NA or Supercharge
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: Texas
with stock mufflers and my cams and headers I am constantly bombarded with people who love the way my car sounds at idle. Car gently shakes which gives you that feeling of true power
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,600
Likes: 8
From: TEXAS
I didnt read all the posts but...
If you're not going to do any work on the shortblock I'd go N/A. Something about 10.9:1 and a supercharger doesnt do it for me. If it were me I'd do it right the first time (shortblock, good heads, blower cam and s/c) otherwise, heads/cam/exhaust for n/a.
If you're not going to do any work on the shortblock I'd go N/A. Something about 10.9:1 and a supercharger doesnt do it for me. If it were me I'd do it right the first time (shortblock, good heads, blower cam and s/c) otherwise, heads/cam/exhaust for n/a.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,448
Likes: 4
From: Sarasota Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Fairfax
Thanks for all your feedback on this issue. C6 is my weekend toy and not DD.
I dont know why but i get these dirty looks from BMW boys when My son and I are drving down the highway (I- 66). In one instance, had a M-5 wanted to race.
No way I was going to fall for that, but would be nice to know you could have 600+ American muscle if you want/need it.
I dont know why but i get these dirty looks from BMW boys when My son and I are drving down the highway (I- 66). In one instance, had a M-5 wanted to race.
No way I was going to fall for that, but would be nice to know you could have 600+ American muscle if you want/need it.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Very true. You will also never spend as much on NA as FI.
Both statements are broad generalizations. While FI certainly has the potential to make much more power, up to as much as 2 hp/ci in reasonably streetable trim, doing so reliably will require reworking much of the car, with resultant expense and validation issues. NA is limited to about 1.4 hp/ci, but requires far fewer changes to the car, and hence less expense and fewer validation issues.
In reality, the question cannot be answered without a budget goal, present and future, a power goal, present and future, and also considerations such as how and how much the car is to be driven, the owner's tolerance for "hot rod stuff", and the owner's tolerance for risk of part failure.
To the OP: if your present and future budget is only $7k, I would suggest a reasonably modest NA build, not FI. There are very, very few people who have put an FI system on a Vette and run it for any length of time for $7k total. More typical expenditures are at least $12k, and $30-50k is quite common in FI circles. But, if you have very modest FI goals, and you can avoid "scope creep", it is possible to put a centri setup on a Vette for $7k. It even makes for a very nice car. But you have to have a lot of discipline. And a good tuner.
Both statements are broad generalizations. While FI certainly has the potential to make much more power, up to as much as 2 hp/ci in reasonably streetable trim, doing so reliably will require reworking much of the car, with resultant expense and validation issues. NA is limited to about 1.4 hp/ci, but requires far fewer changes to the car, and hence less expense and fewer validation issues.
In reality, the question cannot be answered without a budget goal, present and future, a power goal, present and future, and also considerations such as how and how much the car is to be driven, the owner's tolerance for "hot rod stuff", and the owner's tolerance for risk of part failure.
To the OP: if your present and future budget is only $7k, I would suggest a reasonably modest NA build, not FI. There are very, very few people who have put an FI system on a Vette and run it for any length of time for $7k total. More typical expenditures are at least $12k, and $30-50k is quite common in FI circles. But, if you have very modest FI goals, and you can avoid "scope creep", it is possible to put a centri setup on a Vette for $7k. It even makes for a very nice car. But you have to have a lot of discipline. And a good tuner.
I would believe that the true cost of going FI on a C6 is at least $10,000.
Why not just spend a couple more grand on top of that and get a Z06?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 3
From: Goleta California
Wow, that added a lot to the thread. Come on the member asked a question for opinions and he is getting them. Acutually makes for some interesting reading if you take the time to go through. For what it is worth I like NA over FI, but if I were to step up I would like to ty a twin turbo set up. It is more expensive that the SC though.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
I talked to a guy in Manassas with that brand who has overheating issues in the summer and cannot use his AC. Good choice for some, but I could not stand a car with those headaches.
This video illustrates an engineered route - Note how they say they ran for 2 hours at the track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABFUX65JJ_c
This video illustrates an engineered route - Note how they say they ran for 2 hours at the track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABFUX65JJ_c
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
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From: Saint Albans, WV
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,136
Likes: 212
From: Long Island New York
Removable Top and Auto(Bad knees) not to mention the 100 hp or so above the Z.
And the Vette Drs. Vortech special with all the latest goodies is $6500 installed! My car is there right now under the knife.
