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Have a couple grand to spend - more hp?

7K views 68 replies 33 participants last post by  mexicruiser 
#1 ·
As title states I have a couple grand I can spend. This is probably a very broad questions and just looking for ideas. Maybe my best bet is to scan the forum thread topics but to be honest quite a few threads I don't understand pros/cons of what people are doing. So here's some info listed below. Brainstorming. I also would prefer not to add things that can be "finicky" and cause me problems. For the most part this car runs really well and I don't have any major issues. Fires up and runs without hiccup every time. I'm not interested in discussing body work and paint. Mostly I just hot rod around in 1st 2nd and a little bit of 3rd. I don't corner and I don't drive fast. I like to hear it rumble and I like to spin the tires. So what are some thoughts and options I can research?

My primary thought is more power because I like power but the problem is I bought this car built the way it is and the guy I bought it from was the owner after the build and he didn't get the specs. I also don't know the overall condition. It was built in 2005. I have done compression testing that turned out well but other than that I'm not sure. It runs very strong and my "gearhead" buddy called it a torque monster when he rode with me the other weekend.

*1965 Coupe
*351W - ~400 Engine hp
*Edelbrock Performer RPM Top End Kit - I'm not 100% on this one. Was told by PO it has top end kit with ported/polished heads. Intake is Performer RPM.
*Holley 670 Street Avenger - tuned well
*Bored .30 over
*Hooker Headers
*2 1/4" exhaust
*MSD Box/Distributor
*4 Speed Toploader - Not really interested in a 5 speed just to get overdrive. I like my toploader
*3.55 Detroit TrueTrac - gear swap to feel like I have more hp/torque? Rarely am I on the roads doing more than 55 mph.
*Car has old school traction bars and no issues with wheel hop
*Flex fan - never had any overheating problems even in 95 degree weather. Flex fan can be annoying though.
*Front disc - brakes manual - I'm fine with it
*Manual steering - I'm fine with it
*No vibrations

After typing this mess out I'm hesitant to do anything major with the motor because I don't truly know what makes it up or its condition. Is it a complete tear down to figure this out?
Would a leak down test give me everything I need to know on condition? Suggestions?

I'm thinking maybe a gear swap would give me the illusion I'm searching for. ??
 
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#2 ·
MAybe have it dyno'd to verify HP numbers and from there you could retune or see what power adders you could do. 400 hp seems pretty good though...a gear swap might get you the seat in the pants feel of more power- but I am not sure if you went higher (gear) with 400hp if you would be able to "hook" up or just spin all the way down the road (but you said you like to spin tires) How about a line lock for the brakes so you can really spin?
 
#19 ·
Thought about doing a dyno. Nowhere real local to me to do it. I've seen at events I go to they will do 3 pulls for $70. Might try to find one of these. Doesn't seem like the gears idea if favorable based on the other responses here.

If it was me, I would focus on fine tuning the carb and ignition. Having these dialed in real good can help a lot. An air/fuel ratio meter would help dialing the carb. Ideal ignition advance can yield nice power gains.
I do have the carb tuned well and have put the timing light to it but you may be correct. A true professional may be able to dial it in better.

I wouldn't use the money on the engine as long as its running well...I would upgrade the suspension for the car to be able to handle better myself...but considering you have traction bars, it seems you may not be interested in the twisties anyway....
For what I do the handling is fine with me. Don't do corners. Not sure what you mean by twisties....corners?

That what it sounds like to me. Sounds like someone has 2K to put towards their next project car :wink:
Wow. It sounds like you have a great thing going AND leftover cash to boot. Both are good problems to have.
If I had room I would start another project. My wife thinks I'm nuts because I already have more room outside than what our house has. If it came down to it we'd probably be getting a car for her. She keeps hinting at it. I only have a couple grand though, not $10k+.

In addition to that mentioned, I would verify what camshaft you have. You can get a rough idea with a dial indicator at the valve. I see they offer 2 versions of their RPM kit now, 400 HP and 451 HP, with the main difference being CNC ported heads, camshaft, and an Air Gap intake. I'm not sure how you could determine CR, but you could pull the intake to see if the heads are ported. 1 3/4" headers and a 2 1/2" exhaust with free-flowing mufflers MAY help a bit also.
I really would like to know what camshaft I have. Good info.

No brainer: Pay down the mortgage. If the mortgage is paid, pay into your 401k or IRA.
You ain't no fun. My mortgage gets paid and I have plenty in my 401k.

The first thing I thought of was higher gear, but had to re-read to see the 3.55 TrueTrac. I know you're looking for suggestions, but it sounds like the car is doing EXACTLY what you want it to do. Maybe a safety feature or two, like upgraded belts, etc...

Allen
You very well may be right that it does what I want. I don't know any more than what I have. Just looking for thoughts and suggestions.

From your description, your car's performance already does what you want. What exactly are you trying to "fix" with your $2K?
I'm not trying to fix anything. Seems to me there could always be room for improvements.

