I finally bought a 2000 vert 6 speed. This is my first vette and I want to make just a couple of mods. I'm not a gearhead, although I wish I had time to figure all of this stuff out and do it myself like many users of this site. The car is completely stock and I'm looking for a few suggestions. I'm thinking of changing the filter, maybe K&N, put a catback system on it, and possibly a chip to increase horsepower. So here are my questions, what do you guys think of the K&N filter and pipe setup? For the exhaust, it seems like choosing the exhaust has a lot to do with one's sound preference with Borla, Corsa, Magnaflow, etc..., is round versus oval tips just a preference for looks. Lastly, are chips safe and worth it, or should I avoid them? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

 

First off, Welcome

Exhaust is your choice of sound, they all pretty much get the same HP gains.

The K&N panel filter will also not gain much. You'll need to change the whole intake. Cheap would be the Zip Tie To risky. Then there is the Z06 Lid. Then a 2-5 hundred dollar intakes, ie Halltech etc.

The "Chip" does not come out anymore. You'll need a Handheld tuner, ie Hypertech, Superchips, Predator, etc. They all run around $400 They are good for the fan settings and such. With a little HP gain.

Good luck, plenty more people will chime in.

 

Just keep reading the Corvette Forum everyday for a couple of months, and you'll have the answers to all your questions, plus learn more stuff than you can imagine. I don't mod without research first. Read, read, read!!

Have fun!

 

A few words of advice. Air filter mods...anything free flowing will be better than the stock paper filter. A Blackwing, K&N FIPK, or similar will work fine. Cat-back's are mostly a sound experience...not a lot of HP gained. Since you have a 6-speed, you won't benefit from a handheld tune as much as us Auto folks do, so I'd skip that until you need to have a real tune done...as driven by your mods. If I had it to do differently again I'd do this order...

1. Air Filter change
2. Gears (mine was an auto with 2.73's)
3. Long Tube Headers
4. Dyno Tune
5. Cat-back
6. ...

Again, as one of the others said...read...read...read on the forum. There's lots of experience here, and many different approaches to getting what you want out of your Vette!

Welcome and enjoy!

 

First I want to congradulate you in having one of the finest built cars in the world IMO. And second is to welcome you to the C/F. There is a lot of good people and a great weatlh of information on here. But if I could make one advise that would save you money in the long run! Take your time, do some reading, and figure out what you want your final goal to be with the car so you are not buying something, then to find out a year latter that it doesnt work with another mod you just did or want to do.
As far as the air cleaner, a CAI (Cold Air inducton) is the only thing that will make a power difference. If you want to keep your car stock, then the K&N Filter would be a good replacement choice, but don't expect any power increase. The stock air box is more restrictive than the air filter itself IMO.

 

Welcome to the CF!! The above posts are all good advice.. follow them and you will be in good hands.

VR

 

I have done of few mods to my 2000s.... simple stuff ... quick and easy... probably time for some maintainence stuff first of all.... I would look and change the rear diff and tranny fluids to some sythetics like royal purple... I did this and was very pleased with the easy of shift changes. I only mention these things first because a bit of prevention goes a long way and you don't know how well, for sure, the vette was taken care of before! Plugs and wires are next... NGK iridium IXs are highly spoken of amongst others and I as well am pleased with them. Air intake and filter... I have always used K&N but after much reading on here and speaking with other vette owners I went with the blackwing, of which I have been very happy with too. After all of these checks and maintainence things then I would look at some possible mods! Plus with these things done you know that you car can handle the new upgrades and HP increases with less wear and tear! HTH

Thomas

 

[QUOTE=fixvet]Just keep reading the Corvette Forum everyday for a couple of months, and you'll have the answers to all your questions, plus learn more stuff than you can imagine. I don't mod without research first. Read, read, read!!



This is good advice. Drive your vette and read the forum. I've learned so much and saved a lot of money from this forum. There are pros and cons to all mods and in time you will change your mind many times before you decide which direction you want to go. Enjoy the ride

 

For mods chech the for sale section. stick with the basics first, CAI, Exhaust, short shifter (6speed), and if you have runflats toss those out quick lol. good luck and enjoy

 

My favorite mods on my 2000 6 speed has been (in order)

CAGS Eliminator (eliminates 1st to 4th "skip shift") $20
Hurst Billet Plus Shifter ~$250-300
Exhaust
Air Intake

 

I agree that a CAGS (computer aides gear selection) skip eliminator should be your first mod, if not already done.

I put on a 2002 Z06 Air Filter top and use a standard paper air filter. If this is good enough for the 405 HP Z06, it is good enough for my Coupe. I also do not like the dirt that gets through cloth filters. Plus if you oil them too much, they mess up your MAF Sensor and GM will not fix this under warranty. Some aftermarket filters are also prone to water ingestion.

I agree with transmission fluid change to synthetic, much smoother shifting, especially at cold temperatures.

Some people have problems switching differential fluid to synthetic, it makes noise. If you do, be sure to use GM's friction modifier if needed. I choose not to change.

As mentioned, exhaust systems are for sound not performance. I hate loud cars and just put Corsa's Hot Tips on my stock exhaust (the stock 1997-2000 tips are ridiculous, and the 2002 "Cadillac tips" aren't much better).

Chips are not the way to go.

Welcome to the Forum and enjoy your C5 !

 

All of the information that you have received is very good and sound!!

It's a bit over whelming isn't it????

I'll start out with the exhaust! DO NOT purchase an exhaust with the expectation to get 50HP!!!! Same with your air filter!

