Hey im gettin a header LT done soon..and i was wondering if you know ne where to get them installed thats not ridicliously priced..i talked to kennedys and they said ruffly 600 bc of labor and thats way over my budget..

 

It's a bitch of a job on a 4th gen. If you want to do it inexpensively get some of the guys to help and DIY. I'd help but I too old to climb around under someone else's car!

Rich

 

also getting my computer re-programmed..know anyone for that either?

 

hey i'll help ya with the LT's never dont it before but i've got haynes repair manual and i havent screwed up my car yet

 

hey rich you got any advice and knowledge to pass on to us younger F bod owners?

 

LOL

A ton, it's free and worth every penny!

Here's a few pearls.

1. do not install a blower on a stock bottom end LT1.
2. don't buy cheap tools.
3. keep in mind that even though you never have enough time to do it right, there is always time to do it over.
4. ditto #3 for $$$. It always costs less to do it right the first time than to have to do it over.
5. do not race any Quasar Blue '95 Z-28 convertibles with the plate "1FASTZ28" that you see running around WNY.
6. there is no substitute for cubic inches, except cubic money.
7. speed costs money. How fast do you want to go is intimately related to how much you are prepared to spend.
8. Life begins at 150 (in the 1/4m).

Rich

 

sweet. got a question about number 7 though, what about products that are the same but one costs less. say a pefrectly good used air foil or a random brand TB compared to a brand new part or a say a big name brand TB. parts are interchangeable just used for referance.

 

Good question. I don't mean to imply that spending more always makes you go faster. You can waste your money, easily! Also, some mods inherently have a bigger bang for the buck than others. And some are nice but don't add much performance (like a nice sounding cat-back).

Making do with used/refurbished/reclaimed parts is where hot rodding started. I am old enough to remember searching through junkyadrs and swap meets looking for that "diamond in the rough". Things like a set of head castings with the correct casting number - the head that was best for porting. The 383 was the original SBC stroker because it used a 400 crank with the mains ground down. Back then, no one had any money and labor was cheap. So, finding an old crank and having it refurbished was the way to go instead of buying a new crank.

I could go on, and on, with other examples. But intelligent buying of used parts is a great way to go. With repect to new parts, there is a pretty close correlation between price and quality. The trick there is to avoid buying something that is overkill for your combo. What is the commonest mistake in this regard is putting a ton of $$$ into the bottom end of a motor and not enough time, thought and money into the top end. Most modded motors do NOT need forged cranks, splayed billet main caps, billet rods, etc. Just good stock of medium grade aftermarket parts that are correctly assembled are usually fine and are a lot less expensive. My last motor took my 4,100lb combo to a 10.2 @ 140+ mph with GM iron, straight 4-bolt main caps and at teardown there was no sign of distress. I have no porblem spending the big buck for something that works better and is needed. But why throw it away? Another example: I use stock GM plug wires.

Rich Krause

 

good to know cause i saved myself 220 bucks total on 3 mods that would of normaly cost 350 and got em used for 130, all were in good condition. btw any idea how my hp a airfoil, 1le elbow and cold air kit would add?

 

I could maybe give you a hand. I know the LT1 like the back of my hand.

 

Take him up on his offer! I am quite willing to "supervise", but my bad back prevents me from crawling around too much.

The cold air kit will add ~10rwhp. The airfoil ~0. I don't know about the 1LE elbow.

rich

 

im lookin for someone just to do it all..an shops?

 

hey 96Z would you care to help me change plugs and wires? i've never done it before

 

I got you covered on that one. I am located in West Seneca, NY drop me a line if you need anything

 

Sure its not that bad. You dont have the stock manifolds though do you? Those can be a PITA but doable.