Well, I've been working (albeit slowly) on my 87 GT in my spare time between building chicken coops, building out my workshop, clearing property on my homestead, etc. and have torn into things on the car a bit and learned as I go along. My idea for the car is starting to take shape and I'm making some purchases to go along with it. I started with a $7k budget available now (but will be able to do more as time goes along) and I'm trying to get things done in sections. For example, I don't want to pull the engine to clean the engine bay up, check the bottom end of the engine, maybe swap the heads, then go back for a cam later, so I'm trying to do what I need to before the engine goes back in, etc. Then it's time to replace the struts/shocks/springs and do brakes, etc. I plan to leave the body ugly for a while, so no big expenses there.
This car will be a weekend cruise around machine just for fun and giggles and for stopping by car shows and hanging out. It's not a big horsepower machine and I'm not trying to get every tenth out of it in the quarter mile. It's a smile maker, that's about it.
Where I'm having trouble deciding is what to do with the cam/heads. I have the stock E7 heads and a set of GT40p heads that look pretty good. I am planning on going with the On3 turbo kit (I've loved every turbo car I've had and they give me instant smiles, even over the higher power N/A builds I've had) and I'm trying to be wise with my investment. This is what I have planned right now:
A major outstanding question for me is what pistons are currently in it. I should have the engine out and heads off this week and can check. It appears to be a rebuilt engine from a buld rebuilder 10+ years ago, so it might be factory forged pistons, some hypers, some cast, or a mix of those. LOL. Compression check is running about 125-130 across the board and it ran when I parked it a couple of months ago.
So, my question right now is, would it be worth it to swap the GT 40p heads on (I feel like it would), but then also, would it be worth investing another $800 or so in a cam/springs/rockers combo, or would it make a huge a difference with the turbo (I might do springs anyway just for peace of mind). That $800 could go a long way toward brakes and such, which I hear are important once the car actually starts to move.
Remember, I'm not trying to make a zillion horsepower or run in the 10's, I want a smile maker. I would love to hear from people that have added some PSI to a stock top end and see if they regret not doing a cam and stuff.
Thanks
The car because, why not? :
This car will be a weekend cruise around machine just for fun and giggles and for stopping by car shows and hanging out. It's not a big horsepower machine and I'm not trying to get every tenth out of it in the quarter mile. It's a smile maker, that's about it.
Where I'm having trouble deciding is what to do with the cam/heads. I have the stock E7 heads and a set of GT40p heads that look pretty good. I am planning on going with the On3 turbo kit (I've loved every turbo car I've had and they give me instant smiles, even over the higher power N/A builds I've had) and I'm trying to be wise with my investment. This is what I have planned right now:
- Terminator X system (already in hand)
- On3 standard single 70mm Turbo
- Walbro 255 fuel pump
- Injectors (47lb or 60lb, still deciding but probably just the 47s to avoid possible idle issues with such big injectors on a stockish engine)
- Performer RPM intake (the original, not the RPM II. The car already had it)
- Edelbrock 70mm throttle body (already on the car as well)
A major outstanding question for me is what pistons are currently in it. I should have the engine out and heads off this week and can check. It appears to be a rebuilt engine from a buld rebuilder 10+ years ago, so it might be factory forged pistons, some hypers, some cast, or a mix of those. LOL. Compression check is running about 125-130 across the board and it ran when I parked it a couple of months ago.
So, my question right now is, would it be worth it to swap the GT 40p heads on (I feel like it would), but then also, would it be worth investing another $800 or so in a cam/springs/rockers combo, or would it make a huge a difference with the turbo (I might do springs anyway just for peace of mind). That $800 could go a long way toward brakes and such, which I hear are important once the car actually starts to move.
Remember, I'm not trying to make a zillion horsepower or run in the 10's, I want a smile maker. I would love to hear from people that have added some PSI to a stock top end and see if they regret not doing a cam and stuff.
Thanks
The car because, why not? :
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