C5 Corvette Build dilemma
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C5 Corvette Build dilemma
I’m currently in the midst of gathering all the parts for my 2004 C5.
Major parts
- A&A kit
-Btr Red hot cam kit (called and this is what was recommended)
-243 heads
Everything else that’s needed as supported parts and preventative maintenance will be bought. However i’m in college right now for controls engineering so…… have to wait until summer.
The issue at hand or rather a thought is swapping my A4 to a M6. I had the opportunity in the past but didn’t pull the trigger on it.
Now I have never drove a manual car daily, my father had jeeps that I would drive when i was younger, my buddies ws6. Just here and there.
Is this a bad thought that I should scrap, what should I expect if I keep an auto with a TC and 3.42 gears…. Any input would be nice.
My biggest thought would be buying a TC and a built 4L60e and being disappointed with how it turns out.
Major parts
- A&A kit
-Btr Red hot cam kit (called and this is what was recommended)
-243 heads
Everything else that’s needed as supported parts and preventative maintenance will be bought. However i’m in college right now for controls engineering so…… have to wait until summer.
The issue at hand or rather a thought is swapping my A4 to a M6. I had the opportunity in the past but didn’t pull the trigger on it.
Now I have never drove a manual car daily, my father had jeeps that I would drive when i was younger, my buddies ws6. Just here and there.
Is this a bad thought that I should scrap, what should I expect if I keep an auto with a TC and 3.42 gears…. Any input would be nice.
My biggest thought would be buying a TC and a built 4L60e and being disappointed with how it turns out.
Le Mans Master
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I run a Yank TC and a built tranny from Finish Line. It has stayed together on the street and at the track.
I blew the the stock tranny on a dyno. I have a similar build like yours.
Good luck
I blew the the stock tranny on a dyno. I have a similar build like yours.
Good luck
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How does it feel with everything finished? I’m tired of the headers and CAI, I’m hoping that with this and a TC Ill have the same amount of thrill I would with a manual lol.
Thanks!
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Orlando Florida
Daily driving a stick kind of requires dedication. Hydraulic clutches are better than old mechanical, but in heavy traffic you may still find yourself doing the neutral shuffle at long stops. For those of us who have rowed gears for multiple decades it's second nature -- and even we occasionally kill the motor at a light, and hold up traffic restarting the engine. So I would say you need to contemplate your commute. I live in Orlando, and don't think I would use the Corvette for daily driving. When I was younger with a '73 in Los Angles with a 150 lb. clutch on the 91 freeway, I was exhausted by the commute.
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Daily driving a stick kind of requires dedication. Hydraulic clutches are better than old mechanical, but in heavy traffic you may still find yourself doing the neutral shuffle at long stops. For those of us who have rowed gears for multiple decades it's second nature -- and even we occasionally kill the motor at a light, and hold up traffic restarting the engine. So I would say you need to contemplate your commute. I live in Orlando, and don't think I would use the Corvette for daily driving. When I was younger with a '73 in Los Angles with a 150 lb. clutch on the 91 freeway, I was exhausted by the commute.
Hahaha yeah I contemplate back and forth everyday, typically wherever I choose to work will be a minimum of 25-30 minutes. Going through Memphis traffic. I’m hoping that with the right setup, I’ll be able to get a good run against anything and not feel limited by a A4.
I’ve seen maybe a handful of actual A4’s that are pretty quick on youtube etc…
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Pingree Grove IL
I have 3.73 gears and a 3200 converter, great for the street, converter does not hit the rear tires really hard, and I can do HPDE with the 3200 converter, almost zero converter whine at a twisty type track. If your going FI, might want to stick with 3.42 gears or even 3.15’s. Traction will most likely be an issue.
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I have 3.73 gears and a 3200 converter, great for the street, converter does not hit the rear tires really hard, and I can do HPDE with the 3200 converter, almost zero converter whine at a twisty type track. If your going FI, might want to stick with 3.42 gears or even 3.15’s. Traction will most likely be an issue.
How does it feel with your current setup, compared to stock trans 2.73 gears... I know it makes a BIG difference but haven't been able to feel it myself lol.
