How many have de-modded or considering?
Originally Posted by SS125
It's been real interesting reading all of the posts in this thread. I've had this car since 2001, figure I've put $15k or better in the car, actually paid the car off, and just keep spending money on it. But this past summer, I barely drove the car. Not that I didn't want to drive the car, it just becomes a hassle with the smell, the noise, the chatter of the clutch, the noise from the valvetrain, the car won't idle down at stoplights. Honestly, (and I would never tell my wife this, I've secretly thought of selling it, but I won't). I'm a CPA and I used to drive it to clients offices. I learned that if people aren't gearheads, they don't get it at all and I'm sure they ask if this old man who does their accounting and tax work is ever going to grow up. So, I just don't drive it to clients anymore. For primarily that reason, the car sat in the garage during the summer. Wife hates the car cause of the noise and smell. But, I go out in the garage, look at it, keep putting more money into it, race it occasionally, go to the car shows here in town or the Dream Cruise every year and I love it. Don't know that I would spend alot more money for different heads or cam cause I found out the tuning for these is a pain in the ***. Mine runs good now with the occasional buck or jerk. I can understand why a lot of you are going back to stock just to enjoy the car. I remember when it was new and I just started pouring money into it. It was fun, but it lost its daily drivability. So now I drive it on a weekend now and then, otherwise it's just a garage queen.
Originally Posted by Byter
My first mods were a nice little H/C package that included ported LS1 heads and a 212/216 Lunati cam. It made around 360 rwhp/rwtq. I loved the way it drove but, of course, I always wanted more (in boating, this is called "2 foot disease"). Well a ticking started and got louder, upon inspection, the cam was chewed up. I went with the AFR 205, 224/228 114 setup.
After I installed that, I was suprised that the valvetrain noise continued. At this point, I tried 3 different kinds of rockers, but no help. I firgured the chewed up cam must have put shavings into the rod bearings, so I had a used LS6 shortblock installed, with the same AFR setup. Surprise again, still a lot of valvetrain noise.
Figuring, the XER lobes of the cam were making the noise, I went with a VHP 228/232 112 cam with only .551 lift, but used 1.8 roller rockers. Still valvetrain noise. Next, I went back to the 224/228 (because I didn't like the 112 LSA) but installed Morel lifters. Still valvetrain noise.
I realize now, the valvetrain noise is the nature of the beast, but I can't take it anymore. I just can't. Next up, I'm going back to a Lunati (55003) cam that has a much less agressive lobe and lift (but I may reuse the 1.8 rockers again). I know I'll be giving up about 40 rwhp/rwtq but it sucks driving around hating how your car sounds.
My guess is that I've spent close to $15,000 in all this. On the good side though, I've blown a lot of challengers away on the road, learned how to rebuild an engine, and have a lot of cool tools!
After I installed that, I was suprised that the valvetrain noise continued. At this point, I tried 3 different kinds of rockers, but no help. I firgured the chewed up cam must have put shavings into the rod bearings, so I had a used LS6 shortblock installed, with the same AFR setup. Surprise again, still a lot of valvetrain noise.
Figuring, the XER lobes of the cam were making the noise, I went with a VHP 228/232 112 cam with only .551 lift, but used 1.8 roller rockers. Still valvetrain noise. Next, I went back to the 224/228 (because I didn't like the 112 LSA) but installed Morel lifters. Still valvetrain noise.
I realize now, the valvetrain noise is the nature of the beast, but I can't take it anymore. I just can't. Next up, I'm going back to a Lunati (55003) cam that has a much less agressive lobe and lift (but I may reuse the 1.8 rockers again). I know I'll be giving up about 40 rwhp/rwtq but it sucks driving around hating how your car sounds.
My guess is that I've spent close to $15,000 in all this. On the good side though, I've blown a lot of challengers away on the road, learned how to rebuild an engine, and have a lot of cool tools!
