This summer I will be getting somewhere around $5k from working that I would like to spend on my car. I go to Purdue and I'm in a car club with quite a few other LS1 F-bodies in it. All of the faster ones are cam only cars, and so far the quickest runs an 11.8 (I think he is going for 11.5 next time). I would like to get my car to be as fast as their's, but I want to do something different. With the giant cams they have their driveablility has suffered a lot I think. I would like to keep mine from doing that since my car is still so nice as it is. I would like to keep driveablility very good.

I was thinking about going with a milds head/cam package this summer in order to do that.

My first plan was to go with a cam that isn't huge, like a TR228 or something, and with some heads. I was hoping that would put me in a similar range of power to those other guys, but since it is a much smaller cam it would be much easier to drive. I didn't really know what to do for heads for this though; I haven't looked in to them very much yet.

The thought I had just a little while ago though, was creating a sleeper. I actually like this idea a lot for some reason. Something very different from the rest in my club (they are all so loud you have to yell standing next to them at idle and stuff, and huge lopes, etc.) Someday I would like to go with a supercharger of some sort, so i was looking at cams that work well with that, and noticed that a lot of people use the Z06 cam, which would have a stock sounding idle. That is what got me thinking. I just had duals put on, and they tuck up very nice so you can hardly see them, good for a sleeper. While idling in gear you can literally hardly hear them, also good. I don't have any tips on there yet, and they are 2.5" pipes, so i could put the stock tips back on there.... good again. Then it would just come down to getting a head/cam setup that would make good power but sound stock at idle. I was looking at the CheaTR cam/head package that thunder racing has, but i don't know what kind of power it makes with full bolt-ons (they tested it with the stock exhaust). I also don't know anything about those heads and if they are worth it. If I were to go this route what would be the best heads/cam combo to give me the most power possible? I would have a Yank SS3600 under there also to help it out, so I need to match it to that.

Anyway, what do you think of the sleeper idea? What would you suggest? And what would you think I would be able to run with a setup like this? Would I be able to keep up with the other guys?

Thanks!

 

My TR224 cam idles like stock, most people don't know it has a cam in it...so I think you could go with something bigger than LS6 cam and heads and still be somewhat sleeperish.

 

Im an A4 with aTr224/112 cam and TSP stage 2.5 5.3l heads and ported fast 90 and put down 417rwhp 407rwt.Power comes on low and quick,and i dont have to spin it that high,in others words i still have alot of low end tourque. I surprise alot of people taht have bigger cams

 

How would a TR228 sound idling? I would be getting a street tune by a guy who is a really good tuner, so it would be about as good as I could get.

Are those good heads? The package at TSP is only $1660. I just don't know about the heads though. What kind of effect does the 5.3 have vs. say PRC LS6 CNC ported heads or AFR 205 heads?

 

Ok, well I've been looking around at different packages I could get. Which of these would make the most power, but still be very driveable?

$1900 - Speed Inc. - Patriot CNC Stage 2 Ported Heads (LS6 59cc or 64cc) and probably a 224/224 .581/.581 114 cam

$1650 - Texas Speed - PRC 5.3L Stage 2.5 Cylinder Heads and a 224R or 228R cam

$2560 - Thunder Racing - AFR 205 cylinder heads with their "CheaTR" cam (214/230 .601/.578 117)


Those are the ones I have found so far. If you have any other suggestions let me know. I don't really have to buy them as a package like that, it was just the easiest for me and also I figured it would be a little cheaper than buying them indivually. If you know a cam and heads that would work a lot better for what I want though I will definitely buy them separately.

 

JUST MY .02 but tsp ftw

 

I didnt know there was a such thing as a Sleeper Trans AM!!

 

I don't know why it bothers me so much for my engine to be lowered to 5.3l but it does... lol. Is there realy any negative effect from it?

 

Sleeper only in that it would seem to be stock .

 

Putting 5.3 heads does not make your engine a 5.3...that is determined by the cylinder bore and stroke and # of cylinders. A lot of people like the 5.3 heads though. I personally am going with the AFR 205's and a custom cam.