Thanks!
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I have the A&A V3si set up with BTR Red Hot cam package in mine. She is putting 600 to the wheels. I had to upgrade to a stage 6 tranny and a Circle D 258mm 3200 stall converter in her after I ate the stock 4L60 on the Dyno. I'm running 3.15 gears with the Z51 package. She is street driven as she is a convertible. I've been running around like this for 9 months and no issues. I thought about going to 3.43 gears but was told might as well go with the 3.73 only to be told I would never keep tires on her. 
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I have the A&A V3si set up with BTR Red Hot cam package in mine. She is putting 600 to the wheels. I had to upgrade to a stage 6 tranny and a Circle D 258mm 3200 stall converter in her after I ate the stock 4L60 on the Dyno. I'm running 3.15 gears with the Z51 package. She is street driven as she is a convertible. I've been running around like this for 9 months and no issues. I thought about going to 3.43 gears but was told might as well go with the 3.73 only to be told I would never keep tires on her.
hahaha nice! that’s the type of news i’ve been wanting to hear, seems the “red hot” is relatively new. that’s great to hear coming from someone building their first car lol…
Im definitely anticipating buying a trans over this summer….. The more responses coming from this reassures me that it is not a bad decision at all.
Now it’s just putting it together and proving that it’ll be my buddies cammed 5th gen camaro lol.
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I have the A&A V3si set up with BTR Red Hot cam package in mine. She is putting 600 to the wheels. I had to upgrade to a stage 6 tranny and a Circle D 258mm 3200 stall converter in her after I ate the stock 4L60 on the Dyno. I'm running 3.15 gears with the Z51 package. She is street driven as she is a convertible. I've been running around like this for 9 months and no issues. I thought about going to 3.43 gears but was told might as well go with the 3.73 only to be told I would never keep tires on her.
I also thought about 3.73 rear gears, but the shop and RPM talked me out of it and into the 3.42 set as the biggest challenge with 3.73 is getting the tires to stick.
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: CT
This is an awkward post.
Do you want auto? Or do you want a stick? Totally different experiences. I personally would not want a sports car with a 4-spd auto. Never again. The only autos I would accept are 8+ speeds. But I see Corvettes as stick cars really and have daily driven a 10psi SC car on stock heads and cam. Completely feasible. The clutch, chosen correctly, will handle the power while being lighter than factory on your leg. Never once had an issue with that. Ever. What would slowly wear on me in a daily situation would be the red hot cam if I still had a high volume exhaust. I'd muffle the heck out of it.
If you're comfortable with the cost and effort to convert the car... I dunno... it seems a poor plan. Were it me I would sell the auto (as an entire car), buy a stick, and go to town. Saves time too.
Do you want auto? Or do you want a stick? Totally different experiences. I personally would not want a sports car with a 4-spd auto. Never again. The only autos I would accept are 8+ speeds. But I see Corvettes as stick cars really and have daily driven a 10psi SC car on stock heads and cam. Completely feasible. The clutch, chosen correctly, will handle the power while being lighter than factory on your leg. Never once had an issue with that. Ever. What would slowly wear on me in a daily situation would be the red hot cam if I still had a high volume exhaust. I'd muffle the heck out of it.
If you're comfortable with the cost and effort to convert the car... I dunno... it seems a poor plan. Were it me I would sell the auto (as an entire car), buy a stick, and go to town. Saves time too.
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This is an awkward post.
Do you want auto? Or do you want a stick? Totally different experiences. I personally would not want a sports car with a 4-spd auto. Never again. The only autos I would accept are 8+ speeds. But I see Corvettes as stick cars really and have daily driven a 10psi SC car on stock heads and cam. Completely feasible. The clutch, chosen correctly, will handle the power while being lighter than factory on your leg. Never once had an issue with that. Ever. What would slowly wear on me in a daily situation would be the red hot cam if I still had a high volume exhaust. I'd muffle the heck out of it.
If you're comfortable with the cost and effort to convert the car... I dunno... it seems a poor plan. Were it me I would sell the auto (as an entire car), buy a stick, and go to town. Saves time too.
