I've decided to dump my stang for an LS1... I'm looking for a ram air TA, but I deploy in Oct. so I wont get it till next fall .

So I'm hoping I can break into consistant mid-low12's with a good tune. is this a practical goal on pure bolt ons before i go into gears and heads or s/c?

I am sick of having a car not worthy of the street to cruise in with no a/c in TX.
So with the following typical mods:
air lid, filter, full exhaust, thermostat, TB, TB bypass, MAF, hand held tuner, minor rear susp(control arms, etc.), and drag radials is it possible to runan e.t. consistantly in the 12's? If so then i am dead set on an ls1...i am anyways, but to hit some decent 110+/- traps would be f*$#in sweet in a near stock, full weight car before i go get heads. but I'm sure after a year driving nothing but slow HMVEEs and bradleys even a bone stock TA will suffice to me.

is there anyother basic cheap/free bolt ons or mods that every latest model f-body should have?

also, do you think itd be reasonable to find a 98+ ram air with decent miles(under 75K) for $10-13K??? i hope so, but i'll spend it anyways i guess, it'll be my i survived war gift to myself!

thanks for the help

 

i've had a couple 5.0's myself before getting an lt1, and now have an ls1. if you've never driven one before, the first time you mash the pedal to the floor whether it's stock or not, you'll be grinning from ear to ear and won't give a damn what time it runs. buy yeah, with all that stuff you listed you'll be in the 12's. all i have in my auto is a messed up catback, lid, k&n filter, eibach sportlines and slp bilsteins and i'm running 8.41 in the 1/8th which is a low low 13 or possible high 12 depending on 102893109278370 variables.

 

Auto LS1's with a converter, stall, and bolt-ons run low 12s like it's their job.

 

Very well said, except that a "converter" and "stall" are the same thing.

To the original thread starter: If you do those planned mods, you will indeed be in the 12s. You listed drag radials, which would be a must for traction and help you get deeper into the 12s. Hell, if you had drag radials, a couple bolt-ons, and a tune with an M6, you'd be in the 12s already. A bolt-on here and there along with a stall and drag radials in an A4 and you're hitting consistent 12s as well. Depends on which you want, A4 or M6. I think if you got an A4 and added a stall to that list of things you're doing, it would get you further (with traction, granted) than an M6 would. That's just my opinion.

But either way, yes, you'll hit 12s with full AC at full weight.

 

i used to be a chevy tech before i enlisted, so i've beat on plenty of other guys ls1's. Besides the blown cobras, even the na cobras could never throw me back the way even an auto ls could. The only thing i dont like is the skip shift and throttle tc electronics, but that will be the first to go.

do you all think $10-13K is a reasonable price for a ram air?

 

Good to hear that you'll already know a bit of what you're doing with it.

By "skip shift", I'm guessing you mean the way that the PCM for the A4s will automatically upshift at some bad times. But, you said it will be the first to go, so basically all you need is a good tune. If you're planning some decent mods on it fairly soon after you get it, I'd reccomend holding off on the tune for it. No sense in simply having it tuned for the tranny to feel better, then have to pay again once you get some good mods. I'd suggest doing a lid and full exhaust, then get a stall and have it tuned after that. That way you'll maximize the performace gains from the full exhaust after they balance out your air/fuel ratio and other things. Plus the stall will also benefit from a good tune to maximize its best driving manners and get rid of torque management (which deleting alone can get you .1-.2 seconds off your 1/4 time). So after those things, your tune would be of the best benefit. Your car would feel like a whole new beast.

Oh, and something I forgot to reccomend would be subframe connectors. Every F-body should have come with them and anyone who owns one should buy them fairly soon after getting the car. They stiffen up the chassis a great deal and stop the squeaks, rattles, etc while preventing the quarter panels from eventually developing creases due to the torque. If you plan on doing any autocrossing or such, get the double-diamond style, but otherwise, simple weld-in ones from BMR or a similar company will do just fine. I'd reccomend www.ls1speed.com for them.

As for the price, $10k-13k will get a decent WS6. Especially next fall. I'd bet you'll be able to get a decent 02 WS6 for $13k by then. Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!

 

I'm looking for a 6sp but will take an auto if the price and condition is right.

what i meant about the skip shift I actually meant shift lock out in the 6sp.'s, how if your past a certain rpm/speed in say 1st the tranny will lock out 2nd gear and only allow you to go into 3rd until the rpms come down, or did the fbodies not have that, I know the c5's did.

and as far as the tune goes, cant most the of the handheld tuners adjust the fuel table and everything else from timing to the fan relay? For $400-500 I think its deffinetely worth it, being that instead of reburning a chip with each significant mod I can just punch some keys, well...with some dyno runs along with it. sorry I'm used to working with the shitty 80's ford EEC computers where
I just twisted the dist. and the FPRR a little. The only elec. i ever did @ chevy was pulling codes, or repairing wires on cavaliers.

 

LS1's do not have chips...and get a '99 up..the 98 computer is a little different...Look for a '01 or '02 preferably...newer and already have the LS6 intake manifold.....

 

yeah the skip shift actually makes you go to 4th i believe, but anyway all you need to do to delete that is unplug it and stick a .50 cent resistor in the plug and leave it unplugged

it can also be programmed off if you get the car tuned

 

As far as your price range goes, shop around and be willing to drive a little and you can get a good deal. I know I probably got lucky but I found a loaded black on black 02 Z-28 for $13500.00 with 52K miles. Had to drive about 150 miles to get it

 

Actually the ship-shift goes 1st to 4th ....at rpm's under 2000??? and only part throttle.....I think i am right..its been 7 years since i got rid of it...

 

thats cags, acourding to my tuner and yeah it goes from 1st to 4th but with my car if i go above a certain rpm it would go off, not going to high. its to save gas i beleive. so going higher your wasting gas anyway. yadda yadda. i took mine off with slp tuner. but it didnt even bother me, because if i was going slow enough to were it came on, i was trying to save gas anyway and shifted first 4th then 6th.

 

chip... i meant an ecu reflash/tune...whatever.

i didnt know the 01's+ had an ls6 manifold, huh. Are the heads at all different? What is the base HP rated at in the 01's vs the previous? It'll all come down to what i can find and afford.

what gears are reccomended for the best trap speeds in 4th(still streetable, even with the 6th gear i dont want larger than 4.10's cuz i'm afraid anything, even at that will produce nothing but wheelspin and a waaayyy to short gear in 1st and 2nd). I know in my 5.0 the switch from 2.73 to 3.73 made a world of difference but 1st was barely usable and 2nd was short with the t5. I could spin half way through 3rd with only boltons but I had street tires. granted the susp. was an all around setup for drag and autoX

I'm leaning more toward a drag setup, but still want stick. The 4.10s would be cool with the 2nd OD and all but I dont want all the forward gears to keep me non stop shifting or winding out the tach on the street. I know the LS1 has plenty of torque to start out comfortably in 2nd but i'm not sure on the gears.

 

ok 01 and on had a +5hp rating ls6 intake but a weaker cam. heads = same i beleive... rear = your better upgrading if you plan to use and abuse. 12 bolt, s 60, ford 9 inch. for ratio's dunno wich would suit you best. in my 84 t5 z the only gear i could keep from spining at the strip was 5th.. unless i lett off the gas. stock ratio rear too... idk about everyone else but i think ls1's with small mods have plenty of traction if your easy with the clutch.. i got 285's out back it helped alot with the traction.