Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,306
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From: Denver CO
Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise
Well thank god I left the old rice family, although I had a nice car, the state in which I had it scares me. I used to drive a Lexus IS300 with intake, muffler, header, y-pipe, and fuel computer. The funny thing was that at my altitude all of those thousands of dollars of mods probably only made my car gayer and louder :lol: . I got a little sense, sold the Lexus and picked up a real car. There is one thing I learned from my car though, it is a bastard times ten to turn a car back to stock, and those were only bolt ons I was dealing with. I love my 99 FRC, but would like it to be a little different. In the ricer world it was intake and exhaust to start out your car, does the same stick for the Vette, I would like to have parts that if I had to, I could take off in under 3 hours and have no technical problems. Would a new air induction system and exhaust be a worth cost mod for the Vette? I know with a rice toyota/lexus an intake and exhaust might buy you about 15-20 hp, and cost you near $800-900. What would I look at for a little power gain that I could actually feel by the seat of my pants that would not ruin the integrity of my Vette, also I will never do nitrous, no chinese cheatin juice for me, I like N/A baby.
Thank you in advance for your help! :D
Thank you in advance for your help! :D
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,333
Likes: 1
From: VA
St. Jude Donor '03-'11
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
exhaust and intake mods are pretty popular around here.
if you want to go a little higher, headers, head & cam or SC/Turbo are pretty common.
And wait till you see the Vette Tax
if you want to go a little higher, headers, head & cam or SC/Turbo are pretty common.
And wait till you see the Vette Tax
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,587
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From: Colorado Springs CO
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (mebrahimi)
Gears, you can do gears in about 2-4 hours depending on your skill and tools. that would be your best SOTP and best bang for buck. you can also get a blackwing intake that will take 20 minutes.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,764
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From: Fort Collins CO
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (Yano)
Gears, you can do gears in about 2-4 hours depending on your skill and tools. that would be your best SOTP and best bang for buck. you can also get a blackwing intake that will take 20 minutes.
takes a few special tools that are pretty expensive - I just bit the bullet and had 'em installed. Love 'em.
After gears, I'd do headers, then a cam or heads and cam at the same time. That is the basic path I'll probably end up following, it seems.
-Jake
Racer
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 266
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From: San Angelo Texas
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
You're probably not going to notice much change in the SOTP feel until you do full exhaust and intake. We're talkin' Vararam, LS6 intake, lontubes, etc. To really feel a difference you need more....like 4.10's or cam or heads or nitrous. Nitrous is not bad as long as it is used properly. LS1's LOVE the juice. Good luck :cheers:
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,156
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From: S.W. Ohio
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
Welcome :flag . I have an 99FRC and my only mod is a Blackwing (so far). I think an air filter mod should be on the top of anyones list. The stock air-box forces the motor to breath thru 4 small hole :eek: . This mod (Blackwing) is cheap and easy to do. There are several other choices, Vararam, Blackwing, Z06 airbox with K&N, just to name a few that are all under $375.
If you are not afraid to go into the motor people are posting great gains with cam swaps, even better with heads at the same time.
I currentley am turning 13.20's@109 with 2.25 60' times, so my next mod will be sticky tires for the summer. This should put me in the high 12's. The LS1 is a great power plant good luck. :D
If you are not afraid to go into the motor people are posting great gains with cam swaps, even better with heads at the same time.
I currentley am turning 13.20's@109 with 2.25 60' times, so my next mod will be sticky tires for the summer. This should put me in the high 12's. The LS1 is a great power plant good luck. :D
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 26,679
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From: This vette goes to 11 Milford MA
St. Jude Donor '03-'05
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (ROJO99)
My car has headers/exhaust, LS6 intake, some tuning and an aluminum flywheel and goes pretty good for closing in on 144,000 miles.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,306
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From: Denver CO
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (Fastguy)
I think my first will probably be the airbox. I have three questions concerning this. Should I do a complete intake swap or just a filter change? Which one is the most used a recommended? Will I trip the CEL with these mods, I know on the Lexus anything aside from a muffler had the ECU lighting up the CEL constantly and causing many other electrical problems?
Racer
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 273
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From: LH ca
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
Welcome to the forum
Do the complete swap and with just the air box you will not have any problems with errors. As for the gears you will have to have the computer updated for the mod. As for exhaust the only real advantage is the sound and weight.
:cheers:
[Modified by Harley99, 5:21 PM 1/5/2004]
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From: Loveland CO
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (Harley99)
If you don't have a lot of money to blow right now I would start w/ the airbox. i have a blackwing on my car and am happy w/ it. Just doing a catback I don't think it is worth it unless you are going for looks/sound. My car has heads/cam/longtubes and I put down 422 at the tires. The best mod I have ever done to all the C5's I have had is changing the shifter. Kaley
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Denver CO
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (2C5only21)
Being a newb to the Vette camp, could someone link me to the airbox listed above. Is the install easy? I had no trouble with my header, intake, and muffler on my old ricer, but I hear the Vette is a little bit harder to work on.
One more question . . .
On my old car, many people had complaints, which I also experienced, that when installing an aftermarket intake the bottom line power was decreased, while the up high HP was the only power affected in a postive way . . . will this happen with an LS1, cause if so, I want nothing to do with it . . .
One more question . . .
On my old car, many people had complaints, which I also experienced, that when installing an aftermarket intake the bottom line power was decreased, while the up high HP was the only power affected in a postive way . . . will this happen with an LS1, cause if so, I want nothing to do with it . . .
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St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (MC TORCH RED)
I would start with a Blackwing ($250.00?) and a Borla Stinger exhaust ($600.00). This combo WILL give you about 30rwhp, or so I'm told :thumbs: Or as MC TORCH RED said, an LS1 edit couldn't hurt.
After that, cam and headers?
[Modified by 98BlackMagic, 1:36 AM 1/6/2004]
After that, cam and headers?
[Modified by 98BlackMagic, 1:36 AM 1/6/2004]
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,763
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From: Austin TX
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (98BlackMagic)
At your altitute, any mods you can remove in 3 hours wont be much fun. I'm a little higher at 7,000ft and have done all the bolt-ons with a MTI camshaft and the car still feels slow.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,763
Likes: 24
From: Austin TX
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
On my old car, many people had complaints, which I also experienced, that when installing an aftermarket intake the bottom line power was decreased, while the up high HP was the only power affected in a postive way . . . will this happen with an LS1, cause if so, I want nothing to do with it . . .
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,156
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From: S.W. Ohio
Re: Ex-ricer, has mod bug, needs Vette advise (DENVER_C5)
The Blackwing takes about 30 minutes, and thats if you are slow like me :D . If you search around you can find the Blackwing for 200+shipping. Now the Vararam takes longer (1/2 day). You will actually be adding duct work that runs from the from bumper directley to a new filter assembly. I believe the price for the Vararam is down to 375+shipping. The Cat back will likely not yeild very much with the exception of sound.
As for bottom end loss, I do not believe that an air filter change will effect this in any way. My last time at the track, early October I had to let up multiple times in seperate runs. This was mainly due to the low 55 degree temps. but the low end has not suffered from the Blackwing. :flag
As for bottom end loss, I do not believe that an air filter change will effect this in any way. My last time at the track, early October I had to let up multiple times in seperate runs. This was mainly due to the low 55 degree temps. but the low end has not suffered from the Blackwing. :flag
