darnold

Since I just got my first Corvette seven weeks ago I have been planning and refining what mods I would like to initially do to it regarding H.P. and Handling and LOOKS. I've refined the list to the following and wanted to get people on the forums' thoughts and further ideas?

H. P.
- I'm putting my twin tube CIA on this evening and plan to buy a ported MAF next week, and possibly a Vararam Power Bridge the two weeks from now to increase some H.P. I'm anticipating about 20 H.P. combined based upon what I've been able to pull up from multiple dyno reports, CFM tests and C5 owner experiences.

Should I add a power bridge to this equation considering that the stock TB has been independently checked at flowing around 570 CFM but the stock intake system (box, filter, bridge/couplings, MAF) only flowed 370ish CFM?

Would a Borla exhaust or Magnaflow mufflers be a good upgrade over the stock mufflers to add for a little more H.P. and better sound once I complete the intake side of things? BTW, I do plan on putting an LS6 Intake on later this year if I can find one. LOL

HANDLING
- My C6 Z06 Shocks shipped today to go on the car and I'm thinking about putting on a Steinjager Z06 sway bar kit with their nice metal end links.

Will this setup work well using the springs from my base suspension (FE1???), or do I have to upgrade to the Z51 spring set?

LOOKS
- I've ordered my side fender mesh screens and they should be here by next week. I would like to put some new halogens in for a crisper "white light" and was hoping for some suggestions that I could run to the automotive shop to pick up and put in this weekend. Any ideas/experiences?

Thanks in advance for everyone's thoughts and ideas. -Dave

CQRT

I'd do exhaust before air bridge etc for a couple reasons - - better exhaust means better performance and better sound . . .I think your 20 hp is extremely optimistic. You're going to need to listen to good audio clips or find cars that are equipped with Borla, Corsa, Billy Boat,etc - - what's "good" is extremely subjective.

And what are your plans for the car? If you're not doing auto crossing or other high speed events, I think I'd look at under car suspension bushings but I wouldn't spend a lot of time or money on costly sway bars - - -Z06 or Billstein shocks are good, Z06 sways are good - - but again, it depends if you're going racing or just spending more money than you need to for street driving.

I think I'd encourage you to drive and use the car for awhile and feel what it needs . . .rather than jumping into spending dough that may not produce a seat of the pants tangible result.

All due respect-- congrats on the new Vette, your car - - -your money. But most of all- enjoy it - - - -then figure out what it needs!

Just my .02 - - -good luck.

Verrückt ZR1

Regarding the engine mods- look for a ~5 horsepower gain with that configuration. The flow will be better though, and it's a great place to start!

darnold

No problem. Thanks for the input. The plan is to run once at Joliet speedway and once at Black Hawk each year along with an autocross or two per year. So that's two road course track sessions and 1-2 autocross per year, plus I do like taking entry and exit ramps at a little more than the posted speed. However, I won't drive it hard at the track, or even the autocross events. It will just be nice, and a lot of fun to stretch her legs a little. That is why I bought the Z06 shocks and am looking at the anti-roll bars.

The Steinjager anti-roll bars are actually LESS expensive than buying a used pair of Z06 bars. I can pick up the front and rear bar, along with 4 new metal end links for $200. I couldn't find anything close to that. The CIA was just a standard upgrade. The bridge, MAF and exhaust was something I was looking at to complete the process of opening her up.

darnold

Thanks. Your insights are greatly appreciated.

After a ton of review throughout this forum, CAC, and other places the one thing I realized is that there were a lot of different thoughts about what mod's produced what results. No sooner would someone say this mod works or doesn't work and someone would dyno their car with it and get the opposite results. It's been crazy, but also enjoyable to glean so much. Whatever I get/don't get with the CIA is fine with me. The other intake/exhaust mod's haven't been bought yet so I can reconsider those.

My Z06 shocks have been purchased and are on their way but the anti-roll bars haven't. Regarding the anti-roll bars I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't wasting money because of the softer spring rates for my FE1 base suspension. I know what I've read about the upgrades from people who have done it, but they never mention whether or not they actually changed the spring rates. The assumption was that they hadn't, but I thought I would ask anyway.

At this point I'm thinking about proceeding with getting the sway bars and maybe doing the exhaust. The bridge and MAF may be off the list. Anyone else have any thoughts?

Verrückt ZR1

I think you're on the right track. You'll definitely enjoy the new shocks, and most CAI's are easy installs and go well with future supporting mods. Save the air bridge and ported MAF sensor for last, after installing a nice set of long tube headers and or heads/cam. (If that's the road you choose. Careful though, it's addicting.) Exhaust is always a plus as well. Sound goes a long way in these cars. Enjoy your new ride, and welcome to the asylum!

