4000$ budget...Gears, cam and stall?
07-12-2010, 06:49 PM
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4000$ budget...Gears, cam and stall? hey guys new here. i just bought a 02 camaro ss a4 3 weeks ago. ive already got my deep dish c5 18 inch rims on the way. i just sold one of my bikes so have about 4G to play around with. this is not my daily driver but i want to build it so it could be if needed. ill be running a 305/40/18 tire on the back and was wanting to run 3.90 gears for sure but not to sure on stall and cam sizes and brands. i really need some good advise on what to go with. i want to get it right the first time around unlike my 94 z28, seems like i did everything twice on it. the car will see little to no track time. just want to build a nice back road crusin car with the ability to have so good fun messin around in town.
07-12-2010, 09:17 PM
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400rwhp would be nice but is that posible with just cam package install? as far as the 12 bolt im gonna hold off on that i wont really be launching it hard that much. any racing that i will be doing would probably from a roll . i guess the main question is what stall should i go with for the 3.90 gears and 27 inch tire and best cam size and package deal i can get for a really nice mid range pull and of corse a sexy idle. it would be nice to get it from thunder racing cause thats where im ordering my gear set up from. are there cams kits quality? i will be paying for labor so i have to fit that in my budget. 8 broken bones from a motorcycle wreck is limiting my ability to do much myself. lol
07-12-2010, 10:49 PM
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you wont even need heads for 400 hp brother............headers with a good flowing exhaust....lid and a big cam will get you close if not 400. then get you a stall and a gear and ur moving!
07-12-2010, 11:48 PM
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whats a good size cam for me? 400hp would be nice but doesnt have to be 400 i would rather sacrifice a little power to keep it freindly on the street like i said i want to build its as if i were my daily drive even though its not. ive read alot of people like a 224/112... im also leaning toward a yank3600...i dont want it to loose feeling. ive done some reading but im hoping some one has already done a build that im going for with part numbers and a "to buy list" for exaclty what im looking for. im ready to get this build on the move. i hate riding stock. thanks for all the input so far guys!
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07-13-2010, 01:21 PM
#8
True dual exhaust ending at the axle will give you the most unique sound. It's usually the loudest type of exhaust, but the best flowing and also usually the cheapest. Pair that with a set of LT headers and your exhaust base will be covered for about what ever power you could ever want. You might run into some trouble with the VA troopers though... 
Cam, stall, and true duals don't make for a quiet take-off, lol.
You'll love the 3.90 gears! If I had an auto I'd go with 4.10s if I didn't have to depend on it as a daily driver. I had 4.11s, a big block with milled heads and a 240/240 cam, a 2800 stall, and NO OVERDRIVE that I used to daily drive in high school. If it had of had a 4th gear it would have been fine. Lower gears = stoplight rocket.
You've got an LS6 intake already, so no upgrades needed there. You'll want a good lid/filter. That will set you back about $150. You'll want a tune for your trans/gears(speedo)/cam/deleted sensors/etc. Figure about $300 - $400 for that. Thunder makes some great cams, I've read that the TR224 is one of the best cam only cams out there, and will pull hard and give you the idle you're after.
Exhaust should run you about $1000. You could go cheaper, but you get what you pay for (my 5 year old rusty ceramic coated pacesetters remind me of that when I hear the leaks). Make sure you get poly engine mounts. Don't worry, you won't even notice they're there. If you don't get them then you'll be taking the car back to the exhaust shop to have them figure out why its banging on the floor... not cool. Fix it right away with poly engine mounts. The time to do them is when the exhaust isn't in the way.
Full exhaust, cam, tune, gears, lid, and the ever present "misc" are going to get you pretty close to the $4k mark if you're having to pay for all the labor. If you do some serious shopping and searching then you can cut the cost here and there (buying used, or simple shopping around). Isn't Frost in the Richmond area? If so, then there's your tuning man. If not then VA Speed is located in VA beach.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Cam, stall, and true duals don't make for a quiet take-off, lol. You'll love the 3.90 gears! If I had an auto I'd go with 4.10s if I didn't have to depend on it as a daily driver. I had 4.11s, a big block with milled heads and a 240/240 cam, a 2800 stall, and NO OVERDRIVE that I used to daily drive in high school. If it had of had a 4th gear it would have been fine. Lower gears = stoplight rocket.
You've got an LS6 intake already, so no upgrades needed there. You'll want a good lid/filter. That will set you back about $150. You'll want a tune for your trans/gears(speedo)/cam/deleted sensors/etc. Figure about $300 - $400 for that. Thunder makes some great cams, I've read that the TR224 is one of the best cam only cams out there, and will pull hard and give you the idle you're after.
Exhaust should run you about $1000. You could go cheaper, but you get what you pay for (my 5 year old rusty ceramic coated pacesetters remind me of that when I hear the leaks). Make sure you get poly engine mounts. Don't worry, you won't even notice they're there. If you don't get them then you'll be taking the car back to the exhaust shop to have them figure out why its banging on the floor... not cool. Fix it right away with poly engine mounts. The time to do them is when the exhaust isn't in the way.