Sounds like you at your max for hp/torque for your current configuration. Time to sell and move to a new project. Nice problem to have. Seems like your car is humming along nicely.
I hate to sell and move to something else because it works so well and I've put a lot of time into this car the last couple years. I believe I'm attached to it even though I'm in Chevy country and get ragged on.

Use the money for new tires?


$2k won't get you a supercharger, but if you want huge growly tire-shredding power, that'd be 'next' I guess. I wouldn't mess with the gears. Despite you almost never going 55, steeper gears would make it miserable if you ever had to get on the interstate, and would make your first gear become less useful. Your toploader's an awesome transmission, even with no overdrive.


Another fun option might be to add some kind of ram air? Either a shaker hood scoop or just a regular one. They usually add a *little* power but they're more about looks than anything.
Sounds like you may want to buy $2k worth of rear tires to have on hand. I don't know, it sounds like you have a pretty good set up...supercharger?
I've looked into the supercharger but again I don't want to spend that much if I don't know the condition of the motor and I read your motor has to be spec'd a certain way to take a supercharger. As far as a hood scoop, I assume you are referring to something different than what I have in my profile pic. I don't like the looks of the scoops that the opening faces the front of the car.
 
#5 ·
I wouldn't use the money on the engine as long as its running well...I would upgrade the suspension for the car to be able to handle better myself...but considering you have traction bars, it seems you may not be interested in the twisties anyway....
 
#7 ·
In addition to that mentioned, I would verify what camshaft you have. You can get a rough idea with a dial indicator at the valve. I see they offer 2 versions of their RPM kit now, 400 HP and 451 HP, with the main difference being CNC ported heads, camshaft, and an Air Gap intake. I'm not sure how you could determine CR, but you could pull the intake to see if the heads are ported. 1 3/4" headers and a 2 1/2" exhaust with free-flowing mufflers MAY help a bit also.
 
#10 ·
*1965 Coupe
*351W - ~400 Engine hp
*Edelbrock Performer RPM Top End Kit - I'm not 100% on this one. Was told by PO it has top end kit with ported/polished heads. Intake is Performer RPM.
*Holley 670 Street Avenger - tuned well
*Bored .30 over
*Hooker Headers
*2 1/4" exhaust
*MSD Box/Distributor
*4 Speed Toploader - Not really interested in a 5 speed just to get overdrive. I like my toploader
*3.55 Detroit TrueTrac - gear swap to feel like I have more hp/torque? Rarely am I on the roads doing more than 55 mph.
*Car has old school traction bars and no issues with wheel hop
*Flex fan - never had any overheating problems even in 95 degree weather. Flex fan can be annoying though.
*Front disc - brakes manual - I'm fine with it
*Manual steering - I'm fine with it
*No vibrations
MAybe have it dyno'd to verify HP numbers and from there you could retune or see what power adders you could do. 400 hp seems pretty good though...a gear swap might get you the seat in the pants feel of more power- but I am not sure if you went higher (gear) with 400hp if you would be able to "hook" up or just spin all the way down the road (but you said you like to spin tires) How about a line lock for the brakes so you can really spin?
The first thing I thought of was higher gear, but had to re-read to see the 3.55 TrueTrac. I know you're looking for suggestions, but it sounds like the car is doing EXACTLY what you want it to do. Maybe a safety feature or two, like upgraded belts, etc...

Allen
 
#14 ·
Use the money for new tires?


$2k won't get you a supercharger, but if you want huge growly tire-shredding power, that'd be 'next' I guess. I wouldn't mess with the gears. Despite you almost never going 55, steeper gears would make it miserable if you ever had to get on the interstate, and would make your first gear become less useful. Your toploader's an awesome transmission, even with no overdrive.


Another fun option might be to add some kind of ram air? Either a shaker hood scoop or just a regular one. They usually add a *little* power but they're more about looks than anything.
 
#17 ·
I could have sworn that I read an article a few years ago about someone adding a 5th overdrive gear to an existing toploader's 4 gears....a five speed toploader would be the ideal.
 
#21 ·
The way my BF's wear they will last forever. I've done plenty of burnouts this year and doesn't even look like they've worn down. Hard tire.
 
#20 ·
You could be right.

I could have sworn that I read an article a few years ago about someone adding a 5th overdrive gear to an existing toploader's 4 gears....a five speed toploader would be the ideal.
Gear Vendors overdrive (or better yet, Hone-O-Drive) is a possibility, but they're both expensive. Well over 2k. From what I remember, they don't like being engaged when you put your car in reverse, either.
Don't feel the need for 5th gear. Extremely rare to get on the highway. When I was swapping my close ratio for wide ratio I believe the member Dennis111 on here said not to put the OD gear in the toploader. He may have done it and broke it or something.
 
#32 ·
Gear Vendors overdrive (or better yet, Hone-O-Drive) is a possibility, but they're both expensive. Well over 2k. From what I remember, they don't like being engaged when you put your car in reverse, either.
Hone-O-Drive is old school and IIRC parts are no longer available for them. The Gear Vendors is good to 1200 HP and works similar to an automatic transmission. It is correct that they should never be engaged in reverse or below 25mph-the unit is sold with an electronics package to help prevent this from happening. They retail in the lower $3K for the toploader package but one still needs to get a shorter driveshaft and a 90* speedo adapter.

