Stand_together

In September I thought for sure I would have Lingenfelter install one of there kits on my car. I was sold based off their 3 year /36000 mile warranty. After talking to them they said I should go to the 383 kit instead of the heads cam package due to my car has 93,000 miles.

I watched a video on youtube, where one of the Lingenfelter sales guy says their Kits are rated at the flywheel. Although on their website it says 475 bhp. I also thought bhp stands for brake horse power. So if we do the math the flywheel would have 10-20% more power. I got off the phone with a sales rep he said it was back horse power meaning horse power at the back of the block.

I know there great at building motors. Although my question is how good is their warranty and I know I can go elsewhere and get more HP for less.. Which I am also thinking about as well.

So here is my issue... The 383 kit is just over 19k with the transmission upgrade. I could keep my car and spend the 19k but at this point I would never resale the car because it will be worthless and I can never get my money back..

The other idea is sell my car and buy a Viper with low miles.. I am looking at a Gen 3 vipers. I can afford the Viper by putting mine for sale and using the money to modify my car for a stock 500 hp Viper.

What would you honestly do.... Viper will be worth more because it is stock and have more HP... The only Dodge I like is the Viper but the only GM I like is the Vette.. Thanks for the feed back.. I know it is a LS forum so I am guessing what you will say.. I have this same post on the Viper forum as well so I can really make the right choice...

Key things to know... I work from home so neither car will be driven very often. I want to make it somewhat a show car, but most important I need it to be reliable.

Thanks

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

LOL... whut?!

Blown C5

Have you driven a viper longer than a trip around the block? If not, I suggest trying it out for more than a couple miles, especially if it is your only car.

Stand_together

yeah I was like back of a block horsepower? So in other words it really means fly Wheel horsepower and he said basically yes. so I did not want to get into what I believe BHP really means because I could have been wrong. But 19k for 475 hp seems a outrageous and that's why I'm in this predicament. If I do it with Lingenfelter it would definitely not be for resale value.

A.R. Shale Targa

iTrader: (2)

Admittedly Vipers are neat cars, however as a fellow C5 owner I think you should keep yours and do more research. GM designed the LS engine for 2-250000 miles. Plenty of folks have reliably built combos with well over 150k.
Perhaps contact Vengeance racing to see if they have a package deal for you. I'm not sure how much power you are looking for but 500 flywheel is rather easy with a 346 and Tony Mamo just had a thread in this section of almost 500 (490 range) rear wheel in a C5 that would be totally drivable as well as reliable. This was also acheived with a well used LS1 short block.
Nineteen grand is a good chunk of change and if you are seriously contemplating that as your budget, then your options are darn near unlimited.
Hell even a new LS3 swap with a camshaft and headers can make ridiculous power if you are at all worried about your mileage.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Honestly if worried about warranty, resale and such modifying cars is the wrong hobby. Want more HP in a warranty good resale package that is nice to drive buy a newer Vette, or if you want something more daily driver a CTS-V.

dsadsdaiouser

As already stated have you driven a Viper? No doubt they're cool cars but more than a trip around the block is uncomfortable. They're known to be hot inside, loud and about worthless for anything other than straight line blasts. Drive one and your mind will be made up IMHO.

19K is a little, ok a lot, steep for your goals. Contact Jeremy at Horsepower Sales in Florida. He is a Corvette expert and could do heads/cam for you as well as a rebuilt transmission and any other bolt-ons you're interested in for about half that and you'll be looking at almost 500 to the wheels.

Scott

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

No warranty or resale value. Lingenfelter is about the only way to try and get those, hence the pric and conservative result.

DMM

Lingenfelter is a complete joke. If you buy into their BS you should be over in the Vette forums with the waxers, not here.

I believe a Chuck CoW tune would be a nice augment to your $20k Lingenfelter stroker motor that makes about the same power as a mediocre heads/cam LS1.

Second thought, just turn in your keys and get a VW.

tmoney82

I would't worry about a warranty especially if the car is paid for! I'll have a builder build me something similar to the package their offering or slap a procharger on it!

RockinWs6

19k for engine upgrades, seriously I think these companies take advantage of the corvette mentality. My brother had a corvette and belonged to a vette club in Vegas. I watched him dump everything into that corvette. What he really needed was something real in his life. His Corvette is gone along with a lot of other things.

Anyone who could or would dump 19k on engines upgrades needs to step back and look at the big picture. I bite my tongue at this point.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Lingenfelter offers complete vehicle modification with warranty, sure there is Corvette markup but a lot of it is complete package with warranty and the parts are generally top notch. There is a place for them in the market.

HISS

iTrader: (52)

I see it like this. There is a c5 vette on every corner, how often do you see vipers? The vette would be more daily driver friendly and get better fuel economy even modified. The Viper would be more "elite" and attract more attention. Add a 200 shot and you have a low to mid 10 second car in the Viper. People who say the viper is hard to get around a track haven't driven one. They handle very well but they make a ton of low end torque which is the enemy of grip if your a novice driver. Either way you can't go wrong, both cars are awesome and American icons. Also the maint cost on a Vioer would be significantly more costly than a vette also something to think about. As others suggested definitely get some seat time in the viper before you choose to buy one.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

I'd let my Vette go in a HEARTBEAT for a nice 97-98 GTS. I'd never own an RT10 though.

Get the Viper. You won't be disappointed.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

I'd keep the Vette... but I'd spend $19k where you can get a lot more for the price. Take it to A&A Corvette or ECS and tell them you have 19k. You'll end up with 800HP when you leave one of those places with a blower system, forged bottom end, and a trans upgrade.

A.R. Shale Targa

iTrader: (2)

Talk about candy coating things. Quit beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel.....lmfao
At least a twenty K Lingenfelter build would run, after a CoW tune all you would have is a shovel full of recyclables.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Quoted for truth.

And for what Jake said... At the end of the day, it's still a Vette. Doesn't matter if it had 1500hp reliably. It's still a Vette.

A nice 97 or 98 GTS will probably be my next, and hopefully final, car.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

Bleh. Vipers are terrible.

If you want a nice car that's fast. Porsche 911 Turbo.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

At twice the price... Let alone the cost of upkeep.

Don't be afraid to bust out that Mopar hat. I know you've got one

DMM

Back in the day when I was a Corvette/Camaro tech I had to argue with Corvette owners daily over Lingenfelter garbage. Everything from their Accel fuel pressure regulator (still in the original box, yet "modified" to Lingenfelter specs) at 3x the original price to their early LT1 383 stroker tunes which blew up every engine they were installed on due to post ignition. Lingenfelter makes absolutely nothing themselves and everything they sell can be sourced elsewhere at 1/3 the price. The worst part is they never made anyone whole from their garbage, the bad tunes were initially denied and then later directed us to another entity the day they closed their doors.

I referenced Chucky as he's another example of **** service peddled to the completely uneducated at an exorbitant cost.

Sadly, being a dick is the only way to get the point across.