I am wanting to do a few mods on my z06. I asked a local mechanic and he said a cold air intake, exhaust, and a chip. I have read about a place reprogramming the pcm. Anyone have any ideas and or what products are good?

 

First of all, don't go with anyone who recommends a "chip" -- on these cars you just reprogram the ECM.

Ask around and find a good shop that has the software (and expertise to use it well) to reprogram the ECM and tune the car with it while it is on the dyno. A shop with a Dynojet brand dyno and a talented tuner can do a good job, but a shop with a Mustang brand dyno (no relation to the Ford product) can do a slightly better job because the Mustang will load up the rear wheels with a simulated on the road loading for a better base situation while doing the tune. I would not do all these mods without a retune: about 40% of cars with them throw a code otherwise

Regardless, in the order of effectiveness, I'd recommend long tube headers first (they are the only simple external mod you can do that will make a difference you can really feel:, a good cold air intake is good for maybe 10 HP max, and similar with an aftermarket cat back exhaust (I'd leave the stock one one and just go with headers). C6ZO6s with these mods jump from right at 445-450 RWHP stock (on a Dynojet, little less on a Mustang) to about right at 500, with a good tune. Thats about 50 RWHP for probably $2500 to $3000 for good parts, labor, and the tune, or around $50 - $60 per real verifiable HP - about as good as it really gets, when done right.

 

What type or brand do you suggest for the cold air intake?

 

Below is a link to Norris Motorsports. His shop forged my Trans Am motor and he lilely can get you parts at a very competetive price. Just tell him JEB from over in Lake Mary sent you and see what he comes back with, if you're interested.

http://www.mikenorrismotorsports.com/C6_Z06.html

 

There's lots of intakes for around $400 that make serious horsepower. Not sure how, but they have dyno numbers that prove it. Have you checked out West Coast Corvette?

 

I'd be careful about an intake. Most claims are a bit overstated and for the standard car, not the ZO6 which is optimized much more for perfomrance.

As I said, a good intake might add 10 HP on the dyno but almost all are not going to add enough to make a difference you can feel, although many people will claim they can feel the difference (but then they have already paid the mooney and sorta have to believe it was worth it).

LT headers first, then might as well add the intake if you care 'cause it doesn't cost that much and if it is a good one, well, 10 HP is 10 HP, and a really good tune. If you want to go "into" the engine, a new cam, etc., with new springs and retainers if the manufactuuer recommended it. Then find and run on the highest octane you can (and fill the tank with that before you have it tuned).

If they all work together and you have a good tune, you should have about 520 RWHP and perfect driveability, of about 545 and not quite as driveable NA, with cats and full emissions compliance (I did).

Beyond that, turbos or a SC'r are the way to go: you can't bore or stroke the LS7 enough to matter, and higher revs are just not possible without a lot of money. It can take enough boost to go to about 600 HP, but I would not try to match the LS9.

 

I added a Calloway Honker (very nce looking piece) and a custom tune and went from
44x to 482 RWHP. $1000 and runs great. Headers ussually add drone to the exhast and your car is never really quiet again. If that doesnt matter to you then headers as well for close to 500 RWHP. I would not waste any money on a cat back as these are fine. Their is a shop in Dallas that can operate on the stock exhast system and give you a real high flow muffler for about $400 and that will net you another 4-5 RWHP.

 

Nah, headers do not add drone to the exhaust-- alot of catbacks add a drone or resonance, but headers transmit a bit more of the raw high frequencies back to the cat back, which should handle them (my GHL did) and add only that very slight "ticking" -- the higher frequency of the pulse when the exhaust opens that comes through the thinner manifold wall, a sound that, frankly, a lot ofpeople never learn to listen for -- street racers learn to listen for it as it is one sound of a sleeper.