dan0617 wrote:
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New leaf. Just don't start telling me how you have 10X more power because of the choice, and we'll be fine!!
.

I'll have way more power!!!! My AFR will give me way more power. (My Air Fuel Ratio will give me way more power since 50% of the air will come from nitrous!)

dan0617 wrote:
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jsup wrote:
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cuisinartvette wrote:
.100 isnt anything to be worried about, it should be real close. Just picked up a set of those last week also.

That's the number? .1"?

I just went into the Summit site and looked and that's what it says (.100"), although I cannot verify that.

dan0617 wrote:
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jsup wrote:

So, is this what you expected when you saw my name in the last post section?

This is what I was hoping for. Good advice pertaining to the question asked, whether you agree, disagree or are indifferent about the choice. Posts like this one are why I grew to like you over a year ago when I first got to know you. I'm glad all the other stuff is ancient history and we are all back on track to being the best Tech forum on the web.

The best tech forum with the best moderators, I might add.

cuisinartvette wrote:
.100 isnt anything to be worried about, it should be real close. Just picked up a set of those last week also.

BeachBum wrote:
Hi Big T,

I got your PM, thank you. In regards to your set-up, with a hefty 6k budget, you got lots of dough to have fun.

My only real comments, is that if you are truly looking for "just" 300 HP, that is quite easy. But, that aside, considering you need to rebuild or purchase a new short block with that money, I would run away from that 3k rebuild of the original 350 somebody is quoting you. You can purchase a new GM short block ZZ383 crate motor for somewhere around 3k. slap on some headers, deck your heads and a 3 angle valve job and slap your stock TPI back on and you'll be over 300 HP with no other changes, not to mention upwards of 400 ftlbs of torque with that stroker motor & TPI..... have a warranty and still a pocket full of cash leftover. I don't remember what cam they run on those ZZ383's, but I'm sure it'll work fine with your TPI.

If you change your goal of 300 hp, let us all know.... lots of good suggestions for that as well, and it'll be cheap and easy considering you'll have a warrantied stroker motor sitting under you. If you're anything like the rest of us, I'm sure you'll learn that speed is a drug and that a 300 HP goal with perfect streetability is too easy nowadays and quite frankly, 400+ is just about as easy, yet still be a docile, good gas mileage daily driver.

good luck with whatever you decide on !

Lichen wrote:
I'll go out on a limb and guess that the C5 brakes will not fit your stock rims. That is one reason so many people went with GS replicas. The J55 upgrade barely fit my stock '93 sawblades. If they don't fit, you should be ok with the J55 upgrade, some Hawk pads and a new bias spring.

CentralCoaster wrote:
jsup, I have the dimensions for the bracket if you want to try making a mockup out of some heavy duty cardboard or wood.

dan0617 wrote:
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jsup wrote:

What I am trying to figure out now is what tire is sticky and won't kill me if I get caught in rain.

BeachBum wrote:
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tpi421vett wrote:
I drive mine on the streets, and run ET streets full time. I sticky tire makes your car much safer on a high hp street car as mentioned.

Very true, and I never would have guessed that until I ran on them full time to prove to myself. Point-and-go driving is a good thing.

In my opinion, good advise everywhere in this thread.... proof positive it can be done.

dan0617 wrote:
Big T, the motors in the link in the above post all have too much cam for what you stated your goals and choice of intake are. PLEASE DON'T go with a cam with any more than 220 degrees intake duration for a TPI, in my opinion. I think you will be dissatisfied.

DaleD wrote:
It's a darn shame that thread got trashed.
That's the perfect kind of thread for us early C4 owners. 300+ hp would refresh an early C4 and make it feel even more exciting. Budget build for an L98 is a great topic.

That might be a nice resource, or sticky, a couple of budget builds on an L98. Say a $2k and a $4k build, and what to expect with the result.

