The ALL Florida Online Corvette Club - View Single Post

Gannet · 01-19-2007, 08:44 PM

Ok, so now I got most of the whining out of my system. All true, though, so think hard.

Before we can talk about your mods, we have to talk about what your goals are. Do you want all upsides, and no downsides (other than expense)? Do you want to keep that smooth, sophisticated, reliable, rattle-free car? Or do you want to start down the road to Hot Rod? The first is hard, and sets pretty strict limits to what you can do. It requires thought, and restraint. The second is easy, limited only by money, and can be done by anyone. Kids do it every day. Let's call them Plan A and B, respectively.

All that aside, what about your proposed mods? Well, as I said before, a catback is a no-brainer, and again I recommend a Corsa for you. I think they best meet your requirements.

CAI? Mostly a waste of time. Ok for Plan B, not needed or particularly wanted for Plan A. Yes, everybody does them but I am far from convinced they do much. The factory system is excellent. It is slightly restricted due to noise regulations, but some judiciously drilled holes will fix that and make it pretty much as good as any aftermarket system. I doubt there is any aftermarket system short of a full ram-air (like a Vararam) that will make more than 2-3 rwhp over a drilled stocker. If you do decide you want a CAI, the Honker is probably the best, all things considered.. They all "work", most are just tacky-looking as all get out, imnsho (I'm stuck-up, I don't like taillight louvers either).

The Honker works maybe a little better than average and looks the least cheap and tacky, which is why I bought it. I would not do this mod again. Not close to worth $650, installed. I should have bought a used factory Z06 deal for $25 and drilled it. I don't think C6s have that option. Buy this for the eye-appeal if you want it.

Headers? Required for Plan B, ok for Plan A, so long as you buy good ones. American Racing are the current hot deal. Very, very well-made. Exotic sound. Expensive. I haven't had any trouble with mine such as loosening or leaks. The catback did move around a little so I took it back after a couple weeks and had things adjusted and tightened. This is a "good" mod so far as either Plan goes, and has the most bang of all those you listed, but the gain is still quite mild for what it costs. You're going to probably spend most of $2k, and gain 15-20 rwhp. $100/rwhp plus other downsides such as noise, tuning issues, etc. Up to you.

Plugs & wires? Complete waste of time and $$$. Most replacements are inferior to factory imnsho.

Thermostat? Well, this needs more than just the thermostat to do anything. There's no real horsepower in it , but if you can keep the engine from getting *hot* in traffic you can maybe avoid detonation and hence spark retard, and there is horsepower in that. I put some effort into this one because my first dyno run was on a hot day, had spark retard, and only made 285 rwhp. Eeek! On the other hand, these engines don't run well or make good power if they are run too cold (imo). They ain't smallblock Chebbies.

The car used to run 200-210 when well-cooled, and would sometimes hit as high as 235 in traffic in midsummer. My goals with the mods were to keep it between 180 and 90 all the time, even in adverse conditions. I have achieved that. Here's what we did: Hypertech 180 thermostat (tested on stove), reprogram fans (required for the t-stat change to have any effect), change to 20% Dexcool, 80% distilled water, add 1 bottle Water Wetter. It now runs a steady 182-192 at ALL times. It's actually cooler at the end of a 1/4 mile run than at the start. I'm well-pleased with how this turned out.

Throttle body? Complete waste of money for you. You already have pretty much the best one available.

Tune? I wouldn't get it until you need it. Mine had good and bad sides. Look at it this way: GM invested hundreds or thousands of hours tweaking the car just "so". Your tuner has maybe an hour. Yes, he will get you another 5-10 rwhp, but overall the tune will likely be a little less "polished" It's inevitable...unless you want to pay him for a whole lot of hours.

So that's what I think. If you want to go Plan B and build a Hot Rod, ignore much of this and just go start down the path the same way everyone else does. For Plan A, think hard and plan carefully. Your basic plan can work well, but there will be some bumps along the way, and when its done it will *not* be your stock car plus more power. It'll be your car plus more power plus various niggly bs.

Oh, and we haven't even talked about warranty. Pretty much any mod you can see can give the dealer reason to hassle you over the warranty. Maybe talk to the service manager first and feel him out. Ask at the club about others who are using the same dealer.

If what you want is much more power with the least amount of downsides, buy an LS7 engine and have it installed.

So, now that I've written all that mostly-gloom, am I unhappy I modded my car? No, but then I knew I was heading for Hot Rod. Hot rods are a pita. So, even though I love my hot rod, and I'm having more fun than I ever had with a car before, and I can't stop driving it...I'm also looking somewhat wistfully back over my shoulder at what it was, and has now been lost.

