I need the H/C/I and S/C guys

I am sure most will disagree but I wish upon a star that I had either pocked the 3k or got a charger I have had more problems HCI related than I care to count.

The only problem I have with my blower is the tires spinning all the way through second gear!

But seriously, Paxtons are very reliable and dont cause problems with your car. Mine is every bit reliable as stock.

I would first figure out where the hell the blue smoke is coming from...

THEN consider what I want to do.

Hell... if all you know you need a new shortblock(god forbid).

So all that money you are pondering in your head and thinking about what to spend it on might be a new damn engine!

If I was you, honestly....

I would 1st)100% figure out where the blue smoke is originated from

2nd)if it is a ring, I would build a 331 shortblock

3) the head valve seats might be bad and you might as well swap heads/c/i while your there!


All in all, I would just do HCI, simply because our POS cars will always pop a gasket if not properly tuned. Also, we have CHEAP ASS pistons. Dont forget that!

Your SAFER route(note: not SAFESTTTT) would be H/C/I. You wont necessarily have to TUNE it like a S/C'r. The final price will probably be the dam same anyway when you add up ALL the components!

You do realize you need upgraded fuel pump, injectors, maf and T/B! A tune is $450 or so depending on who tunes it.

So in parts alone for EITHER setup will cost you about: $289 MAF(75mm pro-m), $200(TB),$269(injectors), $110(fuel pump). That alone is $870.

But if you do HCI first, lets see the major PRO here...

The S/C you will strap on LATER will provide just that much MORE power per LB in a free flowing engine rather than a "bottleneck" stock engine. Figure you make 310rwhp with HCI and strap on a vortech one day pushing 10lbs... you will see a HUGE increase in HP compared to strapping it to a STOCK bottleneck engine with a base 200rwhp if your lucky.

My suggestion: HCI first, free up a lot of flow, make the flow and strap on a SUPERCHARGER and use the flow properly.

If will pay off in the very end.

Pete

I got my supercharger when my car was stock with Flowmaster catback.

But I also did the H/C/I shuffle and I would say...actually thats a really hard question to answer.Hmmm.

I say keep trying to get a supercharger.

Your parents do have a point though, as much as I know you don't want to hear that. But most people on here have worked through that in some way at some point.

i'm in the same boat as you. You talk to one guy and he says that is HCI car is completely realible and runs awesome, but then you talk to another and the have problems and their car runs like crap. I just have a hard time putting a SC on a stock engine with 115,000 miles. B/c when that goes, what do ya do. You can get a 331 short block for pretty much the same price as a 302 or 306, so then what do ya do? put a 331 together with stock heads etc????

Hmm, I would say if your stock then go with your normal bolt ons right now. I have turbo'd N/T cars and they always seem to have more reliability issues than the ones with just bolt ons.

It seems that you dont have the standard header back, CAI, MAF, TB...ect. I would do that and see what money you have left. Without that youre gonna be missing out on alot of power that should be there IMO.

-Dallas J

well, keep all your reciepts, because when i wrecked my car they gave me money for all the parts, and MY labor to put them all on. i guess depending on the insurance company they should pay you if you were to get in a wreck..

i would go with the h/c/i first, as of now i'm in the process of gettin a DSS 306 shortblock

Ideally you should get the H/C/I first, and then boost it. I went the H/C/I route because there are less MAJOR problems that can occur. Detonate on a NA car, and you may get away with it. Detonate on a blown car and pop... there goes a HG. Its not as cut and dry as that and with a good tune neither should be an issue, but what happens when you have the best tune in the world and fill up with unknowingly bad gas... which do you think will yeild the worst headaches??? This is a topic with pros and cons to each, but in my mind the H/C/I proved more reliable on my then daily driver. Now that the car isn't daily driven, I don't know what the choice would have been.

haulbalz said:

well, keep all your reciepts, because when i wrecked my car they gave me money for all the parts, and MY labor to put them all on. i guess depending on the insurance company they should pay you if you were to get in a wreck..

Click to expand...

I'll keep that in mind.

Also, I guess a supercharger would be better to wait on if your cars smoking right now. I know it will pay off to do as people said and build a strong foundation.

Another way to look at it.

I am assuming you have saved up the money ("with your hard earned money") so this may not apply to you. I know personally, if I have some extra cash laying around for parts, then it's harder for me to save it for a certain part and I am tempted to go buy some other parts which I know I will need anyway. With my situation, I did have some extra money so I decided to get 2 of the big ticket items out of the way. It's easier, for me, to save up lesser amounts for other items.

I bought a Tremec TK500 and a S/Cer recently. The TK500 is now in my car but the S/Cer is still in the plastic, where it will remain until I am ready to throw it on. I am not bolting on the S/Cer just yet for a couple reasons.

As I mentioned, its easier to save up a grand or so then it is 3-4 grand.
Personally, I think it's just more impressive to get beat by a car without a S/Cer then it is to get beat with one.

I can save up the money for the heads, then go buy them. Then save up the money for the cam then go buy it. Save up the money for the intake... etc etc. Then save up for gaskets and the little things.

JMHO

I would however as others and yourself has said, find out what major problems you may have with your bottom end before buying anything.

Good luck bud, and as far as your parents go, they are just trying to help although its not from a need for speed perspective. You won't ever get all your money back from mods done to your car as we all know but we do it anyway. I prefer not to tally up the money I have spent on cars myself!

I don't recall who made this point in another post but I think its a good one - When you're racing a stock SS or TA w/minor bolt ons and you're still gettin beat, you're gonna feel a lot worse if you had a s/c rather then h/c/i. just my .02.