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Ray and I agree here. Let's take mods in order.
1) With the 28/32 progressive Weber you will probably not lose fuel economy except when you get far enough into it to open the secondary, so if you drive conservatively you will not use a lot more gas. And you should have a boost when you want it.
2) Opening up the exhaust with the Y system, 1-3/4" or 2", will give you another boost and may even improve economy for equal driving due to reduced pumping loss. The penalty is noise.
3) Next mod in my book would be opening the exhaust ports in the head to 1-3/4" as described in SAAB literature, this is simple but not recommended to do with heads installed.
4) Only then should you consider internal mods such as cams, pistons, displacement, compression. If you get that far, these should be undertaken with expert advice (not mine) as to your specific intentions. How are you going to drive it? !), 2), and 3) are cheap and easy and will not stress other components excessively, nor ruin fuel economy or emissions if you drive reasonably. But if you are flat-out all the time, invest in oil company stocks. If you want to go to
5) internal modifications, there are plenty of possibilities, but you will then quickly be looking at upgrading the transmission to handle the power, the brakes to handle the slow-down, the cooling system to handle increased heat, and on and on.
A major rule in upgrading your engine is ONE THING AT A TIME. Any modification affects all systems. You started out talking about a slew of uncoordinated changes. This approach has a high probability of leaving you with an empty wallet and many problems that are difficult to sort out. Change the carb and get it dialed in. Then change the exhaust and get happy with the sound. Then tweak the carb again to accommodate the new exhaust. And on and on. Of course many have Been There Done That, and may recommend a complete system for your needs based on their long experience. What are your needs?
SPEED COSTS MONEY. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND?
posted by 208.53.80...
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