isosceles

I'm ready to dump more money in my car. After reading feedback about certain individual products, I'm planning on the following upgrades to my mostly stock 79 L48. This is a daily driver with monthly visits to the drags in the corvette challenge.

1.Bowtie level2 2004r with tvr, 1800 stall converter, shifter upgrade parts, lockup switch.

2.Demon Carb. Need suggestions

3.New intake that would fit under my stock hood. Would like to keep stock airfilter. any suggestions?

4.268H cam, new springs, lifters, double roller chain. Comp Cams still OK?

5.Dynomax headers, Mid America Chambered exhaust (will that sound and flow as good a ultra flows or flowmaster 40's?)

6. I might also pop in a new distributor. My mechanical advance seems slow to return, like it might be gummed up. The original HEI is still in the car.

Think all this will get me into the 13's? My best time is 15.1 the way the car sits now. How much HP do you think this would make? Will I have to change heads to get into the 13's?
Thanks for any input.

no_radio

Except for the transmission that is pretty much my first setup in my '74 L48, same cam but I had the 1-3/4" Hooker Headers. I think the DynoMax are a better size for that setup, and definitely better price. My car was definitely fast, but I never got it to the track before I added the AFR 195 heads, 1.6 roller rockers, and RPM Air Gap intake. The chambered exhaust has a sound unlike any other on the street, I get a lot of compliments on it, just be sure to add an H-pipe or it will sound like glasspacks and backfire through the tailpipe when decelerating.
I would recommend an MSD ignition system if you change, but I think an HEI with good aftermarket parts is fine for this power level. Your stock heads may not pull much after 5000-5500 RPM. I had a little work done on mine and the car pulled to at least 6000 RPM. My Suburban was losing mechanical advance in it's HEI, did it a couple times. I would clean it but they would stick again, so I bought an Accel HEI for about $100, put an Accel super coil on it and it starts on the first turn every time. Can't say about high RPM use because the 454 shifts around 5000 RPM, but it pulls hard all the way up.
I ran a Speed Demon 650 mechanical secondary carb. This is the same carb I ran after changing the heads, it is fantastic for that cam. Good throttle response and plenty of top end. With the new setup (same cam, better heads and intake) I ran a 8.11 @ 87.5 mph in the 1/8 mile. That is a low 13 second, possibly high 12 quarter. You may want to have your heads worked a little, but I think you can break the high 13s with that setup and stock heads.
If you keep your stock shortblock I recommend an Extreme Energy cam. These work better with the lower compression L48. With your stall you could run a XE268 no problem. Hard to imagine you wouldn't get good 13s with that setup.
Jeff

isosceles

Thanks Jeff. I've got work to do.

Glensgages

That is definitely 12-second material; I go 8.20-ish @ 84+, running 12.80s @ 105+

You 'may' want to consider a bit more cam, altho you might run 13s as-is. The 280H is a bit more potent; the 292H ain't for the "faint-of-heart"...

For-what-it's-worth, this combination propelled my 3800 lb '79 Z28 to low/mid 13s @ 104, launching at 1800 and shifting at 5800:
355" SBC; 10:1 flat-tops; DART II iron heads (straight outta the box); Victor Jr.; 750 #4779; 292H CompCams; 'on-sale' headers; 10" converter; THM400 with extra-low gear-ratios (2.75/1.57/1) & shift-kit; 4.11 gears, and 26" x 8" AMERICAN RACER stickie street tires on 15" x 8" wheels. It'd run 13.70s 'capped-up', too.

With an 8"/4500 RPM converter, and 28" x 10" Goodyear DRAGWAY SPECIALS, it has run a best of 12.774 @ 109 (8.12 @ 86+ 1/8-mile); it regularly runs 12.80s @ 105+...

I also have an older 327"/365HP Corvette dual-plane intake from the mid-sixties; swapping it for the Victor Jr., I notice no 'real' loss of ET/MPH. One of these 'may' fit under your hood...

isosceles

How low do ya think I can idle the 280 cam? This car is driven daily by me unless my wife wants to go grocery shopping, then I leave it home for her. I can't believe she likes to get groceries out of the back of that thing.

I'll do heads at some point,but would it work with my stock heads for now?

Glensgages

The CC 280H might be 'borderline' for every day driving; besides, I'm not sure I know your rear-gear ratio...

I'll tell you what we did the day my '79 Z28 ran outta warranty (I bought it new in Oct '78; it now shows 26,000 miles, most a quarter-mile at a time):

We left the stock LM-1 short-block (very similar to the L-48) intact, but swapped a set of 'well-used' 1.940"/1.500" 'double-hump' heads (64cc chambers raised the CR to approx 9:1); used the above 327/365 intake with a 650 #4777 Holley; the same 'on-sale' headers; a SUMMIT-brand cam (.450"/288*/218* @ .050" lift, 114* LSA), shift-kit, the OEM 'one-wheel-peel' non-posi rear-end with 3.42 gears, and 225/70R15 UNIROYAL radials.
Leaving at 1000 RPM, and shifting at 5500, it ran 14-forties @ 97 MPH all summer long. It also got 18 MPG highway.

With 4.11s & G60/15 tires (M/Ts, I believe), it ran 14-teens @ 99, with a best of 14.09/99, but MPG suffered a bit.

If you want to be 'competitive' in the EFCC, instead of worrying about how quick an ET you can run, concentrate on being consistently as quick as you can, and practice cutting good lights.

You're probably a lot slower than the typical C4/C5s, and although it is tough for you to 'judge' them at the top-end, you can use your slower MPH against them, too

(a difference of 20 MPH is still a difference of 20 MPH, even to them; the difference is you have to look over your shoulder at them, where you are in their sights).

Even tho you're slower, you can still be very competitive, with good RTs and knowledge of how/what your car will run;
and imagine the 'look' on the faces of the high-dollar car owners you'll beat!


Just cut a light, 'dial hard' (possibly as much as .02 quicker than you think the car can run), and don't lift in the lights (in-effect, you are 'judging' the top-end when you 'dial-hard' and don't lift);
let him trust his eye-sight and judgement at 110+ MPH to decide if he'll lift, or take the stripe.