Quick Mods to Throw at Your C4 to Keep Respectable Performance

As the ’80s raged on in a blur of neon and pastel colors, the Corvette became increasingly choked by emissions regulations that brought horsepower numbers to embarrassingly low levels. Now that emission tools are for OBD cars, most of these older C4s can be opened up a bit and benefit from the horsepower that was robbed from them in the factory.

In a “Performance Upgrades” thread that offers up some really good information (before going off topic a bit), the pros and cons of things like long tube headers, camshafts, dyno tuning, and the porting and polishing of heads are all given valid opinions. And most people agree it is the exhaust system on the car that can potentially see the most gains.

A lot of the modifications on the C4 would have to compliment another change, so it is recommended that a dyno tune is done with any bolt-on, just to ensure the computer can accommodate a new characteristic of the engine. There is of course the option of dropping in a crate engine, but if you’re not looking to get your hands that dirty, it sounds like exhaust changes will best unleash those hidden horses you seek.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

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