Brando wrote:
I'm open to suggestions though...as long as it doesn't eat up gas.
Hi Brando, hello All
I don't have the knowledge specific to the new cars such as yours, to advise (other than a bigger engine) about power improvements, but I do have a good idea where not to waste your time and money.
The only mods that will kill gas milage is performance oriented cam timing (overlap), and some of the wheel and tire combinations that you don't see on the drag strips.
Cool air is always a good thing, except when doing emissions testing.
As I've said before, in reference to all the stuff out there that you can bolt on and get horsepower, there is still more BS than fact, floating around, on the street and on the internet.
Now, a word about ads:
A manufacturer pays ad agencies a lot of money to promote their product in the most favorable light.
They then pay lawyers a lot of money to find out how much they can stretch the facts and stay legal.
Then comes a percentage of the public that believes the inflated and sometimes bogus claims and (exaggerates?) spreads them as truth.
The manufacturer chose the plugs for you car for good reason.
You will get no better performance from any other, regardless of design or price, unless you are tuning a race engine.
Here is an example of the point I'm trying to make:
Because I built it, my Grey Coupe had: cast pistons, out of the box Holley carb (I got into the 12s with a stock Q-jet), points distributer, AC 46 plugs, stock wires, coil, valve train, rocker covers, home built headers, a stock radiator, and a stock '57 Olds rear end with MT 28x10x15" ET Street tires.
I built it to be totally streetable and it was also fun to drive on the highway.
Because I bought it already built, the Red Coupe had a lot of of the useless stuff (for this level) in it.
Forged pistons, big name custom built Holley carb, "racing" plugs, HEI dist with MSD type cap, external coil and electronic box, 9 mm blue wires, adjustable rockers, custom headers, aluminum radiator, electric fans, full manual reverse pattern valve body with trans brake, Ford 9" with Strange and Mark Williams stuff in it, spool/race gears and 30x14x15" slicks.
Barely streetable, not for highway use.
Both have stock suspension, front and rear, except he converted the red one to tube shocks.
Just in parts, he outspent me by at least 5 times.
After I bought the Red Coupe the first thing I did was swap the engines (from the top of the carbs to the end of the exhaust systems) between the cars, then, took them to one of the local drag strips and collected some time slips.
Timeslips for both engines remained the same.
Bottom line:
1) If you like the way a part looks on your Olds, go right ahead, but, know when you buy, if it increases power or just looks good.
2) Before you believe performance advice from anyone, find out if they know it as fact or if they just heard it (maybe third or fourth hand).
3) Then have them show you a timeslip.
Regards, Norm
_________________
Harry S. Truman wrote:
When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.
