Okay so i got my car running again and ive had a bit of success and i LOVE IT. Tore up a modded S197 Mustang GT, some ricer in a modded VW Golf GTI, and a Toyota TT Supra.
My car is a 1994 Z28 Convertible A4. 45k mi orig mi, rebuilt motor. New bearings, rings, and all that stuff. Stock crank, rods, pistons, & pushrods. New lifters, GM LT4 hotcam kit with the supplied 1.6RRs, LE1 heads with some springs LLoyd said are better for the hotcam kit than the supplied "LT4" springs (but not the Crane's), Mr Gasket head gaskets (the thin ones), Paceseter mid tubes, Cat delete, Hooker catback, AIR, and EGR delete. SLP CAI, 1LE elbow, stock MAF, stock intake manifold, stock TB, TB bypass, NGK TR55's gapped at .035, taylor 8mm plug wires, stock opti, MSD Blaster Coil, and a MadZ Tune.

The car has the stock 2.73 gears in it right now and i have a set of Richmond 3.73 gears for a 2 series carrier i still have yet to install. I have the factory stall converter, the big B&M transmission cooler, and the stock steel drive shaft.

Ive been kicking around the idea of getting one of those air foils. People say they dont help and its a waste of money but im thinking it could help a little at rolling speeds. Im also kind of looking at a stall aswel.. I hear this can help off the line a bit but ill be honest i know nothing about those, and i would not know what one to get. I now that Yank and Vigilante are talked highly of. But what rpm's?

Please dont reccomend me a new cam... I know i could get more performance out of a new bigger one... I just dont want to do the work on it right now.

Another thing im wondering about is intake manifold... With the LE1 heads and the hotcam being smaller would i actually benefit at all porting the intake?

N2O is another thing im looking at.. Lloyd gave me an estimate off my mods list of 360 rwhp. I hear the stock 10 bolt rear is good for about 400 rwhp, and nitrous can be rough on automatics.. Is this something i should stay away from? Or is this something i should be looking more into?

Thanks for the help guys!

 

If you do not have a stall, get one. And install those 3.73s along with sticky tires you should run into the 11s.

 

I agree with what he said~
From this site find cheap parts and step by step instructions.

Consider:Cold air induction from below the car- will get about 10 HP; remove EGR,
remove Air pump,
remove TB warmer...block all these holes off with available material...add a MSD 6AL- chip it at 6400 RPM From parts for sale on this site....about $100 these will add a few HP and lighten the front end by 11 lbs,the foil is cheap and you will notice no gain, but if is combined with a 52 mm throttle body - you'll feel a difference, they are usually sold together, a chrome breather will help...from PEP Boys ...about $8.00...then get a dyno tune about $325
so for little effort and $ 500 you'll pick up 44 hp. and 1.3 mpg

 

Stall converter, 52-58mm Throttle body(don't waste your money on a air foil), and put those gears in!!

 

Here's my take on it:

First, you have to separate POWER from ET/MPH performance. Things that will improve ET/MPH down the track don't necessarily increase power - just makes the CAR ACCELERATE quicker.

So let's concentrate of POWER:

Remember the four 'C's in power production; listed in the order of their contribution:

Cubic Inch Displacement
Cylinder Heads
Camshaft
Compression

Those are the BIG four where you should concentrate your efforts and, yea, $$$.

So now your budget enters the picture; how much you have to spend. As a part of that is how much of the work you can do yourself. If budget is a concern (and for most of us it definitely IS), Cylinder Heads will give the most bang for the buck, followed next by the "right" camshaft.

There are a LOT of cylinder heads available in the after-market; most are really good offerings and will show, many times, dramatic power increases - Yet among those offerings, a few are demonstratively BETTER.

The internet and magazines are loaded with dyno tests results on heads. The most recent head to head shoot-out I've seen is on GM HIGH TECH PERFORMANCE's site showing a LT1 head comparison.

Here's where doing your homework really pays off; reading the results of the tests from many and various sources.

When it comes to camshafts, remember, the most often made mistake is to over-cam an engine. It's sort of like the "Bigger is Better" way of thinking kicking in. Then, when the engine doesn't meet expectations you'll be left scratching your head trying to figure out why.

As duration specs increase, power production tends move UP the RPM band, so, basically, what you sacrifice down low you re-gain up top. So careful consideration has to be paid to how the car is to be used on a regular basis.

Many think that if a 224/230 @ .050 is GOOD (which is a big as I'd go on a 350 used on the street), a 230/236 would be better. Bigger is Better, right? Not necessarily and in many cases simply NOT. Passing emissions is another concern if you're car has to submit to that.

Also, parts selection must be made in a complimentary fashion, with one part complimenting the others. Mis-matching parts won't give you the desired results. If you're not able to make these kinds of call, depend on the knowledge and experience of a trusted builder,someone who KNOWS what parts work best together. LE's an excellent choice for that.

So while there are no absolute recommendations that everyone will agree on, those are the basic areas of consideration I recommend.

Hope this helps.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

 

Out of all the things you listed your thinking about doing...

Put the gears in. Your gonna need a new tune for them as well.

A bigger stall converter is something you will definatly notice. I would call Precision Industries and let them make a suggestion for you.

Screw the airfoil, aftermarket TB's have that incorporated into them already, 52MM will suffice in your case. Another cheap option is a ported stock one with a airfoil, they can be had on ebay for about 150.00

Forget about porting the intake, it flows fine stock.

Nitrous will definatly give you a boost, you could run a small shot safely. But since you used all stock internals you should stay small, 75-100 HP. A wet kit would be safest.

 

An airfoil is worthless...spend the money elsewhere.

 

stall/3.73's and than a custom grind cam. The hotcam isnt the best option for power. Its more of a DD cam.