I am new to the whole Chevy world. Well I built a LS1 for my boy to put in his Comarro and its still one of my fave cars. I had to get one and what better way to get into the LS1 then starting out with a LS6. Anyways I was wondering what kind of mods are everyone running and what kind of gains are people getting. Basicaly what mods are worth the cash. Handeling or HP or looks what was the best Mod you put on your ZO6

 

For many of us the Z needs no mods. I would suggest you get some seat time first and then decide what you want to do. Ask a lot of questions and listen carefully. For example many exhaust systems promise jumps in horsepower, but the titanium system is hard to beat. You may spend big bucks just to increase sound.
All I ended up doing was installing the K&N filter. I got over 30 mpg on my last trip and enjoy the high mileage. You objectives may be different though.
I spent $2500 replacing the Bose system but the best mod I got was a partition. My car was so noisy it sounded like the hatch was open. If you like music or talking normally you may want to get a partition and many dealers sell them. If you want to customize your interior partitions can be easily and inexpensively self-made.
Good luck.

 

I already have the tunes in the car the guy I bought it from spent over 3 grand in Alpine stuff. Right now I am looking at an air intake and LTH. How has peoples luck been with Halltech intakes and SLP headers. I know and trust SLP I have but them on customes C5's but I dont know how the Halltech stuff is

Thanks
Billy

 

Halltech is very highly thought of by most everyone. Jim Hall is an exceptional engineer and puts out a quality product. The benefit of the Halltech Stinger is that for the same price you can buy some filters, i.e. the Donaldson Blackwing, which is a great filter btw, you get the Halltech airbridge and the biggest filter produced for the LS1 and LS6. It's a great deal and puts out very respectable numbers. It generally puts out better numbers than the K&N FIPK...at least in all the tests I've seen, but the K&N unit is CARB approved and the Halltech is not.

Other popular items like headers are the Kooks, Dynatech and LG's. I highly suggest you just scan the forum and read and learn...you will pick up a lot of valuable info this way. This forum is long on quality info and short on thanks to vigilance by the moderators.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply I think the Halltech would be a great first mod. I guess my next question is has anyone converted the Halltech to something like the K&N were the filter gets the cold air from inside the Rad shroud? If so did it need to get tuned?

 

No after market mod is worth the cash if you are looking at resale value. They are ignored when determining a car's loan value.

It is possible that they may give you some personal pleasure.

 

Suggesting that any mods will be ignored when cash value is estimated seems a bit too simplistic. I think the situation is much more complicated. First of all for many forum members the existence of some mods suggests that the car has been raced or driven hard and it will not be considered for purchase, at least not at any reasonable price. Remember some mods will cancel the warranty which is important to many people thinking of a Z. I do believe that some more minor mods, such as a K&N filter will generally be ignored if you trade through a dealer. However, someone who is planning to race, who has the mechanical ability or resources to evaluate a car as to its condition, is more likely to place some value on certain mods. In some cases mods will not be ignored, but I think in most all cases most of the money spent on them will be lost.

 

There are planty of mod you can do and you will get all kinds of opinions. Do a search on the forum before dropping the cash, find out what as worked and what does not. I would recommend a Vararam air intake and LG headers. That plus a tune should get you roughly 385 rwhp. A noticeable gain. After that time to start looking at cams, ported heads, superchargers, etc.
Let the fun begin.

 

 

I have started working on brakes and cooling. I think the CAGS bypass is worth the cash as well. It really depends on what you want to do with the car. If you are insterested in performance driving, I'd not do anything until I had it on the track at least one weekend. If you're interested in street bling, there's a ga-jillion options.
--Yak

 

My driver is an '03 MIL YEL Z06 with 6438 tender miles on it....no mods of any kind. Love it just as is. As far as installing mods for performance and greater HP I think 405 is more than enough for 99.9% of the way all but a very few owners use their Zs. If you are racing it in any way then go for it all! Just my own opinion guys......no flames intended.

One question though and you're all gonna think "What A Jerk" and you'll probably be right......despite what I posted above I have recently altered my mind in one area. In my strong opinion the standard C6 cannot compare to the C5 Z in any way especially looks BUT Chevy screwed us by giving the standard C6 same HP as the C5 Z06 and with all of the refinements to the C6 the chance of my Z coming in second in a little street action compels me to ask you experts on this site what are the least amount and type of mods I could have installed to whip a standard C6's *** every time!

