pickardracing

Ive got about 2000 bucks for a new motor in the Iroc. Ive obviously decided on a 350. What do i do? Buy a crate motor? Or should i get a used 350 and rebuild it? I am going to stay with TPI and i want the car to at least outrun my old 95 LT1. I was leaning towards buying the GM 350 HO and dropping that in, hell, 330 horse out of the box aint bad. As most of you know i have a 305 TPI now. I was also thinking about buying a used 350 and going with a 383 kit for it... what would you guys do in my situation? I dont know, ive got the money and im just confused.

Chris89GTA

iTrader: (2)

i would get a used motor and rebuild it... do either a 355 or a 383... for the 2k you said you had it would work out better to do a 355...

PLANT PROTECTION

iTrader: (6)

The 330hp crate is a good value but remember it has vortec heads on it, you will need SDPC intake to keep TPI.

JAKEDPLAYA

I think your best bet would definatly would be 383.

Just remember all the other stuff that goes along with an engine swap. Since you had a 305 your going to have to do something with your computer, 19 lb. stock injectors are kinda small for a 383, and you going to restrict the heck out of that motor if your TPI isnt upgraded..runners...intake...plenum

And you would be better off buying new things like water pump, radiator, headers with this new motor. I've been through all this before so I figured I'd let you know that all the things add up and with 2 grand you'd be cutting it kinda close..if you use good internal parts.. remember you get what you pay for

Zenger

buy the crate motor throw on a carb'd intake and a Demon

ctandc

$2k huh?

All depends on whether you are comortable building your own engine, or learning too, or you'd feel more comfortable buying one already assembled.

With the Vortec crate motor, add $400 for the Vortec TPI intake.


As far as ditching the TPI for a Demon carb, or any carb for that matter, sure...if you want to LOSE MPG, throttle response, and spend JUST AS MUCH time tuning the carb as you would the TPI setup.

I'm no newbie to cars...and I've been tweaking carbs for a long while...and the FACTS are this...

A GOOD TUNE on a TPI or CARB system will make about the same power, unless you've got a pretty highly modded motor, and then the STOCK TPI setup would need some mods to keep up.

A GOOD EFI setup will usually make more low end torque, and this is what you'll FEEL when driving it on the street.

A carb set up for BEST PERFORMANCE, will LOSE MPG to a TPI, unless you use a Q-Jet, and are willing to put some time in tuning it. Flame all you want guys...Holley carbs are not a cure all... Demon carbs aren't either...they ALL need tuning, and even the BEST carbed setup will differ greatly when weather conditions change....


If you have a TPI that has problems, sure, you might feel a gain with a carb swap...but you comparing a TPI that NEEDS work to a carb setup...and it still isn't TUNED.


For $2k, if it were me, I'd build an engine...as I like doing so...but alot of time, it's actually more expensive to piece one together and do it yourself...just a fact.

Shop around, I know there are plenty of quality engine builders that offer complete long blocks or short blocks w/ warranty for good prices...

Now if I went this route...

I'd pick up a good 383 or 350 short block from a LOCAL builder ( if possible ) then add the best set of heads you can afford, along with a comparable camshaft.



Of course, you'd have to either keep the TPI's stock limitations in mind when getting the engine together, or if you planned on later upgrading the LTR setup ( runners, intake etc ) or if local emissions isn't a problem, dropping on a Stealth Ram setup.



HTH

GTA-SPD

I can tell you this. That 330 HP 350 HO is going to be between the fenders in my GTA before long. My brother had a 305 in his IROC (with good runners and 24# injectors) and ditched it for the LS1 in there now. So he had the intake sitting on his shelf for a while. When the Motor in his boat let go, he decided to make his boat TPI and used the 350 HO you are contemplating. Jesus Christ did that thig rip that 21 foot Century Deep V out of the water quick. The problem was in the fact that it wouldn't spool up enough to make good high speed water ski/knee board runs, the TPI just won't let it turn very well at 6500 RPM. Another nice thing is, the iron Vortec's flow so good, you really don't need to do anything to them, so you need a $400 intake, sell the one that comes on the motor to help offset the cost of the Scoggin-Dickey one. In a street car, that motor would rock. Keep in mind, it's 330 HP, but it's got 380 FT/LBS (That is roughly LS1 kind of power), that is what you'll feel. With the TPI, you'll probably lose a little on the HP side, but you'll gain a LITTLE torque dept.

D Stroy H8

My vote also goes for the 350 H.O.

You can alwayes buy the SDPC base and use your stock runners and plenum while you save up for a short while. Then when you got the bread port the plenum, install the better runners and get to the track! 350 H.O. all the way.

86 IROC

iTrader: (3)

$2000 budget, that's the key here. If you feel confident about doing your own engine assembly - I would look for a reassonably priced 350 roller motor, piece it together, and find some heads that flow decent for $500 or less. Then go from there.

I put a well worn 87' L98 into my car w/ a small cam and some very basic bolt ons. It ran very well because the car worked, 13.009 @ 102.78 best on BFG Drag Radials.

You don't need a fortune to out run a basically stock LT1 car.

Free Bird

iTrader: (1)

Don't be upset whe your car dyno's in at 230 rwhp when everybody here is talkin about how great the 330hp out of the box is going to feel. You are going to loose a lot by going w/ any LTR setup. Go w/ a shorter runner. mini ram, LT1, super ram (its not that short, but shorter), or the holley stealthram.

I dyno'd in at 257rwhp out of a broken in ZZ4 motor. That was w/ all the usual bolt ons. I don't mean to pop your bubble, but the numbers on those crate engines are at the flywheel w/ a TUNED carb and open headers.

GTA-SPD

You are right, but that thing runs strong. I don't give a rats *** what the dyno says, all I care is that the car gets faster. My stock 87 TPI 350 is rated at 210 HP (that number is not measured at the mat either) so 330 is a major improvement. The other fact is, HP is not the grunt that you really feel on the street anyway, it's the torque, and that 330 HP motor puts out 380 something foot pounds (at the flywheel), and that my friend is what I want. The stock long tube runner really makes it tough to spin a motor up past 5000 rpm anyway (it just can't flow enough air), so a motor that makes it's peak HP at 6500 rpm is just wasted on a LTR set up. I have decided to keep the LTR because I like it. I know that there are better systems out there, but for the money, time & frustration (I have to pass emissions) I'll just stick with what I've got. I don't need to have the fastest car on the road, afterall, I use my car to get me to work everyday.

camaro89rs355

If you have 2000 dollars then i would just use that on your 305. you could make that 305 run like a bat out of hell. all you need to do is call tpis and they probaly can put you in the 12's for that much money

pickardracing

Well, ive got a local salvage yard here that will get me a real nice low mileage L98 from an 88+ f-car for around 1000 bucks, complete from TPI to all accessories and serpentine system. I feel pretty good about that deal. Figure that would be the best way to go, plus i would have a few more bucks to play with for headers and a catback. From what ive gathered, the 330 hp gm ho is going to lose power with the TPI plus with buying that i wouldnt have a dime left. Just some things that have gone through my head. i dunno. as far as putting the cash into my 305, anyone got any opinions on that? whaddya think?

PLANT PROTECTION

iTrader: (6)

The deal on the L98 sounds good. You can sell all the TPI stuff off the 350 that you don't need and make a few dollars there.