You would have hated to old days where we were all running solid lifter cams and they sounded like typewriters...I love that sound...but I am old school..a 1970 Corvette with the LT1 (350 cu. in. 370 HP) motor idleing is music to my ears..or any of the old fuel injected 327s with solids lifters made the same sounds .. nice lope and the lifters making that noise is one of my favorite tunes..
Originally Posted by slt200mph
You would have hated to old days where we were all running solid lifter cams and they sounded like typewriters...I love that sound...but I am old school..a 1970 Corvette with the LT1 (350 cu. in. 370 HP) motor idleing is music to my ears..or any of the old fuel injected 327s with solids lifters made the same sounds .. nice lope and the lifters making that noise is one of my favorite tunes..
one of my old toys was a 70 roadrunner with a built 440 big block with a big solid roller cam.. god I loved listenin to that car, and well.. driving an old car that like that went 10.56s in the 1/4 was awful fun.
I LOVE the sound of a big ole cam thumpin away, open headers or full exhaust... my old man is almost 60 now and he STILL loves it, has 496 ci big block in his 71 duster SICK.
Originally Posted by AJay
Seems to me that a milder Cam and a set of Cats would give you your enjoyment back. Whaddaya waitin for?
Launching!
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I'll throw in my $.02 here. I've had cars in the past that were loud and fast. They were fun to drive no doubt, but as others have said, they stink, vibrate etc. That was good for me when I was younger but now that I'm in my mid 30's refined is the word of the day for me. A Corvette would be great but I can no longer fold myself up into one and a Goat would be good too but I cant afford another play toy with a family to support. My LPE SS is the perfect DD combo in power and reliability IMO. Mild cam and head work, quiet exhaust set up, etc. Standing next to it at idle you wouldn't know it was a H/C car at close to 400rwhp (at sea level). It drive's great, has good power throughout the power band, no driveability problems. I've learned my lesson, if I want to enjoy the car as a DD, don't go overboard with the mods and pick a good reliable and tested performance parts combination and tune.
I remember before I got my car I had plans for a HUGE Cam, a HUGE Stall, Pretty much open headers and what not. Than I realized that even his LM1 catback was annoying as hell on a 3 hours highway trip. Now I want a milder cam a smaller stall and a cutout set up.
Originally Posted by ls1muscle
Yup, there's no way I would want to drive my car with heads + cam everyday. It would definately be annoying to start the car up every day and shake the ground and set off car alarms from the cam thumping, have that lovely smell of dumped duals to wake you up in the morning, drive down your neighborhood street and all the squirels run for their life, everybody knows billy bad *** is leaving the house.
That's why I bought another car for my regular everyday things around town where I don't want to disturb the peace
That's why I bought another car for my regular everyday things around town where I don't want to disturb the peace
Without fail, the rattles, stiff susp. and constant drum of a powerhouse motor breathing through remotely street leagal exhaust system will fade or, at a minimum, become less concerning when the thrust from the tires meeting the pavement slams you to the back of the seat and the burst of loud exhaust noise fills your soul as the peddal slams to the floor. Some would recon it to that of favorite ride at the fair .. fast and furious indeed.
To some us, it's our chance to champion a heritage nearly lost. A heritage of GM muscle ... American muscle! Abandoned by our youth for foriegn ... "zing". It's a "wake up call" when our cousin and life long nemisis, the Mustang has become a sight for sore eyes along the highway. In order to "represent" where it counts .. bring your modded F-Body, bring the THUNDER .. bring the best!
If a quiet ride down the highway is what you want ... I would HIGHLY recomend the Grand Prix ... very nice ride
De-mod .. NEVER!!
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I guess I'm the exception to the rule here. My 02 ss M6 was quick to me when I first got it but got old after about 6 mos. After owning the car for a year now, its got UMI susp, Dart 225's and a 228/230 w/xer's, 1.75 rollers, button disk clutch, ! cats, and rhodes hydraulic roller lifters. Yes it stinks, vibrates, chatters at times, and with the UMI parts, sounds like a car accident when it bucks, but it shure is a blast to drive. I'd never trade it for the way it was before, never. Oh and BTW, the rhodes lifters sound just like solids.
