I just rescently bought a '94 Camaro Z28 with an LT1 engine, and flowmaster cat-back.

Now before i go spending loads of money on useless go-fast goodies, i was wondering what i should start with.

Thank you in advance for all the help.

 

CAI, then a mail order tune from madwolf.....headers,stall...

Forget the TB for now.Steer clear of larger MAF's as well

Have you done the free mods? Throttle body bypass?

 

No sir, i cant pick the car up until tomorrow night.

Im just trying to get a head start to figuring out what i should do.

And free mods you say? Do tell :P

 

any cold air intake, they're all relatively the same in performance gains. quicker throttle response you could add a 52mm throttle body. for suspension get a tubular panhard rod, and same for lower control arms. subframe connectors give you better handling and a stiffer frame too. all those things are good

 

CAI, exhaust cutout, headers, stall converter(if auto), gears, suspension... bigger throttle body won't provide you with much of a gain until you have many other things done.

 

for starters.... headers, CAI. if you have an A4 with 2.73's (indicated by a lack of a number "1" on the shifter plate") then get 3.42's, though that will cost you some cash. many say it is the best mod. if u have 3.23's or a 6 spd, leave the gears alone. IMO, go with a GOOD set of used or new roller rockers (preferably comp cams pro magnum 1.6 ratio 7/16 stud non self aligning with guideplates) will help you greatly. 1.6 rr's will help you have more airflow to play with for a mail order tune from pcmforless.com or madz28.com. with the addition of 1.6 rr's, the tuners can get more power because they have more air to work with. when mated with long tubes, these are the 3 best mods u can do. CAI too of course.

 

If you're on a budget: Ebay CAI, Mac Midlength headers, throttle body bypass,keep your stock catback and put a higher flow muffler on it if you wanna save money over buying a new catback (check summitracing.com). After that I'd do suspension parts (BMR Chomoly shock tower brace, BMR front/rear swaybars + poly bushings, subframe connectors) ... get the handling firmed up a bit (also get some Bilstien HD shocks if possible).

After all that, I'd consider going to 1.6 full roller rockers... get some Comp 941 valve springs and comp hardened pushrods as well as guideplates (non-self aligning rockers) ... 1.6 rockers is one of the better bang for your buck items short of a cam or headers. if you have a 6-speed get a Pro 5.0 shifter and a shortened stick. Here's what I'd do (list in-order)

Keep in mind this is on a budget:
1. Ebay CAI and 160* thermostat (check tube diameter on the ebay CAI, make sure it matches or comes close to the diameter of your MAF)
2. Mac (ceramic coated) Midlength headers (check boards)
3. High flow muffler for stocker catback (check summit)
4. Biggest/fattest shock tower brace you can find (BMR Chromoly)
5. Upgrade swaybars (bmr or used off of the boards) and Subframes (tubular BMR is cheap + $20 to weld on)
6. Upgrade shocks (Bilstien)
7. 1.6 full roller rockers/Comp 941 valve springs/GM guideplates/comp hardened pushrods
8. Pro 5.0 shifter (if 6-speed)
9. Optional*Bigger rims/tires (SLP ZR1 painted is a good choice for not a lot of $$$ if you can get them used)
10. Tune by madz28.com or pcmforless.com
11. If you can afford it, get a Delteq (www.delteq.com)

This will give you a car that does a high 4-second 0-60 and great handling to boot! It will feel more like a sports car than a muscle car (which IMO is a good thing)

beyond that is more just personal preference.... If it was me, I'd go with a cc305 cam for starters (with retune from your mail-order tune shop selection), finish up the suspension (1LE panhard rod and 1LE rear lower control arms? You can get them cheap-ish), port the intake to match a 58mm throttlebody (dremel), Holley 58mm throttlebody (not BBK). Also, If you have a friend that can help you or if you're experienced enough to do it yourself, do a LS1 front brake upgrade ...... it REALLY adds to the overall feel of the car..

after a cam + ported intake I could see the car getting a low 4 second 0-60 pretty easily.... and even further beyond that, I'd give Lloyd Elliott a call (www.eportworks.com) and see what kind of heads he can port for a cc305 cam...

so cam + heads + bolt-ons + suspension mods will give you a setup that will rival corvettes and some porsches alike .... just don't be like a lot of people on this board and dump all this money into the motor without touching the suspenion/chassis.... power without control is MEANINGLESS

Just my two pennies....

 

I am against the ebay CAI's.. unless you can find a used name brand CAI on ebay... K&N, Moroso, Lingenfelter, SLP, etc. Suspensions-wise, an aftermarket torque arm is a great investment.

 

well it depends on what you want for the car, but as far as 0-60 / 1/4 mile times r concerned, bigger rims/tires are not going to help, you can get some drag radials instead, and just a replacement muffler isnt going to do anything except make it louder, the tsp rumbler is on sale now www.texas-speed.com but it says on sale thru july 15th? not sure wat that means. but if you are on a budget its only $195. and for the ebay cold air, if you get a decent cone filter like k&n you should be fine, also id do long tubes not shorties, get some pace setters or somthing

 

DO NOT GET AN EBAY CAI. They heat up very badly. You are better off spending $50 more and getting a K&N or something used. Or make your own cai... Get a $30 cutout instead of a new catback or even a muffler... cheaper and less restrictive.

 

Hey small world GUESS where Im from . If you ever want to get together and chat send me a PM. I wont say Im a guru when it comes to cars but I have learned and am still learning quite a bit about the LT1. I can point you in the right direction.

 

or just make a PVC intake with a cone filter .... either way its cheaper ... no matter what you get, youre going to have a hot intake... just the nature of the beast...

shorties are for those on a budget... but whatever you get MAKE SURE IT IS CERAMIC COATED

 

Why is it that we need ceramic coated headers, i know my car has them but other cars ive had didn't. Is it just because magazines have told up that you have to have them so the heat won't ruin the a/c or what. Ceramic coating sucks anyways and wears off quickly. Pacesetter longtubes would be the best for a budget, but if you want em to last go with Kooks.

First mods:
Cai
longtubes w/ true duals or a cheap cat back
1.6s rr w/ guideplates
Tune
Stall if auto/better clutch if manual
Gears
Cam
Heads
ect...

Oh and dont get a delteq it probably wont help you perfromance wise...not noticibly anyways. Just dont drive through big puddles of water and your opti should last.

 

If you just bought the car and haven't even picked it up yet, I'd advise you to take care of the basic maintenace before fooling with any mods.

Belts, hoses , plugs, wires, fluid changes, etc. JMHO

 

Lol i didnt think of that .... very good idea.