TRSCobra

I'm at a point where I'm looking to upgrade my C6Z, and would like some advice from some folks who have done high HP builds with theirs. My car's running a mild H/C/I setup at 540whp, runs a best of 10.33 @ 133.09 in the 1/4 and 163.6 mph in the standing half mile. It's been a very reliable and consistent setup and drives 200+ miles to events regularly. I love NA setups and want to go faster and stay streetable, but i'm afraid I'm reaching the point of diminishing returns.

If I'm going boosted, I'm going all out with a big centri and shooting for high 8's on pump gas + meth. I can recoup some cost by selling my long block and bolt ons, but still looking at $10-15k out of pocket for a stout and reliable setup.

Or I can just do a Mamo top end and gears and try for a high 9 second car...

Anyways, to you guys who have gone to the big $$$ built motor boosted side, what would you do differently?

MTPZ06

What does your current build consist of parts-wise?

Stay NA and go the Mamo top end route would be my vote.

TRSCobra

42k miles on shortblock/chassis, 16k on heads/cam
236/245 .648"/.650" 114lsa cam
Stock heads fixed milled .020, and ported by AHP
1-7/8 ceramic coated ARH with catted X pipe
Corsa exhaust
Mamo ported MSD intake manifold
Halltech MF108 CAI with vette air scoop
NW102 TB
Mcleod RXT clutch with billet FW
C5 axles
Weld RTS S71 drag pack 18x7 front 17x11 rear with 315/35/17 hoosier dr2
Viking smooth body double adjustable shocks

Unreal

The general consensus is I wouldn't and everyone I talk to with a 800+ pretty much agrees.

If I had a stock z06, I would do a BTR stage 2, heads, basic bolt ons like headers/etc. Work on interior and enjoy.

Or sell it and buy a new 2018 mustang.

10-15k for a reliable high 8 second setup? Your WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY off. That doesn't even cover the motor, let alone drive train, cooling, fuel system, forced induction, suspenion, etc etc.

double06

I would do the Mamo heads and the gears when they come out hopefully in next few months. I would stick with your cam if you like the drivability and let Tonys heads do the rest of the work.

TRSCobra

Ok maybe high 8's would be a bit lofty, but that figure was based on me getting $10k for my long block, mamo msd, tb, etc, putting $10-15k on top of that, then waiting on the drivetrain upgrades til next year.

What do you regret about your build that makes you wish you were back to BTR2 levels?

Unreal

Just the crazy expense for not much return. My car is reliable, drives great, but on street just spins all over. No where near as enjoyable as a ~520-530 mild car. My cam is basically a BTR 2, and drives like a dream, way better than any big cam NA cars, but vettes don't have tire options to hook 1000+hp. You can't back half the car and run a 9" with 3.08s and a 30" tire (technically you can for $40k+). I easily have 80-90k in mods, not even touching labor. I would have kept it near stock, just fixed heads and baby cam, and put the $80k left over into a 8 second mustang/camaro, with a trailer, and truck to town it and probably had money left over for another motorcycle or two.

Your dollar estimate is way off on building a reliable high HP vette. They simple are poor platforms for high HP. Cooling, drivetrain, etc.

TRSCobra

Considering I just threw this setup together without knowing much I'd prefer if Tony put the whole package together. He typically uses smaller cams with good power anyways.

Damn you voice of reason. Your build was the "good driving, reliable" setup I had in mind when considering to go this route. If the LS7 was a bit stronger I would just throw an ECS 1500 kit on with a blower cam and their fuel system and call it a day with 700-750whp, but I'm hesitant to roll the dice on this motor.

Unreal

I fully agree with the above. Mamo it, or just don't do anything, enjoy and pick up a new toy/hobby. You have a nice car as is, it is fun and reliable, don't chase the rabbit down the hole.

jayyyw

I really wish I would have held out for the Mamo top end package. So that's my "do-over thing"

Mamo top end package:
Heads (With a lot more compression, 13+)
Msd
Cam

ARH 2" headers
Any nice 3" exhaust
Halltech 108

As of now, I am changing my TSP 1-7/8" headers for ARH 2" headers. I'll also be swapping my Vararam for a Halltech 108. I'm also waiting for the gear sets to come out. Trying to decide between 3.90s and 4.10s. My buddy has 4.10s and says they suck at the track and everyone he's talked to with a manual trans says the same thing. So, I'm leaning towards the 3.90s with a 15" conversion.

cseaman

Seriously appreciating your insight here. I am BTR 2, fixed heads, intake, and fixed up the interior with OEM suede everywhere. This spring I am contemplating a mamo msd and 2" headers, and it sounds like that's the winner and something that can keep me just as happy as I have been with my 15k miles I enjoyed this summer and fall.

redcycle13

I have a complete Mamo build making over 630. If you want much more than that, then I would sell the Z06. Put the money you would have spent modifying it towards a ZR1.

