HELP!!where to start?

[KCoppola]

i have recently purchased a pristine but heavily modified 88gt (pictured in avatar). the car is fast, but of course i want it to be faster. in a nutshell mods are: edelbrock performer heads and intake, ford racing roller rockers, world class t5 tranny, mass air conversion ( 73mm c&l) 24# injectors, electric fan, griffin radiator, rebuilt motor 50 k ago with forged piston and e 303 cam, lowerd 1 1/2 inches (airbag in right rear) 5 lug conversion with 4 whell disc 3.55 gears 155 lph fuel pump....i am sure i am missing some, but this will have to do......

anyway the dilemma is i want to put a vortech 10 lb supercharger on it, but i think i should bolster the bottom end with a main girdle. a very reputable shop in the area ( modular powerhouse) quoted me 4500 buck for an s trim capable of 14lbs of boost, 42 # injectors, re program the computer with custom tune, 255lph fuel pump, re cal mass air, and dyno tune the car in house....4500 is pretty steep, but they say it should put between 450-500 hp to the ground with boost and current mods........so now my problem is, i have a stock 8.8 rear end, and i am guessing this much power will blow it to pieces.......if anyone can help as to what my options are, it would be greatly appreciated!! i know a ford 9 inch is prob. the best bet, but anything anyone else has done will help! thanks!

 

[Daggar]

There are a great many factors involved in deciding whether or not your rearend is going to handle the power you expect to put down. Two big ones are TRACTION and CLUTCH. With that kind of HP and foot through teh radiator with good set of tires and a Spec Stage 3 for instance; Sure! You'd have enough to blow up your tranny, your rearend and probably anything else that wasn't firmly beefed up and nailed down. Plan out your mods a pice at a time.

Were it me? I'd start by going ahead and getting that blower and all you listed for $4500. That package you laid out is one hell of bragain! Theyr'e doing the tune and injectors and whole 9 yards? Jump on it. Next I'd work on beefing up the Tranny. After that, the rear end. Then on to gaining more traction. Some where in all that mess you should plan on upgrading your braking system as well. Would suck to be putting all that power down only to discover that you can't stop. hehe

 

[txstang84]

There are a great many factors involved in deciding whether or not your rearend is going to handle the power you expect to put down. Two big ones are TRACTION and CLUTCH. With that kind of HP and foot through teh radiator with good set of tires and a Spec Stage 3 for instance; Sure! You'd have enough to blow up your tranny, your rearend and probably anything else that wasn't firmly beefed up and nailed down. Plan out your mods a pice at a time.

Were it me? I'd start by going ahead and getting that blower and all you listed for $4500. That package you laid out is one hell of bragain! Theyr'e doing the tune and injectors and whole 9 yards? Jump on it. Next I'd work on beefing up the Tranny. After that, the rear end. Then on to gaining more traction. Some where in all that mess you should plan on upgrading your braking system as well. Would suck to be putting all that power down only to discover that you can't stop. hehe

$4500 is a great deal for an all inclusive s-trim blower swap...

the 8.8", believe it or not, will take a helluva beating...get a new carrier (even a 31 spline truck carrier and stack it with 8 instead of 6 clutches) and some 31 spline axles (or 35 if you can swing it), and one of the rear end girdles, and you'll be pretty well set.

 

[KCoppola]

thanks for the replies guys! the car has had a huge brake upgrade already, 4 wheel disc cobra R brake kit w/ HUGE front discs.. the thing stops better than anything i have ever owned.....also it has a centerfore dual friction clutch kit.....like i said, there is too much stuff into it for me to remember it all at once....when i bought the car, it came with all the original manuals, and a binder 1 1/2 inch thick with everything done to the car since 1992.....so 4500 bucks aint too steep then huh? 480 rwhp tho....damn.....!!!!

 

[Look Its Aaron]

Dude there are cars that put out plenty of more power and rn faster times then you will with a ford 8.8 rear end. I see no reason for you go to 9.

get 31 spline axels, rebuild the rack lock or look at getting a eaton..

 

[KCoppola]

i really appreciate all of the input guys, thanks! 480 hp is a lot to me, i am a regualr guy with a mortgage and other car payments to make, so i dont generally have several thousand dollars all at once for something like this is there anyone out there that actually runs a setup like this? if so, what problems have you had etc?

 

[KCoppola]

bueller???? anyone??

 

[Daggar]

There are lots of folks here that run similar setups. Be advised though:

400 to 450 Blown RWHP is getting into block splitting territiry for a stock block 302. Anything more and you're playing Russian Roulette.

 

[KCoppola]

hmmmm i have taken that point into consideration already, and decided that after spending all that money on a blower, i will invest in a DSS pro bullet shortblock that is if i havent been conned into having a kid by that time

 

[txstang84]

tell her: "how can we have a kid, if i'm still a kid myself? i mean look at this cool toy in my driveway!!" jk, she might not appreciate that

 

[txstang84]

the probullet sb is still a two bolt block, there's another thread on here about that right now, and honestly Daggar is right, I'm still acquiring parts for my upcoming 331 build w/a supercharger...but, I know that even if i get everything else good to go, i'll be living on borrowed time..