Do you want auto? Or do you want a stick? Totally different experiences. I personally would not want a sports car with a 4-spd auto. Never again. The only autos I would accept are 8+ speeds. But I see Corvettes as stick cars really and have daily driven a 10psi SC car on stock heads and cam. Completely feasible. The clutch, chosen correctly, will handle the power while being lighter than factory on your leg. Never once had an issue with that. Ever. What would slowly wear on me in a daily situation would be the red hot cam if I still had a high volume exhaust. I'd muffle the heck out of it.
If you're comfortable with the cost and effort to convert the car... I dunno... it seems a poor plan. Were it me I would sell the auto (as an entire car), buy a stick, and go to town. Saves time too.
I completely agree, it is an odd post. However I keep battling back and forth on what I want to do. I have sentimental value with it being the first sports car I bought. I could always just rock out with the A4. Way down the line buy a C6 or a C7.
tough decision, part of me wants to hear something about a built a4 that’s actually better than a mn6 for street or drag applications. Ultimately I’ll probably buy a used 3.42, built trans and TC. then later on chase my manual dreams lol. I’m sure I can have an A4 that can keep up with modern cars
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: CT
I wager the expense on drivetrain is going to be similar in either direction once it is said and done. So do you prefer a stop light car or a stop light car which can be fun in the hills too? Or maybe you just like auto better.
The red hot cam has been getting tossed around a lot lately. The name being Red Hot.... eh.... the name is a misomer to me in that what it IS is a pretty safe and generic cam in all regards. That aside it does provide good power and valvetrain durability so it will perform for you for a long time. I'm curious to see what the latest replacement for the Jam Cam would now be since Brian has been playing with the spintron equipment for a while now.
The red hot cam has been getting tossed around a lot lately. The name being Red Hot.... eh.... the name is a misomer to me in that what it IS is a pretty safe and generic cam in all regards. That aside it does provide good power and valvetrain durability so it will perform for you for a long time. I'm curious to see what the latest replacement for the Jam Cam would now be since Brian has been playing with the spintron equipment for a while now.
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I wager the expense on drivetrain is going to be similar in either direction once it is said and done. So do you prefer a stop light car or a stop light car which can be fun in the hills too? Or maybe you just like auto better.
The red hot cam has been getting tossed around a lot lately. The name being Red Hot.... eh.... the name is a misomer to me in that what it IS is a pretty safe and generic cam in all regards. That aside it does provide good power and valvetrain durability so it will perform for you for a long time. I'm curious to see what the latest replacement for the Jam Cam would now be since Brian has been playing with the spintron equipment for a while now.
The red hot cam has been getting tossed around a lot lately. The name being Red Hot.... eh.... the name is a misomer to me in that what it IS is a pretty safe and generic cam in all regards. That aside it does provide good power and valvetrain durability so it will perform for you for a long time. I'm curious to see what the latest replacement for the Jam Cam would now be since Brian has been playing with the spintron equipment for a while now.
Definitely would prefer the manual more…. by no means am I an expert or even a veteran in driving a manual. Which lingers the point of, is it a good idea perfecting driving a manual while, also having a cam and SC.
OR it could be held off another summer and put my performance mods on later.
I also have seen where it would be about the same, I even came across a full M6 drivetrain for 3k, less than just a rpm trans
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Pingree Grove IL
my best drag time so far
60’1.97
1/8 8.0 @ 87mph
1/4 12.5@111
i think it has a 12.2-12.3 in her with a sticky tire with a 1.75 60’
Good luck, if your anywhere near Chicago, I can take u for a ride.
I have no idea what my 0-60 time is, but I bet I can beat most manual cars, because in reality only like 5-10% of manual car drivers know there car and how to launch it. I don’t roll race, I don’t do the 60-130mph. If I race I’m only at the drag strip or HPDE. My car is ready for a nice mild/agressive cam, 224/224, 224/228, maybe even a 228/232, heads and intake manifold and should put me in the mid 11’s in the quarter mile. BTW, sticky tires are in my garage. I’ll post more times this summer.