Last edited by NYC6; Dec 20, 2008 at 12:14 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,175
Likes: 2,511
From: ...tearing up the highways, one state at a time™®©
I have also spoken with more than a few who have had their centrifugal superchargers rebuilt within a couple years. One guy had his rebuilt twice in 36,000 miles. He traded the car for a Maggie SC'd Callaway.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,955
Likes: 22
From: Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
I have milled this same debate over and over in my head and unfortunately there is no solid conclusion. What you really must realize is that anything over 450 to the wheels on the street with street tires is going to be useless. Speed is more about the setup and utilizing the power you have efficiently than big HP numbers which everyone seems to get caught up in. Look at Dennis's car spanking cars with tons more hp. The one major downside to FI is that you are adding significant additional weight exactly where you don't want it, directly over the front wheels. That is fine for a strip car, but I really don't want to change my handling characteristics. You are also adding tons of cylinder pressure to a high compression motor that was not designed for boost, and though I know of many guys running Prochargers on stock internals without a problem, I also know several that have grenaded. If I can get 460-480 whp out of N/A H/C setup I think that would be perfect and those numbers are very attainable. That is most likely the direction I am going in the Spring. Now deciding on which H/C will drive you crazy!
Last edited by NormWild; Dec 20, 2008 at 12:53 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
You can get a 3 year warranty with several centrifugal blowers. But I'm sure because you buy a callaway means you are absolutely trouble free! The reason you don't hear about their problems is simply due to low numbers. But lets be serious here...if you want callaway to make power compared to centrifugals, you will have to invest 100K+. If money is no object, Katech is where the smart money is spent. The problem with Katech is they don't do blower motor installs in house, as I found out.
Last edited by saplumr; Dec 20, 2008 at 01:07 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
I have milled this same debate over and over in my head and unfortunately there is no solid conclusion.* What you really must realize is that anything over 450 to the wheels on the street with street tires is going to be useless.* Speed is more about the setup* and utilizing the power you have efficiently than big HP numbers which everyone seems to get caught up in.* Look at Dennis's car spanking cars with tons more hp. The one major downside to FI is that you are adding significant additional weight exactly where you don't want it, directly over the front wheels.* That is fine for a strip car, but I really don't want to change my handling characteristics. You are also adding tons of cylinder pressure to a high compression motor that was not designed for boost, and though I know of many guys running Prochargers on stock internals without a problem, I also know several that have grenaded.* If I can get 460-480 whp out of N/A H/C setup I think that would be perfect and those numbers are very attainable. That is most likely the direction I am going in the Spring.* Now deciding on which H/C will drive you crazy!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
Lot less than 10g's even with headers!Plus I'd hate to install a cam and heads in my car then get roasted by one with
F/I.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 588
Likes: 21
My 01 Tahoe was supercharged and then turbocharged. I had cam, heads, meth etc. It was a pain with both. Eating belts with the s/c or chasing boost leaks or boost reference points and leaks with the turbo and pipes blowing off. Either way you have to consider trans, clutch (if you have one) and rear end issues. You will never get half of what you put into out of it so its all purely for your enjoyment. F/I was too much of a pain for me as with weather changes the power levels changed pretty drastically. This time its a simple ported intake manifold, vararam, catless X with Kooks, and a Corsa. I'm doing some CCW wheels 11 inch in the rear and an LG Hood. Make a choice, but keep in mind the further you go in the HP world the more you will spend. The more HP a vehicle makes the more stress on everything else and the parts that can handle it are increasingly expensive. Just my experience
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
That is an improperly aligned pulley at time of installation. If the pulleys are right, the only problem you can have is slip due to excess boost.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,175
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From: ...tearing up the highways, one state at a time™®©
You can get a 3 year warranty with several centrifugal blowers. But I'm sure because you buy a callaway means you are absolutely trouble free! The reason you don't hear about their problems is simply due to low numbers. But lets be serious here...if you want callaway to make power compared to centrifugals, you will have to invest 100K+. If money is no object, Katech is where the smart money is spent. The problem with Katech is they don't do blower motor installs in house, as I found out.
Who pays?I actually have 43,000 trouble free miles behind me
The power" of centrifugals can be misleading... Why aren't they any faster than they are (on paper)
Roots style blower power delivery is more fun to drive than a centrifugal blower. I have driven and installed both. In fact, not much has changed in two decades since my first 
p.s. Throwing other big-name companies around in an attempt to disparage another co. is a complete contradiction of the point you tried to make...
Talk about a lack of seriousness...
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,175
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From: ...tearing up the highways, one state at a time™®©
