Need help with upgrades.

[toddwirges]

If it's an auto, a shift kit is going to be the cheapest way to improve your sotp feel.
If it's a 2.73 auto, then gears will be the best sotp gain.
If it's a manual, then 4.11 gears will be the best sotp gain.

Far as bang for the buck these are hard to beat.

Ok, well so far I have an SLP cold air intake, along with a flowmaster catback system. What should my next upgrade be to make the car faster. Keep in mind I'm no millionare .

[96Camaro]

hmm....well how much can I get gears done for. i was thinking that if i were to do gears it would be 3:73's. Good choice or not?

[Jeff_in_Atl]

hmm....well how much can I get gears done for. i was thinking that if i were to do gears it would be 3:73's. Good choice or not?

I would first suggest you create a signature with your car specs. Is it an automatic or a 6 speed. List the year, engine, tranny, rear end gears, and any mods.

[Joe 1320]

hmm....well how much can I get gears done for. i was thinking that if i were to do gears it would be 3:73's. Good choice or not?

Didn't you say that you didn't want gears because the reduction in mileage and you couldn't do them yourself?

Considerd it. But the way gas is I dont think I want to mess with gears. Not to mention idk how to do the gears.

[96Camaro]

LoL...well yea i did say that. But I think that I want to find out some more about the gears and whatnot. Like whats your top speed in all the gears, like right now my first gear goes up to about 35 mph for instance. How do you guys with the lt1 6 speed transmissions like the 3:73's? And how much more often do you guys have to shift.

[Dave M]

LoL...well yea i did say that. But I think that I want to find out some more about the gears and whatnot. Like whats your top speed in all the gears, like right now my first gear goes up to about 35 mph for instance. How do you guys with the lt1 6 speed transmissions like the 3:73's? And how much more often do you guys have to shift.

If you have a 6 speed, which I'm not certain of because you haven't told us yet, but if you do you already have 3.42 gears stock. Going to 3.73's wouldn't be a big jump. Most guys go to a 4.10 with a 6 speed, and many have found they actually get better gas mileage with this combination because 6th gear becomes more useable.

If, however, you have an auto, you either have 2.73 or 3.23 gears stock and most recommend 3.73 for an upgrade. But you WILL see a decrease in mileage with these.

As for what to do next, I would recommend the gears (which you can purchase and have installed for around/under $500, or a good header/y-pipe combination. You'll be hard pressed to find some headers and a y-pipe under $500, especially if you go with a coated header. Installing headers in an LT1 engine bay is not fun, but can be done if you know your way around an engine. Your other main option for you to consider is some 1.6 roller rockers, which can be had for about $200 and are installed relatively easily. They have the effect of a mild cam upgrade. You could also go with a cam/rocker combination, although installing a cam gets more complex.

You could also do quite a lot to the suspension for $500, although I know you said you'd like straight line performance. Suspension is important though to get that power to the ground, and some pieces I'd recommend upgrading would be lower control arms, subframe connectors, panhard rod, strut tower brace, and bushings to polyeurethane. You could get all of those peices for about $500 if you know where to look and are willing to go after some used pieces, and installing them is a relatively simple feat.

[96Camaro]

How much horsepower gain can you expect from just the rockers? And will they fit under the stock valve covers? And what kinda gains in the quarter mile are normal for just adding rockers.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

How much horsepower gain can you expect from just the rockers? And will they fit under the stock valve covers? And what kinda gains in the quarter mile are normal for just adding rockers.

I'm going to repeat what I said earlier. Until you do this, no one can do anything but speculate on what you have.
I would first suggest you create a signature with your car specs. Is it an automatic or a 6 speed. List the year, engine, tranny, rear end gears, and any mods.

[96Camaro]

Ok, now I think I should have a sig.

[joe ws6]

with bigger gears Yea you would probbley have to shift more, but skip shifting would help. If you go to big you may run out of gear in the 1/4 mybe.
For the rocker gains i have no clue. The bigest upgrade i think would be some real nice rear tires to realy help get off the line since its a 6 speed.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

For rocker gains, I've seen graphs of 7 RWHP/ 2 RWTQ, but heard potential gains of up to 18 RWHP.

This may not help, but with my wounded car, headers + high flow cat + 1.6 RRs + pcmforless tune got me 16 RWHP and -0.2 RWTQ If I ever get it running right, I'll post the actual results.

[Dave M]

with bigger gears Yea you would probbley have to shift more, but skip shifting would help. If you go to big you may run out of gear in the 1/4 mybe.
For the rocker gains i have no clue. The bigest upgrade i think would be some real nice rear tires to realy help get off the line since its a 6 speed.

You won't run out of gear in the quarter unless you go with some grossly huge gear ratio. With 4.10's most guys are shifting into fourth gear just before the line.

[96Camaro]

Well when I ran my car, I was at the very top of 3rd. And it was kinda iffy if I should have shifted to 4th. But I dont think I want to go out full blown 4:11's. I guess I just kind of want to see what its like first with new gears but I dont know anybody personaly with an lt1 even around here.

[joe ws6]

Yea i wasnt sure about the gears in that car, im usualy in 4th already nearing high rpm. My bad for bad info.I hear alot of hooker being good but mybe costing big bucks! I hear alot of complaining about slp. though i have nothing to back these up with. Puting a header on, well lets just say it isnt going to be fun. I would try to make shure their coated.