i got stuck with a pos 87 nova that runs great but i need advice on what to do to get a little bit of perfomance

 

What size engine? The bad news is if it's a 3.8L, you ain't gonna get much from a buzzin' half dozen...

 

i think it has a 22r 4 cylinder in it is what the guy im buyin it from says

 

Well, I don't mean to wiz on your parade, but you're not exactly dealing with what most people would consider to be a high potential upgrade vehicle. It should be great transportation. Maybe for now, you should try to save your money till you can acquire something with a little more oomph.

Most worthwhile upgrades are going to be worth more than the value of the car.

 

its got sum oomph but not enough. what bout a 4 barrel?

 

I wasn't aware they made 4barrel carbs for an inline 4 cyl. Did Toyota start sharing engines with GM? Last time I checked, a 22R was an OHC Celica engine...

What is the car worth/ what proportion of the car's value do you want to spend on upgrades? The closer you get to an even ratio on a POS beater, the less desirable it is for you,financially.

The value of my vehicle is @15K. In the case of most vehicles, you're not going to get an even or better ROI when you sell it, so all improvements are either to maintain your current value, or an upgrade for your own enjoyment. Over a 10 -year period, I hope to keep the ratio under 1/1, if not less, and this is a vehicle I value, drive a lot in, and intend to keep long-term.

I can't argue that it can't be done, so don't get me wrong. It's just going to get expensive to exceed the vehicle's design when it's got no viable foundation for a performance build to begin with.

Keep it tuned, keep the filters clean, keep the tire inflation and other maintenance issues up to snuff, and if you run a bottle of OUTLAW 107 thru your tank occasionally you might just surprise somebody.