- Moderator
- #1
KANE
Moderator
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2002
- Messages
- 3,244
- Location
- KY
- Corvette
- Dark Blue 1982 Trans Am(s): Polo Green 1995 MN6
I've gone back and forth with a couple of different options for my L82. Here's how they played out...
Option 1: Rebuild the OE L82-
I spoke with the owners of three different shops. All were reputable. The first said "bring me $4k and we'll talk". That's right- I was told that we couldn't talk without cash in hand and my engine apart.
The second said he could rebuild the engine and he could use computer models to rate the engine's power... but no dyno and only estimates.
The third said he could do it for the price I wanted... but again no guarantee as to what I was buying (hp /tq would be unknown). Other than the parts within it, and the work done to build it- no guarantees otherwise.
I have a hard time spending $2,500 or more and not knowing what I'm getting. So, option 1 didn't pan out.
Option 2: GMPP 350/330hp HO-
330hp for $2.5K???? What a deal! Well, that is until I looked at the cost of a Vortec TPI intake and new flexplate. Total cost- over $600- added to the cost of the engine. Cost now was over $3,100.
I had a hard time spending 1/4 of the total cost of the engine on more parts just to get it to work. That seemed... counter productive.
Option 3: GMPP 350/290hp-
I was initially apprehensive about this engine because I wanted 300hp minimum. I didn't want what I felt was an inferior engine with an unacceptable level of power.
In the meantime, I found another shop. This time, I found a guy and he is a Corvette guy!
He and I talked about the pros and cons for the options I had. We came up with purchasing the 290hp GMPP engine and then adding a set of 1.6 roller rockers, more PROM tuning, and tuning the fuel pressure. All of this should get me to get to 300hp. I already have a custom burnt PROM that will work with an L82 or the GMPP 290hp cam.
This will be the start- GMPP 290hp motor an a set of 1.6 roller rockers to get just a little more lift to the cam- enough to get to 300hp. I looked at a similar set up for the same engine with a different cam but offered the same over all lift. It was dynoed at 305hp!
Over the next year, I'm going to replace the heads to get more compression.
The new motor arrives Friday!
Option 1: Rebuild the OE L82-
I spoke with the owners of three different shops. All were reputable. The first said "bring me $4k and we'll talk". That's right- I was told that we couldn't talk without cash in hand and my engine apart.
The second said he could rebuild the engine and he could use computer models to rate the engine's power... but no dyno and only estimates.
The third said he could do it for the price I wanted... but again no guarantee as to what I was buying (hp /tq would be unknown). Other than the parts within it, and the work done to build it- no guarantees otherwise.
I have a hard time spending $2,500 or more and not knowing what I'm getting. So, option 1 didn't pan out.
Option 2: GMPP 350/330hp HO-
330hp for $2.5K???? What a deal! Well, that is until I looked at the cost of a Vortec TPI intake and new flexplate. Total cost- over $600- added to the cost of the engine. Cost now was over $3,100.
I had a hard time spending 1/4 of the total cost of the engine on more parts just to get it to work. That seemed... counter productive.
Option 3: GMPP 350/290hp-
I was initially apprehensive about this engine because I wanted 300hp minimum. I didn't want what I felt was an inferior engine with an unacceptable level of power.
In the meantime, I found another shop. This time, I found a guy and he is a Corvette guy!
He and I talked about the pros and cons for the options I had. We came up with purchasing the 290hp GMPP engine and then adding a set of 1.6 roller rockers, more PROM tuning, and tuning the fuel pressure. All of this should get me to get to 300hp. I already have a custom burnt PROM that will work with an L82 or the GMPP 290hp cam.
This will be the start- GMPP 290hp motor an a set of 1.6 roller rockers to get just a little more lift to the cam- enough to get to 300hp. I looked at a similar set up for the same engine with a different cam but offered the same over all lift. It was dynoed at 305hp!
Over the next year, I'm going to replace the heads to get more compression.
The new motor arrives Friday!