Forget the C6 Z06.....if I run into one in my town I'll be so surprised and impressed I'll simply wave and drive on, muttering to myself how glad I am I have a C5 and not a C6 for tons of reasons, all personal. But I simply refuse to take second to a standard C6 so I need some expert advice as to how I can insure that this won't happen..........unless I run into a standard C6 that is so modified I have no chance BUT I don't believe I'll see that in my town either.

Any opinions and / or advise will be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

I agree with most everything you say. The comment in another post that 385 rwhp would be noticed is unlikely unless you are racing or breaking the law. In the year and 6000 miles I have had my Z probably only a couple times passing while on trips would it be noticed and how many $$ must be spent for those occasions. On the other hand I got 30.3 mpg on my last trip so I suspect that the 385 rwhp mods would be noticed everytime I get gas.
The only comment you make that I question is the one about being outrun by a C6. There are worse things in life and if you are outrun after making mods you still might be up against a better driver. I wave to other vettes and am not threatened by the idea that a few of them might outrun me. More power to them.

 

I bought my 02 Z with slp long tube headers, hi flow cats, h-pipe and 3" exhaust. The exhaust has the stock mufflers at idle it sounds stock, but at wot it sounds really good. With the headers and the K&N, it dynoed at ECS at 368rhwp and 367rwtq

 

Chuck!

Your last statement had a lot of merit and made some good old commom sense. I will reflect on it and probably take your advice. See......you guys ARE experts!

 

Like you I have not warmed up to the C6. I've seen a couple of them on the road now, tried waving, but got no response. From a distance I wasn't sure what it was until I got closer. On the C6 forum I saw photos of one alongside a Ferrari and I agree with those who said GM was moving towards a European style. For me it lost something of what a Corvette is and appeals to those who want a Ferrari.
They'll make C6s next year that will have more hp than the C5 Z but it doesn't matter. The 405 hp is more than I use 99% of the time and improving the Z is an expensive proposition. I'm not going to get in a contest to keep up with the Jones. I've felt no need to challenge the C6s, but I have made a point of slowing to wave before I passed. Maybe they'll make a C7 that goes back to the vette look, but until then what I own is pure Corvette and the last of its breed IMO.
There are exotics and souped up ricers that can outrun me, but I'm in a Z06 and where I want to be. Why give them a chance to use me just to boost their ego? And even if I do step on them I've proven nothing.
Running what's out there is a no win proposition.

 

A completely different suggestion: get yourself a set of CCW Classic Tracks wrapped in Toyo RA1s. Would run about $3000 and transform the way your car looks and handles.

 

c6's weigh 150lbs more than an 02 Z06. You probably would not get beat. 2002-2004 z06's are the fastest vettes ever next to the new z06, which is an absolute monster.

 

By hoogbest
I'm with you on this. I have yet to warm up to the C6 yet myself. I do appreciate some of the engineering improvements, but I do not care for the styling and think that Chevy really blew it by engineering the car towards European standards in order to appeal to the market there. When has the average European ever appreciated American performance cars. Granted there are a few fans, but they are few and far between.

The Europeans tend to really cut down our cars on the whole, but I can tell you, after a few trips over there, they have produced more than their fair share of dogs! I don't understand the reasoning of taking an American classic in this direction. I am all for the Vette moving forward and improving, but in my opinion it has been significantly damaged by this last version. I hope they do something to correct it when C7 time comes around!

I think in time that our C5's are going to be appreciated and appreciating...I may be wrong here, but it seems that the C6 is getting a lot of negative response. I know that this is typical for any new series...the C5 took it's shots too, but in my mind the C6 is taking it on the chin in the styling department much more than I recall when the C5 came out. I even spoke to a new C6 vert owner this weekend and he doesn't care for the exterior styling of the car either, but he likes the performance and the interior so he said he just doesn't look at the outside that much!

Oh well...to each his own!

 

Supercharger...

 

I believe that over time the C5 Z 06 will be recognized as on of the true high performance steals of all time. Performance, looks and are all part of its mystic and growing heritage.
I bought a 69 Camaro Z 28 brand new my junior year in college. I loved the car and the performance but no way you could have convinced me they would be selling for $60K today. Because I loved that car so much I was always in the market to replace it. When the prices got unreal and stupid I decided to purchase what I came to realize was a real bargin, a 2004 Z 06. My God, the car has air conditioning, cruise control, leather interior, 405 HP, track performance, sub 13 sec. quarter mile and the list goes on. This is nothing close to what the Z 28 had and the cost was more logical and justificable. A $60,000 Camaro is not a car you purchase to drive everyday because if you do it is not a $60,000 Camaro anymore.
I will gladly drive my Z 06 in the years to come and modify it with the many options available to make it everything that I want it to be and it will always be the car it is.