I know the guy that works on my car told me if I ever want to build it, I should find a used block, build the block, then swap it. Seems to make sense. A few hundred more to start, but you can sell your old motor at the end to make it back.

Resurrect the thread, throw out the snipers and lots of us will watch closely.

BrianCunningham wrote:


Trying to take down your own thread now?

It would be hilarious if you get banned because of your own thread! LOL

TommyT-Bone wrote:
That's a great list for comparison jsup.

BrianCunningham wrote:
Well I don't believe in your cr@p either.

We did out the #'s and it was cheaper to go with the AFR

I realize you hate AFR.
Guess what I don't care.
You tried getting something for nothing out of them, same as you do to everyone else, and it didn't work

Boo Hoo

MOVE ON ALREADY!

pr0zac wrote:
its an apples to apples comparison. so much for that sotp's horseshit where certain engines won't come alive till 3500. the ignoramus's running around yapping about how afr heads will magically give you all this amazing torque and horsepower just by using the "golden head". the second motor is much more exotic and makes a hair more power with all its unneeded parts like dry sump, eliminator series competition cnc ported heads and customs stroke were a basic 383 with ported factory heads can produce almost exact numbers with no tricks up its sleeve. so to a certain pecker checker, take that flow numbers and dyno sheet and stick them where the sun doesn't shine.

BrianCunningham wrote:
Actually on Ron's last build, he got the owner to buy the AFR's, same as me, more bang for the buck.

BrianCunningham wrote:
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dan0617 wrote:
Get forum member Ron (cuisinartvette) to port your intake and perhaps your heads.

Ron really knows his stuff.
He can build a real torque monster for you if you want.

pr0zac wrote:
you would be amazed what a 275 tire will do even a 295 if you really think you need it.

pr0zac wrote:
you could get way more then 300chp with your stock heads.

Notorious wrote:
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jsup wrote:
Is there any big difference between the 17 and 18 inch rims? As far as those tires are concerned?

I don't know if brakes will fit under my stock rims....

If I need new rims to clear the brakes, no point in buying tires to fit these rims. I'll just wait it out.

Overall, for straight ahead traction you'll be better off with 17" wheels, reason being that assuming you're maintaining close to stock tire circumference, you'll end up with a little more sidewall using 17s. Also there's a better selection of tires in 17" and they're significantly cheaper than 18s.
Although some factory 17" wheels have a clearance problem with C5 front brakes, as far as I know, you shouldn't have any problem with aftermarket wheels. In fact, although my '95 sawblades don't clear my ZO6 front brakes, once at an event I borrowed some race tires mounted on earlier Corvette 17" wheels that cleared the brakes fine.

Josh wrote:
JSUP, as far as traction is concerned, I think you need to get a little direction and make some choices before anyone can legitimately recommend a tire for you.

First, there is no super tire that will do it all. There is no tire that will yield stellar straight line traction, great all weather performance, handle the curves, and last a long time. The tire isn't out there. You need to decide how you are going to use the car, and choose a tire based on that. If you need severe multiple functions from the tire, you need 2 sets of tires.

Also, decide on the braking system you plan to use. You keep bouncing around on wheel size, and that will affect your tire options. Once you have the brake choice made, and hence the wheel size determined, then move on to tire selection. Right now, all of us are wasting our time giving you recommendations because no one, not even you, knows what size wheel you are going to use.

I don't think you need a brake that won't fit under a 17 inch wheel. You said you mostly street drive the car, and it being an automatic I doubt you'll be storming a road course any time soon, so I really don't see the need for a brake that won't clear a 17 inch wheel, especially in the back. What size wheels are on the car now? I saw you mention something about 16's?

You mentioned that needing to upgrade the brakes was a necessity now. I assume you mean that because the car now has more power, you want better brakes. While good in theory, once you have the ability to lock the tires (or engage the ABS) at any given speed, better and more powerful brakes won't help in a panic stop situation. Repeated stops will be better because the brakes will be better able to deal with the heat build up, but stopping distances won't decrease dramatically, if at all.

