Lets start by letting you know what I have. Its a 91 Camaro Convertible automatic currently a 350 throttle body car. Well the 350 is dying and I recently acquired a 94 LT1 from a Caddy. I want the car to be a good daily driver so I can cruise with the top down but it would be nice if it could pull high 12's on drag radials when I feel a little friskier. From what I understand the iron LT1 heads flow a little better than their Aluminum counterparts. I don't have an unlimited budget but mainly I don't want to spend twice what the car is worth on the engine either. So I have a couple plan variations if you would look them over and see if they are enough to achieve my goals.

Current:
350 Vortec roller motor with 07-304-08 cam with dowel trimmed running a 454SS throttle body. Car pulls high 13's currently with OK manners.

PLAN1:
Rework the motor with stock IRON heads and run a 383 stroker kit and a comp cams 07-304-8 cam or a 07-305-8 cam with 52mm throttle body and long tube headers with 2000rpm stall converter in with a 4L60E. Not real sure if that will pull enough hp to get me in the 12's or not but should be a good daily driver.

PLAN2:
Rebuild the 350 and change the heads to some aftermarket heads such as the trick flow or edelbrock LT1 heads. Same cam selections and throttle body with the the same long tube headers and 2000 rpm stall in a 4L60E.

I wish I could combine the heads with the 383 kit but I believe that is going to break the budget. I figure that 28lb LS1 injectors should be sufficient and so let me know what you think or if I am just dreaming of a 12 second street LT1 car. When I mean street car, I mean something my wife can go out and drive and not complain about its manners.

Thanks,
Brian

 

run eportworks.com stage 1 package. you will need more converter and between a 3.23-3.73 gear, good headers and tuning. i think building a stroker motor would be a waste of time for your goals. there are a lot better ways to use that money. id just leave it a 350.

 

iron heads are the same as '96-'97 aluminum castings

scrap all those ideas IMO

keep the bottom end stock

buy some aluminum LT1 castings (~$200 used) for weight savings and so you can use a screw in rocker studs and not have issues with the crappy press in iron head rocker studs. have them worked over by some one with a good reputation.
get a nice cam that fits your goals/needs/heads
good valvetrain too support it all

get 36lb injectors atleast
get a larger fuel pump

get the rest of the associated bolt ons (should be 1st IMO)

build the automatic too handle it it all

figure out how too wire it all up

might need gears too compliment everything and a stall converter higher then 2000rpm....look more towards 3K rpm (still very streetable)

last but definately not least, some tuning too nail the combo down


run deep 12's all day long in ****ty weather

if only it were that easy

good luck with it

 

I would do as said above with the le1 package from eportworks, but i wouldn't get trickflow or edelbrock castings. Just get some stock aluminum lt1 heads. You can get 400+ rwhp out of the stock aluminums which is more than enough to get you into the 12s.

 

Oh ya and the le1 package will have excellent street manners with a good tune. I would try madz28.com or pcmforless.com if you cant afford a dyno tune(like 400 bucks).

 

I run 3.42 gears with the zexel posi from a LS1 car. One of the SLP takeouts back when F-bodies were still made.

I looked at LE1 since the original post and it looks interesting. Any intake issues with the conversion of the iron heads to the aluminum version.

Anyone know of a reasonable price set of long tubes for a 3rdgen body.

 

no intake issues
6 too one, half dozen too another

unless its 92 or 93 intake (different fuel supply)

Lloyd Elliot (eportworks) is a class act guy with a good product

 

I would rather use a proven setup from a reputable guy than try to configure one myself and likely guys like PCMFORLESS have done some programming for those setups and get my PCM in shape for my transformation.

 

i dont know if you know this or not but you are in NC ...many many a shops locally too you

http://www.carolinaautomasters.com/

speak with them some!

 

Tune, bolt ons, 2800 stall, HOTcam will get you high 12's if that's all you're after.

 

if u want consistant mid 12's, go hotcam, 3.42s in an auto or 3.73 in a 6 spd. 2800 stall if u have an auto, long tubes, stock heads.