I am looking at picking up a 1989 IROC L98 A4.

What should I do in regards to performance ?

I want 500 rwhp NA. I want it to be able to drive around on the street and occasionally take it to the strip. I am not saying it will be immediately turned over to a shop to get to these numbers, but some education on what needs to be done would be best.

 

I hope you just bought the shell of the car because everything you have there is junk for your purposes.

I am pushing 410 RWHP and it is NA. I am not sure how you would be able to push 500 without going with a blower. I am running a 383 with a modified A4 to hold up. Also the rear end will have to be changed to something stronger. At least the 9 bolt Australian if not a Ford 9 in.

My car is on the ragged edge of being streetable so good luck in your quest. You could go to maybe a 406 but even then, it would be hard to get it done NA. You see, for you to make an honest 500 RWHP, you'd have to make 625 at the crank. I am pushing 513 at the crank and I am not sure I can consider it totally streetable in the sense that the gas mileage might go down if I went any further to the point where it is going to make me get a part time job to support my gas habit.

 

Understood.

Well it is a primered 89 that I am picking up for a little bit over $ 1G. The interior needs a little TLC, but that is fine by me. My first camaro was an 89 with a 305. I saw this car and just had to get it since I enjoyed that car so much.

 

How much was your 383 if you don't me asking ?

 

SB was about $5K from LPE. That included the cam and them installing the heads and checking for clearences because the *##@$)&(($ idiots at Trick Flow couldn't tell me if the cam would clear the pistons or not with the rockers I would use. Basically I sent them an oil pan and heads and they put on the rest.

 

For about $5500, you can have a new 406 SB putting down 480rwhp and 580ft/lbs of TQ running on 91 octane gas. Hot Rod magazine put one together awhile back. That is a setup I plan on building for the Formula in a few years.

 

Your in Houston, have you ever heard of Horsepower Engineering? They are a high performance shop in Houston (mainly LT1 and LS1, but will work on others). If you want to pay someone to build you an engine they will do it. Expensive, but top quality work. That is if you were planning on having a shop do the work.

https://www.horsepowerengineering.com/shop/

Martin