performance
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Omaha Arkansas
performance Well i just wanted a second opinion but i have a 1995 firebird that had an lt1 swap put in it. i will have about 4k to put in the motor what could i have done for that much heads, cam ,etc and what kinda numbers could i expect.the motor is stock as it sits right now out of a 1996 corvette with a 6spd behind it.
Your going to need all the supporting mods too so, remember that..
First, is it just a stock LT1 or does it have headers/stall/gears ect ect...?
And before I give a suggestion, are you doing the work yourself or having a shop do it? (The shop will cut into that bigtime)
First, is it just a stock LT1 or does it have headers/stall/gears ect ect...?
And before I give a suggestion, are you doing the work yourself or having a shop do it? (The shop will cut into that bigtime)
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,564
Likes: 4
From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
I presume this a V6 car? If so, I believe they used a 2-piece drive shaft, so you'll need a V8 drive shaft. It's a slim chance you have posi, so keep that in mind when you don't get traction 
You'll need the fuel rails off a 95 F-Body, as well as all the engine bay and PCM wiring form an M6 F-Body (or from the vette, but that would require some modification, so I don't recommend it). If you have drum brakes in the back, then you might as well just get a whole rear end from a V8 F-Body since you'll now want to stop too That'll give you posi as well. K-Member needs to be swapped out for a V8 one to boot.
So you're already looking at a grand with all that.
If I was you, I'd get the whole car running and driving perfect before you decide to put in power adders. Just to make sure you have enough money for this project. With the cost of V8 cars now, you probably would've just been better off buying a whole donor F-Body car instead of the engine and trans from the Vette (which isn't any different than a F-Body's engine and trans heh)
You'll need the fuel rails off a 95 F-Body, as well as all the engine bay and PCM wiring form an M6 F-Body (or from the vette, but that would require some modification, so I don't recommend it). If you have drum brakes in the back, then you might as well just get a whole rear end from a V8 F-Body since you'll now want to stop too That'll give you posi as well. K-Member needs to be swapped out for a V8 one to boot.So you're already looking at a grand with all that.
If I was you, I'd get the whole car running and driving perfect before you decide to put in power adders. Just to make sure you have enough money for this project. With the cost of V8 cars now, you probably would've just been better off buying a whole donor F-Body car instead of the engine and trans from the Vette (which isn't any different than a F-Body's engine and trans heh)
Trending Topics
Heads, cam, rockers, bolt ons (header/intake/throttle body/etc) and some nice drag radials and you should be alright. Also take in consideration that you more than likely don't have a posi unti in the rear, so adjust accordingly
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
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
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0
Brett Foote
10 Reasons the LS7 Is GM's Most Extreme Naturally Aspirated V8 Engine Ever
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,564
Likes: 4
From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
Hardy har har 
There's much power to be had from the stock heads with work done to them. Look into Lloyd Elliot's work and packages.
There's much power to be had from the stock heads with work done to them. Look into Lloyd Elliot's work and packages.
I mean I just don't get how you have all this limitless knowledge of performance enhancements, but are virtually mod-free. I just don't understand
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,564
Likes: 4
From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
Capiche? I do enjoy the verbiage of your responses, I will give you that. Maybe you should spend less time posting and more time working. That way you can have a bitchin ride like the rest of us instead of just salivating worse than pavlov's dog.
Come on someone has to appreciate this
Come on someone has to appreciate this
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,564
Likes: 4
From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
I do enjoy the verbiage of your responses, I will give you that. Maybe you should spend less time posting and more time working. That way you can have a bitchin ride like the rest of us instead of just salivating worse than pavlov's dog.
Come on someone has to appreciate this
Come on someone has to appreciate this
And the only salivating I've done was today when I was sitting at a stop light and this smokin hot chick was in the turn lane, in a 25th Anni LT1 T/A. Thing sounded awesome too.
Wish I was in my Bird! I'd have started doing a brake stand right there lol
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
I'm the buddy helpin with the work...
