Paging Basil! Check it out..The cars a blast!

[JBsZ06]

Here are the goals I set for this project. With the new C6 Z06 coming in about a year and a half supposedly having somewhere between 460 to 500hp and with

my existing C5 Z06 being mint and only having 22,000 miles I was thinking why not do a cam mod on this existing 2001 C5 to push out a reliable 465-470 hp at the flywheel/400 hp at the rear wheels and wait out the onset of craziness as the C6 Z06 hits..and then subsides..

So then after searching..throughout the net and talking with various people who have modded both successfully and unsuccessfully..I came to the conclusion that the weak link in any of these valvetrain mods is too much lift..and insufficent springs..

So with a goal of both pcm and tailpipe emission friendly setup I wanted durability, reliability, and 465 to 470 flywheel hp which translates to ~400rwhp.

I need to be able to drive the car in heavy city traffic without drivability issues....

I need to be able to have a stealthy package that would attract attention from either the wifey..the police or most importantly irritate my 8 year old autistic son who for the most part is my partner in crime here giving his mommy a break and making me a hero dad..

Yet I heard all these stories about rumbling and shaking and while in my 20's that might be fun at 44 years old...I did not want something so radical that I made any compromises on my goals..

so for a two grand I opted for the TTP 400 package.

I spoke with TTP George, who is the master tech at TTP and although he was curious what his 440 rwhp Equilizer cam would do in my car he understood and listened to what my personal goals were..Heres what he suggested:

C5/Z06 Corvette Cam & Header Installation Packages
Y-Body Z06 400HP Package without headers
- TTP Custom Camshaft (224/224 - 112 or 114lsa)
- Crane Dual Springs, Spring Seats, Titanium Retainers, Valve Stem Seals
- TTP Hardened Chromoly Pushrods
- NGK TR55 Spark Plugs
- Taylor 10.4mm Thundervolt Wires
- Double Roller Timing Chain
- Synthetic Oil/Filter Change
- All gaskets/bolts necessary
- Installation
- LS1 Edit Full Custom Dyno Tuning

I chose the 224/224 114 lsa becausewith ls1edit it passes both emission tests in california according to all acounts I've read on all the boards..


Personally I see emission testing getting more rigorious as time goes on and I wanted to make sure my cammed car passed both the sniffer test and the pcm test. By all accounts on the net that I've researched this one passes..

Anyways ....so what was the end result?

Some might ask....

Did the car become powerful but uncivilized? By some threads I've read the modded cars idle crazy...shake ..have no bottom end..and the valve springs need to be replaced every 10K miles or less..

Well I'm here making this thread because quite honestly..this is the way the car should have rolled out of GM..

Its so civilized you really have know there is a cam in this car to hear it. Sure I stayed with the stock titanium lightweight exhaust and probably lost 5 rwhp..but the cars stealthy as heck.

Since picking up the car friday night..I've driven this car for about 8 hours..including interstate ...Its that civilized..that I even on my way home drove through manhattan for laughs..There's nothing this car can't do now that it couldn't do before the project began..

Traffic? NOT A PROBLEM..Idle issues..? NONE AT ALL!

And the fun part? The cars got power everywhere! From top to bottom..There is no jerkiness..there is no loss of low end power..The midrange power beginning at 3,00 rpms all the way to the 6800rpms is amazing..

Today I handed a beautiful silver 911 his @ss on the highway without even breathing hard..It was funny as heck..

Here are the numbers:

2000 rpms 120rwhp 300 lb/ft of torque at the rear wheels
2500 rpms 150 .... 312
3000 .... .. 190 .... 325
3500 .... .. 240 .... 359
4000 .... .. 280 .... 375
4500 .... .. 320 .... 375
5000 .... .. 360 .... 380
5500.... .. . 380 .... 355
6000 .... .. 390 .... 340
6300 .... .. 396 .... 315
6500 .... .. 390.... 310


Sure..there are guys who make more power..but that wasn't my goal..I wanted looking for a reliable, civilized 465 flywheel hp (~400rwhp) that I can drive everyday without any one the wiser for whats under the hood...one that I can drive in midtown manhattan traffic without an issue...one that I can take accross the country ..anytime and feel totally at ease with..., one thats emissions friendly by all accounts that I could find...(guys passing on ls1.com and ls1tech out in california with the sniffer and pcm test)

So does the car shudder as its making the power? NO!..does the idle jump around anything? NOPE! Idles at 800 rpms..Does the car have a weaker lower rpm range powerband? NOPE! Does the car do anything different than a stock bolt on car? NOPE!

The only thing thats different is there's always a ton of power available..

The cars always ready to rock and roll ! otherwise its just like driving a stock Corvette..

And thats the most important thing to take away from this thread..After reading so many various threads on cams..even when they were about much crazier performance..I thought..I might have been been having built a car that hunted idle! A car that was no longer civilized..

I knew intellectually I was not building that..but emotionally I was wondering to myself....? Would the civility of the car ..the daily driver capability of the car? be ruined...! or compromised..

NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST!

As I got ready to drive off last night when I picked up the car..I asked George at TTP..what I needed to do different with this car now that it had the cam in it? George looked me right in the eyes..and said to me..Treat it exactly as you did prior to the cam install..and most important of all ENJOY !