If you read all that, thanks. Good luck!

01-19-2007, 08:44 PM	#4
Gannet Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sarasota Posts: 504 Name :	Ok, so now I got most of the whining out of my system. All true, though, so think hard. Before we can talk about your mods, we have to talk about what your goals are. Do you want all upsides, and no downsides (other than expense)? Do you want to keep that smooth, sophisticated, reliable, rattle-free car? Or do you want to start down the road to Hot Rod? The first is hard, and sets pretty strict limits to what you can do. It requires thought, and restraint. The second is easy, limited only by money, and can be done by anyone. Kids do it every day. Let's call them Plan A and B, respectively. All that aside, what about your proposed mods? Well, as I said before, a catback is a no-brainer, and again I recommend a Corsa for you. I think they best meet your requirements. CAI? Mostly a waste of time. Ok for Plan B, not needed or particularly wanted for Plan A. Yes, everybody does them but I am far from convinced they do much. The factory system is excellent. It is slightly restricted due to noise regulations, but some judiciously drilled holes will fix that and make it pretty much as good as any aftermarket system. I doubt there is any aftermarket system short of a full ram-air (like a Vararam) that will make more than 2-3 rwhp over a drilled stocker. If you do decide you want a CAI, the Honker is probably the best, all things considered.. They all "work", most are just tacky-looking as all get out, imnsho (I'm stuck-up, I don't like taillight louvers either). The Honker works maybe a little better than average and looks the least cheap and tacky, which is why I bought it. I would not do this mod again. Not close to worth $650, installed. I should have bought a used factory Z06 deal for $25 and drilled it. I don't think C6s have that option. Buy this for the eye-appeal if you want it. Headers? Required for Plan B, ok for Plan A, so long as you buy good ones. American Racing are the current hot deal. Very, very well-made. Exotic sound. Expensive. I haven't had any trouble with mine such as loosening or leaks. The catback did move around a little so I took it back after a couple weeks and had things adjusted and tightened. This is a "good" mod so far as either Plan goes, and has the most bang of all those you listed, but the gain is still quite mild for what it costs. You're going to probably spend most of $2k, and gain 15-20 rwhp. $100/rwhp plus other downsides such as noise, tuning issues, etc. Up to you. Plugs & wires? Complete waste of time and $$$. Most replacements are inferior to factory imnsho. Thermostat? Well, this needs more than just the thermostat to do anything. There's no real horsepower in it , but if you can keep the engine from getting hot in traffic you can maybe avoid detonation and hence spark retard, and there is horsepower in that. I put some effort into this one because my first dyno run was on a hot day, had spark retard, and only made 285 rwhp. Eeek! On the other hand, these engines don't run well or make good power if they are run too cold (imo). They ain't smallblock Chebbies. The car used to run 200-210 when well-cooled, and would sometimes hit as high as 235 in traffic in midsummer. My goals with the mods were to keep it between 180 and 90 all the time, even in adverse conditions. I have achieved that. Here's what we did: Hypertech 180 thermostat (tested on stove), reprogram fans (required for the t-stat change to have any effect), change to 20% Dexcool, 80% distilled water, add 1 bottle Water Wetter. It now runs a steady 182-192 at ALL times. It's actually cooler at the end of a 1/4 mile run than at the start. I'm well-pleased with how this turned out. Throttle body? Complete waste of money for you. You already have pretty much the best one available. Tune? I wouldn't get it until you need it. Mine had good and bad sides. Look at it this way: GM invested hundreds or thousands of hours tweaking the car just "so". Your tuner has maybe an hour. Yes, he will get you another 5-10 rwhp, but overall the tune will likely be a little less "polished" It's inevitable...unless you want to pay him for a whole lot of hours. So that's what I think. If you want to go Plan B and build a Hot Rod, ignore much of this and just go start down the path the same way everyone else does. For Plan A, think hard and plan carefully. Your basic plan can work well, but there will be some bumps along the way, and when its done it will not be your stock car plus more power. It'll be your car plus more power plus various niggly bs. Oh, and we haven't even talked about warranty. Pretty much any mod you can see can give the dealer reason to hassle you over the warranty. Maybe talk to the service manager first and feel him out. Ask at the club about others who are using the same dealer. If what you want is much more power with the least amount of downsides, buy an LS7 engine and have it installed. So, now that I've written all that mostly-gloom, am I unhappy I modded my car? No, but then I knew I was heading for Hot Rod. Hot rods are a pita. So, even though I love my hot rod, and I'm having more fun than I ever had with a car before, and I can't stop driving it...I'm also looking somewhat wistfully back over my shoulder at what it was, and has now been lost. If you read all that, thanks. Good luck!