I've been asked this Question many times and there is no one answer,but I will say for most 1.9 rockers are a good option although there is more performance gain with a cam unless your pulling the engine for other reasons then go ahead with a cam,installing a cam with the engine in can be done but it's a difficult job for most and the common thing I see after a cam install is early cam bearing failure often misdiagnosed as lifter noise or rod bearing noise ,just something to think about.Chico(pops)

i went 1.9's, was disappointed. Now im going cam

cams sound mean. they are cheaper than rockers and give you more power if you DIY.

I'm not saying a cam is a bad idea just be very carefull of your cam bearings ,and do'nt kid yourself 1.9 rockers will produce good power for example Ron Vogal 12.1 in the 1/4 with rockers ,IC,stock heads and internals,I believe a 2.6 pulley and S&S headers ,far better than plenty of cammed cars his tuning I believe is the key,and as far as cam being cheaper how do you figure that?My point is for a bolt on rockers are a good mod and can make plenty of power if your not making power with the rockers somethings not right.Chico(pops)

I went with 1.9s. Don't regret it, just wish I had a cam. But I wasn't going to tear down a perfrectly running motor to install a cam!

At your mod level an IC and drop down to a 3.0 pulley would give you better results than a cam,FYI 1.9 rockers is very close to running a VS cam,I run a mild cam and 1.7 rockers .

i would like 1.9 rockers because i can keep the motor in the car.

but if i would do a cam i would def have to pull the motor,

and randall rockers are cheeper i think because if you go with like a xp cam you need the cam, upgraded springs and then upgraded locks so they all add up to about the same

i say its cheaper because if you upgrade to 1.9 you need to upgrade springs and retainers just like you will with a cam.

400$ rockers
300$ cam

both require 90# springs and retainers.

i'm not saying its like 300 or more $ cheaper, but it is probobly a little bit.

yes, both rockers and a cam have their advantages But strictly if this is DIY, the cam is better bang for buck. that was all I was saying.

Not saying their is anything wrong with rockers, I was going to buy Coreys from him a while back, but i've decided that if i'm going to be spending the money then i'm going to go with what I really want, which is a cam.

also add the install kit for bolth

You really think it's cheaper? 90# springs won't work on all cams, 105s are preferable. You also don't calculate in the timing cover, intake, and supercharger gaskets (along with valve covers) for a cam. Then, if you're installing a cam, at minimum you need to put in a new chain, tensioner, and new bolts to hold the gears. Larger cams require double roller, machined timing cover, and so on. It gets even better when you have to yank the engine to do this or play 'drop the cradle.' Also, modified stock rockers are $300, not $400 and have been proven more reliable.

Lifters are a simple afternoon job with a minimum of disassembly. A cam is a solid weekend and pray you don't hit any snags.

I think my XP cam/kit ran me around $700 for all the junk. I installed it myself and thank goodness the engine was still out of the car. I'd hate to see someone have to pay labor on something like that. You need a good set of tools for it as well.

Cams are great, but they're not for power on a budget or the faint of heart. You can still get away with stock springs with 1.9s and slap them in later. With a cam, you have clearance issues and must run the goodies all at once.

I've always been interested in mods that make the engine more efficent. I like getting a power bump that doesnt hurt the fuel mileage. At some point you always have to make the decision about when its more important to go faster and start paying more at the pump. I still daily drive my car (almost) and it still gets road trips so I have no interest now in turning it into a guzzler (and I do call 20mpg a guzzler)

So I would be curious to know which mods many of you have made that saw your mpg drop way off...and which delivered much better performance while making little difference in mileage. Driving habits always vary but I'd be most interested in hi-way trip mpg.

Rockers I have heard improve highway by 2mpg. But it also helps with a Tune for them, which I got.
I am sure most mods should improve mpg as long as you don't change driving habits and your tune has been adjusted to accomodate the mod. Otherwise, the mod won't benefit you, and could possible hurt the performance.

A blower wouldnt hurt, t-bat. i get better gas mileage now then when i was N/A. Thats what you need to do

I do like the way this guy thinks ...I've always loved the way a cammed motor sounds but they usually dont turn out to be very streetable (at least with V8s...I've never cammed a V6)
I am leaning heavily towards just dropping a whole L67 in there...especially since my L36 has 130k on the clock...I know it still has a good ways to go but I dont want to wait until it dies before I get ready to replace it.

130 k is nothen .. .i got 132k on my car, makes me sad that i bought the car with 100k 2 yrs ago