Originally Posted by AaronR
This thread makes me sad!!
Originally Posted by slt200mph
You would have hated to old days where we were all running solid lifter cams and they sounded like typewriters...I love that sound...but I am old school..a 1970 Corvette with the LT1 (350 cu. in. 370 HP) motor idleing is music to my ears..or any of the old fuel injected 327s with solids lifters made the same sounds .. nice lope and the lifters making that noise is one of my favorite tunes..
No reason to be sad about this thread. We all have our own idea of what level of performance we want to reach with our cars. We all have our threshold of how much we want to put up with with it comes to drivability issues too. For the most part you are looking at giving up only a few peak HP for a easier car to live with. Most people do not realize that the muscle that you make under the curve is the more important when you live on the street and not at the drag strip..I love the way that a car with a big cam sounds at idle and the whole bad *** image that it puts out. But there is much to be said about a sleeper too .. 
.. If we all the same it sure would be a dull world .. 
.. If we all the same it sure would be a dull world .. Last edited by slt200mph; Dec 26, 2006 at 11:04 AM.
if you can round up the cash, TURBO is the answer if you want a totally stock driving/sounding car making great power.
I had a forged bottom end built so I could run the big boost but kept the stock cam, stock heads, ls6 intake & TB. I ran a 4" catback with a magnaflow muffler. it was so close to driving a bone stock WS6 but then hit the gas and the car would pull till next week. it was great driving 2 hours home from GMR and I didnt get a headache and my ears werent bleeding.
I had a forged bottom end built so I could run the big boost but kept the stock cam, stock heads, ls6 intake & TB. I ran a 4" catback with a magnaflow muffler. it was so close to driving a bone stock WS6 but then hit the gas and the car would pull till next week. it was great driving 2 hours home from GMR and I didnt get a headache and my ears werent bleeding.
Originally Posted by slt200mph
No reason to be sad about this thread. We all have our own idea of what level of performance we want to reach with our cars. We all have our threshold of how much we want to put up with with it comes to drivability issues too. For the most part you are looking at giving up only a few peak HP for a easier car to live with. I love the way that a car with a big cam sounds at idle and the whole bas *** image that it puts out. But there is much to be said about a sleeper too .. .. If we all the same it sure would be a dull world ..
.. If we all the same it sure would be a dull world .. Bill
Happy Holidays Bill..!!! 
i agree with all you guys. my car is a daily driver. it never ever sees the track, and it never will. i never dog my car either. i would like to do a nice sick h/c/stall setup for the street. dont get me wrong, i do want a powerful setup. but like you all said.. " not over done, over cammed"...i would like it nice and pleasant. ive listend to what everybody says, bigger isnt always better, and go big or go home. i guess its those quotes that makes newbies and stuff like that make it hard to go with a cam. for example a 224 cam is the best all around cam. but everybody tells them to go bigger. i would like to make over 400+ rwhp though for sure. but my goal is to get all the things i want done to my car before it hits like 50k miles, and then just keep it in the garage. i dont care for hitting 10's or anything since its never gonna see the track. and something that i think is always gonna be true is "NO MATTER HOW FAST U THINK YUR CAR IS, THERES ALWAYS ON FASTER."
Hey, I partially retract my "BIG CAM IS TOO MUCH" comment. I just found all 4 of the bolts on my Nick Williams TB were loose and 2 bolts backed off completely. The TB was rattling around letting in air. I tightened them down and BLAMO, car runs like a dream, doesn't surge, and idles great!! When you mod the headaches are common and can be severe, but when it all comes together, its worth it! Man my car ran great today. 238/242 cam on a 113, no idle issues, no chatter from the clutch.