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Kooks - worth it?

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Old Feb 17, 2005 | 01:59 PM
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Default Kooks - worth it?

Just picked-up the latest Popular Hot Rodding mag & read the article about running 11.5s with 'simple' bolt-ons by the Cartek guys. I would not consider swapping out the 3.42 gears for a set of 3.90 simple.

However, they installed the Kook 1 3/4" headers, x-pipe, & hi-flow cats & picked-up 23HP at the wheels.

To those that have installed these products, would you recommend them?
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Old Feb 17, 2005 | 10:19 PM
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Highly! I have that setup with Corsa sports and I love the sound and performance. I have put about 1000 miles with this and I find the car pulls harder all the way to 6500 rpms. Also, alot harder to stop tire spin (emt's) 1st and 2nd gear. Same with 2nd and 3rd gear rolls. Just my experience of course.
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Old Feb 17, 2005 | 10:23 PM
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I also have Kooks with Corsa Sport. Gained 25 RWHP untuned.
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Old Feb 18, 2005 | 08:02 AM
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Originally Posted by djhartm

To those that have installed these products, would you recommend them?
yes...good quality product, nice hp gains and deeper sound.
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Old Feb 18, 2005 | 10:42 AM
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Thinking of going kooks with the stock exhaust.

Hmmmmm
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Old Feb 18, 2005 | 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by FLC6
Thinking of going kooks with the stock exhaust.

Hmmmmm
Me too. I wonder if it changes the sound?

Last question - where do you recommend buying the Kooks products from?
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Old Feb 18, 2005 | 05:07 PM
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Originally Posted by djhartm
Kooks - worth it?
Yes.
Look at the QTPs (www.quicktimeperformance.com) as well.
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Old Feb 18, 2005 | 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by djhartm
Just picked-up the latest Popular Hot Rodding mag & read the article about running 11.5s with 'simple' bolt-ons by the Cartek guys. I would not consider swapping out the 3.42 gears for a set of 3.90 simple.

However, they installed the Kook 1 3/4" headers, x-pipe, & hi-flow cats & picked-up 23HP at the wheels.

To those that have installed these products, would you recommend them?

The KOOKS are worth it, very nice product.
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by m3corvette
Highly! I have that setup with Corsa sports and I love the sound and performance. I have put about 1000 miles with this and I find the car pulls harder all the way to 6500 rpms. Also, alot harder to stop tire spin (emt's) 1st and 2nd gear. Same with 2nd and 3rd gear rolls. Just my experience of course.
Which header system did you install. I too have the Corsa system, but didn't install headers. I was told by Corsa that it really didn't make that much difference. What is your opinion? Please reply to my email address. Thanks........

Jim jimcpm@adelphia.net
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 05:25 PM
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Jim........e-mail set.
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 05:51 PM
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What is the difficulty level to remove OEM headers and install Kook's??
Michael
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 06:17 PM
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Michael, I had Zip just outside of Richmond, VA. do mine. I was only going to get the Corsa sports like you, but Zip was and still is offering free install for headers,x-pipe and exhaust untill the end of Feb. Since I was driving from Chesapeake I decided to do it all. The headers(from what I saw) are a "let somebody else do it" kind of job. It took Zip about 3 to 4 hours for the complete system.
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 08:22 PM
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Default Kooks - worth it?

I picked up my C6 at Kerbecks (2-7-05) and drove 120 miles to Cartek in Garwood, N.J. Cartek installed the package as described in Popular Hot Rodding to include Kooks headers, Magaflow cats and x-pipe, and a torque management module which by-passes the G.M. computer. The TMM keeps the stock computer from retarding the timing and preventing full fuel delivery when WOT is applied. This module also corrects the traction control which you might not adjust properly. A toggle switch is installed under the dash to turn the by-pass system on. Other controlling electronics keep the water temperature from exceeding 168 degrees. With the 3.90 gears installed, I drove home to Appomattox, Va. and averaged 24 MPG. My second tank which included a couple trips to work, back country and town driving averaged 22 MPH. I left the stock mufflers installed because I like a sleeper car. I think the Kooks headers are great. I plan on having Cartek port my heads and program my computer as the next steps.
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Old Feb 19, 2005 | 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by tluck
I picked up my C6 at Kerbecks (2-7-05) and drove 120 miles to Cartek in Garwood, N.J. Cartek installed the package as described in Popular Hot Rodding to include Kooks headers, Magaflow cats and x-pipe, and a torque management module which by-passes the G.M. computer. The TMM keeps the stock computer from retarding the timing and preventing full fuel delivery when WOT is applied. This module also corrects the traction control which you might not adjust properly. A toggle switch is installed under the dash to turn the by-pass system on. Other controlling electronics keep the water temperature from exceeding 168 degrees. With the 3.90 gears installed, I drove home to Appomattox, Va. and averaged 24 MPG. My second tank which included a couple trips to work, back country and town driving averaged 22 MPH. I left the stock mufflers installed because I like a sleeper car. I think the Kooks headers are great. I plan on having Cartek port my heads and program my computer as the next steps.
A couple of things.

First, the Cartek cars also has a different cam and headwork. I don't normally consider that "bolt on's".

Second, there is no such animal that can keep your water temperature from exceeding 168 degrees. They can make that the point where the fans come on, and the thermostat opens. But under enough hard driving the temp can go quite a bit higher than that.

In a stock C5 or C6, it's not unusual to see the water reach temperatures as much as 25-30 degrees above the point that the thermostat opens and the fans come on - even in just "spirited" street driving.
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Old Feb 20, 2005 | 04:50 AM
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Originally Posted by jschindler
A couple of things.
First, the Cartek cars also has a different cam and headwork. I don't normally consider that "bolt on's".
That's what it has now, but the jist of that article was about the car in it's 'bolt ons only' state of tune which did include most of what 'tlucks' car now has on it as well.
With that set up the car went 11.5s@117/118 on a sticky tire.


Originally Posted by jschindler
Second, there is no such animal that can keep your water temperature from exceeding 168 degrees. They can make that the point where the fans come on, and the thermostat opens. But under enough hard driving the temp can go quite a bit higher than that.
In a stock C5 or C6, it's not unusual to see the water reach temperatures as much as 25-30 degrees above the point that the thermostat opens and the fans come on - even in just "spirited" street driving.
True, I think that may have been what he meant though.
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Old Feb 20, 2005 | 08:25 AM
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[QUOTE=LS1LT1]That's what it has now, but the jist of that article was about the car in it's 'bolt ons only' state of tune which did include most of what 'tlucks' car now has on it as well.
With that set up the car went 11.5s@117/118 on a sticky tire.

I'm trying to interpret what you are saying here. Are you saying it did not have the cam and head work at the time of the article? If so, I'm sorry for being mistaken. I assumed it did because of the e.t.s According to their current information - with cam and headers and all their other mods, their best e.t. is not 11.338. I guess I assumed that they would have picked up more than 2/10s when they added a cam and headwork.

I apologize if I was wrong. My bad
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Old Feb 21, 2005 | 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by jimcarden
Which header system did you install. I too have the Corsa system, but didn't install headers. I was told by Corsa that it really didn't make that much difference. What is your opinion? Please reply to my email address. Thanks........

Jim jimcpm@adelphia.net
Hi:

I never recieved the email. Would you mind resending it? Thanks ..... Jim
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