I think I may have overthought myself on this one.
Vararam Intake Question???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
From: Lake Tahoe Nevada
Vararam Intake Question???
So if I decide to install a vararam intake on my z06 this would force me to remove the front brake cooling ducts? Does this bother anybody? Is there noticeable difference with and without the brake ducts in braking and temps? I am not a race car driver but plan to track the car occasionally as well as occasional freeway pulls..I like to know that my most important brakes are cool and stay that way...Any thoughts or ideas will help me form an opinion.
Thanks in advance
Zach
Thanks in advance
Zach
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
Likes: 6
From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
Cruise-In 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 32,269
Likes: 35
From: Somewhere between mild insanity and complete psychosis
Don't waste your money on $400 intakes when you can modify your existing one to have access to cold air. Just buy a $35 K&N filter.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,447
Likes: 6
From: Los Angeles
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,325
Likes: 0
From: You can't get there from here NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Velocity stack is a waste of $. Had it in my 93, and it did nothing except drain my cash. However, my Vararam did make a big difference in my 03, and it does NOT go where the brake ducts go, but where the fog lights are. You can try the zip-tie mod first, to see if that works for you ( do a search). If not, the Vararam is a great bang for the buck.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 46,766
Likes: 5
From: Boynton Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '07-'12, '20
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 7,727
Likes: 7
From: Twilight zone
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
I like the flip mod,.......looks great for the money!I very well may have tried that before I got the V-ram.
One thing that I have always thought about is that the v-ram does not share the air that is meant for the radiator.
As tempermental as the lsx engines are when it comes to heat,I like the fact the v-ram does not rob any cooling air from the radiator.
Nor does the radiator get a chance to warm the air at all going into the intake.
Callaway also incorporates said design,so I wonder if there is any testing data compiled as to this issue
It may be minimal,I never see ANY talk about it
I still like the V-ram,but the flip mod is definately a budget winner!
One thing that I have always thought about is that the v-ram does not share the air that is meant for the radiator.
As tempermental as the lsx engines are when it comes to heat,I like the fact the v-ram does not rob any cooling air from the radiator.
Nor does the radiator get a chance to warm the air at all going into the intake.
Callaway also incorporates said design,so I wonder if there is any testing data compiled as to this issue
It may be minimal,I never see ANY talk about it
I still like the V-ram,but the flip mod is definately a budget winner!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
From: Lake Tahoe Nevada
Don't waste your money on $400 intakes when you can modify your existing one to have access to cold air. Just buy a $35 K&N filter.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
Likes: 6
From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
Cruise-In 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Don't waste your money on $400 intakes when you can modify your existing one to have access to cold air. Just buy a $35 K&N filter.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...26&postcount=2
I'm sure all the vararam nuts will show up and rant about .1 reductions in 1/4 mile times, blah blah blah. You can save your $300-$400 bucks towards mods that greatly improve performance. Don't waste your money on "smooth air" couplers or throttle body inserts either. People complain about the "corvette tax," but sadly most of that is self-inflicted.
Without VaraRam - 12.618 @ 110.43
With VaraRam - 12.173 @ 112.22 (best trap at 113.17)
That's quite a difference from a tenth as you mentioned. While I do sell the VaraRam, I'm not hear to sell it, I'm hear to defend the
answer above. I'd be willing to listen to answers like that when that person has personally tested it at the track and provides fact, not speculation. There is no other track proven intake other than the VaraRam that I have seen. It is not just me, there are plenty of testimonials.
VaraRam users don't have to rant cuz they know it works.As far as the mod above, that is a great looking mod! Very well done.
Jason
Last edited by Cajundude; Sep 15, 2007 at 12:53 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
Likes: 6
From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
Cruise-In 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
...when someone tests back to back the $35 filter,then I'll listen and be on your side.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 155
From: Houston Texas
St. Jude Donor '07-'11-'12
Yea, VaraRam is really not worth it, I mean even though I personally tested it at the track it only got me the following:
Without VaraRam - 12.618 @ 110.43
With VaraRam - 12.173 @ 112.22 (best trap at 113.17)
That's quite a difference from a tenth as you mentioned. While I do sell the VaraRam, I'm not hear to sell it, I'm hear to defend the answer above. I'd be willing to listen to answers like that when that person has personally tested it at the track and provides fact, not speculation. There is no other track proven intake other than the VaraRam that I have seen. It is not just me, there are plenty of testimonials. VaraRam users don't have to rant cuz they know it works.
As far as the mod above, that is a great looking mod! Very well done.
Jason
Without VaraRam - 12.618 @ 110.43
With VaraRam - 12.173 @ 112.22 (best trap at 113.17)
That's quite a difference from a tenth as you mentioned. While I do sell the VaraRam, I'm not hear to sell it, I'm hear to defend the
answer above. I'd be willing to listen to answers like that when that person has personally tested it at the track and provides fact, not speculation. There is no other track proven intake other than the VaraRam that I have seen. It is not just me, there are plenty of testimonials. VaraRam users don't have to rant cuz they know it works.As far as the mod above, that is a great looking mod! Very well done.
Jason
and and
Racer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 392
Likes: 1
From: TX
The VaraRam works and works well - best C5 air intake in my opinion.
Don't waste your money on the velocity stack - just get a ported and polished throttle body.
As far as the bigger air bridge - I say every little bit helps and the stock bridge seems restrictive to me...
Hope this helps!
Don't waste your money on the velocity stack - just get a ported and polished throttle body.
As far as the bigger air bridge - I say every little bit helps and the stock bridge seems restrictive to me...
Hope this helps!
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 431
Likes: 5
From: Chico CA
It looks close enough to GM in quality and material that I've taken off the Vararam sticker (to make it not so obvious), and will try to get it past the Smog ***** in a month or two. If I find a shop that doesn't see a lot of Corvettes, I think it will slide past the visual inspection.
Overall, good product. Not over-done; I don't really think carbon fiber would improve things in this area, any more than chroming the air filter lid on the '60s muscle cars did. But wait! Chroming the lid on the Shelby did add 35 HP and take nearly 2 seconds off the quarter mile time (not...).
In the end, you go with what makes you happy. I like the Vararam. If you like the zip tie mod, peace be with you...
