Corvette Newbie Needs Some Advice
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Parkville Missouri
Corvette Newbie Needs Some Advice
Dear Forum Members,
I recently bought a 1998 C5 convertible as my mid-life crisis car; my wife and her attorney both agreed it was cheaper than a girlfriend. I need a little advice on getting more power out of my LS1. I had a CTS-V, so the LS6 power was a blast. Now I find myself wanting more power from the Corvette. The car has a Borla exhaust, but it is otherwise stock.
My horsepower target is around 425hp. My budget is around $3500.
After scouring the internet, and finding A LOT OF STUFF, my initial thoughts were as follows:
Blackwing air filter
LS6 243 heads
LS6 intake
Throttle body flow porting
Cam
Valve springs
Decent tune
My car is my fair weather daily driver, so I don't want to turn it into an ultra-cranky, high maintenance girlfriend of a car.
Am I on the right track, or am I in need of serious drug counseling? Any advice is very much appreciated. Please cast thy pearls of wisdom before this Corvette owning swine....
Thanks,
Pete
I recently bought a 1998 C5 convertible as my mid-life crisis car; my wife and her attorney both agreed it was cheaper than a girlfriend. I need a little advice on getting more power out of my LS1. I had a CTS-V, so the LS6 power was a blast. Now I find myself wanting more power from the Corvette. The car has a Borla exhaust, but it is otherwise stock.
My horsepower target is around 425hp. My budget is around $3500.
After scouring the internet, and finding A LOT OF STUFF, my initial thoughts were as follows:
Blackwing air filter
LS6 243 heads
LS6 intake
Throttle body flow porting
Cam
Valve springs
Decent tune
My car is my fair weather daily driver, so I don't want to turn it into an ultra-cranky, high maintenance girlfriend of a car.
Am I on the right track, or am I in need of serious drug counseling? Any advice is very much appreciated. Please cast thy pearls of wisdom before this Corvette owning swine....
Thanks,
Pete
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,770
Likes: 0
From: in ur mirror, 'bout to pass.. CA
Don't forget the other end of the big air pump; long tube headers (preferably tuned) will get you another 30-40 HP depending on brand. LG headers are the go-to set, followed by Kooks and then TSP (in my book). Sounds like a solid start to your HP addiction; I say go for it!
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
Dear Forum Members,
I recently bought a 1998 C5 convertible as my mid-life crisis car; my wife and her attorney both agreed it was cheaper than a girlfriend. I need a little advice on getting more power out of my LS1. I had a CTS-V, so the LS6 power was a blast. Now I find myself wanting more power from the Corvette. The car has a Borla exhaust, but it is otherwise stock.
My horsepower target is around 425hp. My budget is around $3500.
After scouring the internet, and finding A LOT OF STUFF, my initial thoughts were as follows:
Blackwing air filter
LS6 243 heads
LS6 intake
Throttle body flow porting
Cam
Valve springs
Decent tune
My car is my fair weather daily driver, so I don't want to turn it into an ultra-cranky, high maintenance girlfriend of a car.
Am I on the right track, or am I in need of serious drug counseling? Any advice is very much appreciated. Please cast thy pearls of wisdom before this Corvette owning swine....
Thanks,
Pete
I recently bought a 1998 C5 convertible as my mid-life crisis car; my wife and her attorney both agreed it was cheaper than a girlfriend. I need a little advice on getting more power out of my LS1. I had a CTS-V, so the LS6 power was a blast. Now I find myself wanting more power from the Corvette. The car has a Borla exhaust, but it is otherwise stock.
My horsepower target is around 425hp. My budget is around $3500.
After scouring the internet, and finding A LOT OF STUFF, my initial thoughts were as follows:
Blackwing air filter
LS6 243 heads
LS6 intake
Throttle body flow porting
Cam
Valve springs
Decent tune
My car is my fair weather daily driver, so I don't want to turn it into an ultra-cranky, high maintenance girlfriend of a car.
Am I on the right track, or am I in need of serious drug counseling? Any advice is very much appreciated. Please cast thy pearls of wisdom before this Corvette owning swine....
Thanks,
Pete
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Parkville Missouri
I plan to do everything but the tune. I used to spin wrenches on cars in a former life, and now I do it on airplanes from time to time. I'm not the best mechanic in the room, but it's not my first rodeo.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 48
From: Nathalie VA
St. Jude Donor '15-'16-'17-'18
Have a look in the For Sale section on here. If you source a lot of your parts used you can save a ton. Long tubes really open these motors up. Make room for them in your budget for sure!
If you plan on doing a cam there are some parts you should consider changing out since the car is a 98. Oil pump, timing chain, lifters (if doing heads), crank pulley (on a lot of them the rubber wears out and breaks)....You get the idea.
If you plan on doing a cam there are some parts you should consider changing out since the car is a 98. Oil pump, timing chain, lifters (if doing heads), crank pulley (on a lot of them the rubber wears out and breaks)....You get the idea.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Have a look in the For Sale section on here. If you source a lot of your parts used you can save a ton. Long tubes really open these motors up. Make room for them in your budget for sure!
If you plan on doing a cam there are some parts you should consider changing out since the car is a 98. Oil pump, timing chain, lifters (if doing heads), crank pulley (on a lot of them the rubber wears out and breaks)....You get the idea.
If you plan on doing a cam there are some parts you should consider changing out since the car is a 98. Oil pump, timing chain, lifters (if doing heads), crank pulley (on a lot of them the rubber wears out and breaks)....You get the idea.
Good advice. Regarding the lifters, be sure to replace the plastic lifter trays with new, unless you decide to use link-bar lifters, in which case you can throw the trays away. Under NO circumstances should used lifter trays be reused. They're cheap, buy new.
HTH