I bought a NOS GV unit for a toploader off ebay for a little over $2k last spring. I mocked it up in my car and there is plenty of room in the tunnel for it. My car will be set up with a 3.70 rear gear and it will act like a 2.91 in OD. Once installed it might be fun to run the Ohio mile . . . .
 
#23 ·
If it ain't broke ... besides maybe the dyno to check AFR there doesn't appear to be any need to change anything. Nevertheless, here are some ideas (we all like spending other's money):
safety ... 3 pt belts and head rests
comfort ... new seats or padding
brake pads ... Porterfield shoes and pads (even bigger brakes?)
shocks ... Bilstein
 
#26 ·
Simply said, you have a setup that impresses other people, is reliable, and works well for you. If you change one thing, you may find that your well-planned combination requires changes to other things to bring it all back into balance and make it 'fun' again.


Aside from things you don't care much about (like suspension) there really isn't a lot of improvement you could realistically make for 2k.
 
#35 ·
The stereo was something I did consider. Somewhat forgot about it since I've bought a nice bluetooth speaker I take with me.

We were discussing the use of the 2.90 first gear for the toploader. The results were not good with sticky tires.

I am unaware of a 5 speed conversion that uses an original toploader, but now am curious.

Have you made it to the track yet? That $70 dyno money would get you into Beaver Springs twice. Once you get a few clean 1/4 mile passes we can calculate engine HP off the timeslip. (Also need to know the car/driver's weight.)

I agree with others that you ave a good reliable combination now and you have covered most of the items that would make it better. A gear change won't be that noticeable unless you go to a 3.89 or a 4.11 gear. If you want to build something over time you could either install larger heads (AFR 205's, etc) with the nod to later build a 408 stroker. I guarantee you that you will feel the difference in performance (but its a slippery slope as you would also need to add all the items to support the new HP level.)
I went to Nostalgia last Sunday at Beaver. Was hoping you might be there. I think I'm ready now to take my car over once it cools down a little bit. Needed to watch first since it has been a lot of years since I've been there.

10 MPG with that combo tells me you probably have a lot of tuning to do. Of course, maybe that's just in relation to how much time your skinny pedal stays on the floor, too.
Could be. I did have to increase my jet sizes because I was getting a lean surge. The Holley likes fuel.
 
#37 ·
I don't think you're going to get a lot more power without:

1) Forced induction
2) Seriously digging into an otherwise pretty squared away engine
3) Blowing the $2k budget
4) ALL of the above

I think you should put it all into suspension.
 
#38 ·
So let me ask you suspension guys..........why should I put money into it? What are the benefits? So it rides smoother? Corners better? If putting money into suspension, what parts are required to be considered an upgrade and what parts are optional to make it even better?
 
#40 ·
Well, if you dont enjoy taking a corner fast...dont bother putting your money into it. However, things like roller spring perches and UCAs and LCAs with heim joints do actually make the ride smoother(you are replacing squishy rubber with real bushings that transmit all that vibration into the springs and shocks(at least from what I have heard...I havent made it there ion my suspension yet, but I will)), while things like adjustable strut rods make your car much less squirelly under harder braking, the arning drop will increase negative camber gain...which allows you to corner faster, etc...its mainly about making these old cars handle a lot more like a modern car...and of course you have coilover conversions...which is the top-of-the-line stuff...but is going to run more than $2000...but again, if you aren't unhappy with your current handling, a new performance suspension isn't going to make you happier except for the increase in smoothness and improved ride.

If you are considering it though...you could get some good tubular upper LCAs, UCAs, adjustable strut rods, and roller perches for about $1600 or so...if you want coilovers then you are looking closer to $2600+. As for the rear suspension...it tends to be a lot cheaper and a lot more limited in what you can do short of a full IRS(which is not at all cheap). Most people are happy with better leaf springs, shocks, and maybe a panhard bar setup of some type back there...theoretically if you did a bit of shopping you could have all new suspension under the car(front and back) including a new front sway bar for $2000 that is more than you will ever need for handling

On another note...you could also do wheels and tires...than can easily run $2000 depending on what you end up with.
 
#39 ·
Mostly I just hot rod around in 1st 2nd and a little bit of 3rd. I don't corner and I don't drive fast. I like to hear it rumble and I like to spin the tires. So what are some thoughts and options I can research?
Personally I'm all about max traction, so you actually can feel the power. If the wheels just spins, it makes no difference if you got 400 or 600 hp, only in the amount of smoke. Way back in time, FordMuscle measured a 3.2 sec 0-60 with a 400 hp Mustang at the track. The car run a weak stock T5 trans and a 8" rear with stock axles, so they didn't hammer it max. ...I would use the money on getting more traction = more fun at low speed :)
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