horsepower help

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horsepower help - 7/19/2005 1:37:33 PM

19camaro78

Posts: 6
Joined: 7/19/2005
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whats going on fellas. i bought a 78 camaro about a month ago and i got it running perfect and just bought a stereo system for it. After a couple paychecks i plan on putting a 4 barrel carb. in it so it runs smoother.

I'm looking for ideas to gain some horsepower and not spend a crap load of money. If i could get some suggestions that would be great.

< Message edited by 19camaro78 -- 7/19/2005 1:54:25 PM >

Post #: 1

RE: horsepower help - 7/19/2005 4:33:12 PM

nj85z28

Posts: 1080
Joined: 1/24/2005
Status: offline

i would suggest a camshaft, and changing the heads as well as the intake manifold

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RE: horsepower help - 7/19/2005 5:10:30 PM

19camaro78

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Joined: 7/19/2005
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how much would it cost for all those seperate... average price

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RE: horsepower help - 7/19/2005 6:29:00 PM

nj85z28

Posts: 1080
Joined: 1/24/2005
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it all would depend upon your personal preferences. most companies offer performance to fit your budget, meaning, if you cant really afford it, you'll know it. HP cost $$, so do your research before buying

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RE: horsepower help - 8/11/2005 9:48:09 PM

nj02z28ls1

Posts: 26
Joined: 8/9/2005
Status: offline

in those years of v-8s you would be lucky to be around 150- 175 hp the government really took it to the car guys back then. one word to you man, crate engine. save your money and drop a crate motor into it. check around they have dozens of different hp ratings and cubic inch. depending on your budget.
(how fast do you wanna go?)

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Post #: 5

RE: horsepower help - 8/11/2005 10:42:43 PM

z28pete

Posts: 5575
Joined: 8/7/2005
Status: online

If you are going to do one mod at the time, I suggest u start with a good exhaust system. It won't do much for a stock engine, but as u add mods it will became a necessity. What goes in must come out. Then go for a good set of heads, cam, and intake. It will save you a lot of work if you did all three at the same time. If it is going to be a daily driver, don't go too big on cam and head port size, or the car will be a slug at low RPM. Companies like Edelbrok offer matched set of components that work good togheter and save u a lot of work. Also watch the size of the carb, if you go too small you might lose power, if u go too big, the throttle response will suck. You may want to go for a limitrd slip diff if u don't have one and some bigger gears to give u more dig.

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Post #: 6

RE: horsepower help - 8/12/2005 4:07:27 PM

aaronsirocz

Posts: 108
Joined: 8/9/2005
Status: offline

intake, cam, exhaust, and heads would make a great difference, it wouldnt cost to much but hey i know how money is short sometimes, just get it one at a time, and then put it all on.

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RE: horsepower help - 11/17/2005 10:25:37 AM

mattvogt

Posts: 437
Joined: 6/9/2005
Status: offline

Start with the exhaust then move to bigger more expensive things, If you have a 2 barrel carb now, you will need a new intake anyhow, buy a good one so you dont need to upgrade it later. have a good time

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Post #: 8

RE: horsepower help - 11/19/2005 7:07:23 PM

Kidkwik

Posts: 11
Joined: 11/11/2005
Status: offline

Spend a little each payday on parts, when you have all the parts
you need, rebuild the motor. $200 on a carb setting on top of a worn
out motor is useless. Spend $1500 but spread it out over time and
get what you really want.

$1500 got me, Machine Shop work done on my block and heads,
New Cam, New High rise Intake, New Carb, New flat top pistons, Chrome rings,
Complete gasket set, oil pump, timing chain, crank checked out, pushrods,
plugs, wires, distributor, some chrome for..well just cause..., Dual pipes
ran to rear...

In the end, she'll brake 'em loose in 2nd gear, and throw the wife
back in her seat. Not to mention turn quite a few heads in the process...
Also, the car will last a lot longer.

If you want a quick fix, go with a new intake and 4 barrel carb.
They are about the easiest to replace and less time consuming.

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Post #: 9

RE: horsepower help - 11/19/2005 10:00:47 PM

TimmyTheWop89

Posts: 449
Joined: 11/2/2005
Status: offline

look, you want cheap performance upgrades, look in the jegs magazine. you can get remanufactured edelbrock carbs for 200 bucks. also, try looking into an eledbrock performer or performer rpm intake manifold. top it off with a k&n filter. then, look into exhaust parts. you dont necessarily have to get headers, because it will cost you labor times if you get it put on. try looking into a aftermarket muffler. i hear dynomax mufflers are a favorite among a lot of people, i just ordered a dynomax bullet, and they only cost 30 to 90 dollars. going out and buying heads is a good amount of work, and it can cost you 500 to 1000 dollars. try to keep it simple. buying an aftermarket cam is pretty cheap, so go with something good for the street. (prefferably a edelbrock cam to match up with intake.) when looking for a cam, a good street setup is a cam with max power from the 1500 to 5500 rpm range. when looking for a carburetor, get a 600 or better yet a 650. unless you get your motor highly tuned, bored over, or stroked, it is not all that necessary to get bigger then a 650. a cheaper solution to headers to get ram horn style exhaust manifolds. they breathe better then the stock logs, they dont breathe as well as highly tuned headers, but are a lot cheaper. you can get them probably out of a junkyard.

(in reply to Kidkwik)

Post #: 10