Dude, I don't want to drag all this out.... So, I'll go one tidbit... You say you ordered a lowering kit... Why? You can lower the car for free.. and if you want to go lower than the stock bolts, just go down to Lowe's/Home Depot and pick up some longer grade 8 bolts... search this forum and you can get all the info you need to do this...

Personally, I have the Stingers and like them, but you need to look at a plan and stick with it. Not all of these components work as well as another together. Just throwing parts at the car is not a good approach...

 

u r 100% right. i agree. i do have a speed shop that builds everything from street machines to race cars if i need them. they can fix anything i can break. but it is fun to try a few different things now and then. i just mean that i will most likely not buy a part that blew up a friend's car (like a 250 shot of NOS on stock internals), but would be inclined to trust a part that has been on their car under hard use for years with great real world and track results (like a name brand SC, etc). i watched one friend go thru 3 engines and well over $30k on one of his vehicles (Ford Lightning) b4 he got the picture. it looks like u have pretty much the same things on your 03 now that i am doing. magnacharger, intake, x pipe, cat back, lowered, skid plats, a few goodies just for show, etc... the only real difference for now is that i am testing that bassani cat eliminator pipe. if it is junk, i will just order the LG long tube system...

but, please do make any suggestions, as you have installed the SC that is at the top of my list right now! i want to buy the right one and set it up right! junking a bad x pipe is a little different than messing up a SC! thanks.

 

i agree, lets cut this off... this has gone from advice, to a serious shopping buzzkill... i am doing this for fun and a few hundred bucks here and there either way makes no difference to me if it means i get to test ideas on my car. i like the stingers also. they r great. your car sounds set up very well. i hope mine turns out the same. But, i am not throwing parts at my car, i am testing ONE part that is not an everyday item... of coarse i know how to lower a Z, this is not my first car, i have the books and video, and have had many vettes. my shop is installing the really cheap (kit) which IS just those 2 bolts with new bushings, washers and nuts (i do not want to have to go to home depot find my own bolts and reuse the old bushings, etc) then they are lowering the whole car and doing the alignment all at the same time for me, all for what the dealer charges for just a plain alignment. i am sorry, i must just be stupid, the other 40 cars and bikes i built must have been dumb luck, but other than my desire to test out a longer than normal Bassani x pipe for kicks (that i have not seen around) b4 dropping $2K on the LG set up, i have not ordered any odd parts. if the pipe doesn't do what i want i will toss it in a dumpster and order an LG set up the next day. no one i know has tried this pipe on their Z, so i am the test subject. if it fails others will know and benefit at my expense, if it works, the same benefit at my expense. i still can't figure out how or why you think i am "throwing" a jumble of expensive mismatched parts at my car. i only ordered a few simple cheap items, nothing i have coming is other than tried and true name brand parts that are on vettes all over the road. i can't find parts considered untried that i should not be getting? i already know (from talking to the reps/techs) that i will not need the power tuner when i install the new software with the SC, etc... I don’t care, I knew this b4 I ordered it. if you think i have ordered or grouped any odd parts or brands you dislike together i am sorry, but you will really get a much bigger kick out of the overpriced kits, crap and high dollar makeovers for mediocre gains that you will find listed on some other threads and in the car mag articles. look at $30 f'n grand to add 9/10ths of a sec to a vette’s qtr mile and lose g's on turns in the august motortrend... these are the people that need to be harassed about wasting money... i have not spent s**t on my car yet and u r killing my buzz from ordering a few little fun parts to hold off my boredom. man, u would think i ordered a supra turbo set up and was trying to hammer it onto the vette with roofing nails and duct tape... it is only an intake and exhaust. Thanks, but

 

