I am brand new to the corvette community and I have about 500 miles on the car already. I have heard a lot about the different things to be done to a corvette but I am just curious as to what I should do first, like the most basic and useful things. I am seeking a much better/meaner sound to the car and more power, of course. I plan on spending about $2,500. What do you guys think I should do? And I dont understand a lot of the abbreviations too so could you be as specific as possible, thank you.

My car is an '06 burgandy A6 coupe with polished wheels. It looks nice!

 

Color matched door handles and spoiler from fred beans
Borla stingers catbacks
powdercoated calipers from Mike, get in line
CAI (cold air induction)
Performance tune.
Driving school.

 

Vararam Snake Charmer -$350 installed yourself
B&B Bullets -$900 installed yourself
Set of headers -$1250-1800 recommend LG longtubes, but may put you about $500 over your price range) If 5-10hp isnt an issue go with Dynatechs

should net you around 375-380 RWHP and be one mean sounding car.

Dave

 

Going against the above two poster's recommendations, I have some advice for you:

1- Dont take advice on mods from people that dont have them.....UNLESS the overwhelming majority of posters have proof of some mod being good or bad. I dont have to reinvent the wheel on some things.

2- Verify the source of the information or you will go to the poorhouse with a check engine light and a slow car.

That being said: I know of no one that got any power gains from an exhaust (unless the exhaust is simply two pipes running without real mufflers).

I know of no repeatable gains from any air cleaner justiflying 400+ bucks spent.

Guys that did exhaust, air cleaners, and a tune get 350-355 to the wheels.

If all you are doing is spending 2500 bucks then the best I can offer you for advice is headers and a dyno tune (not mail-order). LG's are 1800 plus install and a tune. The majority of guys that did this mod are getting 375-380 rear wheel horsepower. If you are doing the install yourself then get a cam, headers and a tune....again 2500.

If you hardly rev you car much at all then just get a higher rear differential gear set installed and a tune.

 

Oh, by the way, welcome to the forum.

 

SpinMonster, the headers and and tune will get 375-380rwhp by themselves? What about headers (LG) without a tune? I am just asking because I have an 07' A6 on order and am trying to figure out the most cost effective mods. After doing searches on the forum I am getting numbers all over the place, so not exactly sure what to think. Also, I am reading that headers seem to be REALLY loud, how loud are they? I don't want something outrageously loud, but a little increase would be cool. Thanks

 

Headers by themselves do not make a lot of noise. They add some rumble, which may not be the right word, <shrug> it's real subjective. If you added an intake (Callaway, Vararam, Halltech, etc.), headers (LG, Kooks, Dynatech, Melrose, etc.) and a tune (find someone in your general area) you'll make some decent gains (370-380 RWHP, hard to say) without a lot of noise (keeping the stock exhaust which breathes rather well, but is real quiet at low rpm) and be close to your budget with some shopping. The gains will vary depending on your tuners experience and skill and the product they use, check the scan and tune section.

Use the advanced search feature and you'll see these topics . Read, take your time, talk to some local performance shops/tuners. Good luck, welcome, and post pics when you can!

 

Thanks Starjack, I do honestly do the advaced search, it's just there seems to be no consistent numbers. I also I was wondering what the gains with intake and headers without a tune since I am not sure if I want to tune right away or if there is no point without a tune. Thanks again.

 

I'll go with the above, intake, headers and tune. Headers and tune netted me .5 and 7 mph in the 1/8th.

 

WOW, .5 in the 1/8th! That's pretty good. I guess I am just a little worried about the tune and warranty issue. But definitely sounds more appealing.

 

I'll preface that I have no mods as yet, so it may disqualify the validity of any opinions I may have, but, in general, I am inclined to agree with SpinMonster. From the many posts I've read, headers seems to be the first sure-fire bolt-on I would go with to increase hp for the money. It seems to be the major bottleneck for air flow. I am leaning toward LG longtube headers for my first mod and keeping the stock exhaust.