Purchase an exhaust for the sound and looks that YOU like. If you make a purchase because of the recommendations from others, you could be very disappointed with it! C5's have a BAD phenomena known as interior cabin exhaust resonance caused by exhaust systems that don't cancel it out. The C6 corvette is even WORSE!!!!!
You can live with a loud exhaust! It's another thing to live with loud interior cabin resonance!!!! It can make the car very unpleasant to drive. The best advice that anyone can give you is to drive in a bunch of C5's with aftermarket exhaust and if you find one that you like COPY IT! Things that effect the sound of an exhaust are an X pipe, and type of cam installed.

The best overall C5 exhaust for looks, slight performance gain lack of annoying resonance and longevity of use is the OEM Z06 Ti exhaust.







Air intake:

Unless your going to get a cold air intake (CAI) save your money and purchase a Z06 air box lid. It will give you a little bit better air flow than the stock lid.

I have a VARARAM (CAI) and I love it! If I couldn't run the VARARAM I would run the black wing with the cold air box that they offer.

Changing out and up grading ALL of the fluids is sound advice! I up-graded my manual transmission fluid from the OEM ATF to Mobil-1 Synthetic ATF! Tyranny shifts a LOT better!

As for the tyranny, I reply ed to a C6 post the other day and extracted from it what I said about the transmission. The same thing can be said about the C5 tyranny. Read and learn!

If you have ever shifted an old M21 or M22 or had the pleasure of driving an old C4 with the 4+3 transmission, your C5 and or C6 transmission will feel like cutting edge technology!!! Some people would bitch if you hung them with a new rope! I think it is an excellent transmission!

The best information that I can give you is "LEARN TO DRIVE IT" before you try to abuse it. If you think that your a manual transmission PRO , you will quickly find out what it is like to miss gears, shift from 3rd into second or grind the gear. It will be all new to you and has a WAY different feel. That's NOT a bad thing!

Once you figure out whats going on, how the shifter and the clutch work together and figure out where the up-shift and down shift limits are, you will find out that it really is a very nice transmission!

You will also figure out what limitations it has. The funny quirks that others have mentioned! I have figured out work arounds and seldom ever get bothered by what was mentioned.

As for the CAGS (1st to 4th skip shift), the way that I drive (more on the aggressive side) I seldom see CAGS kick in. If it bothers you, get it tuned out or get a CAGS By-pass. It is a NON ISSUE to me.

I changed out the transmission fluid in my 98 coupe and my 02 Z from the stock ATF Fluid and up-graded to Mobile-1 Synthetic ATF. WOW, it made a big difference in shift smoothness! Once you get use to the transmission, that may be something that you can consider.

I also changed out the OEM shifter in my 02 Z06 for a Kirban shifter. On a C5 and some what on the C6, the reason for being able to shift from 3rd back into second accidentally (which is a real bad thing) is;

- one, your not use to the shifter or feel of the shifter neutral return springs and how the gates work in the tyranny.
-two, the return springs that sends the shifter handle to the neutral position are not as firm as it should be. The aftermarket shifters eliminate that problem by adding more centering force on the shifter handle using springs in the shifter. This makes it more difficult ( you need to consciously apply enough force) to push the shifter over to the left or right. The OEM shifter does NOT have any neutral centering springs. The centering springs are inside the transmission.

If you learn to hold the shifter handle to the left during the first-second shift and to push the shifter handle out of second and let it go to the neutral gate and then ram it into third, the shift comes more natural. When your ready to shift to forth, pull straight back with your fingers vise monkey fisting the shift handle and accidentally applying side force on the shifter to cause it to go into 2nd or 6th.

It will take quite a while to get use to shifting into sixth! You will (for the longest time) hear that little voice in the back of your mind says, No dummy, thats reverse!!. You will have to learn to trust the reverse lock-out gate!

This all sounds like basic drivers ED stuff, but when the testosterone and adrenaline are flowing, you will do some DUMB stuff if rowing through the gears doesn't come natural!

Until you do some major up grades ie headers and or heads, a tune will not do much for you. Yea, it will help some but a good tune cost $500+

Long Tube Headers are a GOOD performance up-grade!!

I talked enough! Don't ever be afraid to post for help!!! Welcome to the FORUM

Drive IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!

Bill Curlee

 

Here is an example of what you can do to your stock air box. Just cut the lid and it will get all of the air that the engine will ever need!!! The BEST PART OF ALL, it's FREE!!! You dont really need to add the screen. Its just for looks.



If you do use the air box lid mod, go to auto zone and purchase some of the soft seal weather strip that they sell and apply it to the front of the hood opening (just like you see in the picture). It will help keep water and dirt out of the filter and the engine compartment.
If you service the air box, learn to remove it from the engine compartment! It makes working on it a snap! If you try to work on it inplace, you woll be pulling your hair out!!!

Bill C

 

Thanks guys for all of the advice. I think I'll enjoy driving it first, then do a couple of maintenance items like upgrading oil, fluid, filter. Then, I'll take my time figuring out the modifications. Besides, the car is a blast to drive with no modifications at all. From the sounds of it, I need to have a better feel of the car before I can fully appreciate any modifications.

 

Vetrified that is a sound plan.
The stock exhaust is reasonable efficient and a new cat back system will not give you more than 10-15HP.

If you want the cheapest 30 HP increase go with a cold air system. There are several . I chose Vararam after a lot of research here on the forum.

Definitely change our your fluids including brake fluid and clutch fluid. Valvoline Synpower DOT3 and DOT 4 fluid is widely available and a definitely upgrade on standard DOT 3 fluids.