Whats the Best Bang for the buck?????
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 535
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From: NJ
Whats the Best Bang for the buck????? Guys, Ive got a few questions for you. I have a 97 c5 . I have the Borla stinger catback, donaldson BlackWing CIA, Ls6 Intake manifold, zo6flywheel/clutch, MSD wires, and Bosch plugs. Im looking for more mods, but everything is so F'n exspensive for this car. I gave myself a $2500 budget for mods and tuning. I know that its not alot of cash but maybe you guys can help me out. I originally wanted to do headers/cam,springs/electric water pump/underdrive pulley set up. But to do all that, i might as well buy a blower. Any advice? I can do all the work minus the tuning. What cam would give me the most hp/tq through the whole rpm range? As for exhaust, im looking for a complete bolt on kit, without any welding.
Thanks,
J
Thanks,
J
Magnacharger is a nice setup on a vette...
I personally like the H/C route, but $2500 willbe close.
If your sticking to that figure, get all the exhaust an little things done first.
I personally like the H/C route, but $2500 willbe close.
If your sticking to that figure, get all the exhaust an little things done first.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
From: NJ
I have a set of bfg drag radials on a set of stock c5 wheels , I still havent used them yet. Im trying to be rational about modding this car (Is that possible?). I really dont drag race the car. I do end up doing alot of light to light racing though. The guy who had the car before me had run a best of 12.6 with the drag radials, and the current set up. Some say gears, others say heads/cam/tuning/headers. Im still doing my reasearch. Maybe gears and a cam/headers would be a good start. when i go with the cam, will the Kooks or qtp's make a huge difference, or is it like a 5 or 10 hp gain? some say they have gained 30 hp with the headers, others claim 5 hp on the site? Whats the truth behind that?
Thanks,
J
Thanks,
J
Kooks headers and TSP 232R cam should put you over 400 at the wheels with a good tune! - To be honest, the tune will give the best seat of the pants improvement (minus the cam of couse)
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you could do head/ cam if you dont mind buying used stuff. I personally went with the head/cam route because i found an awsome set of heads with only like 400-500 on em, from a well respected person on this board and at MTI. I picked up a set of MTI stg. 2r's for 1750!!! The heads came with evertying i need except for push rods and rockers and i still have a lot of cash for a cam, and i might get a used cam for bout 300 which isnt bad, and cams nowadays wear down very slowly because there is virtually no friction. So 1750 for heads, 300 for cam, re-use stock rockers and get a good set of PR's like 150 so that leaves about 300 left over for the tune! Just do some research and check the classifieds alot and you will be able to find something in your budget... I did!
-Ryan
-Ryan
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 535
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From: NJ
Well, I got the SLP Long tubes,3'' hi flow cats.H-pipe, and there true 3"rear section, bolted to the borla stinger kit. What a ***** it was to intstall 
. It was the most annoying kit I have ever done. but it made such a huge difference in power. by the seat of the pants dyno, i picked up alot. The headers are ceramic coated stainless steel, and everthing bolted right up. It took 16hrs in my garage, but it came out ****. SLP is about 40 minutes away from me. They were dyno tuning a c5 while I was there. $1400 for everything. Not bad right?
So far I have the following:
Complete SLP Header kit, 3" high flow cats, borla stingers, Blackwing CAI, Ls6 intake, Short throw shifter, zo6 flywheel/clutch.
SLP has different ratio rocker arms and push rods. Are they worth it??
What do you think im putting to the wheels with this set up?
Ill load pics of the install if you want.
Thanks,
John
. It was the most annoying kit I have ever done. but it made such a huge difference in power. by the seat of the pants dyno, i picked up alot. The headers are ceramic coated stainless steel, and everthing bolted right up. It took 16hrs in my garage, but it came out ****. SLP is about 40 minutes away from me. They were dyno tuning a c5 while I was there. $1400 for everything. Not bad right?So far I have the following:
Complete SLP Header kit, 3" high flow cats, borla stingers, Blackwing CAI, Ls6 intake, Short throw shifter, zo6 flywheel/clutch.
SLP has different ratio rocker arms and push rods. Are they worth it??
What do you think im putting to the wheels with this set up?
Ill load pics of the install if you want.
Thanks,
John
well for like $1500 you coulda got the kooks long tubes and xpipe, hiflow cats 3" system, im not a fan of slps overpriced parts. it probably woulda gone in easier too.
i wouldnt get higher ratio rockers, stick with a cam kit, get cam, springs, tit retainers, locks, hardened pushrods(only needed with cam), ls6 oil pump, new timing chain. can get that all for under $1k. as for a tune, either you can save up the extra $500 and wait til then, or go with a smaller cam like i did until you have enough for a tune. being that your a manual you can handle a higher cam without getting a tune, i just wouldnt go racing until then.
i wouldnt get higher ratio rockers, stick with a cam kit, get cam, springs, tit retainers, locks, hardened pushrods(only needed with cam), ls6 oil pump, new timing chain. can get that all for under $1k. as for a tune, either you can save up the extra $500 and wait til then, or go with a smaller cam like i did until you have enough for a tune. being that your a manual you can handle a higher cam without getting a tune, i just wouldnt go racing until then.
When you get headers, I'd get LG, they're supposed to be hands down the best for a vette. $2500 for mods on a vette is quite a bit different than $2500 for a f bod, your parts a damn expensive. Headers alone are going to be $1500. You could probably do headers and cam for about 2500 (doing all the work yourself of course).
Check 'em out:
http://www.lgmotorsports.com/shop/pr...fb2086f9d44363
Check 'em out:
http://www.lgmotorsports.com/shop/pr...fb2086f9d44363
LG longtubes, F13 cam, Spring and TI-retainers. HP tuners, Underdrive pulley (look at EAD===> they have the ASP pulley for a great price), Ported oil pump.
They tunnig stuff adds up fast, so you could just get HP Tuners and rent a Dyno for about 2 hours with an A/F meter and go to town. I'm sure someone could get you a tune to get you close.
The LG system is complete from front to back. It's about the best performing one on the market.
If you do the cam swap, the extra parts add up fast. So figure around $250 in parts for the Cam and New plugs and gaskets for a header install.
They tunnig stuff adds up fast, so you could just get HP Tuners and rent a Dyno for about 2 hours with an A/F meter and go to town. I'm sure someone could get you a tune to get you close.
The LG system is complete from front to back. It's about the best performing one on the market.
If you do the cam swap, the extra parts add up fast. So figure around $250 in parts for the Cam and New plugs and gaskets for a header install.
I suggest $400 cam. Crane Cams tuner $420. Valvetrain- $650 w/ Harlan Sharp roller rockers. Under drive pulley. and bang for the buck I would bolt on at least a stock '01 + exhaust from ebay. Totals $1,600 for 60+horsepower.