where to start ?

[carkicker]

my son and i are restoring a stock 87gn.i want to make it as fast as possible with as little deviation as possible,from looking factory stock.as far as we can tell,the car hasnt been hacked up by anyone and still has factory airbox and intercooler.im thinking we should start with computer.we already put hotwire and new walbro255 pump on it,the stock pump quit about a week after we got it.it sat for a long time before we got it.we redid the brakes and changed all the filters and fluids.i think were gona hook up some guages for temp.and oil pressure next,i dont like not knowing,exactly whats going on,if u know what i mean.judgeing by what ive read on the site,theres A LOT of knoweledge here,and u gota start somewhere.i dont really know anyone thats ever owned a TR.any help would be greatly appreciated.i know,my grammer needs work.i'll work on it after the cars done.no promisses thou.

 

[chopped39]

Cold air kit will be a nice start along with a scanmaster and maybe alky and a stock location bigger intercooler tt chip translator pro. roller cam champion heads. t.h down pipe. Look for a used engine and build it and then put the stock one in a crate. These cars will break you .Trust me:biggrin: Have fun and read alot on here before buying anything or post up what you want to buy and people will tell you yes or no or maybe:biggrin:

 

[clusolynn]

Good start with gauges...

chopped39 said it, get a Scanmaster! With upgraded fuel pump you're ready for more! I had a TE-44 with 43lb inj and a Commander chip on a stock long block/stock trans that went 11.8, I believe there are stock appearing turbos available with better performance than the 44 now. Keep posting and asking questions, there is a plethora of knowledge, and father and son projects seem to bring out the best in people. Good luck and have fun, John.

 

[deezdad]

For your goals I would get the book "kirbans guide to 86 & 87 turbo regals" read thru it, he has a real conservative approach on these cars...little things here and there that add up performance and reliability wise without butchering the damn thing...keep it clean and simple, enjoy it man!

 

[just plain john]

im thinking we should start with computer.

There's no need to make changes to the computer, unless you are installing bigger injectors in which case you will need a new chip. Virtually everyone here will tell you to get a Turbotweak chip. When you replaced the pump, did you add a hotwire kit and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator? As already mentioned, get a scanmaster and learn how to interpret the numbers. As far as gauges, temp and oil pressure are nice to know, but not nearly as critical as boost and fuel pressure. I would do those first. The Scanmaster will display water temp, but not oil pressure. Add an adjustable wastegate actuator, it will enable you to turn up the boost by making the rod shorter. Those 3 things (scanmaster, afpr, actuator) in conjunction with the new pump will allow increased fuel delivery along with increased boost and the means to watch it all. That's a good start.

 

[Pronto]

Vortex Buicks
Read through the Basics and Tuning 20 or 30 times. Ask questions here after you learn what you got.:smile:

 

[SHADOWII]

Welcome pilgrims!

Alaways good to hear a father /son combo taking interest together in a project, especially a TR!
You will not be disappointed w/this booard, we have some of the best minds and innovators, not to mention a lot of opinions! Before doing any mod's, pass the idea across the board and we will do our best to give you the best advice available to make an educated descission. It will save a lot of frustration and money.:biggrin: Just ask those of us that learned the hard way!:redface: Again a hardy Welcome!

 

[pajo]

+

where abouts are you in Ohio ..?

 

[carkicker]

tried sendin u quik mesg. earlier,dont know if u got.looks like ur in lorain.im not far from,im in elyria.wheres there a trustworthy place to get tr work done,like dyno & conputer scan,that wont break the bank?those cars u have have alot of miles,but im willing to bet u cant tell by looking at em.,ours only has@80,000 but it looks it.i gave up on trying to have a car that looks perfect,a long time ago.for some reason,people dont have any respect for something thats nice and will ding it on purpose.i dont focus on the imperfections any more,insted i worry about the overall picture and try to fix it up, a little at a time.

 

[carkicker]

good places to start

thanks for the ideas every1.as soon as i figure it out,were gona post some pics.& keep track of our project.im not realy internet kinda guy ,but im learnin.i used computer at work to do cnc machining,unigraphics,bobcad,cadcam,etc..but never had time to goof off with it.funny how boss always expect more work to get done in same amount of time.almost hilarius.yea thats right,i dont spell check either.if u know the english language,you"ll figure out what im trying to say easily,and as long as i believe i"ve made my point,im good... I just learned yesterday,the boost controller is located on the pass. side valve cover.ours keeps blowing the vacume line off of it where it y's off into 2 hoses.i was wondering,is this a common thing,and what damage will this cause?i actually enjoy working on our gn,and its been a while since i didn't mind working on a car,but im not ready for a major catastrophy just yet.