i posted this over in tech as well, but i remembered that it takes alot longer to get a response there, and i am trying to make a decision today.

so, i was about ready to mate some headers to my honker and bullets, but i punked out at the last second. literally. i was about to push the confirm purchase button and totally biched out. the reason being is that there are so many damned things i want to do to this car, but i really can only justify one more, as i probably dont plan on tracking it. i just want one more mod with alot of pop. i considered gears, and everyone told me they were great...but all you really ever have to do if you have the manual is downshift. point taken. then i was damn sure i wanted headers until i read an article about a C5 Z06 with just an intake and mild cam being the most fun car the author had ever driven (compared with porsche turbo, ferrari modena, and a slew of other exotics). so now i am thinking that maybe i should go and do a mild cam instead of headers. but i have no idea how the cam will affect my set up. how much is involved in cost and tuning. what will the sound be like mated to my bullets? what kind of gains should i expect while maintaing reliable daily drivability? HELP!!! i need to spend this money soon before the SO reassigns it to another part of the budget!!!!

 

The Thunder Racing CheaTR cam is designed to be used with stock manifolds. The stock C6 manifolds actually flow very very well compared to previous generations, but they could still use a longer exhaust duration. Just make sure you don't get a "standard" cam if you aren't planning on longtubes at some point in the future. If you really want to do just one more mod, I'd do the CheaTR and call it a day.

 

I don't know how much is in your budget for your mod, but if you do a mild cam you might as well put in some heads while you have the engine opened up. These things can get a bit expensive so if your budget is tight then headers are a relatively inexpensive bolt-on mod that you would want to do anyway if you were doing a heads/cam mod. I would suggest the LG longtubes. Good luck, once you start with these things it's hard to stop. But the increase in performance is more than rewarding....wow!

 

Do headers it is a bolt on. Cam is no warranty.

 

i guess on the budget consideration, i have been quoted around $3k for the full install and tune on the LG's. At this price, i am over budget slightly, but i cant seem to figure out a way to get it done cheaper.

$2000 for LGs shipped (would go with a cheaper set, but these seem to be the best from everything i have read here)
$400 for install
$600 for tune

i guess i thought the cam might be just slightly cheaper. no?

 

I would get headers for now and then do cams+headers+tune all at once sometime in the future.


Btw, 3000 for headers installed is kind of steep don't you think? I was thinking no more then $2000 installed.

 

 

you would think so. and if this were a mustang, that would probably be about right. but it takes just about $2k just to get a set of LGs to my door. after that you've got another $800 - $1000 for a quality install and tune. maybe i need not go with the LG's and that would shave off a few hundered, but their claim of greater low end torque over all other brands of longtubes seems to be clearly confirmed around here. and for that reason, i am pretty sure that if i am gonna spend the money on headers, its gotta be the LGs.

edit: you can do a basic tune with the install that will prevent the headers from throwing codes, and i dont think that will cost more the $100. but to maximize the gains from the headers, you need a full tune and that's where it starts to get pricey.

what am i missing here? is anyone getting thier LG's shipped for under $1800? where from?

 

Do a cam and headers. Do not do a cam without headers, it is a complete waste of time/money/HP
You do not want a tiny can that the stock headers can support, anyone who takes apart a perfectly good motor and voids a warranty better do it for more than 10 HP. Get a real cam, or no cam.

Unless your car can breath, any cam is virtually worthless. Bag the bullets too, with a cam and headers your car will sound badass, but not obnoxious. A cam can get you 30-50 HP, the bullets might get you 10 at best, plus cost twice as much.

I would also ask you to seriously consider doing the cam yourself (I'll even help), and save at least a grand that way. Cams are excellent power adders, if you plan on heads at some point then hold off on the cam, there are some steps and parts that would be duplicated by doing them at different times.

So much to decide, but you did the correct thing in not buying anything yet. So many people make that mistake. Buy your parts based on what you want in the end, not what you want now.

No matter which route you take, you will need headers and intake. Both are debated over and over many times. I have my own opinions, but that a diffferent post. The brands you mentions will work fine, but they are pricey...Take that into consideration too....

Dave

 

great post. and exactly what i needed to hear. if i were to do both, that would mean i would have to sacrifice the money i have set aside for driving school up in pocono this summer. oops...i guess that means i will be tracking my car at least once.

so then, what is your take on the total price of the header install i have been quoted so far?

 

This suggestion wasn't one of your choices but...

I think the most significant gains would be change:

1. Throttle body to the 90mm version
2. tune from a reputable Tuner
3. air box change to one that flows better.

The exhaust end of the car is already flowing pretty well and modifying it will garner less overall gains.

JMO

 

I got Kooks headers for $1500 shipped. Put them on myself and didn't throw any codes. Dyno tune was $450. Even a mild can will make your car not as streetable as it was w/o a cam. I did the headers and mild cam in my 02 Camaro SS and it was not as streetable as w/o the cam.

 

....If you want to drive to my house (PA, about 45 minutes closer to your house than Pocono), I'll help you put them on...just buy me food and drink during the job I'm helping install another guys his LG's too. I will show you everything you need to do, and you will do most of the work. You will be a little sore the next day, but you will feel better about doing it yourself.

$400 probably isn't that bad, with a lift they should easily be able to put them on in 3 hours or less. These are nothing like the C5 headers, they slip right in.

 

is there anyone here who has ridden in a kooks car and an LG car? were the differences in low end torque that noticable?

 

Absulutely not...Especially in your application.

 

They're long tube headers for pete sakes. They open up the exhaust; open is open, there is nothing magic about it. Each quality set of long tube headers will perform substantially the same as the next, especially on a stock car. Another forum member has Kooks on now and will be swapping to LGs soon. He has stated he will do before and after dyno runs to see if there is a difference.

Cams are more unique and should be tailored to complement other performance upgrades on your car. Wait to get the cam last, not first. That way you can get the best cam to maximize the other upgrades you have.

You don't really need a tune just for headers either. I have heard this from 2 forum tuners. The computer will self diagnose the conditions and you'll be fine. A good tune will increase the overall performance, but that is true whether you put headers on or not. Good luck with decision and have fun either way.