what is the best way to start upgrading my '89 IROC? and what modifications do you recomend?

 

www.thirdgen.org recommends these mods when you first get a 3rd gen.

also, I would recommend checkin out the tech articles on thirdgen.org also. I dont have my car yet, but I've read up on them and it actually was a good read

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No flame intended!™
no car yet
AIM: CamaroZack

 

Yes I agree, the first few things to do are make sure everything is in good working order. Plugs, wires, cap , rotor, and timing. As long as all of these are working correctly then you begin doing all the other big mods like getting gears and headers or a catback.

There should be a write up of what to do in order but there isn't so I'll try a short list with prices.

Tune up: Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, Check timing. Um... roughly $75 if you get good wires like Accel 8.8mm wires.
Catback: $250 on up + installation unless you're the do it yourselfer type.
Headers: SLP 1 3/4" w/Y-pipe cost me $382 delivered to my door.
Gears: 3.42's are preferable if you plan to stay with the TPI intake. 3.73's are preferable if you plan on a Mini-ram or a Stealth Ram or Super Ram. Each of those costs a few thousand dollars except for the Stealth Ram which costs $500 or so. The gears usually cost $600 installed with a carrier too but since you have the Borg Warner 9-bolt you're looking at a little more $$$. In my opinion the 9-bolt is worth it though, they are stronger than these crap 10 bolts.
Camshaft: A new cam will take advantage of those gears and free flowing exhaust. They cost around $250 or so and can be installed by you and a friend in a day or 2.
New Torque convertor: (I assume you have a 350TPI Automatic car) A new 2400 stall convertor from TCI cost me $400 out the door. These are a little trickey to install unless you have the motor taken out of the car but its easily doable with a friend helping. This is roughly me setup minus the new pistons and as you can see just the cam, headers, exhaust, pistons, and torque convertor netted me 1.1 seconds in the 1/4 and also 7mph.


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-Brad C?
355ci '89 Iroc-Z Red, T-tops, power everything, A4,New 10 bolt w/ 3.73's
Trans-Go shift kit Corvette Servo,Accel 8.8mm wires,Flowmaster 80 series ,K&N's, !MAF Screens, Hollowed out airboxes,homemade Subframes. Kieth Black pistons 10.3:1, Comp Cams 270H (.495/.502 218*/224* 110*LSA) & valve springs, SLP 1 3/4" headers, TCI 2400 stall, Dual Roller timing chain, 2 3/4" I-pipe.
Full street trim best run:14.799/mph:93/60': 2.02 (last year) New Times to come.
New times: 13.732 @ 99.30 on a 1.878 60'
Pics of the Iroc

 

OK, I can definitely agree that a good tuneup will bring the car up leaps and bounds. However, you might also wanna take it another step from that.

If it's a 350 engine, well, the sky's the limit. Open up the Summit catalog and have fun. In all seriousness, though, I'd consider a chip, or a cam swap with a custom-burned chip. Howell performance can help with this. www.howell-efi.com

Also, the stock TPI is good, but the high-flow stuff is gooder. I'd definitely go with a larger throttle body, ported plenum, bigger runners, and a high-performance baseplate.

Quite honestly, what you do should depend on how much power you want. I'd even consider a Vortec head swap. And before people call me an idiot, I fully realize Vortec heads have a different intake bolt pattern, however, they are available through Pace Performance Parts drilled and tapped for older-style intakes (and consequently, TPI!!) for an extra $40 or so above the regular price (for the pair). They also require center bolt valve covers, which I think your car already has anyway.

What really stinks is that there aren't any companies that offer "off-road" exhaust for Gen III Camaros. A Mustang owner can shell out $120 and get a full-on cat-free dual exhaust system for his daily driver that he can bolt on in the driveway, and all we can do is pay double that for a "cat-back system" which in my opinion is quite restrictive and cannot benefit from the midrange gains of an H-pipe. And believe me, small-blocks LOVE H-pipes.

I suppose I should summarize. All these external mods (the K&N, modding the MAF, ignition stuff, etc.) will give you a power increase, but not a really big one. If you want to go Mustang Huntin', you've got to go internal. A 350 engine (aka 5.7L, L98) is capable of phenomenal power, but you have to swap the cam to get it. Whatever you do, if you go internal, make sure you have a chip burned to take every modification into account.

Good luck.

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Horsepower is like cheese, you can add it to ANYTHING and it's a little more enjoyable.

-Posey

 

A good suspension i would say after the tune up. Then a set of headers. I just got done buying a FULL new suspension for my car with the lt1 in it. I thought it was totally worth all the money i threw into it. No im going for tb,maf,afpr,1.6rr,long tubes and 100 shot, then rebuild the rear end, stall converter and shift kit. That is everything i want to do to my lt1. The l98 would perform good with headers and some type of aftermarket intake (super ram, mini ram, stealth ram, edelbrock runners ect..) that right there would get you into the 13's with no problem. Then just do stuff around the hearders and induction system and you will be good. Such as heads, cam, a rebuild maybe.

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89' red Iroc-z
386 stroker
Mini ram, 58mm tb
30#lbs,255 high flow fuel pump
slp cam, 1.6rr
edelbrock performer heads p+p 2.02 1.60
Hooker super comps, Mufflex 4' exhaust
Ford 9' 4.11 gears, detroit locker, 31 spline
Full suspension
B&M mega shifter,2800 stall
baer rear brakes,line lock
converted to speed density
Ed Wright dyno tuned


89' red Iroc-z
LT-1, 4L60E
free mods,chip,no cat, flowmaster
full suspension