 

Headers and a tune. Tuner's ability is VERY IMPORTANT. Don't let anyone convince you that the stock airbox needs to go. Install a set of K&N replacement filters, not for power, because unlike paper filters they won't flow less with each passing day. Proper maintenance and they will last. Regarding a cam, a word of caution, a "street cam" is not the same to everyone. As a matter of fact "street" in the performance world is in my opinion, subjective. Look for torque #s not just horsepower #s in you decisions. Good luck.

 

I've been modding cars for years. LS1 type motors since 1999. Had good things happen and some bad. It simply goes with the territory.
You really have to want to go fast, to go fast. Lets assume you do. First, toss the warranty. Its' been my experience these motors are bulletproof. Not much goes wrong if you stay within the parameters of the motor.
Second pick a tunner who knows what he's doing, and if he's miles away make the trip it's worth every penny. If you're going to do the work yourself, know what your getting into first. These aren't carbed L98 motors; there much more sensitive to change. The mods you do must work in concert with one another to keep the ECM happy and make good power and drivability. The good news is there alot of cars on this forum that have been modded good and bad to draw from. Many different combinations and costs. Do some research. For example I did my car in stages, because I didn't know how far I wanted to go with this car. I thought I might keep this car somewhat tame compared to my other vettes. I was wrong. First I did kooks 1 3/4 headers system and magnaflows,160 stat, and a tune. 377rwhp/370rwtq. Not bad,but not enough.
Then a cam swap. Did two, that was stupid. With a retune the second cam made 410rwhp/384rwtq. Much better, but... Then installed a FAST 90 manifold, retuned for 425rwhp/405rwtq. Now were talking some good power and great drivability. With this kind of power you are now exceeding the limits of the tires. Still not enough, My final mod, I hope, was a set of 215 ETP heads. Final numbers were, 461rwhp/435rwtq, and it idles smooth, gets 29.5 mpg @ 70mph highway, never runs hotter than 203 in traffic. I have no warranty, so what. I have zero problems, It's a daily driver. BTW I mentioned not to exceed the parameters of the motor, and I feel I didn't. With stock block internals
I decided to give up some HP and gain some piece of mind. There's a lot of C6's out there making more power than me, That's OK I'm hoping mine lives a longer life. Now if I had a forged bottom end; who knows!!
Anyway good luck with your decission. As for your warranty; who cares, it's like your rear view mirror, toss it, it's what in front of you that's important a not what's behind you. Ha-Ha!! MY try at hummor.

 

Andreas, tell the guy what your static compression is and what gas you use.

Headers add little to the overall volume but do add a bass note.

 

Someone mentioned Dynatech Headers. Where a good place to purchase these?

 

"Static compression"? Isn't that what happens to clothing when pulled out of the dryer?

 

Interesting thread. I take it no one here is buying the Varacam numbers? Being at 6500 feet, it may still make sense to me to buy it to make up for lost air pressure. In re exhaust: having had many performance F-bodies, the only real gain I believe I ever got was on my 2000 Ram Air from the SLP Loud Mouth. No muffler; just a resonator. Loud, but I liked the sound, and no way it didn't decrease backpressure by as much as any exhaust system out there. The SLP '2 on da left' had the best sound on my '97 LT1 A-4. I have yet to hear any exhaust that beats it. I am inclined to get a BB for the sound; however, I don't expect more than a couple of hp from it. Headers do increase sound--a lot, with the right exhaust system, e.g., the SLP Loud Mouth. However, I didn't buy the Vette to sound like the T/A. Great forum, and with the 300 miles on my Black Z-51 6 speed, I love it more and more!

Mike

 

My car simply seemed to be a dog from the factory so gains could obviously vary.

 

static compression with these heads is about 11:1 I would think. It's tunned for 91 octane, which is all we get here in Cal. Never saw any detonation on the dyno. Timming is at 25 Degrees, fuel trim runs at between12.85-12.5

 

HOT ROD MAGAZINE tested the Borla Stingers "sport" and got 15 RWHP. The issue was either April or May 2006. Also, I've never heard of freeing up airflow (cold/ram air intake/exhaust) in any motor and not getting increased HP.