Does anybody else have any ideas? plan is to gut the car, freshin up the motor, heads, cam, headders, port the tb, slicks, and a clutch. i'll make a set of sub frame connectors to go with it
We'll run the rear end till she blows. if its an open diff i'll weld up the spider gears. (that ought to speed up the distruction...) then we will replace it
i figure we have a real good idea on what needs to happen, but you boys have been there and done that
Does anybody else have any ideas? plan is to gut the car, freshin up the motor, heads, cam, headders, port the tb, slicks, and a clutch. i'll make a set of sub frame connectors to go with it
We'll run the rear end till she blows. if its an open diff i'll weld up the spider gears. (that ought to speed up the distruction...) then we will replace it
i figure we have a real good idea on what needs to happen, but you boys have been there and done that
If I had 4k to throw into my motor, it would go something like this...
LE2 or 3 Heads
LE2 or 3 cam (obviously with all supporting valvetrain/1.6s)
ported intake to match
58mm TB for the intake
Thats going to be about 2k, maybe a little more.. After that Full exhaust with headers/ory/catback of your choice (lets say around $1,000)... Get the rest of the boltons or make them yourself (CAI/all the deletes/free mods)... Injectors, and a good mail order tune from PCM4less.com or Madz28.com to get you started.
You will obviously need a suspension good enough to handle all of that, but you can work up to that (and maybe make some of it yourself as you said). At the end there might be enough for a clutch, but your going to need a good one so it might run over that... Something like 3.73s or 4.11s for that 6 speed would also be VERY beneficial, if you maybe bought some of it here off the board you could save enough cash in the end for the last stuff too..
LE2 or 3 Heads
LE2 or 3 cam (obviously with all supporting valvetrain/1.6s)
ported intake to match
58mm TB for the intake
Thats going to be about 2k, maybe a little more.. After that Full exhaust with headers/ory/catback of your choice (lets say around $1,000)... Get the rest of the boltons or make them yourself (CAI/all the deletes/free mods)... Injectors, and a good mail order tune from PCM4less.com or Madz28.com to get you started.
You will obviously need a suspension good enough to handle all of that, but you can work up to that (and maybe make some of it yourself as you said). At the end there might be enough for a clutch, but your going to need a good one so it might run over that... Something like 3.73s or 4.11s for that 6 speed would also be VERY beneficial, if you maybe bought some of it here off the board you could save enough cash in the end for the last stuff too..
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
If I had 4k to throw into my motor, it would go something like this...
LE2 or 3 Heads
LE2 or 3 cam (obviously with all supporting valvetrain/1.6s)
ported intake to match
58mm TB for the intake
Thats going to be about 2k, maybe a little more.. After that Full exhaust with headers/ory/catback of your choice (lets say around $1,000)... Get the rest of the boltons or make them yourself (CAI/all the deletes/free mods)... Injectors, and a good mail order tune from PCM4less.com or Madz28.com to get you started.
You will obviously need a suspension good enough to handle all of that, but you can work up to that (and maybe make some of it yourself as you said). At the end there might be enough for a clutch, but your going to need a good one so it might run over that... Something like 3.73s or 4.11s for that 6 speed would also be VERY beneficial, if you maybe bought some of it here off the board you could save enough cash in the end for the last stuff too..
LE2 or 3 Heads
LE2 or 3 cam (obviously with all supporting valvetrain/1.6s)
ported intake to match
58mm TB for the intake
Thats going to be about 2k, maybe a little more.. After that Full exhaust with headers/ory/catback of your choice (lets say around $1,000)... Get the rest of the boltons or make them yourself (CAI/all the deletes/free mods)... Injectors, and a good mail order tune from PCM4less.com or Madz28.com to get you started.
You will obviously need a suspension good enough to handle all of that, but you can work up to that (and maybe make some of it yourself as you said). At the end there might be enough for a clutch, but your going to need a good one so it might run over that... Something like 3.73s or 4.11s for that 6 speed would also be VERY beneficial, if you maybe bought some of it here off the board you could save enough cash in the end for the last stuff too..
i was thinking the le2 heads and cam because we're sticking with the stock bottom end. I dont see the need for a 1000 dollar exhaust system when a set of cheap long tube headders and some pipe will do the same thing (only better, and louder
) a set of 4.10's are in the plans when the rear blows. it cant be hard to gasket match and port the intake and port the tb. yes, i realize i wont be able to get it as good as a "professional" but for the price difference i can sure help it alot.
What kind of hp are we looking at here? with a gutted car and a custom roll cage what kind of 1/4 mile times are possible with a good driver?
Thanks
