Fully Stocked 85 Cutty ....WWYD

[Six_Legal]

WWYD with a 1985 cutty to make it a "sleeper" with a budget 🙂 I need some ideas for my cutlass....Big rims and all that stuff is cool look but I dont want that ....I want to turn heads with speed and not just with chrome ..Thanks in advance with your insights

 

[DoubleV]

When you're starting with nothing ( crappy gearing and underpowered engine with little potential NA ), you're not gonna to be going fast for cheap ( at least not reliably ). Better gears and a big shot of nitrous is the only option I can see.

P.S. What does 'fully stocked' mean?

 

[Randy_W]

The only real efficient option is going to a 350 or bigger engine from one of the GM brands, I like Olds in the Cutlass, but a Pontiac, Buick, Chevy, Cadillac V8 will haul it just the same. Get the transmission that goes with it and put some 3.42-3.73 gears in her and it'll be fun.

 

[oldmansmonte]

WWYD with a 1985 cutty to make it a "sleeper" with a budget 🙂 I need some ideas for my cutlass....Big rims and all that stuff is cool look but I dont want that ....I want to turn heads with speed and not just with chrome ..Thanks in advance with your insights

I'm guessing this is partly why you posted the Cold Air intake question before. Let me put it this way, I took my 85'monte V6 and put a 350 in it, rebuilt the transmission and other minor upgrades and the car is still not fast enough. (that's about $10,000 invested on top of the car for $4,500). Its loud, and kinda fast and fun. But its not going to be impressively fast until my next $4,500 in upgrades are complete.

Its just the way this stuff is man. Hot rodding requires tons of money to waste and then tons more. Hours of headaches and every other things. You've got a sharp looking ride. My advice is drop about a grand on a new rear end with a nice gear ratio like some 3:73's. That will make your car up big time. I also recently saw on 4bbl intake for that motor made by Gm performance. But seriously, if you're on a budget, put a new rear end in first. Best band for the buck that you will feel in the pedal.

 

[joesregalproject]

You won't get speed out of a V6. You can hop it up to about 120 hp, but it will be nowhere near fast. The 3.8 is a good, strong, reliable engine, but performance-wise, it's a dog. If you want speed, get a V8. I have decided to invest in suspension and handling stuff until I'm ready for an engine swap, because currently, I'm not.

 

[DonutCr3w]

I good sleeper engine is the turbo buick 3.8sfi, quiet and powerful.

 

[woody31]

swap the rear end first,,3.42..3.73 will help,,do the trans next,,then do the motor swap last,,i got over 7 grand in my elcamino and it will easy take another 7,,,how fast ya wanna go = how much you spend,,