OK I have an 05 (A4) with Vararam.. Cartek tune, and Kooks Headers... the car has run a best of 11.98 @ 117 mph..with the stock converter and 3.15 gears

I know I can go to a converter, but the 05's don't have the best rear end... so I'm leery of a converter with Drag Radials.. & have pretty much decided on a Cam, and the associated parts I'll need i.e. springs, maybe new rockers, and pushrods...

I'm keeping the stock 243 heads...& will leave the cam specs up to Juilo..I "KNOW" I will not be an 11.5 car with this set up. but hopefully if I get enough $$ back from Obama (tax return) I can then add a converter

So with as much cam as the STOCK converter will handle AND having the stock intake ported by Cartek is 11.6 or 11.7 @ 120 mph possible in "AVERAGE" weather, I know I could probably run those # in "Killer Air" but I'm looking for # in June, July, & Aug.

 

Most stock '05 (automatic) rears can take the repeated hit of a converter and drag radials, especially with a stock internals/naturally aspirated (under 400rwhp/400rwtq) motor.
The manuals are the ones ya need to be more careful with.
I've seen stock '05 rears take 1.5x and even high 1.4x sixty foots all day long and not complain. I've personally cut quite a few high 1.5s/low 1.6s in Tommy D's (he's done a bunch as well) bolt ons only 2005 A4/stock 3.15 rear C6 LS2 with a 2800-3000 stall and well heated M/T drag radials, no problems.
But still there are always some risks so do I see/know what your concerns are there and might also vote for a cam swap over a converter swap in your particular case.



Smart move, though you do not need new rockers unless your stock ones are defective/broken of course.



That would be ideal (doing both a cam AND a converter later on) in your quest to build a low 11/high 10 second car but then you will be faced with that same dilemma: 425-450rwhp going through a higher stall converter into a stock '05 rear. It should still hold but there are of course no guarantees.



Yes, it is very possible that that combo will give you 'enough' to run mid to high 11s in any weather. Maybe even a low 11 in the same air that you ran that 11.9 in.
A FAST intake manifold would give you a little more as well but it is quite costly, the better suited 92mm versions are no longer available new and a properly ported LS2 intake manifold is a proven 10-12rwhp+ so it will help for sure.

 

at your age I'd be thinking about a pacemaker first.....

 

Forget the TC,Do the cam and change out those 3.15 gears to 3.42's or maybe 3.73's.Or if you have the $$$, TC,Cam & Gears.I think your trans will get hot with 3.15's and a high stall TC.Been there and back and done that.Just my 2 cents

 

When I had my almost stock 96 LT1 I had 3.73 gears and a 3600 Vigilante and would 60' in 1.6x all day but I didn't have the HP to get much more MPH than 110 mph

If I ever do change the TC a trans cooler is a MUST and I have found that a "Stacked Plate" type of cooler is 10x better than a finned aluminum one (I had both) and the stacked plate had the trans running 10-15 deg cooler than the finned aluminum one...

But I honestly don't see a converter in the near future.. I AM planning for the cam to be in and ready for our first race if all goes well...

 

That's a great suggestion as well but I would ONLY recommend a gear swap if he was also going to be changing out the entire rear/case as well. There are kits/adaptors out there that make upgrading to the stronger later model C6 rears more simple. And even though that method costs quite a bit more than doing just a ring & pinion change in his current case, the stronger, more secure set up makes it worth it and potentially cheaper in the long run.
I'd prefer 3.73s but if he wanted to go 3.42s it would be quite a bit cheaper.



Along with a few more bolt ons and some weight reduction, that exact combo has gone 10.5@130mph in good air and with a 275 pound driver.
It was even LeMans Blue just like John's car.

 

Cam, ported intake manifold (and maybe ported throttle body as well?), tuning and then you can still stick with the longer lasting Nitto drag radials as well.

 

John what are you trying to accomplish? Do you want to run in the 11.50? Or are you just looking to go faster,Or did you take to much medication

 

Truth is, unless he's looking to do the CC Pro (and/or Friday night) 11.50 index he really doesn't need to do anything. He could just dial in 12.5s/12.4s in the summer time and 12.0s/12.1s in the cooler air and call it a day.
But as with many, he probably just wants to go faster and perhaps even utilize all of the advantages that come with building one's car to be faster, even in bracket events.

 

VERY TRUE I was thinking if I could get my car to MPH around 120 - 122 mph it would give me a big advantage on the "Top End" .. you know how hard it is to judge a car that is closing on you at +15 +20 mph

With the set up I was thinking of, my car would leave "soft" and the slower car would go first, and I still would have a 1.85 - 1.90 60' time and really not start making a big move until past the 1/8th mile..

Then my car would "come on strong" and the guy who dialed 12.60 and was still ahead of me as he approached the 1000' clock would think he had it won... (unless he is experienced in top end racing)

Then in the last 300-400' my car would be pulling pretty hard... This is all "Theory" and I might be way off base ????

Just something for me to try, and still save parts (rear, & tires)

 

That could work as long as you're not racing a notably faster car (Farley, Ralph, Fischer, Ellis etc.) that's chasing you down hard instead.

 

i run the 3.73 3600 stall set up in the 04 rear with only a drivers side 300 mm shaft thats been in there since 2006 and through various power up grades to present which lifts my front end on a good launch. i could be on borrowed time but i have to say with the right tire set up, stall and gears this original rear with the bigger gear is tuff and with stood many hard launches with some in the 1.35's n/a

 

True, but in John's situation it's a little different. The C5 rear/case (the 3.15/3.42 variants in particular) is substantially stronger than the 2005 C6 cases. So much so that many 2005 C6 owners have actually converted over to the C5 rear/case.

 

Ahhhh OK John you just want to go faster,You have the bug just like everybody else A cam is a good idea.

 

I'm considering a cam also.

 

John forget it, save your money for your old age, come to think about it YOU are old age already hell get the cam, do what every makes you happy, you can't take that money with you anyway...

 

I think you are going to be very disappointed if you get a cam in your car small enough to go with the stock converter. You are not going to get much bang for your buck.

I'd surely go converter first and then, when funds allow, get a cam.

With modern computers you don't need to be afraid of a big cam that will shine on the drag strip...if you have the converter to go with it.

Ask Justasheet his opinion. He has your car.

After going converter, then cam, then FAST, he's getting heads next week.

That little cam will hamper any further mods you plan to do.

 

That's a good point as well...but I think he's just a little paranoid (and maybe rightfully so) about making upwards of 50-75 hard hittin' converter multiplied passes per season on that stock 2005 rear.
The pictures/results of your old stock rear certainly don't help convince him either LOL (though your's is a manual and far more prone to that of course).