Decisions, Decisions...

Well guys, summer is coming up soon for me. I get out of college early May and start working, and plan on making 5000$ after taxes this summer. Half of that, I want to devote to my car which is an IROC 350 TPI, pretty much stock other than headerback exhaust, and a shift kit which I will be installing this weekend hopefully.

Right now I have three options:

Option 1) Heads and Cam, port the hell out of the intake, and maybe pick up a set of SLP runners and siamese the hell out of those as well. Dutweiler Trick Flow heads, and a cam with close to .500 lift.

Option 2) Get a cheap crate motor with no intake, such as the one here http://goautocenter.com/320hp_alum__head.htm (also, scroll down, there is a 400hp engine for 2500$) and put my existing intake on it. I know that the HP numbers would be off thanks to the intake, but it would be relatively in the ballpark I think.

Option 3) (I just learned this today) Pick up an LT1 out of a 93 Trans Am and drop it into my IROC for next to nothing. The motor I can most likely get for less than 500$. The issue with this is that the motor has a rod knock, so I would end up rebuilding the entire bottom end, and doing piston rings while I was at it. That, I believe would wake the motor up a bit and have her running well. This idea is actually my favorite, since I will essentially be getting the motor and rebuilding it for under 1000$ (minus the can-o-worms fund).


Which option do you think will be the smartest out there to do? What kind of numbers can I expect from an LT1 (maybe get headwork done and a new cam =) ) after a rebuild? Any other opinions?

_Clark

I'm leaning towards option 1.

What HP #s do you think I could get from options 1 and 3? Forgot to throw that in there.

option 1 and get chip burner/emulator and learn how to use, pulleys give good power

I have alot of experience with LT1's and I hate them,

L98 with a mini ram or converted LT1 intake would be the road I would chose over an LT1

I run 350's with my exhaust only 305 cause of my chip burner/emulator

www.moates.net

option 1 with a Holley Stealth Ram

If you can afford it, go with option #2. Otherwise, do #1. Nothing wrong with building up an L98 and showing the lt1/ls1 crowd up :)

Hmmmm. I would go with option 2. You should add a poll to your thread.

Will do, thanks so far guys

I voted Keep L98. You can make just as much power on an L98 as you can an LT1. HSR, beefy cam, a good pair of heads, full exhaust and you are damn near 400hp give or take (depending on setup..)

option 1 with a Holley Stealth Ram

I agree.

I voted Keep L98. You can make just as much power on an L98 as you can an LT1. HSR, beefy cam, a good pair of heads, full exhaust and you are damn near 400hp give or take (depending on setup..)
I chose option #1 as well - and the setup described above is pretty much exactly how I'm building mine (a StealthRam intake, AFR 195 heads, SLP headers, etc.). I'm expecting/hoping for a conservative 325 - 340 HP when it's done - but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just build the short-block as well, & if I do THAT, I'm just gonna go "balls-out" & make it a forged 383.

If I get done before you (or if I ever get done at all :D ), I'll let you know how it works out! :cool:

I chose option #1 as well - and the setup described above is pretty much exactly how I'm building mine (a StealthRam intake, AFR 195 heads, SLP headers, etc.). I'm expecting/hoping for a conservative 325 - 340 HP when it's done - but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just build the short-block as well, & if I do THAT, I'm just gonna go "balls-out" & make it a forged 383.

If I get done before you (or if I ever get done at all :D ), I'll let you know how it works out! :cool:

That is a very conservative estimate for your AFR 195 combo. A stock ZZ4 crate with HSR makes 295-310rwhp and 365-370rwtq. And that is with 196cfm@ .500 heads.

That is a very conservative estimate for your AFR 195 combo. A stock ZZ4 crate with HSR makes 295-310rwhp and 365-370rwtq. And that is with 196cfm@ .500 heads.
Yeah, but I'm used to people who go overboard with their estimates - and I still have to deal w/ emissions here, so that's going to somewhat limit my cam choices also. (Going to try to make up some of that lost power by using little tricks like coatings, etc.)

However much power it makes, it's bound to be a lot more fun than it is now! ;)

Awesome guys, thanks for your input. After talking to a few others as well, I've decided that Option 1 it is! Now, I know that it seems kind of ballpark, but what gains MIGHT I expect from Trick Flow 23* Kenny Dutweiler Series Heads, a cam in the 490-500 lift area, custom Prom, and MAYBE HSR? After looking around at other setups, I estimate around 375 crank. What do you think? Oh and is it bad that this is my daily driver? Ha, oh well, too late =)