I have a 2003 A4 coupe with 2.73 gears. The only mods are a Blackwing filter and custom Spintech axleback.

So, I have two scenarios playing around in my head for my projects this summer. If you could only choose 1 to drive for a year (while waiting to do the other until next year), what would you do?

Scenario 1: A&A V3Si kit with a conservative tune.

Scenario 2: 3.42 gears, converter, trans cooler, transgo shift kit, headers and x pipe, cam, and tune.



My considerations are:

1. Time. I am only in country 2 months every year so I would like the down time to be minimal.

2. Results. I do not race the car, nor do I really ever have any intentions of racing the car. This is a road trip car (4,000 miles round trip this summer) with the occasional bout of spirited driving every now and then.

3. Budget. Even though I can do it all in one go, I can't justify it to myself to do everything at once considering either option with give me a significant bump in power/SOTP feel.


So, if you had to choose, what would you do?

 

I would scenario 2 minus the cam and tune, then later on do cam plus A&A SC and tune.

Steve

 

I would already have to do the tune to change the shift points because of the new gears... wouldn't I? And I was under the impression you really needed a new tune when you install headers. Please correct me if I am wrong...

 

Your right, good point about tuning for headers & gears. I was just thinking tuning twice would be expensive. If you could do it all at once you'd probably save some $ and time overall.

Steve

 

If you do a blower you will need a different cam then if it is a N/A setup. Something to keep in mind.

 

that's a lot of money to spend if you never plan to race it, maybe do a mild cam and headers just for the sound and let it be

 

Well, isn't that how it goes sometimes? Someone says they never intend to race it, but then that is exactly what they end up doing. ;-)

...plus I'm too chicken at this point and don't want to break anything. I know it will inevitably happen, especially with the upgrades I have in mind, but I can do my best to not encourage it.

 

The cam would be chosen with the intention of going to FI in the future...

I guess another reason to do this in two stages is because that will give me double satisfaction. If I do it in the two stages then I'll get to enjoy a bump in power both times instead of just doing it once. Plus it gives me something to look forward to next round of upgrades.

I find it difficult to convince myself to spend the value of the car on upgrades that I really only get to use 2 months out of the year. I want to keep this going for as long as I can. I really don't want to built it so quickly that I get tired of it since I don't get the chance to enjoy it as much as I would like to, especially since everyone knows you never recoup what you spend on upgrades when you well the car (which I don't ever plan on doing unless all of a sudden I can afford my Gen II Viper GTS).

 

While I'm not against just doing "heads and cam", I don't agree with the logic. Since when did racing become the main motivation for hot rodding? While it might've started that way, only an extremely small percentage of people will ever track their car, yet they open their wallet and sling wrenches every weekend. (or pay mechanics! )

As for which option? I'd go number two. While the blower will probably yield more WOT fun, the exhaust/gears/tune route would be a more visceral sounding, enjoyable experience (in my opinion) all the time. -plus, I always consider the smaller ancillary parts to be the building blocks. You won't lose power with headers and no blower, but you'd be giving away power with a blower and no headers, -for example.

 

Option 2.

 

That's a lot of dough to spend on a car that isn't worth all that much. I'd go scenario 3, leave it as is and drive it. Or if you really want more power, sell it and get a newer Vette with more power. You will likely spend less upgrading to a newer car that will actually be worth more and you won't have any headaches going that route. I'd guess it will cost you 5-7k to get into an LS3 powered car, which will get you plenty more power and you can sell it for 5-7k more vs throwing money at your car and selling it for the same as it is worth today, maybe less because so many people don't like mods in the corvette world.

 

Auto transmission is a weak link with the blower.

 

Option #2

 

The Jam Cam is a popular choice when going FI BTR sells them now. I have that just put in my car and yes a good tuner can make it run right while yous still NA

 

Blower or turbo or don't bother IMO

 

I would suggest just getting the 3:42 gears and a tune. You will not believe the difference it will make. The 2:73 gears should never been offered on a performance sports car in my opinion. Hope this helps.

 

I guess this comes down to the fact that no matter what car I have, I'll always be looking at what I can do next. Even if I sold my C5 and put that and the money I would spend on the blower into a newer car, I will still have the urge to mod it. I feel it is best to settle on a car at the moment and build what I have. I used to have a 1972 Ford Torino. It was a pedestrian smog small block 302 with a C6 auto and 2.xx gears. I thought that as soon as I built my 472 big block, built the transmission, changed to a 3.73 rear end, completely redid the suspension and disk brakes, redid the interior, that I would be completely happy, but there is always a wanting for more. I was looking into going to a 6-71, but decided against it because my compression was too high. I did sell it after moving abroad because I did not know how long we would be abroad or our ability to travel back and forth for visits.

Yes I could go to a Z06 or a C6, or I could swap an LS3, or build a motor from scratch. Right now these are the two scenarios that seem the most worthwhile based on things that are important to me (and partially, my wife, hence the A4 coupe).

I do not look at cars as investments. I do understand that potentially throwing $12k-plus at a $10k car sounds weird to a lot of people, but I dropped a $10k engine, and about $5k in other parts, in my $3k (non-Gran) Torino and never regretted it. I do not ever plan on selling any car that I buy. If I buy a car it is because I really want it. If I had any intention of selling it I probably wouldn't have bought it to begin with. Things change and I understand that I might eventually sell the C5, but it is my favorite body style (because that was "the" car back in high school), and to be honest, I can't stand an unmodified car... The only cars that I could see myself not touching if I ever bought them would be a Gen II Viper GTS, or a 2nd Gen Ford GT.

 

It seems almost unanimous that option 2 would be the best option at this point... To be honest, coming from my analogue, carbureted, no cruise control or air conditioning, bench seat, drum brakes background, sticking to things I am most familiar with sounds like the right option at this point... now that begs the question of going to a stroker...

Anyways, keep coming with the comments and/or criticism. This is not a decision I take lightly. I have been going back and forth debating myself about this for most of the past 10 months, but I do have to make a decision soon.

 

if you are dead set on boosting it later on personally I would skip the stroker, stock cubes is plenty capable of making big power without changing the geometry and introducing new issues

 

Nah, the stroker idea was me going down the rabbit hole if I don't pursue boost.