Full exhaust, cam, tune, gears, lid, and the ever present "misc" are going to get you pretty close to the $4k mark if you're having to pay for all the labor. If you do some serious shopping and searching then you can cut the cost here and there (buying used, or simple shopping around). Isn't Frost in the Richmond area? If so, then there's your tuning man. If not then VA Speed is located in VA beach.
Good luck and keep us posted.
07-13-2010, 02:42 PM
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put ur headers on urself and have an axle dump exhaust made with bullet mufflers...thats what i did saved a buncha money and it sounds awesome and flows even better! you will have to get ur rear o2s tuned out...its no big deal.
07-13-2010, 11:54 PM
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how do you think the TR224 cam would do with a stock stall converter? or is it a nessesity for that cam? i guess im just affraid of that loose feeling. i kinda rather try the stock conveter first with the cam and see how i like it instead of buy the yank and not liking it and removing. oh how i wish i had a six speed sometimes..
07-14-2010, 01:19 AM
#12
What your looking for out of this car is simple. As far as a street friendly cam goes, it really depends on who tunes the car. I will say that most cams between the 222-230 range are more common since they all pretty much offer power across the board and not just peak numbers which is where alot of people get confused. Don't get caught up with high hp/tq hype that will be generated from alot of people. I myself run a the Vengeance VRX4 which is a 228/230 588/592 on a 112lsa. That's what I run and I love it. I'm by no means saying that's what you need or am suggesting it to you. I did alot of homework on cams before purchasing one since mine isn't a daily either and just in case it ever needed to be (which it is at the moment) it would be suitable. The only difference is my car is an M6, so I don't have to worry with stall selection. This cam is extremely street friendly in mine and have read of guys with it running A4's having the same experience just to give you an idea that a cam similar to this will more than likely be the same.
As far as stalls go, I'd say go with the yankss3600. My buddy is running a 4k in his and says it feels really tight and the hit is totally different from his previous 3600 but it wasn't a yank and I cant recall what it was at the moment. If I had an A4 that would be my stall choice brand. Gears will need to be based on your stall choice and cam selection or vice versa. It's not a necessity, but if you want everything to match up really good and work well together this would be a good idea. There are proven setups on here that you can search and will probably be what your looking for. I know from experience that a 228 cam, 3600 stall, 3.73 gears seem to like each other very much.
Now to the exhaust. I've been through several setups and have finally found one that I love and plan to stick with it for as long as the pipes will let me. I'm running just painted Hooker longtubes into a Texas Speed ORY and a Jegs catback. I think with shipping on all these items it cost me roughly $800. I started with the longtubes, ory, and loudmouth which got old really quick cause it's just too raspy and loud. Next, I went with true duals with magnaflow bullets which sounded just plain awesome. When I went with a cam, they became annoying loud and just ruined cruising for me. Now I'm at the this setup and idle is great, cruising is great, and WOT is freaking awesome. I tested the this setup against my true duals and DID NOT lose time at the track. And this was through the catback without a cutout. I'm not disagreeing with anyone saying the true duals flow good cause they do, but they can be very annoying with the tone, drone, and just too loud for my taste. Once again, I'm not suggesting my setup to you just trying to give you an idea, cause I set my car up with the same mind frame that you are wanting to do. I'm glad I did. I took mine to Florida which was roughly a 1k mile trip without and hickup and was completely comfortable and enjoyable.
As far as the tune, I don't know who is close to you, but I would suggest a street tune or dyno tune. A dyno tune will give you the most out of your setup, but a street tune will get you just as close if not the same since that is pretty much where the car will spend it's time, I'd go with that. That's how all of my friends cars as well as mine are tuned since that is where they spend alot of their time and all of ours are cam only cars and strong running cars at that. If you have a good tuner close to you they'll probably do a dyno tune followed by a street tune which is more bang for the buck IMO.
This list is what is done to a buddy of mine's A4 SS just to give you an idea and hopefully a direction.
1 3/4 headers/ORY/catback
Yankss4k stall/3.73 gears
TR224/224 on a 114lsa
SLP lid, LS6 intake (which you have already) desreened maf/P&P TB
poly motor mounts
ASP UD pulley
The car is solid. I've been in the passenger seat several times and the car moves out really good to be at full weight.
Hope all of this helps and can maybe give you some direction on your build. GL to you.
As far as stalls go, I'd say go with the yankss3600. My buddy is running a 4k in his and says it feels really tight and the hit is totally different from his previous 3600 but it wasn't a yank and I cant recall what it was at the moment. If I had an A4 that would be my stall choice brand. Gears will need to be based on your stall choice and cam selection or vice versa. It's not a necessity, but if you want everything to match up really good and work well together this would be a good idea. There are proven setups on here that you can search and will probably be what your looking for. I know from experience that a 228 cam, 3600 stall, 3.73 gears seem to like each other very much.
