Got my 01 c5 auto bone stock, and was looking to. get some more power and get a full exhaust to start...but a suggested Corvette shop my way kinda talked me out of it, so I need your guys input.

So for starters the longtubes...shop basically told me for the money I will spend on them a lot of headaches are involved. They said id need a heat shield otherwise temps will make the cabin very hot...02 extensions and a tune...recommended ARH longtubes. Than told me for the money id spend on them be better saving for the supercharger instead (which I did tell him is my goal).

mid pipe...they told me I have to stay catted and cant put off road pipe on...which is odd cause I am in MD and unless you have a CEL you dont fail...even with the cat visual inspection...well at least for my past cars with off road pipes...so who knows there.

catback...they basically said they would just do this and keep it simple and go straight for the supercharger if thats my goal.

So basically I want to ask you guys your thoughts on what they told me...does that seem logical...or should I go elsewhere? I was under the impression longtubes are worth it on these cars for decent gains....cause the way he talked to me said they cause massive heat in engine bay and ya need all kinds of other stuff to get them on, mainly may not justfiy the cost vs the gains. Am I getting the run around here...should I find a new shop? I respect the save me money rational they are doing...but just never heard of all of these longtube issues he claims and basically claiming it ismt worth the money all said and done.

 

I have the ARH long tubes and midpipes no cats on for years now, never had any issues with them. No burnt wires, no clearance issues, no heat issues. I have I bunch of bolt on mods also. Find a new shop

 

I did the Kooks 1 3/4 headers on my 2000 Vert Automatic. Along with kooks crossover X and their Cats.
They are SS, but I had them ceramic coated to help with heat issues... I think I'm probably cooler in cabin now, maybe
No fitment issues, no heat issues. I put in the
the aftermarket tunnel plate and I heat shielded it first.
Just watch where your starter wiring , etc is .. You'll have to use some heatshield on it and possibly "relocate" it a bit, but very easy

 

My opinion is with the shop - for a stock vehicle anyway.
If you are looking for more power, I would try to talk you into a performance cam first. Headers and full legal exhaust on the C5 installed at a shop are pretty spendy for the HP gain. Speaking of heat, look at the stock manifolds and then look at the long tube headers. Then picture them both super hot from a 0 to 95mph pull. Look at all the surface area the long tube headers radiate the heat with. Reminds me of my natural gas garage heater - just a bunch of pipes heating up with a fan blowing past it. Stock exhaust is not terrible as far as flow and if the stock cats are in good working order.

 

I have the LG Pro Longtubes with performance cats mounted behind, and later added an A&A Supercharger. Supercharger is best bang for the buck, you don't have to open up the engine, driveability is same as stock. Longtubes just barely gained noticeable change but the supercharger, BOOM awesome! Longtubes make maintenance awful if you have to change a clutch or slave, wouldn't be a big deal with automatic. I used a ceramic plated 3/8" tunnel support and wrapped the O2 sensors with insulation and have had no problems. I did get the ceramic coated LG's.

 

Agreed. Supercharger is absolutely the best bang for the buck. It gives you a LOT of HP, but does cost 5-7 k depending on if you do it yourself, have a shop do it and if you add other mods at same time.

 

Are there catted/non catted x pipe options for these cars that work with stock headers, or only work with longtubes? I have even debated on an off road x pipe and a basic catback if possible. Do the longtubes add that much whp, or is it from the cats removed. How restrictive are the cats or stock headers on these cars?

 

Stock, everything working good, not very restrictive at all. The 80s exhaust were so very restrictive you put headers on and gained 50HP. Those days are gone as manufactures have made the stock C5 exhaust flow very well. I still am still stock exhaust with 600 HP. Headers would probably give me 30-45 HP.

 

There is HP to be had from LTs but yes they do make things hot and a tune is needed to get the most out of them. If Toys is still on his OE exhaust and making 600hp to the tire, then that says it all, save the money for the SC.

 

Many shops (most shops I would think) will not bypass emission equipment. Google 'diesel brothers emissions lawsuit'.

 

I just did headers,
-the install was a pain in the ***, dirty, hot, took several days
-you get 20-25hp
-main benefit is sound.
-you need new plug wires, old ones break on the way out.
-probably not worth the expense and labor in hind sight.
-on an auto, definitely would not
- do not run with no cats- it stinks and pollutes.
- buy a blower if you want more power- shop is correct.

 

It doesnt take several days holy cow.

 

Not on an auto you say...gains that crappy...or drone wise cause of it being auto?

 

Had a local muffler shop install LG headers. The idiot tech crossed threaded the the header bolts, which was discovered by the shop doing the tune. During the tune, passenger side wire loom, that was jostled by the header install, caught on fire (small, just a few wires)... Tuning shop re-pinned the loom and repaired the threads. Added power was fun, but wasn’t enough for very long. So I “had” to install a cam... got to 395 RWHP. But I do love the sound of LG’s, cam, and modified titanium exhaust. . Not sure I would do it again...

 

If I had an auto I do not think I would want the extra noise all the time. And yes- it was a pain to install for a diy