1988 Corvette, poor man's road course build (the side chick)

After lurking for a long time, i am excited to get a new project car to start a build thread with.

Over the last decade or so my main project car has been a 1991 Pontiac Firebird with a TBI 5.0 and a T5 5speed.

I started working the kinks out of the handling, and my own driving by running Autocross for many years. It was also all i could afford. (Single dad on budget)

Over time The Car has evolved into a very Fun low budget Road course Track car. I drive it to and from events usually

putting 500+ miles on it a weekend. I am lucky to have four road courses to run with 250 miles of me here in

Central Washington.

Here is the Main chick [URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/20160609_125629_zpsevg0mr9i.jpg.html][/URL]

I have a buddy who had a old ratty looking TPI L98 Automatic C4 sitting amongst the hulks of ambulances (He Services/repairs ambulance fleets).

I wanted the TPI 350 to swap into the Firebird. Very easy cheap swap. They also never offered

the L98 with a T5 manual. it'd be like a poor mans Firehawk Double Win!

He said It ran and drove when parked, and he had plans for it... After a couple years i

noticed it had not moved and threw him a crazy lowball offer. to my suprise he accepted and i

now was the proud owner of corvette.

upon further inspection there was just one problem.

as Janky and ratty as it was i could not bring myself to part it out.

Enter the Side chick.

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/C4%20corvette_zpscfp75oyl.jpg.html][/URL]

still new to the posting pics on here think i got them up let me know if you cant see them.

Welcome aboard. My team is building 1989 C4 Corvette for the challenge. It was Tangled Up severely damaged and in much worse shape than yours appears. Good luck and have fun with it. I never really wanted a Corvette but these old c4s are a well-kept performance bargain Secret.

After doing some sleuthing on the interweb, i found that my 1988 corvette had the Z52 package

that included the 17" sawblades and Bilsteins all the way around they also tweaked the suspension

design and upgraded the Front brakes in 88. The interior was thrashed as you can see. but Free Headers!!!

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/summer-dec%2025%202015%20435_zpspbd9tspn.jpg.html][/URL]

I got to work cleaning all the crap the previous owner had in this car. the crustyness was epic.

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/summer-dec%2025%202015%20444_zps0ohbhml8.jpg.html][/URL]

Got all the junk out the side chicks trunk. shes not pretty on the inside. seats are thrashed.

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/summer-dec%2025%202015%20472_zpswhytrsyb.jpg.html][/URL]

It seems finding aftermarket seats that fit within the narrow confines of the C4 is tough. i

might just get a kirkey and pad it up. nothing else is narrow enough with out removing the

ebrake for the driver seat. and if they do they are $$$$$

Next step in the Broke Ho C4 saga will be to get the old fuel and filter out, change the oil

Put some power to her and see if she wakes up. its only been sitting for a decade....

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/c4%20tabs_zpsi2ywqskl.jpg.html][/URL]

Looking forward to seeing the resurrection!

I'm liking this! Are you keeping the automatic or swapping in a stick?

Great project

If it were me, I'd get some slip over C4 seat covers from Ecklers, worry about finding seats later. Any non C4 seat is going to be a hassle with seat tracks, seat travel, etc....

For the paint, look at what this guy did with Kirker single stage urethane -rolled on a black Jag -looks factory

http://rolledon.forummotion.com/t1281-1998-jaguar-xj8-vanden-plas

Good luck! looking forward to the updates

In reply to Woody:

I'll be keeping the Auto for a while, at least until its been Track tested, sorted and handling the way i like.

I do have a spare T5 5speed....

after doing some reading. it seems that a T5 will bolt up with a 4+3 bellhousing, hydraulics, driveshaft, and a C-beam adapter.

Also been looking into a LS t56 swap so that i can swap the L98 into the Firebird someday...

In reply to Agent98:

Thanks for the Ideas! Im a broke ho, really appreciate the budget suggestions that paint does look good.

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem:

They definitley are a performance bargain! I'm thinking it will be quite the upgrade out on track.

I never thought i would own a C4 either lol.

Im always on a super tight budget, and it would cost me thousands to make the Firebird turn and

stop as well as the Corvette out of the box.

When life gives you lemons, you make them track lemons.

Look on the underside of center console lid and it will list all options on car. Auto won't hold up for track ho due to heat generated. And you'll need j88 code brakes as opposed to jl9 for track work due to bigger calipers on j88s.

You can Google rpo code list to interpret what options you have based on console lid

Ovid_and_Flem wrote: Look on the underside of center console lid and it will list all options on car. Auto won't hold up for track ho due to heat generated. And you'll need j88 code brakes as opposed to jl9 for track work due to bigger calipers on j88s. You can Google rpo code list to interpret what options you have based on console lid

The Console lid and anything under it has turned to dust long ago. I am fairly certain it is a

Z52 optioned car, because of the saw blade 17"wheels and the bilstein shock absorbers

[URL=http://s890.photobucket.com/user/Celica165/media/summer-dec%2025%202015%20471_zpstlrjlaak.jpg.html][/URL]

Im not sure what option code it is, but as far as i know all 1988 and up C4 vettes got better brakes. i got most of my info from this article

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/1988-chevrolet-corvette-road-test-improved-handling-page-2

As far as the 700-r4 not lasting on track, are you speaking from experience? were they running a cooler? if so what failed?

i have seen a few guys on the road course running all day in fairly stock Automatic L98 C4's.

The Z52 option includes a Transmission, and power steering cooler.

There were 2 brake options beginning in 88. An 11 inch rotor/caliper and a thicker 12 inch caliper/rotor. Larger setup is a must for extended track sessions. Problem with auto is excessive fluid heat after a few laps. Need huge cooler to make it last.

If you're gonna delete ac/ai r pump and all idles you'll either need to spring for expensive bracketry or convert to a conventional flow direction water pump. Stock flows in reverse.

L98 with TPIis low rpm grunt monster with about 245 hp but 340 or so torque running out of breath at 4800 rpm. Best bang for buck is convert to carb, upgrade cam, and longtube headers will get you to 325ish hp with about same torque at 6000 rpm. As I understand ir TPI was originally designed for 305 and not 350. Surprisingly there is a demand for complete tpi systems. Can get 250-300+$ which will help defray cost toner to carb.

Ovid_and_Flem wrote: As I understand it TPI was originally designed for 305 and not 350. Surprisingly there is a demand for complete tpi systems. Can get 250-300+$ which will help defray cost toner to carb.

TPI setups are pretty highly sought after in the rock crawling/off-road crowd. There are plentiful V8 swaps into all kinds of vehicles, but carbs are highly frowned upon due to their reliance on gravity and semi-level operating requirements. TPI is an easy and cheap way to go FI and eliminate any potential fuel starvation issues at the worst possible moments- in precarious relationships with the ground.

I sold a TPI setup off of an old 350 on pirate 4x4 like 4 years ago for $300 in like 2 days... They aren't worthless.

Vorshlag has a REALLY good write up on these cars. Browse their forum. (look under shop cars for the build thread.) He goes over a lot of the points/penalties etc for the cars as well as options etc.