So my attempts at staying "retired" from cars may be ending......I have spent the last few nights poking around but what the heck, i'll ask directly and maybe help guide my "research". The project would be the fact that my dad is offering me his 240,000 mile '99 C5 (manual) for well.....free (just need to go and get it). Texas car, rarely has spent significant time outside parked and always been taken care of. Cosmetically this car really shows better than most cars that are less than a year old. It was his daily driver since new until recently when he got a new car.

My dad says if not careful shifting quickly into a couple of gears will grind a bit and well it's got 240k miles (stock clutch). It did get a brand new differential a couple years ago.

I'm a capable DIY type that would do all of the wrenching myself.

What I would want to plan to do is pull engine/tranny and rebuild and "upgrade" to say something in the 450 rwhp range (125 trap speed sounds like a nice target). Rebuild tranny, new clutch, rebuild short block into something close to stock maybe just new rods/pistons and keep stock crank assuming everything is ok. Ported heads, cam, headers. No boost, no nitrous, none of that just a fun street occasional strip car that can get out of its own way.

Now the questions.....keeping budget in mind (all the above already starts to really add up by itself) what is the most reasonable way there? Looking at Texas Speed's website seems like the sky is the limit ($$$). Ported LS6 heads or "as cast" 225 heads? Once you put springs on the ported LS6 they only seem a couple hundred at most cheaper. Can a stock intake work or LS6 or how far does one have to go there? How radical of a cam is "needed"? TSP long tubes I assume are good? Not stuck on TSP, could be from anywhere. Or put another way, what's the cheapest way to 450rwhp (without nitrous)? And would 425rwhp or something like that substantially less costly? Or is higher possible "easily"? I'm really wanting to get a pretty decent idea what i'm in for before starting because I know things can pile on quickly. If the numbers too large I just won't do it. If I can stomach it, then I likely will. Other smart things to think about doing while at it?

Thanks

 

The money pit begins, lol. If it were my car and I had a budget to keep in mind, I would get the stock heads ported and keep the stock intake manifold. Then I would pick up a nice cam to match. There are many options out there, but something like a 23x/23x 0.6xx/0.6xx 112. I have never used TSP stuff so I don't know anything about them. When I had my FRC I installed Kooks headers and y-pipe. They were pricey, but they are a thing of beauty and the fitment was on point. With a good cold air intake you should be in the low 400s rwhp. Every 10 or so hp after that will cost $$$ as in aftermarket heads and FAST intake manifold.

 

My iroc did 431 rwhp with the mods in my sig. Fast intake, and a bigger cam would have probably gotten me closer to 450 wheel. The FAST intake imo isn't worth it. I would just go similar to what I have with a slightly bigger cam and be happy. I really like the 228 cam and I drive it all over the place!

 

What about a used supercharger? More than you want to spend?

 

Ls6 intake and a mild heads/cam with full exhaust and you should trap around 125mph

 

Ok so this may be not totally un-reasonable (not sure if this is what I want to actually hear or not ��). Thanks for the responses.

I’m sure blowers have come a long way, but my past experience (been out of the car world for 10+ years) hasn’t been all roses and fun. Simpler the better and heads/cam/exhaust is pretty “simple”.

So heads, cam, headers, LS6 manifold (obviously tuning will have to happen). I’m sure just due to mileage I would replace things like lifters and oil pump for sure when doing to bottom end. What about things like rockers? Are stock ok? Fuel system stock can handle it short of if anything were being replaced due to age? I also imagine water pump, alternator and things of the like I would probably think about doing when apart. Airbox mods and back half of the exhaust “needed” on a C5? I’d prefer not to mess with the back end of the exhaust just to make it louder, only if you really need it for performance and constrict it too much without doing it.

Thanks for the responses.

 

Stock rockers will work and you can swap out the needle bearings for a trunion upgrade for peace of mind. I would swap out the fuel pump if you are changing out older parts for security. The stock injectors should work, but you could go with new larger injectors, especially if you have future mod changes in mind that will up your hp.

 

There isn't really a super "budget" minded recipe for 450rwhp. Especially if you're adding new rods/pistons/bearings. (Well... depending on what you consider to be budget lol)

Keep in mind as well that at that power you'll have to upgrade injectors, and with 240k on the clock a new fuel pump probably wouldn't hurt either.

If you can swing it, Tony Mamo has a set of sportsman heads that are a little more budget minded then his MMS stuff, and they flow really well.

 

Yes I agree budget is a funny term. I guess I should say good bang for the buck as the power gains start to cost more and more for less and less gain. I’d like to get the biggest bite I can without going high end everything large displacement, forged everything, etc...

 

Bosch white gtp 36 lb. injectors are a good budget injector. I run them on my H/C/I setup in my sig.
Set of 8 for around $100

 

I'm running the same injectors. There's a guy on ebay that sells cleaned and flow-matched ones for around 100. (Cayenne I think you're the one that sent me that link lol)

450whp isn't hard, and can be done without breaking the bank (and for sure on stock displacement), but it'll need a medium-ish budget.

