Well I held out for as long as I could, 4 months and 2400 miles. I need to do something to this car. I wont get into the long painfull story of modding my previous car(non Vette) but basically I just want a little more ooomph without alot of problems. So I'm looking at the basic bolt-ons. CAI/Header/Tune. Has anyone had any problems with driveability/reliability with the addition of these? Assuming everything is done professionally, there shouldn't be any issues, correct? I promised myself, and more importantly my fiance', that I would not get in as deep as I did with my previous vehicle. So what are your thoughts?

Thanks

 

I've had zero problem with:

Callway Intake
Malrose LT Headers
3 inch x pipe
3.9 rear
tune
Baer slotted/drilled rotors w Hawk pads

(I stayed with the stock mufflers to save $.)

The car drives great, but as it sounds like you already know mods are highly addictive. I'm going to have trouble not doing more!

 

The bug is gonna bite bro...you won't be able to escape it...

 

Oh believe me, I know. I'm actually a recovering modaholic. Looks like I might be falling off the wagon.

 

I just got back from the track. After some dismal 13.8 runs the other week I installed a Varam intake (so far). Combined 10 deg drop in tempreature I got it down to 13.1 with a top speed of 109mph compared to 105mph. I would venture to guess that the Vararam knocked .4 off alone. That's with similar 60' times of 2.1 - 2.2. Cai headers & tune I believe is all this thing needs. Oh and a set of street drag radials for the track. I'm thinking AM or melrose headers myself.

 

kObun -

I am at 3 months & 3000 miles on my 2006.

You know I already have the K&N aircharger and Corsa Sports, but 10/17 the Headers and tune are going on.

You can't be all that far away from me, I live in Bucks County PA, come check it out and see what you think.

Either that or we can meet up at ATCO or E-town one of these weekends.

Minor mods such as the intake and exhaust don't affect driveability at all, but the better sound makes the car 100% more fun to drive.
The air intake does not add HUGE power, but I think it provides more SNAP (responsiveness) on throttle input.

I am hoping that with the headers, hi-flo cats, 160 stat, and a tune the car will drive as well or better than stock.

I am a modaholic and it has cost me dearly many times over

I am hoping that I do not go overboard on a $40K car and ruin it.

I'm already thinking about a heads and cam package

Howard

 

k0bun,

face it man, you're already lost. you can't just mod a little, either you will or you won't. if you've done more in the past, it will be very very hard to not do at least as much.

with that out-of-the-way.

the minor mods are pretty safe, however, there have been reports of some issues with certain types of mods. that were done to early '05's. It appears all of the bugs have been worked out and so far no real issues to worry about.

the only mod. i can think of that is currently an issue is the 'rain guard'.

that flat piece of plastic over the stock filters is a rain guard, the front hood seal will leak and water will collect in the stock air boxes if it (the rain gaurd) is not in place. only an issue if using the stock airboxes. aftermarket filters/ systems don't have the issue, the rain guard can be safely removed when using the aftermarket systems.

i'm at just about 2 years and 40k miles. i just now (10/5/06) installed my headers. but believe you me this wasn't my first mod nor will it be my last.

'05 LMB MN6 F55 1SB Cpe:
mods. listed in order done.

MAF housing mod
homemade cai
cags eliminator
NGK TR5s @.58
B&B 2.5" x-pipe
B&B Bullets w/4.5" oval tips
Hurst short-throw shifter (#391 5085),
4" round magnaflow (#14416) mufflers
C6 Trunk partition
Z51 sway bars
Z06 spoiler
GM side vent screens
Z51 cross drilled rotors
Vararam SC1 intake
Kooks Jet-Hotted headers (1 3/4")

no tune, no problems, no cels.

 

Well guys I've decided to start out small for now. I have a Flowmaster system on the way and I have an appointment with Chuck from C.O.W. coming up for install of a VR Snake Charmer, 160* stat, and a tune. From reading I hear he's one of the best. I was contemplating a set of headers but that's too much $$$ for me right now. Can I afford it? Sure. But at the moment there are some other things that have to come first. Priorities suck... :o

With the extensive amount of money and mods done to my previous car, I kind of came to terms with how things are when modding. So fortunately I guess , it's held me back from going too far with this one. That and everythng is twice as much money. So maybe in a few years and/or after the warranty is up, I'll go ***** to the wall. But for right now a little better than stock will suffice....I hope
Thanks guys

 

martinblank,

I'm looking at the Melrose headers setup. Any dyno numbers?

 

kObun -

You should ask Chuck if you do headers later on will he upgrade the tune for a discount. I'll bet he will if he is doing the headers for you.

I hate to see you pay for a full tune twice.

Howard

 

I remember reading somewhere that if you get a tune from him, and then add mods later on, he will help out on the price of the tune. Most likely I would be having him do the header install anyway. But thanks for looking out. I was really hoping to get the headers but the price came in a little higher than what I wanted to pay at the moment. I'm sure it's on par with most other installs, but right now I don't feel like spending that much. From talking to him and hearing from others, a VR and tune from Chuck will really wake the car up. Hopefully that will hold me off for a while.

 

im really looking into getting a cam for the car looks like the price is alittle under the price of the headers...might be somthing to check out also if headers is just a little to much

 

A cam would be nice but to really optimize it, I would think you would want to get headers. Besides I don't feel like cracking the engine open yet. That brings in a whole new level of potential issues. Just not ready for that yet. Thanks though.

 

no prob just thought i would suggest it i think im prolly gonna go with a set of gears on the car first.then i think im gonna get the headers (which means i will have to take my flowmaster catback off)drone is suppose to be horrid with the flows. and headers

then im gonna do a h/c swap over the winter..think im gonna stay away from FI this time...lol....i say that with every car and within the year it has either a bottle or a hair dryer on it

 

kObun -

I think you will get about the same power from the tune on a car without headers than a car with headers without a tune.

I honestly don't believe with both cars tuned that a car with headers will make much more than 15rwhp compared to the non-header car.

I think it will be like 355-360rwhp compared to 365rwhp-380rwhp for a car with headers.

So there could be as little as a 5rwhp difference to as much as a 25rwhp difference between the two.

I think you are going to be VERY HAPPY with the results.

Howard

 

Thanks bro, I'm sure I will. After doing some searching and reading thru some of the power numbers and track times people are getting compared with different mods. I think the car should be pretty close to a header car. I really don't plan on tracking it anyway, and I'm not too concerned with dyno numbers. As long as I can feel the difference, I'll be happy.

 

My main reason for doing the headers is for the sound.

Power won't be all that much different.

I'd love to be wrong and make 380-390rwhp

Howard

 

will you get a big sound diff if any changing the headers and xpipe and leaving the factory mufflers on?

 

I'm now at 360 rwhp, but my car has 2000 miles on it, my shop thinks it will free up at around 5000 miles and I'll be closer to 370 rwhp. I was told (and my shop was a Beta tester for Melrose) that they got around a 28 rwhp gain, but that's with a Callway intake and 3 inch x pipe.

 

That's exactly what I did, and it sounds about the same. Maybe a touch louder, but you really don't notice the differance with the factory mufflers, which I love.