The price of my Z06 plus the cost of a complete Mamo build would have put me really close to, or maybe cost slightly more than a few of the cheaper ZR1's I've seen for sale lately. Don't get me wrong, I really like my Mamo build, but the big gains are over without nitrous, or a different engine and supercharger.

The really high potential of the ZR1 is hard to beat if you want that sort of power. Unreal is on the money, too much power can make a street car not fun anymore. I think my 630+ Z06 is right on that sweet spot.

Michael_D

I just don't understand this need to turn a perfect road race/track car into a drag racer. Seriously, I just don't f'ing get it..... And yah, I know that guys will drag race anything, even lawnmowers and snow machines, but a C6Z06???? That's comparable to turning a 430 Scud into a drag racer.

Answer to OP's question, get a late 60's or early 70's Chevy2 or Nova. Turn that into a sub 10 sec car.

Oh well, to each their own….. My opinion isn’t worth anything.

TRSCobra

Didn't buy the car for that, but it sucked me in. I made the mistake of buying a car that was way above my abilities to handle on a road course (should have started with a miata i know) and I've always been at home on the drag strip. I love tinkering with the car and seeing the improvements in the timeslips. I can't help it that nothing else NA can touch it in a straight line! Plus unlike mustangs and camaros there arent a dozen of them at every test and tune.

jayyyw

Fortunately, this car performs well on all tracks. I bought my Z with a few goals in mind. I wanted 600+whp NA and I want to run a 9.99 (or better) NA. I've already surpassed the HP goal. Now I have to move on to the 9.99 ET.

MTPZ06

Agreed...if you go with his heads, let him spec you a cam.

Or if you like the idea of FI, but not so much on a stock BE LS7...sell the C6Z and take that $15K you were willing to be out of pocket, and try to grab a nice ZR1. ZR1's with just a ported blower, E85/flex fuel conv, and a tune are seeing an extra ~100 rwhp. Need to have the E85 fuel availability though...

TRSCobra

I have considered that honestly the ZR1 id top dog for sure. Just tough getting rid of this car thats been so good to me for the past 4 years! I only want the FI route for the whole more power & still streetable thing. Seems that most 600+ whp NA setups are horrible in parking lots and on the highway, but I'm hoping the Mamo setup and gears will help with that.

hellbents-10

Like others said these cars are fun with bolt ons and head/cam work. With the right top end and a very mild drive able cam you can make 550-575rwhp. My cam has 12* of overlap and I wouldn't like to drive it with much more every day.

C 5

After going 9.70 NA and spending way too much in the drivetrain, if there was a smarter way it would to to go auto right off the bat, skip building the transmission, skip getting a clutch, then throw a heads cam setup at it and you have an instant 9 second car. Hell, do a fuel system during the auto swap, sell the manual bits, that way you’re out of pocket 5-6k. IMO that setup would be good for 9.50s. If someone wanted to go faster, probably get a car with a blown motor for cheap, or a car like an 06 1lz, sell the motor, trans, and go with a built motor of your choice, built 4l80 or glide, and get busy. That’s essentially the position that l got myself into. Right now I’m in the process of having a 440 setup for a 300 shot, and in the future would need to move to an 4l80 or glide. Had l known the path and how deep I’d be into this, l would of picked up an 06 roller for sure, did a 4l80 or glide swap, and even with a 6.0 iron based motor would of been in the 8s without too much of an issue. Hell, you could do it on a 4l65 but they won’t survive at that level forever.

TRSCobra

Same overlap here, and I've gotten pretty used to it. The car isnt a daily so I can live with some more cam surge, but if I can get lots more power with an even smaller cam that would be the best of both worlds, hence the blower plan.

I'd get rid of this car before converting to automatic. I dont care that much about being fast to not enjoy rowing the gears and the challenge of launching.