Adding Performance To An 86 GT

[tha great one]

Hey gang i've been absent for a good while and now its starting to kill me!!! I ran across a 1986 GT with the factory t-tops with motor and trans that have been taken out and the car hasn't run in years. But of course with the deal i am being given to purchase the car and the fact that its a t-top its kinda hard to pass up. I was wondering about adding performance to the car. I noticed that most of the time when you look up parts it goes from 87-93 and excludes the 1986 can anyone tell me what i would be looking forward to as far as adding heads, cams, intake, gears and things of that nature. Would i have to swap out to an 87 through 93 computer? Any help will be greatly appreciated as always guys. thanks

 

[LiquidGT]

Mainly because the '86 had true flat top pistons, so when you add heads and a cam you may have clearance problems. If you change to 87-95 style pistons with valve reliefs then you can look at 87+ heads and cams. You'll have to change to a 89-93 computer if you want to do a Mass Air conversion.

 

[tha great one]

thanks for the feedback i really appreciate it. I think i am leaning towards it just because it has the t-tops, but i didnt really want to get a car that needed work really i was looking for something running. and now having to take the motor out and more just to get some good performance out of it.... i might need to sit back down and re-think this. its been sitting for like 2-3 years according to the guy thats selling it. inside is trashed and looks like someone left the window down and it rained in it for 1 of those years. trannys out but he has it... i really dont know, but then on the plus side its under $1000