I have 1-7/8" Kooks and the off road package (3" pipe and X-pipe) no cats, and the Borla Stingers. My cam isn't all that radical, but made for all the power in the 5000-7000 rpm range. It does sound sweet. It has a nice tone, but at 6800 rpm shifts, sounds just like a sport bike being speed shifted lol! I had a baseline dyno of SAE 399.5rwhp before adding the Kooks exhaust system. I made exactly SAE 25rwhp adding the Kooks. The Borla Stingers were there already. If I had to guess, I would say the combination of the Kooks and the Borlas are good for SAE 35rwhp with tuning. ( 28.75 fwhp (Kooks) + 11.5 fwhp (Borlas) ) = 40.25 fwhp and that is corrected hp and realistic. I've noticed alot of people quote the uncorrected STD hp to inflate their sig. lol!. I never do, because I like for people to know exactly what they can realistically expect for actual gains. I also picked up SAE 30.7ft./lbs. of torque, the main reason for adding the LT's. (35.3 ft./lbs flywheel)

 

Yes I like that exaust setup as well. Everybody told me I would not need th Kooks 1 7/8 over the 1 3/4 with a basic stock motor. I would like to run Kooks or LG long tubes, X-pipe with no cats, and Borla Stingers I just want a setup that will give me the most power, and that will draw some attention.

 

cool, i did call in and switch to the borla yesterday. and , of coarse, ended up adding more misc crap, like books & shirts. anytime somebody wants to beat all other prices and go below their sale price and give me free shipping i can't say no! it ships today, and at the prices i paid for each part and with the free shipping, i can't go wrong. it is like i got the x pipe to play with for free and then some... the only drawback i can see as a potential for extra cutting is if i do ditch the stock manifold and go with a long tube header later instead of the bassani "optimum length" header or a shorty header, i would have to trim the bassani no cat long x pipe down a little. or just toss/sell it to someone wanting to get rid of that terrible sound their stock H pipe makes! then get the LG or supermax or kooks long tube set up.

ps - i have been watching my buddy's car for a year now. he has a 2002 Z06. he picked it up used and paid peanuts from our friend that owns a dealership and has only spent maybe $2k so far in parts. he went from an easy bone stock 12.2 to an 11.8 with the vararam, then with the borla, BFG street legal drags and a mild "full throttle only" 100 shot of NO2 he pulled a 10.7 at the same track, same weather. he beats the crap out of that car and it is holding up very well (except the clutch has a limited time to live)... his wild heads and cam setup come in next week with a few other internals. he will bolt it all together and step up the NOS to a computer controlled multistage shot, i think he said a 75 jump to 150 jumping to either 200 or 250... it will be running with our 9 sec supra guys now, exept one that i believe is now in the 8 sec club!!! that bastard! LOL! i would like to find a nice red/blk supra, but if i sell the SVX i will need some type of AWD... maybe a fast SUV that i could make faster.

 

Here is where I bought my Kooks. Nobody can beat that price.

http://www.corvettegarage.com/produc...-Corvette.html

 

that is a good price. cost less than a supermax or LG. the no cat sys looks like larger pipes as well.

 

Yes, I believe the cat version is 3" up to the X pipe and 2-1/2" the rest of the way. My tuner has dyno info. on the 1-7/8" vs 1-3/4" collector, and in every case the 1-7/8" collector makes more power. He has me convinced that the Kooks is the best system out there. I do all the work and parts selection myself and let him worry about the tuning. The Kooks fit and finish is excellent. I ordered mine with no air tubes ofcourse, and changing plugs now is a 20 min. job. My next big ticket item will most likely be AFR heads. I was talking to Tony Mamo awhile back and I'm using him as a consultant on my selection. (c.r., cc, milled height etc.) Can't get any better expert advice than that lol! Hopefully I will be able to reach atleast 450rwhp with those. Others have been making 483-493rwhp using the FAST LSX intake in addition, so the fingers are crossed. You have to spend $1000.00/10rwhp once you get above 400rwhp anyway it seems.

 

i am not sure of the details of the heads/cam setup my friend has coming. i like using him to test things out too... we'll see if it gets him in the 9's or not. i also forgot to ask him the price tag, but it will be the first real money he has spent on a part...

my parts have started coming in, no x pipe or muffler yet...

 

I hate having to wait for parts ( anxious can't wait to get the part on and drive it)

 

I have a suggestion, and you may already have this plan. I would wait until I had all my parts on and installed properly, and then get the car professionally dynotuned rather than using a hand held , "one size fits all" programmer. The dynotune will make the programming specific to your car and set up and maximize your benefits. Just my 0.2 cents

I did a bunch of things and then added some more and had to re dyno tune, it cost me by having to do it twice. I used a handheld on my old LT4 because I could not find a dynotuner, it worked OK, but I could not quantify any gains.

