My 1st two mods for the z06 will be headers and an air intake twist tie method ( what does twist tie method mean exactly).. since most people recommend these 2 parts.. i feel they will get me the largest gains? what brand of headers and intake.. can anyone relate their experiences good and bad for the 2 products.. i want to get the most gains possible along with nice sounds.. thanks

 

if you decide to do the "zip-tie" mod, then you dont need to buy an intake.

the zip-tie mod is simple... remove the black plastic cover over the air filter... then wrap zip ties around the filter so it stays on. thats about it! it is free... and i did this to mine. felt a difference, but noticed a BIG difference after installing my Vararam!

oh and try a search... header and intake post are so common, im sure you will find the info you need!

 

LG Longtube headers are THE C5 headers. See them at

http://www.lgmotorsports.com/

Need more info...wher you live do you face smog laws and/or smog inspection ?

LS1 or LS6 motor ?

Do you have to have cats or not ?

Year of your C5 ?

 

LG long tubes for me, did not recieve them yet but after a long time of comparing headers they were my choice. Kooks were my second pick.
check out LGM long tubes all stainless, 3" pipes in the mid-section and the best flowing cats if you need them.
Air-blackwing or vortex are good picks. removing the cover on the stock unit will only help a little. the stock filter/box/neck design are poor.

 

Do some reading in the C5 Tech section for many discussions on headers and intakes. Not sure if the Search function is working, but there have been lots of posts on these topics. For vettes, go with a stainless steel long tube header. Shorties don't give any significant bang for the buck. Two of the better headers in terms of fit, finish, quality, and performance are LGM and Kooks and are available with or without (off-road) cats. Both vendors are forum sponsors and you should be able to see their links on the left side of the page. Both will gain you about 25 RWHP. LGMs will get you better low end torque. There have been many "header wars" threads, with loyal supporters of each brand. You will need a tune after installing headers. Regarding intake, you can go with a blackwing and not have to worry about hydrolock. You can also go with a 'bottom breather' such as a Vararam which will give you a few more HP compared to the blackwing, but with a potential for hydrolock should you drive through a deep enough puddle. I noticed a nice SOTP difference after installing my blackwing, but never dynoed it. You can also first try the 'zip tie' mod, which is free. All you do is remove the plastic intake box and zip tie your air filter. Folks have also done the 'swiss cheese' mod, where they drill many holes in the plastic air intake box. After any air intake mod, you need to drive your car around for about 50 miles such that the computer can relearn additional air flow. Good luck.

 

Hey thanks for replies, all help is appreciated.. I think i will be going with LG long tube 3" headers, along with the blackwing air intake.. Now the headers come with or without cats.. without cats do i get any more hp and is there a price diff? i am in New Jersey, not worrying about smog laws or any of that here.. but i was also interested in the Corsa pace car Peformance tip exhaust... With the LG headers, blackwing, and Corsa exaust.. roughly how much will this all cost with installation? Also any installers North/Central NJ. Thanks for anyone who can help

 

Well corvette garage ( all new products ) had what i was looking for with prices.. LG long tube headers = 1600, blackwing intake for 01-04 = 245, and the corsa exhaust indy pace car (performance tip) = 900 roughly .. plus shipping and install .. can someone give me a total price with install for those 3 products? Also anyone in NJ that knows the car well do these installs. Thanks again

 

The LG and Kooks headers are very good. Another brand you may want to consider is Dynatech. I think I will be going with them when I purchase.

I would recommend a Blackwing for an intake. I have it on mine and it works great.

 

There are 3 excellent forum supporting vette tuners/performance shops in NJ/NY area you should seriously consider:
1. East Coast Supercharging (ECS) in Cream Ridge, NJ (near Great Adventure)
2. Cartek in Garwood, NJ
3. Vette Doctors in Long Island

Personally, I've used ECS for all my performance mods and couldn't be happier. These guys take great pride in their work, will spend hours and hours answering any questions/concerns you may have and don't try to sell you anything. Their work is excellent and many forum members have had very positive experiences with them.

Regarding the prices you quoted above, you should be able to get a blackwing for about $200. The LG headers without cats are $1500, with high flow cats about $1900. Don't know about the Corsa price. These prices are without shipping. Shop around and you may be able to get free shipping, better prices, etc. The blackwing is very easy to install yourself even if you know nothing about cars. It will take you half hour maximum. Tips to install can be found on this forum. You can read thru the instructions to see whether this is something you would like to tackle.

 

Hey thanks for the reply.. great info i can use... cartek in garwood i believe is the closest, however, if you wen tot the place in cream ridge.. and where happy i wouldn't mind the extra 25 min drive there.. do you know how much the installs there were? For headers / intake / exhaust

 

Whichever longtube headers you go with, you will not be dissapointed. Just my .02