Thats personally why I chose TTP, Both Matt and George are great guys but the passion for these cars was sincere..This was a labor of love for George and the final result of his efforts are well displayed here..

The cars put back together better than when I dropped it off.

Needless to say I'm very impressed..I haven't been on line much since I picked up the car because I am in love with this car now more than ever before..(if thats possible) For the first four hours of driving last night I even forgot to turn on the tunes..I was just enjoying the slightly deeper tone of the car and believe me its slight!

If I wanted louder..I'd have to pass up on the stock titaniums and go aftermarket..but I personally didn't want a car that was louder..

FWIW..as I pulled in late last night..past midnight...and the car was pulling in the garage..my wife steps into the garage and couldn't even tell the car was different sounding. (and believe me if she could make a complaint she would ! (joking but you get my drift) She did not notice the car sounding any different..

Well I hope this helps anyone looking for an exciting bang for the buck mod..I believe the car went from the bolt on 363 rear wheel hp to 396 rwhp with the cam...

Easily could have gotten more hp if I wanted to shift a few priorities but I didn't..By the way...the dual valve springs chosen are way overrated for the lift on this cam..and George stated to me when I asked when they need to be replaced....He stated with this application..street driving...25,000 miles..and heavy drag strip usage...15,000 miles..

I was prepared to spend the couple of hundred dollars to replace the springs every 10,000 miles but George is the type of guy who tells it to you straight ...

So what does that mean? It means my extra maintaince on this car because of its 465 flywheel hp aftermarket cam is a couple of hundred dollars every 25,000 miles..

I can kill almost any Ferrari sans the Enzo..and where their tuneups usually can run 6 to 10 grand..I laugh as I have to pay approximately 2-3 hundred dollars! if that!

Literally...just drive a car with a cam in it...like this and you could never go back..Its just that hot a ride..Its that pumped up....not peaky..not unruly..just a lot faster! GM should have made the car this way right from the factory..maybe they will with the C6 Z06 but why should any of us wait..

At 44 years old I don't have the time or patience for compromises...

There is no compromise here ..just 466 flywheel hp (396 rwhp)


Wish me well my friends and please feel free to ask me any questions..

I'm far from the expert ...just a corvette enthusiast who probably never would have done any of this without all the good information and good friends on the net. So for that I say thanks!

Hope this gives good balanced insight to anyone not interested in being the fastest..the badest drag racing maniac around but just wants a well thought out package that just adds to the enjoyment of the car..

 

[JBsZ06]

Basil,

I just thought I'd share with you and anyone else who might be interested this new project I embarked on..

I know your mostly on this site but thought you'd get a laugh out of this even if its Corvette related..

Have a good one!

JB

 

[Basil]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by JBsZ06:
Basil,

I just thought I'd share with you and anyone else who might be interested this new project I embarked on..

I know your mostly on this site but thought you'd get a laugh out of this even if its Corvette related..

Have a good one!

JB<hr></blockquote>

Is your stock Z06 the 405 version or the 385 (stock). I can't remember where they made the change. I know my son's is the 405. Maybe this is something he should look into down the road.

Basil

 

[tony barnhill]

WHEW!

 

[aerog]

...and to think I'm satisfied with what my MGB does.

 

[Basil]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by JBsZ06:

Wish me well my friends and please feel free to ask me any questions.. <hr></blockquote>

Is this treatment available for a "regular" C5 or is it just a Z06 thing?

Basil

 

[JBsZ06]

Hi basil,

I had the 385 hp 2001 model z06 with headers/intake/throttlebody/3.73 rear gears and it was throwing down around about the same as the 2002 and newer Z06's 350 to 360 rwhp (with a few small mods) and then I went for this very civilized 224/224 .563 114lsa cam and its even more fun..

It works just as well on ls1 engine cars with maybe 10 to 15 hp less.

It was a two grand installed mod with ls1edit and I would if and when you get the itch consider it..

I'm really enjoying it and I know you have a beautiful red C5 as well as your even more beautiful Jaguar so I thought I'd stop in and say hello..

Of course some of the guys are going nuts with G3X5 cams...etc..but the lifts are so high..the cars are tough to hold together..over time..

So I basically took the valve springs the big lift cams are running and ran a mild lift cam..

The .563 for a nice improvement..and supposedly awesome durability..

I chose the 224/224 114lsa for sniffer emissions even though most states have gone pcm plug in tests..

I didn't want to deal with not passing both emissions testing..

Been there and done that 20 years ago..Just too pesty to deal with..and Iwanted a car to pass..

For your son? I'd probably stay withstock cam as its so...close it wouldn't pay..

But for a Stock C5 or a 2001 Z06 I thought it would be a good mod..and its truly surprised me..

Hope all is well and as always I enjoy this very fine British Sports Car forum!

I'd say you've got the best British sports car forum on the net!

Always fun to shoot the breeze with the owners of sports cars whose cars really got the sports car craze going here in America!

Heard a new Jag sports car might be back on again..! although I saw the little Solstice at the show..and in production form it really wowed the crowds..

Worth a look just for fun!

20 to 25 fully loaded! 170hp first year..210 the second with supercharger..............

The new York auto show was quite fun this year! Lots of fine autos for sure.