CAI Semi-complete

[robertisaar]

robistar

as long as the tranny controller will work the pressure control solenoid as well, then that may be a better route to go... or using a 4t80e.... and with these goals, posi is a must...

[95SleeperAcheiva]

I didn't take offense to assylum. Actually I'd really like to know "HOW" he got that car to 14 flats with even less mods then me. But, then again that may be what he's hiding. I've been completely open about everything I'm doing, I'll never run any of you for money so what do I care if you know? Besides, I ain't that fast yet. In my own minds eye. My Achieva is slow. VERY slow. The cars I grew up in ran 12's stock, 10's modified in 24hrs. I got time slips of a 1970 W-31 cutlass running 10.2's. So 14's is a bloody crawl.

Handling. I HAD, past tense, a 1992 Z-34 Lumina. I wasn't impressed with the handling. 1-10, 10 being a Ferrari and 1 being a panel truck, Z-34 Lumina gets a 6. For comparison, my '78 vette gets a 7, all stock. I have also had a 1996 Z-34 MC, also a 6. My Achieva when street'ed and stock, 7. Lowered and modded suspension, 8.5. Here's the kicker, 1994 4-door GP, stock, 8. I still have the '94 GP. Aaron, no offense to the GP's, I just like calling them "grand Pricks." :P
Also, I completely agree with the 3800 crowd having had the time advantage. That motor has been around since the early 50's! It was called a 232 cu. in. right? Lastly, Have you seen my brake master cylinder!? This thing is HUGE! I got the god awful ABS unit attached to the side of it. It's got to weigh 30 lbs. And if I loose the booster it moves the master back and gives me room for my ram air through the hood tubes. And more room for something else, see last paragraph.

Isaac, no I haven't swapped to the OBD 1 yet. I have the comp, 7730, but haven't installed it yet. I was afraid that something in the software was different in the stock 1.5 and giving me the performance I was receiving currently. And without being able to modify the software in the OBD 1 yet or get a full download of what the 1.5 had to compare them, I figured I'd leave it alone till I got the chip from Ben and the APU1 from moates.

And you guys got my gears turning last night. 4T65E and a control box. I like this tranny, http://www.transmissioncenter.net/alto_2.htm , I bought a 700R-4, for my vette, from them years back and loved it!
3500 swap, build the piss out of it, and boost, boost, boost. Now I was playing around with those calculators robistar told me about, and had to spend some time reading up at garrett, but from what I'm seeing, I need a turbo that can push 1200+ CFM at 40 lbs of boost to put her into the 9's.

Now I'm a 4-door Achieva, so I got the wheel base. As long as I don't pull my control arms out of my sub-frames, I think it'll do it.

I kinda wanted to see how much I could get N/A, But when I thought about it, it would have been a nice goal if I could have the time and money to do more every week, over 1 season, and be done. I don't have that luxury. And when you come down to it, I really just want to go FAST! IDC how I do it, just as long as I do it. So, 2nd job, and turbo, here we come.

Give me credit, at least I'm staying 60 degree. I could just cheat and SC my 4.0L Aurora motor, drop that in there with a shoe horn, and bang 1200 ponies! :P Granted the trannies won't live long but....

[1988GTU]

That's 3.5" ... Nice! The minimal bends will be less noticeable for any possible restrictions and the heat will have a lesser chance at attacking the air flowing within the tubes.

FWD pshhhhhhhhhh RWD!!!

[Superdave]

you guys need to stop playing around with these heavy ass cars and get Jbodies.. My car handles like a go-cart.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

i can out corner most of anything i come across in my z34. my buick too, it had quicker steering than this car does anyhow. (dont ask me why but my buick regal coup could turn tighter than my z34.) i didnt have to back up to turn around on the street outside my house, thats how i know. but if you have FE3 on ur W and good shocks, it should handle pretty good (oh and good tires) ive never really owned an N body, so i cant comment there. but i wouldnt say that Ws all handle bad. maybe with some FE1, bald tires and worn out shocks it will drive like grandmas old boat or something.

[3400-95-Modified]

LOOK at my sig! 100% untouched engine with a set of headers and a good tune.

YOU are spinning your wheels my friend. I was 14.50's before the headers ON A STOCK ENGINE, full interior, even the spare and jack on 89 octane!

3050 pounds with me in it.

With all due respect I REALLY think you need to re-think this project.

Because so far it's not all that impressive.

It's still 3050 pounds and I'm short shifting it at 6K, and will run 14.1 all day long ON 93 which is probably still a waste.

Eric your comparing apples and oranges again... 3400/3500 combo with a 4t60e against a 3500 3t40... Not everyone wants to go to a 3t40, so sometimes they need to produce more brake HP to get the trans to put more to the ground.

