Need help picking the right parts for performance

[lt1impalass]

Hi I have a 1995 Caprice/Impala that I want to get to 400-500 HP or more naturally aspirated but I also want to put custom 22” wheels on so I don’t know how much power I want exactly for a summer driver with big wheels.

I bought the car for a decent price with a clean under body, solid body with minor dents & imperfection from Florida with a Impala SS Interior also all the Impala parts that are on this Caprice were from the previous owners wrecked Impala SS including supposedly an engine swap because the dash says 200,000 miles and the engine out of his Impala had 80,000 on it but who knows if he swapped it.

When driving it home it seemed to be under powered and the engine was missing so I heard it could be the Optispark, & tune up and was wondering what the best Optispark & rotor & cap was for the price & performance?

So far I’ve changed the rear end to the Impala SS disc brakes & had the body worked on a little.

So how do I find out if the engine has been changed is their a vin on it and if it hasn’t with 200,000 miles will it hold up with new heads, cam, etc for a summer street driver?

I was thinking of going with LT4 Heads, LT4 Head Bolts, LT4 Intake Manifold, GM Hot Cam Set with Roller Rockers, 58mm Throttle Body, 36p Injectors but I’m no mechanic and prices on this stuff is high and there are many companies out their like Patriot Performance that make their own stuff for cheaper.

So what’s a good quality setup for what I want to do and what exactly needs to be done besides the performance stuff if the car has high miles & better safe then sorry stuff?

If I opt to change the engine what’s a quality crate engine from a respected trustable company for a good price?

Please list specific parts for what I need because I’m a little over whelmed on what needs to be done from reading some other posts and I’m trying to get the mechanical stuff taken care of so I can finish the body to have it ready to go and any help would be great thanks.

[basballny2]

So this is all going into the caprice?

[lt1impalass]

Yes in the Caprice, I just mentioned the Impala because most the body parts & interior came from the owner’s previous crashed Impala SS which he showed me a title for & said that he transferred the parts to the Caprice but I don’t know if I trust that he changed the engine or not which is a big deal because it’s either 80,000 or 200,000.

[basballny2]

i wouldnt waste your time or money

[lt1impalass]

So what do suggest then is their a place with affordable high performance LT1 crate engines?

[basballny2]

Get a ls6 crate 400 hp and build off that, if your not sure of the mileage on the LT1 there rated at about 270 RWHP, you need to almost double that, the LS6 will be right around 350 RWHP and heads/cam headers/exhaust should put you in low-mid 400+ RWHP

[Cayenne97]

i wouldnt waste your time or money

Funny. I've got a couple '03 Cobra buddies that would say the same thing about your car.

To the O.P., first off scratch the LT4 hot cam as that will not get you the numbers you are looking for. My '97 put down right around 450rwhp (motor) with worked LT1's, matched intake, LPE grind cam + supporting mods, all on the stock stroke. I recommend you contact Advanced Induction for one of their "packages". Those guys are good at putting together combo's that make big power and run fast track times.

[side2000]

it would still be cheaper to go w/ LT. yea, the ls6 would get you closer and it woudl be easier cuz you wouldn't have to crack a motor apart, but for about 3 grand you can get parts and machine work for a forged stroker short block (using your block). i personally like AFR heads for LT's but they are pricey.

how does the motor run? does it make any noises? burn any oil? what type of oil do you use? howd the oil look/smell when you changed it last? 200 thousand miles doesn't necessarily mean you gotta tear it down. i had a 400 horse TPI motor w/ 212 thousand on it when i sold it, but it saw mobil 1 the entire life of the car. if you have any questions i'd just rebuild it. a stroker motor would suit that big car nicely. when you know what you with motor, decide what size bottom end you want and then we can help you with your top end.

your best bet for matching the numbers for your motor/car would probably be stealership.

[5.0THIS]

Get a ls6 crate 400 hp

No...


For what he'd spend on that he could build an LTx and keep the original style motor in the car, and it'd be waaaaaay more than 350rwhp.


kthxbye

[basballny2]

Funny. I've got a couple '03 Cobra buddies that would say the same thing about your car.

To the O.P., first off scratch the LT4 hot cam as that will not get you the numbers you are looking for. My '97 put down right around 450rwhp (motor) with worked LT1's, matched intake, LPE grind cam + supporting mods, all on the stock stroke. I recommend you contact Advanced Induction for one of their "packages". Those guys are good at putting together combo's that make big power and run fast track times.

No...


For what he'd spend on that he could build an LTx and keep the original style motor in the car, and it'd be waaaaaay more than 350rwhp.


kthxbye

ya ur both right when he isnt sure if the LT1 has 200k miles on it.....

[basballny2]

Funny. I've got a couple '03 Cobra buddies that would say the same thing about your car.

To the O.P., first off scratch the LT4 hot cam as that will not get you the numbers you are looking for. My '97 put down right around 450rwhp (motor) with worked LT1's, matched intake, LPE grind cam + supporting mods, all on the stock stroke. I recommend you contact Advanced Induction for one of their "packages". Those guys are good at putting together combo's that make big power and run fast track times.

and u can tell ur cobra buddies ill toss a S/C on my car and run em alllllll dayyyyyy

[Cayenne97]

and u can tell ur cobra buddies ill toss a S/C on my car and run em alllllll dayyyyyy

I dunno about that. Both are KB's, both making over 700-wheel. It's gonna take a little more than just tossing on a S/C.

[side2000]

yea yea yea i know a guy, he knows a guy, i got a turbo geo that runs who gives a fuck

[basballny2]

yea yea yea i know a guy, he knows a guy, i got a turbo geo that runs who gives a fuck

[N20LT4]

yea yea yea i know a guy, he knows a guy, i got a turbo geo that runs who gives a fuck

You seem like the type of guy who begs for attention. The one who likes to stir things up. Seriously dude, get a life.

[basballny2]

You seem like the type of guy who begs for attention. The one who likes to stir things up. Seriously dude, get a life.

and you are???

[N20LT4]

and you are???

Your daddy.

[Firebirdjones]

Don't let people tell ya to swap to an LS type motor. The LT1 impala's were very respectable, not a waste of money at all. Nothing better than seeing a big car spank a little one.

For your vin dilemma, look at the 8th digit of the vin.

If it's a "P" then you have a legit LT1 5.7 caprice.

If it's a "W" then you have the L99 4.3 V8 that looks identical to the LT1, same intake and all. Can't really tell them apart on the outside, the vin will tell for sure what you have.

My best friend has a 96 Caprice with the P code LT1 in it. We did all the simple engine mods, headers, 1.6 rocker arms, cold air intake, catback exhaust, and a bunch of little things. Then went for a converter and gears along with a custom tune. It's funny to see the looks on peoples faces when this thing lights the tires and goes screaching past,,,white wall tires and hubcaps and all I believe he cracked the high 13's with it last time we talked. It's a real sleeper for sure.

Don't get discouraged, it can be done. I've seen some stupid fast LT1 impala's, they have a huge following that some people here on an F-body board wouldn't understand. Put a little giggle juice on it and terrorize some mustangs

[5.0THIS]

Keep this thread constructive please.

[side2000]

You seem like the type of guy who begs for attention. The one who likes to stir things up. Seriously dude, get a life.

is that right? so my sattirical attempt to keep the thread on track was a plea for attention. . .thanks for givin it to me!