headers or cam??
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 580
Likes: 1
From: Ironton Ohio
Headers with a tune will give you a nice bump in power, add an intake(vararam) to really optimize your stock stuff. Then get yourself a cam kit to top it off down the road. Check out the cam kits the site sponsors have; Vengence, Texas speed, and LG motorsports are all good places to start. I gave 650 for install and dyno tune for my cam kit, but prices will vary.
Corvette Cowboy
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,852
Likes: 23
From: Cen-Cal Broke A$$ Kalifornia
1,000 % and get the LG's longtubes it was my first up-grade and it will give you a sweet sounding car and give you some punch remember you will need a tune also and that will run you 400.00 to 500.00 and since you are in the LA area check out RPM Motorsports in Santa Clarita, Charlie Williams is a good guy and good shop. Then spend some time and figure out what you want to do as for living in Cali your best option is to go FI as you can get that smogged in Ca. if you build a cammed motor you will have a hard time every 2 yrs.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 3
From: Yorktown Virginia
the thing thats sucks is you live in Ca. so it's a hard choice
1,000 % and get the LG's longtubes it was my first up-grade and it will give you a sweet sounding car and give you some punch remember you will need a tune also and that will run you 400.00 to 500.00 and since you are in the LA area check out RPM Motorsports in Santa Clarita, Charlie Williams is a good guy and good shop. Then spend some time and figure out what you want to do as for living in Cali your best option is to go FI as you can get that smogged in Ca. if you build a cammed motor you will have a hard time every 2 yrs.
1,000 % and get the LG's longtubes it was my first up-grade and it will give you a sweet sounding car and give you some punch remember you will need a tune also and that will run you 400.00 to 500.00 and since you are in the LA area check out RPM Motorsports in Santa Clarita, Charlie Williams is a good guy and good shop. Then spend some time and figure out what you want to do as for living in Cali your best option is to go FI as you can get that smogged in Ca. if you build a cammed motor you will have a hard time every 2 yrs.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
You live in CA ??
dont think LTs will pass. Shorties might.
a smallish cam 224/228 581/588 114 or 113 new springs, new push rods, a good tune and you will still pass the smog police.
dont think LTs will pass. Shorties might.
a smallish cam 224/228 581/588 114 or 113 new springs, new push rods, a good tune and you will still pass the smog police.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,474
Likes: 4
From: Tracy CA
That smallish cam will make great power. If it's truely an either/or situation - go with the cam. I did the cam, intake, heads, headers ended up with 412 at the wheels. You already have the intake and heads that I used. my cam is even smaller at 222/226 @ 600 lift and 115 LSA. It ran poorly till the tune. look me up and see the thread.
Last edited by mitchcole; Dec 26, 2011 at 09:08 AM.
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 18,643
Likes: 14
From: Norman Oklahoma - The Only State in the Union with no Blue Counties!
Vote out the Libs out there in CA. Then do hearders AND a cam with a tune!
You could move to a real state, like mine!
Seriously, headers where you live is your best bet.
You could move to a real state, like mine!
Seriously, headers where you live is your best bet.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 776
Likes: 1
From: spring tx
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 138
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '09
Your best bet is to opt for a small cam with little or no overlap and leave the exhaust system intact.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 15,449
Likes: 1,716
From: Everywhere and Nowhere at all
Great advise here...
Cam, No headers... WOW!
Cam, No headers... WOW!Both are a waste of money unless you are willing to do the work yourself, especially in CA. Long tube headers are not CARB legal, and HF cats will most likely not pass the exhaust gas analyzer test.
Your best bet is to opt for a small cam with little or no overlap and leave the exhaust system intact.
Your best bet is to opt for a small cam with little or no overlap and leave the exhaust system intact.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
Not trying to picks sides, but he's right. Unless you feel like swapping in factory/shorty exhaust and h-pipe back in every year... longtubes don't make sense.
There's plenty of baby cams that can make 30+ hp on the stock manifolds and pass smog.
If I was in Cali.... I'd move away from there, but if I had to stay I'd honesly just save for a 50-state supercharger...
There's plenty of baby cams that can make 30+ hp on the stock manifolds and pass smog.
If I was in Cali.... I'd move away from there, but if I had to stay I'd honesly just save for a 50-state supercharger...
Advanced
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Coatesville PA
You guys might want to ask the OP what kind of emissions test he has in his state. Many states only plug into the OBD2 port and if your monitors are good, and you have no check engine light, you pass. There is no sniffer test anymore. So, you can go for long tubes, drop your cats, or go with high flow cats, and tune out the rear 02 sensor and pass emissions all day long.
Headers are the way to go IMO, you pick up some HP without getting inside your engine and risk fracking things up. However if you've got an **** emissions process, then cam might be your only alternative unless you wanted to change out the rear end ratio with a new set of gears.
Headers are the way to go IMO, you pick up some HP without getting inside your engine and risk fracking things up. However if you've got an **** emissions process, then cam might be your only alternative unless you wanted to change out the rear end ratio with a new set of gears.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 138
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '09
You guys might want to ask the OP what kind of emissions test he has in his state. Many states only plug into the OBD2 port and if your monitors are good, and you have no check engine light, you pass. There is no sniffer test anymore. So, you can go for long tubes, drop your cats, or go with high flow cats, and tune out the rear 02 sensor and pass emissions all day long.
Corvette Cowboy
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,852
Likes: 23
From: Cen-Cal Broke A$$ Kalifornia