One, you're really underestimating the power of a stall, and two, you're really overestimating the MPG effect of it vs. the cam.

When my car was bolt-on running 13.8s, a 2800 Vigilante took 5 tenths off. That's right...I went from 13.8s to squeaking 13.2xxx's just like that. Your transmission is a lock-up so MPG over 44mph is unaffected. As for in-the-city MPG...once I wasn't romping it from every stoplight, mpg went down by about 1, maybe 2 mpg.

As for the hotcam....it alone will MAYBE get you 2-3 tenths. A lot of people claim they gain 5...but it turns out, usually these are older cars that needed new valvesprings and 10-15rwhp was picked up just when they changed springs. Oh, and my MPG went down by over 3mpg after the hotcam....and thats city AND highway......get the stall. There is no reason to tear open a 28K motor for 20-30rwhp

 

would the car in town be jerky with a 3000 stall? Whats a good one to buy? So after i get my headers, I should go a stall, then what, gears or headers, or what kind of suspension work can be done?

 

This is so true. My Mom's Comp TA was running 13.7 stock and with the addition of a 2800 Vigilante, 13.2 with no other changes. Both runs were with drag radials. Gas mileage won't change at all except low speed driving.
Without tuning, the HOT cam actually slowed my car down because the car leaned out incredibly. After tuning, I picked up .4/3mph. With the SLP shorties, I picked up another .3/2mph. On the same tune as before. All told, I picked up .7/5mph from the HOT cam kit after tuned with dual cat headers.

 

Spend the money once. Get the 2800 Vigilante and be done with it. You won't need to change gears either if you have 3.23 already. Makes for a great stock setup. You won't even notice the stall until about half throttle anyway.

So instead of the cam. Get the Vig, shift kit(I liked the TransGo), and drag radials. Gears will make it incredibly harder to launch. With 3.23 gears, just launch at idle and be rewarded with high 1.7-low 1.8 all the time

Best of all, no tuning expense

 

When the HOT cam first came out, I had the springs checked and they would bind at ~.530. Way too close for a .525 lift cam. I didn't use them and went with some Crane springs. Don't know if they changed the springs since 1997 or not though.

Although I've never heard of a spring failure with the LT4 springs.

 

I'll agree that a convertor and sticky tires will give you a huge improvement in E.T., but once you're moving along at 40 MPH it's doing nothing for you but slipping and reducing your RWHP. This is fine if you only race at the track, but if you like to play around on the street and the interstate a cam may be a better choice.

 

go with a stall i am loosing hp when over 40 and will be going slower if i race someone than from a stop?

 

Listen to what we're trying to tell you...Go with a better torque converter first...As mentioned, the Vig 2800 (actually stalls around 3200ish) is a great street convertor and will knock off a solid .5 tenths at the strip with some Nitto DR's...It's not too "loose" with 3.23's and you'll get used to it after a few days anyway...Your throttle response will be wicked from a stop or from a roll around town...Yes you lose just a little rwhp with a bigger converter, but Vigilante is pretty darn efficient (so is Yank) and the loss will be so minimal you won't even notice it...Besides, a better stall like the one mentioed for your car will actually help with shift extension during full throttle runs meaning your car's rpms will not drop down as low (like w/ the stock converter) once the car shifts (thus keeping the rpms up and the car in more of its powerband during the roll).

And as said, the Vig 2800 is a lock-up convertor and your gas mileage will be worse with the Hotcam set-up instead (not to mention not as quick either). Do the stall, headers, gears (if you decide you need 3.73's), and DR's first. Then the cam of your choice...

 

As stated before, get the stall first. (Vig. 2800 or 3200) Don't forget a shift kit and trans cooler. Maybe throw some relocation brackets on and get some sticky tires also. If you don't want to drive on DR's all the time get a spare set of rims. As Nomad said, you might want to wait before you open up a low mileage motor. There are other ways to cut your ET.

 

is a shift kit and trans cooler a must when a stall? talk with Cole AKA blackz28 i believe on MSN, and he told me a trans cooler isnt needed. how much will stall, shift kit, and trans cooler cost money wise?

 

Man the kid asked a simple question and now he has a bunch of new parents
Do you need a little converter, for a cam, Yes it helps but its not necessery from the git-go.
A cam made my car more fun then a stall ever did. You Know the old addage " build a hell of a motor then bulid the car to keep up"

If you put a big stall yes you need a cooler. Even a stock car could Benefit form a cooler.

 

post me a link of the stall, cooler and shift kit i should put in. I'm 17 and not LOADED with cash, but have some around. I am getting a cam when the car hits the 50,000 mile mark, until then, i will build on the suspension and what not. Speaking of suspension, what kind of work can be done there? Subframe connectors forsure.

 

IMO, subframe connectors and springs made the biggest difference in handling for me.

 

i will do subframes. lower the car also? or will it make it slower in the 1/4. dont want the car to handle worse than stock by any means.

 

What are you supposed to do suspension wise besides sfcs and shocks/spring? I know you can do torque arm/panhard/all the control arms, but what should you do after sfcs?