Sounds like you are having fun, enjoy. When it comes to modding a car I have to look at it as my Hobby, otherwise I might cry over all the junk I have bought over the years

 

Sounds like you have learned something valuble. Can't beat a dynotune anywhere.

 

i know, i want everything the next day, even if i don't have time to install it!!! so far the Vararam is in and installed, the Carbon Air Duct, Hood Seal, Lowering Kit, Skid Plates, 175 Stat, ACI Wing, Carbon Exhaust Plate, more shirts, book and crap... have come in, but i have not had time to install anything else. i did go pick up a new and hopefully better jack and four 6 ton two foot tall jack stands along with the wood to drive up on to get the new jack under now and also a modified wood setup for when it is lowered.
http://www.z06vette.com/diy_lift.php
i used this advice, except added a 2 stage wood assembly to cleat the new jack even when the car is lowered. i should have never sold my lift, but at the time one of my businesses had several locations with shops, so i could use a lift or pit anytime day or night. i really miss that. the wing box was all smashed up (and said fragile all over the box) but i think it is ok. it will need to be sanded, primed and painted buy my shop. i put the wing on my 84 myself, but don’t think i want to do it again... the carbon fiber plate looks really nice, but i could see it getting stolen, so, depending on what is behind that area it mounts to, the depth and ability to use gasket adhesive to keep it watertight, i plan to either drill or superglue it on! or run a tripwire from the plate to the tank so that pulling it off will make the car explode!!!

 

yep, i hope to get most of the parts on and see what the programmer does... then have my shop go over it all while they have it for the wing install and paint. then as i do any other major mods like a rear or SC, i will have them install it and tune it after. although the progammer is not in yet, if it has not shipped, i can still cancel it and just let them mess with it when i am done and as i make changes. but i like being able to use it for small things like check codes, lean out for emmissions and set tire size changes...

i miss the old days, just make everything bigger (cubes, carbs, tires...) and gear it, then u r fast... now everything from the key to the tire pressure is computer controlled...

 

like i figured, that x pipe from http://www.performancecenter.com did not do what they promised and advertised. it would have bolted to the stock manifold or short headers, and it did eliminate the cats, but in order for it to reach my borla with no cutting, it required a secondary bassai x pipe. so i gave then the choice of a full refund and paid shipping to return it or they could send me the other x pipe for free. they are not too good with numbers because they elected the full refund and them paying another $90 return shiping for a part that has a slow selling rate. it would have been more cost effective to have just sent me the other pipe and talked me into getting the headers from them... oh, well, better for me. i am comparing the on and of road versions of the LG, Supermax and kooks complete long tube set ups as i know several people that have realy liked the sound, fit and performance of all three.

 

still farting around with the car. i put it back up in the air. the borla is on, changed the pcv valve (found that the rubber tube section that it plugs into it cracking from heat so will tell dealer i want one free), flushed the rad and put in new dexcool and the 170 thermostat (the programmer will turn the fans on early and get rid of the CAGS), got the carbon fiber 50th anniv air bridge on with red tubes on (looks awesome), cleaned the TB a little, actually i have been wasting time cleaning all kinds of parts and places since i have it up and apart. the wing is in and i am waiting for my shop to call with a price to install and paint it (and have them lower and align it & maybe paint the wheels black like the one in the borla ad online), i want to play around with the programmer b4 i get it dyno tuned since i am not locked into an exhaust set up yet, hope to get the hood seal, carbon rear plate, skid plates and some of the other trim goodies on today, have to run out a get a fuel filter (trying to get all the 10-12k mile service crap out of the way)... i am also going to rust proof & undercoat a few spots that look like future trouble areas. i also found a site with some all purpose lightweight heat shield pieces that might be nice. the only decision left is to either keep this frt bassani x pipe and add the rear bassani section that runs to the borla. that set up is straight double x pipe setup that bassani claims sounds great and produces mucho power (off road only of coarse), no cats or 90 degree bends and will bolt right to the stock exhaust manifold or the (self-proclaimed) super high perf borla shorty headers. the advantage to this route is the ease with which i can switch out the stock catted section in 20 minutes if needed with just a few bolts... most "ads" claim that only the $2000 long tube setups give the 20 - 40 hp gains... but from folks i have talked to that ran short headers or stock manifold into no cats and back to the high flow muffler, the end flow results are the same either way, only for a cost of about $700... that leaves a spare $1300 toward a gear or adjustable multistage computer controlled NO2 set up, or the big tires or maybe the bilstein,T1 handling kit... oh, well i am just wasting time sucking up A/C... back out into the heat.