Hell I did a 13.9 before, consistent 14.0's on street tires, but then I did my brake upgrade and now I only have 25" tires to race, so I know it will NEVER do that again, But it should be mid 14's... My 14.8's right now are largely due to my tune I know that since I'm hitting 13.7:1 A/F leaving the box... that's not good for anything.

To each his own, let him run his project the way he wants and not always be a critic about it and think you've got the best combination out there. Not everyone is building JUST a bracket car. I want low 13's and maybe 12's... but it will probably never be consistent with my spray... but that's the price I'm willing to pay.

[pocket-rocket]

Stock to stock N-bodies are better though.

True, I agree completely. I know Josh used to road race his GP and he was really good with it. Maybe he will chime in with his input to how a GP can do. But yeah, stock vs stock, hands down, N-body.

[AaronGTR]

You haven't had a ride in the right W body yet. Josh's old car (now Bens) car handles like it's on rails. My car did too until things like struts went bad, tires bald, ect. Also my car happens to stop really well, even with bald tires I do want to trim weight in my car, but with as much sound deadening material as the previous owner installed (he did a small amount of sound competition with it), I think I will be fighting a lost cause. We all know W's are pigs in the weight department.

Stock to stock N-bodies are better though. Look at my sig I own both. There is a world of difference in chassis rigidity between my GP and my GA. The GA is also about 400lbs lighter and has a shorter wheel base. That will always give it an advantage. I've modified my GA specifically for road racing and I guarantee I'll take any GP out there around a road course.

edit: I should add a lot of it has to do just with GM's development of the platform. It's three years newer, and they used higher strength steel and hydro-forming in various areas as a means to reduce NVH. There also are no mounting bushings between the uni-body and front/rear sub-frames like on the GP.

[robertisaar]

the MC handles like a z34... that isn't worn out.

brakes: ehh... i've had worse.

[pocket-rocket]

They handle and brake like shit. ?

You haven't had a ride in the right W body yet. Josh's old car (now Bens) car handles like it's on rails. My car did too until things like struts went bad, tires bald, ect. Also my car happens to stop really well, even with bald tires I do want to trim weight in my car, but with as much sound deadening material as the previous owner installed (he did a small amount of sound competition with it), I think I will be fighting a lost cause. We all know W's are pigs in the weight department.

[AaronGTR]

Hey we've all seen the youtube vid of that "grand prick" doing a 9.01 sec pass, he aint tube framed, and he's a W-body, much heavier. I think we should be able to get a 3400/3500/3900 into the 9's.

Also I forgot, winter mods include, full manual brake set-up (2-line system), line-locks, manual steering conversion, electric water pump, timing cover mod for it, and relocation of alt, maybe tube-headers too, of my own "REDNECK" design dumping out the sides again. I even got compliments on my "REDNECK" exhaust.
Several people thought I bought it from pacesetter or something.

Well, I think you're being somewhat optimistic about the times you'll run and what mods you'll be able to do and what they will yield.... but hey we'll wait and see.

I should point out you shouldn't compare what people do with grand prix's to your car or anyone else's here. Different engine, different platform. It's apples to oranges. The GP guys have several advantages at the drag strip that make it so a grand am (or comparable smaller car) will NEVER be as fast as a purpose built drag GP. Least of which is a longer wheel base and more front end weight bias. We can never get as much launch traction as them. Add to that a stronger base transmission, more after market support, and several years head start in testing and development. Anyway their strengths in some places are weaknesses in others. They handle and brake like shit.

One other comment, I wouldn't do a manual brake conversion. There's a reason all cars use power brakes now... they are FAR better at stopping the car. It doesn't really cost you any power or hardly any weight, so why bother?

[IsaacHayes]

Did you swap to OBDI?

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

you get the 20HP when you stick the NOS sticker on the intake...

ya know, this joke is so old i had one of those stickers on my dinosaur to make it a little funnier. but its still good man, still good.

[95SleeperAcheiva]

I'm workin on it! PHPPTT! :P

I still haven't tuned it yet! I have yet to send Ben the $90 for the chip. I was close, money order in envelope and everything, it didn't get mailed and i went broke etc etc etc.


Next spring.

[asylummotorsports]

LOOK at my sig! 100% untouched engine with a set of headers and a good tune.

YOU are spinning your wheels my friend. I was 14.50's before the headers ON A STOCK ENGINE, full interior, even the spare and jack on 89 octane!

3050 pounds with me in it.

With all due respect I REALLY think you need to re-think this project.

Because so far it's not all that impressive.

It's still 3050 pounds and I'm short shifting it at 6K, and will run 14.1 all day long ON 93 which is probably still a waste.