Untouched aftermarket heads can get you there. The better the heads you run the less cam you need, so if you can swing a ported head you'll be that much better off. I'd have the heads milled to bump compression.

Underdrive pulley
Definitely want to go trunion upgrade if you stick with stock rockers
I would advise better than LS7 lifters, morels are a great choice
Custom pushrods
Cam in the high 20's/mid 30's should get you there. FTI Hellraiser is a good choice.

Don't forget a clutch. Stock one won't hold up to that kind of power for long.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I think the plan is, if I do this which is seeming more likely, pull engine/tranny and rebuild shortblock (hopefully just hone if possible and new rods/pistons new bearings) and tranny. New clutch with lighter flywheel, replace fuel pump and then heads, cam, headers, LS6 intake, sounds like probably injectors. Timing chain, oil pump, lifters as part of engine build. The bearing upgrade on rockers. Tune will be required. Complete rear diff and A/C are both at most 3 years old. Likely replace waterpump because I don't believe that has been done and if it's all apart may as well.

Heads/cam - $2200 (PRC 2.5 LS6 and cam plus a little extra to cover at least some of head bolts/head gaskets)
Headers - $800 (TSP long tubes)
Clutch - $1000 (monster stage 2, new slave, lightened flywheel, bolts)
Engine - $2500? ("basic short block" new rods/pistons/bearings/oil pump/timing chain/lifters)
Intake - $350?
Fuel pump/injectors - $350?
Tranny rebuild - $2000
Miscellaneous nickle and dime stuff - $1000

Am I in the ballpark ($10,200 total above) for pretty darn freshened up something in the realm of 450rwhp? Glaring omissions? I'm sure the miscellaneous won't be enough but at least in the ballpark here?

 

Well since it's free I'd sell it to me for $500 bucks and let me worry about the headaches and all the money you will be spending. All the money you could save and invest possible become super rich all because you sold me a $500 corvette. It's a win win!

 

Excellent idea, but no......

Not that this matters any, but i'm not some punk kid that's just getting free stuff from mommy and daddy. I'm over 40, practical, have kids of my own and my parents are in their later 60's. My dad has driven the car for almost 20 years and doesn't feel like even dealing with selling it for what someone will want to "deal" to with 240k miles and would rather just let me have it for free if I want to use it. Or else leave it in his garage and drive it once every week or two just so it doesn't sit and rot.

I am looking to make sure I don't get $10k into this and then realize i'm $10k more suddenly to get it "done".

 

My vote is getting a set of 799/243's, putting $750-$1100 into them with port work, BTR shelf cam stage 2-4 for LS1/2, and fix your clutch issue. You can rebuild your bottom end, but that's a whole new can of worms! Enjoy it!

 

The miles wouldn't scare me, I would get the trans rebuilt and good clutch and tick hydraulics, replace shocks and bushings etc in the suspension, and whatever is left money wise I would put into the engine.

 

Agreed miles wouldn't scare me. You know the history on the car. C5s are not hard to work on and well supported.


I would put a good clutch in it, Tick Hydraulics and replace the couplers and bearings in the torque tube. The new clutch and torque tube internals may fix your grinding issues.

Part #s for the torque tube. RPM and RTK should also have all of the parts but you can come out cheaper sourcing them elsewhere.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...eassembly.html

If you find a good deal on a 01-04 manual torque tube I would upgrade. Get the driveline squared away and then figure out your budget for HP.

If you are on a budget, hang out on corvetteforum and the facebook C5 parts for sale groups, and find the headers used. Z06 Ti mufflers can be found used much cheaper than a new name brand system.

If the motor has good compression, I'm not sure I'd rebuild it.

 

buy a nice top end for your setup currently and slowly work on another motor on the side as a "back up" or when you decide you're ready for more, swap top end over to the new motor!

 

Well that would make the budget WAY better. Yeah I suppose if things seem ok and T56 and LS engines are pretty tough maybe I’ll do just that. Clutch, hydraulics, torque tube...drive some and wait and see on tranny.....head, cam, intake and miscellaneous and then wait and see on engine. That cuts the budget in half. At least definitely spend for now.

I’ll be in DFW (where parents live and car is) 2 weeks from today. I’ll take it for a spin as I haven’t driven it in probably 2 years. Also hit up one of my best friends and primary high school/college friends and main car trouble buddy for his take......side note he has a Lambo Aventador SV, AMG GTR, at most 2 year old non stock “911” turbo.....his comment “this sounds like a boost operation and why the hell only 450rwhp?” Figured he wouldn’t help. Good news is he lives by my parents and if weather good I’ll also drive the 3 mentioned vehicles. So far I’ve only driven his Huracon which was replaced by the Aventador. Yes he’s done VERY good in life....no my budget isn’t like his would be.

 

turbo.