Basic upgrades, experiences?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,067
Likes: 1,722
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Originally Posted by wildman378
Well even if you do research on the later lt1's it talks about how good the stock exhaust flows.
I did all the research years ago. I know it flows well.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Frewsburg NY
Thanks for the great replies!
The car is 3.07 geared (and is also a convertible, like yours, wildman)
Sounds like for now, a Corsa Exhaust and a camber brace are definites. Maybe a Hypertech for the shifting adjustment, but I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find someone within a few hours drive that has a laptop or Hypertech that they would use on the car
(Any takers?
)
The car is 3.07 geared (and is also a convertible, like yours, wildman)
Sounds like for now, a Corsa Exhaust and a camber brace are definites. Maybe a Hypertech for the shifting adjustment, but I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find someone within a few hours drive that has a laptop or Hypertech that they would use on the car
(Any takers?
)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,215
Likes: 45
From: Pomfret, CT
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
For the camber brace go with RD Racing. Dave usually has forum sales for like $160. His customer service is A-1. Product quality is A-1.
Although, and I am probably the ONLY person to ever say this......but....when I put one on my 92 vert, I did not really notice any improvement in handling. Unless, I just don't know what improvement I should have expected.
-Rick
Although, and I am probably the ONLY person to ever say this......but....when I put one on my 92 vert, I did not really notice any improvement in handling. Unless, I just don't know what improvement I should have expected.
-Rick
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,671
Likes: 20
From: Lake Wylie SC
Here is two more choices for you: 1. The B&B catback and 2. muffler eliminators. Both sound awesome if you are after sound with B&B giving better performance. B&B has improved their resonance. Corsa's are very nice, great attention to detail and even the Chevy dealers install them. BUT, to me they are too quiet and only one tip on each muffler gets dirty. 
I too, suggest gears first. I went with R&D's camber-brace and cross-bar (supporting vendor here) on my vert and they made it as firm or firmer than the coupes. I changed my rocker arms to rollers just to reduce the friction. Your real gains will come from cam and head improvements. BTW, how come your Dad is against headers? The ones they have now with the coatings allow your Vette to run cooler, look better and give you much better performance and they last a long time.
I too, suggest gears first. I went with R&D's camber-brace and cross-bar (supporting vendor here) on my vert and they made it as firm or firmer than the coupes. I changed my rocker arms to rollers just to reduce the friction. Your real gains will come from cam and head improvements. BTW, how come your Dad is against headers? The ones they have now with the coatings allow your Vette to run cooler, look better and give you much better performance and they last a long time.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by brent_strong
Thanks for the great replies!
The car is 3.07 geared (and is also a convertible, like yours, wildman)
Sounds like for now, a Corsa Exhaust and a camber brace are definites. Maybe a Hypertech for the shifting adjustment, but I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find someone within a few hours drive that has a laptop or Hypertech that they would use on the car
(Any takers? )
The car is 3.07 geared (and is also a convertible, like yours, wildman)
Sounds like for now, a Corsa Exhaust and a camber brace are definites. Maybe a Hypertech for the shifting adjustment, but I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find someone within a few hours drive that has a laptop or Hypertech that they would use on the car
(Any takers?
)I'm suprised more people don't know about this, but for about $30 B&M makes an electronic shift improver for the 4L60E called the Shift Plus. It hooks into two wires at your PCM and is quite simple to install. It accomplishes the same thing as doing it with a programmer, except it doesn't change your shift points which a programmer can do, not that you need to with a stock engine. It has two settings beyond stock. Firm and VERY firm! Also, flushing your tranny out and installing synthetic Trick Shift will improve shifting too. I've done both of these things to mine and have had perfect transmission performance for about 15,000 miles now whereas before it was sloppy and inconsistent. Definitely as much bang for the buck as you're liable to find.
Last edited by Corvette Kid; Jul 23, 2004 at 12:50 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,287
Likes: 7
From: n/a SC
Maybe you already mentioned it but what do you plan to do with the car? If your like me the stock 3.07 gears are good enough not to worry with a gear swap, unless you are mainly after a 1/4 car. So, since you don't have the 2.59's or 2.73's I would do some mods besides gears..traction is already somewhat of a problem for me with the 3.07s If I put it in D and at a complete stop stomp it with asr off, traction is a big problem.
So if I were to mod a car like ours (95 vert a4 3.07s) I would go with a GM hot cam, head work, headers, catback, remove cat converters, and a forced air induction.
You might expect to do a 12.9 with the mods listed above, maybe even better I've ran a best of 13.2 with mine and it's 100% stock and you said yours is basiclly the same car so you are atleast a mid 13 car all day long.
So if I were to mod a car like ours (95 vert a4 3.07s) I would go with a GM hot cam, head work, headers, catback, remove cat converters, and a forced air induction.
You might expect to do a 12.9 with the mods listed above, maybe even better I've ran a best of 13.2 with mine and it's 100% stock and you said yours is basiclly the same car so you are atleast a mid 13 car all day long.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Frewsburg NY
Its just a fun weekend driver. My dad and I are both motor heads, but in his old age he has lost the desire to do the more intensive mods. I plan on taking the car to some autocrosses after I get into auto-xing with my car.
The main thing he wants right now is a better sounding exhaust. The stock one is too timid, but a Corsa seems to be a nice comprimise, having a mellow cruising tone but opening up when you get on it.
The main thing he wants right now is a better sounding exhaust. The stock one is too timid, but a Corsa seems to be a nice comprimise, having a mellow cruising tone but opening up when you get on it.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
DO NOT rule out computer tuning, A guy off camaroz28.com who is comparable to pcm4less has a website thats www.madz28.com and he does tuning and has had great gains with stock motors. One guy had what your talking about plus headers and made 294 rwhp and I think 330 or so rwtq before tuning and 310rwhp or so and 341 rwtq after. Also if you have the software he can email it to you for 60 bucks, or you can ship him your pcm if you dont mind downtime and have no tuning software for not much more. At the same time he can firm up your shifting in your tranny or do anything you need like make the fans come on sooner so your car doesnt heat up to 230 degrees when you idle for a long time, ANYTHING. 
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,270
Likes: 3
From: Seattle Area WA
If you are thinking auto-x it may be more reason to not do extensive mods. I think stock you can get away with the cat-back and the cut lid. But RR, Heads, Intakes...so forth, I think will bump you out of stock and into high high high $$$ land. (Search for the rules online, it can help guide you in what mods to do and not do)
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,793
Likes: 9
From: VA
Originally Posted by vader86
I dont know where people are getting this idea, its proven that any of them give at least 10hp, even on stock C4s.
Flow and sound go together. Corsa is only quiet because of the internal fly's that come open only at WOT.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,043
Likes: 3
From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
Originally Posted by crheinish
Three words converter, gears, & exhaust. Install a 2800 Vigilante torque converter, 3.73 gears, & longtube headers and you will have a 12 second car that can be driven anywhere.
At any rate, welcome to CF and happy modding!
