$1500 budget for nearly stock '97 vert

[boss281]

After reading a zillion posts here, it's my understanding is that PI heads, PI intake and new cam will yield about 40-50HP to the wheels. I'm seeing Ford PI heads going each for about $395 to $559 (Ford hipo non-PI head) , the Livernois PI intake kit for about $500, cams going for about $500--that's pretty much the budget. Anything else I'm missing that I should be saving more for? What about a stall to get out of the hole quicker? Longtubes for better breathing (and sound at WOT)? Can you just do the PI intake and cams, and not worry about heads until later?

This is my daily driver--about 80miles a day on 1/2 back roads and half high speed driving. I've got a cold air kit and plenum, off road prochamber and custom tune, and 3.73 gears but that's it other than suspension components. It puts 200hp to the wheels and really needs more grunt to get in and out of traffic and blow some of these ricers away that get on my ass.

Thanks.

John

 

[rick focks]

i don't think you'll need that intake kit if you're doing the heads and intake, that kit is mainly for putting a pi intake to npi heads, i believe $500 cams are a good price for like stage 2 cams and not stock pis.

stalls and l/ts would definately help

i've got 04 heads/cams, i could prolly send them for $350

 

[NORTON98]

Well if you did the whole PI swap you wont need to buy the livernois kit. Just the PI intake and the gaskets. As far as the heads and cams go you can usually find some good deals on ebay that have the heads assembled with the PI cams. So that elimnates the 500 dollars for the PI cams. Even if you cant find the PI cams with the heads you should be able to find them cheaper than 500 dollars. If not you might as well buy stage one peformance cams. They cost about the same.

As far as additional performance mixed into the swap (cams,headers,porting). I would reccomend with your budget to just get a pair of headers. Short or long tube, just depends on emissions in your state. If you dont put headers in now during the swap you will be kicking yourself later.

Well hope that helped. O and BTW if you are not able to do it yourself or have some mechanics help you do it labor runs from 1000-1500. This also depends on were you live. Here in SOCAL I hade to pay about 1500 for labor.

Mike

 

[boss281]

Thanks for the responses. My son and I work a lot on our fox bodies (engine/tranny swaps several times a year, headers, electronics, etc) and I have an '05 that I mod and race myself. We pretty much do our own work except rebuild trannies. I've been gaining experience with mod motors in my '05, and although I've had the '97 for a couple of years for commuting I haven't really looked at making it a performer. Now I want to.

I never thought about looking on ebay for heads--we mostly swap local here in Maryland--but I'll look around tomorrow. Have to research a bit more on the cams too. I see a bunch of threads here that should get me started.

Thanks again.

John

 

[karrarararararar]

h/c/i will definitely net you some hp. the ford hipo npi heads flow better than pi's but will cost you more. They also won't raise your compression ratio like the pi's. I got my pi intake for $190 new (latemodel restoration) and every part to install it for $112 (ebay). Pair those with a good set of cams and it will net some power. look on corral.net for some heads, they're on there all the time.

 

[ram360]

if it were me I'd find a used supercharger kit and go that route.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Put it towards a blower, tax time is coming.

 

[97GT4.6]

I would say get some sub frame connectors. You're already on the right path to creating more horsepower.

 

[vermilion]

save up for the trickflow deals and a good n/a cam if you want all motor.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

All motor is for girls, boost is the way.

 

[rick focks]

All motor is for girls, boost is the way.

beauxleeeeed dat

 

[vermilion]

true or turbonate that ho

 

[bigjohnson4.6gt]

I have a PI intake, $40 shipped

 

[glittle75]

with the aluminum crossover?

how many miles on it?

 

[vermilion]

lmao @ people asking mileage. if it works thats a steal.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

how many miles on it?

It's plastic, and it only flows air...

 

[rick focks]

that plus my heads/cams would have your pi h/c/i for $390!

 

[bigjohnson4.6gt]

with the aluminum crossover?

how many miles on it?

plastic, under 30k miles on it

 

[97GT4.6]

I have some romeo heads for sale as well.

 

[vermilion]

shakespeare would be proud.