Changing wheel size, (going to a 17/18 etc...) will not affect your speedometer as you implied, as long as you use the correct size tire the total diameter of the wheel/tire package should stay close enough to stock to leave the speedometer largely unaffected.

You will street drive the car, on nice days, less than 3,000 miles a year. It should not see rain, but it is possible. You will drag race the car a handful of times through out the year. You will not auto cross or road race the car. You are using a stock width (9.5 inch), 17 inch, rear wheel. You intend to stay with the automatic and semi-aggressive stall converter.

If all that is true, I would recommend a 275/40-17 Mickey Thompson ET street radial. Of the drag radials, it will have the most straight line traction. Wet performance is sub-par compared to a conventional street tire, however the tires will get you home with no drama if it does start to rain and you keep your head on straight.

Like all drag radials, they recover poorly once traction is lost. If they start to spin, they will not bite down without lifting the throttle. This is main difference between a drag radial like this and the bias ply tire options out there, in my opinion. An ET street, as opposed to the ET street radial, will recover traction MUCH better than the radial. However, the ET street will put you on the side of the road if it rains, and the cornering ability is next to nothing.

I made a ton of assumptions to get to that recommendation, so it could be right on the money or off in left field, I don't really know. No one knows until we figure out what you want the tire to do, what size options are available, etc...

Calm wrote:
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dan0617 wrote:
I sure wish I could get 3 pages of replies full of answers when I post a question.

Well, jsup's more needy. :binky:

JDSWHITE93 wrote:
Maybe I just don't know how to drive. I have yet to get anything that even remotely resembles traction on the street in first or second gear and you have alot more motor than I do.

BrianCunningham wrote:
What about 555R's?

Great on a road course, a little less stick in the 1/4 though.

dan0617 wrote:
I noticed no handling difference whatsoever when I went from regular old radials to Nitto 555R drag radials. The only difference I noticed at all is that the rear rides a little softer, which in my (and my wife's) opinions it rode too harsh before anyway. I only run 22 psi in the Nittos which helps contribute to the soft ride, if I pump them up to 40 psi the ride is not quite as soft but the traction isn't quite as good either. But as far as handling, no difference. The Nitto's are wearing nicely too, about 3,000 miles on them and quite a few big smoky burnouts and they still look almost like new.

I know you don't have the budget for rims/tires, but you could watch on camaroz28.com for sale section for a pair of Nitto's used. They go for pretty cheap. Unbolt the front sway bar for free, let the PSI down in your current tires for free, put the positive camber in when you put the new rear in and align it. That should help you quite a bit right there. Put a used pair of Nittos on when you can get about $150 or so to spend. Save up for wider rims/tires next year.

cuisinartvette wrote:
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If I go for new rims, it's going to be as wide as I can go, 11.5 or 12 like Andy said. Maybe I can pick up a set of 1990 ZR1 wheels as an interim step.

THeres a guy on CF ZR1 or 4 sale sectioni that has a set, hes out here.

Look on the ZR1 registry also they pop up from time to time. A set of 11" rears with a sticky tire would be the way to go.
Sticking with street radials at this point is unsafe

BeachBum wrote:


Your only problem with the Weld XP's if you find them on ebay.... is that you'll be bidding against me for them.

BeachBum wrote:
With my old 383, I too was breaking the tires away at all sorts of speed dependant on the temp and road surface. Believe it or not, the car was actually safer when I drove around on my ET streets, they grabbed so much better and you just went straight and hard after a small initial wheel scrub. I recommend you invest in them.... drag radials will also help, but, they too can and will spin hard. The advantage to the ET streets is the recovery is so much quicker than drag radials.

The true joy of spending all of this money on power as many of us do is the "acceleration", and you might not ever get to truly experience your motors true performance without a set of sticky's. I highly recommend them. Not to mention, you'll et wayyyy quicker at the track as well.