and blasts heat in sub zero temps.......if the race car had a heater box im sure it would too lol