4XLR8N

I have done some similar mods, including a CAI/catback/dyno tune.

You can check it all out here, including dyno results...

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...project-3.html

...hopefully you can find some helpful info in that thread.

Be sure to post up your mods/results!

bikeriderga

The only way you are going to pick up 20 RWHP with these mods is to combine the mods with a dyno tune. Even then, it is a stretch, unless you are changing out XPipe as well.

darnold

Thanks for the advice, that's what I'm pretty much going to do. BTW, this Corvette experience is pretty much the only asylum that I would like to be in.

darnold

I am honored to have a reply from you. Your thread has been one of my shock and awe bookmarked threads (we didn't call it that back when I was in the Army, lol) that I have reviewed for the past 7 weeks. I love the systems concept that you started with. Some side notes in the "looks" department are that my C5 has the LS1 black/red throttle plate badge and red calipers also. The funny thing is that I thought those two things were standard items on a C5 before your thread. LOL. I also love your hand painted C5 cross flags on the hood liner and have the thread marked for how to do it. Hopefully I'll get that done within the next 3 weeks, just for the look and fun of it. And I was just telling my brother (well he's been like one for over 35yrs, lol) on our Corvette cruise last night about getting the raised colored emblem for the steering wheel, so you know that's getting ordered...today! LOL, LOL. His response was that I should get the Corvette emblem floor mats to boot, which you have in yours! Talk about birds of a feather...lol.


Regarding your engine mod's:

I have been following your path, first off because you were brave enough to plan your initial updates even though many say that they don't do much of anything, and second because you dyno'ed them and showed that we are able to get increases beyond the typical 5 HP that are often quoted. You gained 11 RWHP (by your assumption of a bone stock 6spd having about 300 RWHP) before the tune!!! After your tune you actually gained another 13 RWHP for a total of 24 RWHP; all for what was essentially just a CAI and Exhaust improvement. However, this is where the craziness comes in, as I'm sure you found in your research as well, because that's a LOT better than the normative expressed belief. But if we accept the data we actually shouldn't be surprised. Based upon my searches it looks like a CAI and Exhaust are truly capable of giving these types of gains.
Super Chevy had a bone stock, no work done to it, 99' get massive increases from just a cat back system even though people routinely say that a cat-back system can't/won't produce more than a 5 H.P. gain
( http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/exh...xhaust-system/ he mufflers/ ).

In your case you may have gotten more from yours as well since you weren't able to actually do a bone stock baseline before your mod's, if I read things correctly. Your 4k rpm drop and loss of upper range power IMOP further illuminated how other sub-sytems can mask performance gains that should be on the table. Fortunately your dyno tune was able to account for things so that you were able to really see what you had gained (standard systems theory tenants). Since one of our members flow tested a bunch of stuff we now know that the stock box/filter, MAF, and bridge together all flow woefully below the 570+ CFM that the stock TB is capable of handling. It was interesting to note that some thought it didn't matter because of the idea that our stock LS1 engines couldn't use the extra air/charge density anyway. If I remember from what I've read (I've been reading a lot...lol) something around a max of 350cfm was postulated for what the engine could take in. That wound up being pretty thoroughly debunked during that thread, putting the range more into the 570 - 600cfm range ( https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...cations-4.html ).

The point is that your results offer a glimpse into how postulates can be inaccurate because you got significant increases through basically more flow from simple bolt on parts. BTW, maybe a higher flow MAF would have also helped the 4k rpm drop?? Just wondering.

I am also curious about the stock wire sets that we use on our C5's. Granetelli has pretty much debunked the idea that stock wires are giving us our maximum HP ( http://www.ssforums.com/forum/vendor...-vs-stock.html ). I have to pull the thread, but even our Chevy performance wire set has been shown to have a sizeable increase in resistance to lower ohm models such as the MSD Super Conductors and the Granetelli wire sets
( http://www.ls1.com/forums/f63/tested...results-31657/ ). Oddly enough, in the tests done by a Corvette owner (I think on this forum) the MSD's actually produced a super insignificant amount more HP than the lower resistance Granetelli's. This makes me wonder if there is a range that our wire sets need to be in, say less than 60 - 80 ohms, and lower that there isn't anything else to be gained. However that range could show that it takes more than some amount, say higher than 100 ohms for grins and giggles, and you start to leave HP on the table? It would be fun to test what that range actually is between any lower and no HP increase, but higher than some point and you loose HP (compared to the lower resistance sets that is). Point is that we could even see a little more HP with a Granettelli, MSD SC (I have these on now with NGK Iridium IV's), Accel Spiro-Ferrel, or Jacobs Energy Core wire set. The person who measured their resistive values in the thread above did so at double the length of our C5 wire set. Thus the values for the four wires sets I listed (and all of the others he tested) would be half as much for our purposes.