If you have the money, I think the AFR/TFS heads are well worth it, they seem to have repeatable results, as far as cam I think any duration <230 can be tuned to sound and drive almost like stock until you get in it...

 

I'd go with the AFR's. Those and Patrick G's torque cam (223/227 110 on LSK lobes, i think he mentioned that an xer 228/232 has the same valve events with slightly less lift). It should easily make more power than your friends cam only cars with a lot more power under the curve. It won't sound very sleeperish though.

 

I suppose I would need to build my tranny and get a 12 bolt... Maybe $5000 won't cover this... lol

$800 - converter and things for it
$500 - drag radials
$1700 - tranny rebuild
$2400 - 12 bolt

That leaves me negative already. lol

 

Don't worry about the tranny until it goes. Just don't be power shifting it all the time and it will hold up for a while. Just treat it nice and you'll be fine. Mine's doing quite well for being stock.

You should be able to do this for 5k if you shop right and look for some deals. You can pick up a 12 bolt for under 2k if you have some patience. Start looking in the 4 sale section for everything.

 

I have 5.3 heads from TSP and an MS3....however I am changin set ups...

I think you should get some AFR 205's right out of the box, and a 224/224 on a 114....the 228 cam will chop a lot more than the 224...hell you can nmake a 224 cam chop...sooo
that's sleeper as hell and you'll make such great power....then throw a 50-75 shot on there to REALLY stick it up those other guy's asses lolol...

Erik

 

Ok, well thats good to know. That's what my dad said too, "why not just run the transmission until it starts to go if they are going to replace parts and build it stronger anyway?" I don't hardly ever touch the shifter except in two cases. First, if I need it to stay in first as I'm going around a corner, but then I put it up into drive as soon as I hit the gas after I've gone around the corner. The second time I do that is downshifting coming up to a stop, but i don't do that very often anymore because it seems like it would be hard on something in there.

Ok, so no tranny rebuild. I'll say $2k for the rear end if I can find it for that. I'll install the converter myself, so that will stay at about $800 for that, plus maybe $500 for tires. So thats about $3300. That leaves me with $1700 for heads/cam. Looks like the TSP package to me...

What kind of power/times do you think I would get out of the PRC 5.3l stage 2.5 heads with a 224R or 228R? I would have a 3600 stall, some drag radials, and supporting bolt-ons too.

Edit: Now that I think about it, would I be better of waiting on the heads so I can get the AFR 205s? If I did that then I could get the cam only now, and use the money that would have been spent on the heads on suspension stuff. Would i be able to make it almost as fast as the heads by putting that money into some good suspension parts?

 

I am a huge fan of the AFR 205s. My setup in your car, with the correct stall and tires, would be good for 10s, at least low 11s, and thats on just motor. Add juice and you'll be really smoking their asses!

I say leave the trans and rear alone for now if it's not your only car. My previous car (a4) went 11.20s@120 on the stock trans and rear. The a4s are alot friendlier on parts.

 

you mean 150 shot and grind them into the tarmac...

 

I would love to run low 11's. That would be quite a bit faster than anyone else in the club . Anybody at all that i know of. There is a mustang that runs 11.8s also, but he and the camaro are the two fastest. Then a camaro that runs 11.9s, and some other ones just a tad slower than that.

When you say "supporting bolt ons" on that car what do you mean? Do you have a 90/90 setup? Or is it it a ported stock tb/ls6? I listened to that idle clip of yours and it doesn't sound bad at all. I actually like the sound of that. Not too choppy. I know I wouldn't make quite the power that you do because of the a4, but with a stall and tires it should move pretty fast . I can't decide what to do...

If I go with the AFR 205's now, I don't have enough for the rest of the stuff i need. If I go with the lesser heads I will wish I hadn't later on, and if I go cam only until next year or something I will be slower this year, but have more suspension upgrades...

 

haha yes sir...

 

Don't worry about the rear, they last a long time behind A4's.

If you wanna make sick power all around mimic the setup that BriancWS6 has. It's a proven way to make sick torque with the AFR's. The only thing i'd to different is tweak the cam a little. There might be a little more torque to be had down low.