Now to the exhaust. I've been through several setups and have finally found one that I love and plan to stick with it for as long as the pipes will let me. I'm running just painted Hooker longtubes into a Texas Speed ORY and a Jegs catback. I think with shipping on all these items it cost me roughly $800. I started with the longtubes, ory, and loudmouth which got old really quick cause it's just too raspy and loud. Next, I went with true duals with magnaflow bullets which sounded just plain awesome. When I went with a cam, they became annoying loud and just ruined cruising for me. Now I'm at the this setup and idle is great, cruising is great, and WOT is freaking awesome. I tested the this setup against my true duals and DID NOT lose time at the track. And this was through the catback without a cutout. I'm not disagreeing with anyone saying the true duals flow good cause they do, but they can be very annoying with the tone, drone, and just too loud for my taste. Once again, I'm not suggesting my setup to you just trying to give you an idea, cause I set my car up with the same mind frame that you are wanting to do. I'm glad I did. I took mine to Florida which was roughly a 1k mile trip without and hickup and was completely comfortable and enjoyable.
As far as the tune, I don't know who is close to you, but I would suggest a street tune or dyno tune. A dyno tune will give you the most out of your setup, but a street tune will get you just as close if not the same since that is pretty much where the car will spend it's time, I'd go with that. That's how all of my friends cars as well as mine are tuned since that is where they spend alot of their time and all of ours are cam only cars and strong running cars at that. If you have a good tuner close to you they'll probably do a dyno tune followed by a street tune which is more bang for the buck IMO.
This list is what is done to a buddy of mine's A4 SS just to give you an idea and hopefully a direction.
1 3/4 headers/ORY/catback
Yankss4k stall/3.73 gears
TR224/224 on a 114lsa
SLP lid, LS6 intake (which you have already) desreened maf/P&P TB
poly motor mounts
ASP UD pulley
The car is solid. I've been in the passenger seat several times and the car moves out really good to be at full weight.
Hope all of this helps and can maybe give you some direction on your build. GL to you.
Last edited by blue98Z; 07-14-2010 at 01:29 AM.
07-14-2010, 01:32 AM
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Also, just search our sponsors to the right on prices. I use the WS6Store and Texas Speed alot. The customer service, fast shipping, and great pricing just keeps me from looking elsewhere. I'm sure all the other sponsors are just as good, but these are my preferences. Once again, just a suggestion.
07-14-2010, 12:14 PM
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My suggestion:
LTs and exhaust so the cam can breathe.
TR228 or TR230.
Yank SS4k.
Done.
Adding a 3.73 or 3.90 is really gonna hurt your chances for traction off the line. Your car has 3.23s already. Stay with them and see how you like it first.
LTs and exhaust so the cam can breathe.
TR228 or TR230.
Yank SS4k.
Done.
Adding a 3.73 or 3.90 is really gonna hurt your chances for traction off the line. Your car has 3.23s already. Stay with them and see how you like it first.
07-14-2010, 05:18 PM
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hey guys new here. i just bought a 02 camaro ss a4 3 weeks ago. ive already got my deep dish c5 18 inch rims on the way. the car will see little to no track time. just want to build a nice back road crusin car with the ability to have so good fun messin around in town.
I would go this route if I were you....
1) Long Tube Headers with catz ( gutted of course )
2) Air Lid
3) FTRA Kit
4) 3200 Vigilante or Yank
5) Get it tuned by Frost ( Steve ) ..here in Richmond .
6) keep the stock gears .hopefully they are 3.23 gear
I know you said you want a cam and all ,but this is the best advise I can give you...since you are not into racing your car ,keep it simple. Those above mods are good for solid mid 12's and you will have excellent street drive ability . This way you will still have alot of cash in hand for something else ,....like gas .
07-14-2010, 08:45 PM
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so it looks like full exhaust and lid is a must. i have center mount and want to keep it are there different exhaust system for them or is that just a quick trip to the muffler shop and let them run the tips. also whats a good lid to replace my stock blackwing. i really want to go with the 390 gears. when i put 3.90s in my z28 i fell in love with car all over again. they made the car feel so fast even at quarter throttle from a stop light. and Frost will def be doing the tune. ive heard nothing but good stuff about him and hes right down the road.
07-15-2010, 02:16 PM
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Honestly ive done all of the bolt ons performance wise slp offers. I added the cold air intake last and it made the biggest difference. The car seems more responsive, quicker and rides smoother as if I just got new tires again.
Youd be looking at probably $500-600 to get those bolt ons but it might not be a bad idea.
Sellers on ebay sometimes offer better deals on slp stuff than slp itself.
Youd be looking at probably $500-600 to get those bolt ons but it might not be a bad idea.
Sellers on ebay sometimes offer better deals on slp stuff than slp itself.
07-15-2010, 02:25 PM
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so it looks like full exhaust and lid is a must. i have center mount and want to keep it are there different exhaust system for them or is that just a quick trip to the muffler shop and let them run the tips. also whats a good lid to replace my stock blackwing. i really want to go with the 390 gears. when i put 3.90s in my z28 i fell in love with car all over again. they made the car feel so fast even at quarter throttle from a stop light. and Frost will def be doing the tune. ive heard nothing but good stuff about him and hes right down the road.
07-15-2010, 05:59 PM
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