Ps – thanks A LOT zo6vetteman2003, now I have to look at the kooks with it’s larger primaries and better price and compare it to the two I was already looking at... the proclaimed most powerful and complete LG system with it’s random tech cats & the supermax set up with their wild hp gain numbers!!!

 

the borla stinger sounds great, just need to get rid of that H pipe to smooth out the popping slowing down. went to 2 car shows saturday. the all chevy show at the dealer was great. will post pics when my new web site is up and done. my fellow club member, rich, with the 8 sec TT was there. it always steals the show. it is one bad *** machine.

i was out with the borla, vararam, air bridge, etc and had a chance to line up with a sweet red supra and rx7, but the check engine light came one. i assumed it could be that the car was running too lean with all that extra air coming in, so as badly as it pained me i had to let them go. not worth an engine. i still had the programmer in the trunk, so i pulled into a parking lot and ran the diagnostics. sure enough, it said it was running too lean. after installing the basic perf program which also dissabled the annoying 1st to 4th shift, and setting the fans to come on sooner and shut off later... no codes, no probs. seemed to idle a little higher, had better throttle response and ran cooler right out of the lot. i went searching for the pair, but they were gone. did get to run down, over and past a few friends with various mustangs and a 300Z TT. not even going to bother to try any of our supra guys yet. i know what they run, and it will make me look like i am going backwards till i get more of my mods installed. one was out of town and just broke ANOTHER record. the video should be online. 8.?? sec at over 160mph in a daily driven, smooth, reliable supra.

heading out to look a few cars for sale today, a yellow Z06, Maybe a ZR1 (he says he won't sell it), 2 AMG's and three 911's (a C2, C4 & AWD TT)... i don't really use the bike or SVX much, so they may pop up for sale soon...

have a great sunday all

 

Nothing against the LG's. It's a real nice system. I like the Kooks because I was looking for more torque. I did some research and my tuner has tested them extensively against the other 1-3/4" collectors. The LS1 and LS6's respond to the 1-7/8" Kooks. I threw on Borla Shortie headers when I purchased my rims. I wasn't ready for longtubes after I had a nightmare with the SLP longtubes on my 99'FRC with the fit after a real pain of extensive prep. work. I made 31ft./lbs. at the wheels over the 1-3/4" Borla's. The Borlas were 10ft/bs. over the stock manifolds. The Kooks made 41ft./lbs. at the wheels and that is SAE corrected hehe! Hey, should I mention that price again? The excellent fit and finish? Yeah, I'm very happy with them.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

it is strange. i have not added anything odd "yet" ... just the intake and borla. and the check engine light came on. i guessed it was running lean due to the increased air flow and still adjusting, so i plugged in the programmer and ran the codes. it was. so i cleared it to give it a little more time as the vararam istructions said. it set it again, so i went ahead and installed the pred perf program and did away with that annoying 1st to 4th shift and turned the fans on early to work with the new thermostat. it made a big diff. felt more power and the engine runs cool even on these 100+ days. however, the too lean code came up AGAIN... i have used programmers, intakes and exhaust, plus more on every car, and never had that code keep popping up.

anybody else have this prob? i want to get it sorted out and straight b4 playing with the exhaust. my friend pulled his long tub header set up off his car and tried the stock manifold with the frt X pipe into a rear pipes to the slp muffler and had almost exactly the same torge and hp on the dyno and ran the same qrt mile time at the track. so b4 i return the crap i have (they said they will pay to return ship & give full refund) and put on thos kooks, i may want to give it a shot and have it dyno run and then track it.

code set: P0171 Fuel Trim, Bank 1, Sys Too Lean