Re: CGT Mods

[Javad Shadzi <javad@ecst.csuchico.edu>]

> > $350 for a head and cam?
> > 
> > Toke or pass....
> 
> Yeah, I'd rather spend $350 on a head and cam myself!  But how,
> where?....

	Well, Im not smoking, that is how much I spent.  I got a core head
from a junk yard (free, I know a guy and gave him my old one when I
finished), and inspected it for cracks. I had
a reputable shop rebuild it and do a 3 angle valve job on the seats, and
also cut about 1.5mm from the inside of the seats to really open them up.
That cost me about $175.  Before all that, I ported the head myself (see
Standard Abrasives Web page) and had an "expert" inspect things to make
sure I did everything right (BC Gerolomy in Sacremento)  That did not cost
much at all-maybe $50 or so in porting tools-you can order a whole kit
from summit for under $40 and have stuff left over)  I picked up an older
solid lifer cam and D. Elgin racing in San Jose reground it for me to 270
for about $150 bucks.  I splurged and got some high lift springs from
Techtonics ($85) to keep everything from floating, but the stock ones
could be used.  I also ported and matched the intake manifold for a
seamless pathway.  In the past I had done a complete high flow exhaust
including a 4kq manifold, without too much difference in acceleration.
None of that made a difference untill the real restriction was taken out.
Big 40mm valves out of a GTI would have cost maybe another $100-150
including labor and would be even more fun-Sacrifice the $200 sparkplug
wires and get bigger valves, sound good?  Like I said before, the motor
runs freely to the revlimiter, with power building all the while (0-60 in 
the high 7's). Infact,
I may be getting a little crazy, but Im working on getting rid of the rev
limiter all together.  Would there be reason to do that with an $800
Scorpion exhaust?

Javad Shadzi
86 coupe GT
San Jose, CA (in school at Chico, where the roads are not too rough, where
the car still smogs, and a pint of Sierra Nevada only costs a buck!  ;)