Since I want that 300K+ engine reliability and I don't need, nor would I ever care for trying to get beyond 480 net engine H.P. (not RWHP) I won't get ridiculous anyway. An LS6 intake manifold and maybe LS6 or aftermarket cam of similar nature is as far as I will go beyond the bolt on mod's for the intake track and exhaust system, and those wouldn't happen for another year or two, or three, lol.

That's why this is all so interesting and fun. We never really know what's going to happen with our mods.
I'll post some pics of the car and document the upgrades as I go.
Since I live in Illinois I'm trying to talk my wife into going to either the Carlisle, and or, Bloomington Corvette Fests. In addition I'm looking to join the Corvette club in the area in July. So lots of fun this summer I pray.
Thanks for all of your great ideas and your thread. Hopefully we can meet and have a beer sometime in the future.
Viva the drive....

darnold

A silver steering wheel 3d emblem from forum vendor Vette Works Int was ordered today. My Twin Filter CAI came yesterday but it was missing the hole for the breather hose so I have to wait for the replacement to come later next week.

My side fender duct screens are due to arrive tomorrow along with the C6 Z06 Shocks. I am looking to order some silver letters for the passenger side air bag tonight. Next week I plan to order another 3D raised emblem to put in the middle of the center console just before the cargo bay. Late next month should see the Corvette embroidered mats being ordered and the interior will be just about done.

I have been toying with the idea today for a GS theme, but I like the Magnesium wheels too much and would have to get some new black and silver sport seat covers to boot, lol. However, some silver GS strips on the fender and center arm rest, along with a gray half tone painting of the bottom half of the doors and driver/passenger dash, somehow seems appealing.

I still need to paint the under hood emblem next week, and I plan on adding a battery compartment deck/lid next month as well.

I'll post pics as I get the upgrades in place. Until then, here are some baseline pics. I'll also add one of them as my sig.

Verrückt ZR1

Awesome. Sounds like you'll be a busy man the next couple of months. Nothing feels better than making a car your own, and your off to a good start. Love the pics, and love the color combo. Nice choice my friend. Looking forward to updates on your progress.

darnold

Thanks Torch. Lots to do and so little time to accomplish it. It seems as if the "looks" upgrades will be what keeps me busy for the next two weeks since the anti-roll bars won't be in until then.

I just looked up Bloomington Gold and found that it will be at at the Indy Speedway this year. I'm going to try to get the wife to go with me for a day, preferably during the track day.

I'm also searching for a Corvette Club. Although I've looked at at some websites I will have to spend a couple of days this month and next visiting some member meeting nights. Hopefully I'll get a feel for one that my wife and I feel comfortable with so that we can join by the end of July.

Do you belong to a Corvette Club? What is it like?

darnold

The wife is checking to see if she can have the 26th off so that we can go to Bloomington Gold. There are several things that I will try to cram into the day. The two most important items are the Ron Fellows Driving School seminar from 10-11am and the Gold Autocross ($25 for five passes).

After those two things I am planning to do the Ride & Drive event (I'm guessing that this is where you get to try out a new Chevy car??), and the Gold Speed event. The Ride and Drive qualifies you to be able to do the Gold Speed event. The Gold Speed event appears to be where you get to drive a C7 around either an autocross setup or some of the infield F1 course but I'm not sure.

If anyone has better info about the Ride & Drive and Gold Speed events please chime in.

Then, if there is time I want to attend the 2pm LT4 build class where they disassemble and rebuild an LT4 engine. Lastly I hope we get to do the Gold Tour (includes one lap around the Speedway) at 5pm for only $10 before hitting the Corvettes on the Circle-Downtown Indy and heading home.

There should be an hour or two in between all of this to check out the many vendors. It will be a full day, but a fun one if the wife can go.

darnold

Side vents and C6 Z06 shocks are here. It's raining again (no, not the song, lol) so I'll see if I can get the side vent screens in and take a couple of pics. If not, I'll do it by the end of the weekend. We'll see.

Stroker87

I installed side vents on my z06 with the supplied double sided tape, cleaned and prepped the areas then installed them one fell off 3 days later

I would recommend some types of adhesive so you dont wind up like me!

btw downers grove here!

darnold

WOW
Thanks for the heads up.

The instruction sheet (blurred b/w copy, they need new toner, lol) said that could happen and to use some type of epoxy. I just grabbed my liquid steel putty and will try to get it done over the next couple of hours.

Your Z06 looks great. Maybe we can meet for a beer over at Gordan Beirsch in the Promenade or someplace else?

Stroker87

hey i'm always up for meeting other car nuts! brake from the wife and kids is welcomed lol

darnold

LOL!
PM sent.

darnold

Side grills are in. Pic's to follow tomorrow.