Z06Vette.com - Corvette Z06 Forum - NA w/ 500rwhp vs FI (supercharged) C5 Z06

ZFoLyfe · 05-27-2008, 05:48 PM

So I am trying to decide which route to explore first....dipping into the top end of the engine and getting it to give me 500rwhp potential (Heads/Cam/Intake Manifold) or going the supercharged route....i already have stage 1 MTI and am putting 401rwhp down right now.... i love the instantaneous response of the all motor setup...but crave power...lol

RocketSled · 05-27-2008, 06:36 PM

I recommend S/C. By far the simplest option, and quite possibly less expensive than all the other things you mention. And when you finally blow up the engine as a result of your insatiable lust for increased boost in the never ending quest to dial in just a little more "giddyup" before it starts to ping, you can still do these other things as part of the rebuild, and you'll have a perfectly good supercharger you can use, as well.

Gimpy · 05-28-2008, 08:25 PM

I agree. IMHO FI is the way to go. My car made 500 rwhp with a bone stock motor (see sig) with no driveability issues. Great mpg and a kitty cat to drive but rips when you want it to. Hal

K M · 05-28-2008, 09:03 PM

I also have been doing my research and reasoning with myself which route I would like to take if any. I have considered the STS TT kit and the ECS S/C or A&A S/C and just the good old fashioned all motor. I don't know which way I would like to go either. The S/C seems to be the cheapest route to 500 rwhp. I have always been a turbo fan and would go that route but its another $2000 or so for the same hp. Then all motor is expensive but generally is also a favorite for various reasons (sound probably the biggest reason).

***do not quote me on prices or hp becuase I am sure there are ways to do any of them for a "reasonable" amount of money.

If I did not have to worry about smog I would love to go all motor, but I live in Ca so smog is an issue. For me if I am serious and feel like paying to play I will obviously go with some sort of FI. The S/C seems like a very good candidate. Good luck I am sure you will never have enough HP though

RocketSled · 05-28-2008, 09:07 PM

Well, the Vortech blower has a CARB number, it's legal for CA.

K M · 05-28-2008, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketSled

Well, the Vortech blower has a CARB number, it's legal for CA.

Which is that is on the top of my list along with the STS TT kit which also has a CARB number.

Z O SICK · 05-29-2008, 07:51 AM

I think it all depends on what you want to do with the car. 500rwhp N/A is great because of the low end grunt. However, 500rwhp FI would also be fun. If you're sticking with the stock 346 co motor then I say blower or turbo is the way to go. 500rwhp in a 346 ci would more than likely have a good size cam and that will hurt the drivabilty. If you're trying to get 500rwhp out of a 346 car, it's going to be tough unless you spend a lot of money and do some research on a good package. I would go with a 402 if you wanted 500rwhp. You could get that easy with a good set of heads. IMO, 500 rwhp N/A in a 402 ci car will spank 500 rwhp FI in a 346 ci car.

As far as Turbo's go, I wouldn't get an STS kit. I know a few people who have them and they have nothing but problems. All of them also told me that they would never buy that kit again and 100% of the guys I've talked to with their kits are unhappy with them. Plus I don't care what anyone says, they do have a bit of lag. I've been in or raced four different STS cars and they all got beat pretty bad by my cars. All of the STS cars mad much more "dyno power" then my car as well. All of the STS cars made nice dyno numbers but they all fell very short on the "fast" factor in my book. I'm not bashing STS in anyway, I'm just giving you my first hand experence with them. I'm sure I'll get bashed for saying what I said but I'd want someone to steer me the right way. APS looks like a nice turbo set up but I don't know too much about their kit. If you want ease, I'd go with a procharger or Vortech. Give Andy at A&A a call. When I was looking for a blower set up, he was very nice on the phone. That means a lot to me. I hope this advice helps.

Tony

ZFoLyfe · 05-29-2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z O SICK

I think it all depends on what you want to do with the car. 500rwhp N/A is great because of the low end grunt. However, 500rwhp FI would also be fun. If you're sticking with the stock 346 co motor then I say blower or turbo is the way to go. 500rwhp in a 346 ci would more than likely have a good size cam and that will hurt the drivabilty. If you're trying to get 500rwhp out of a 346 car, it's going to be tough unless you spend a lot of money and do some research on a good package. I would go with a 402 if you wanted 500rwhp. You could get that easy with a good set of heads. IMO, 500 rwhp N/A in a 402 ci car will spank 500 rwhp FI in a 346 ci car.

Tony

agreed....and this is why i feel that i will go the sc route.... because when the engine does give, or the boost just isnt enough, thats when i can go to a larger/stronger engine. Now i just have to decide on what style sc and whos to purchase.....

**MikesZ06** · 05-29-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketSled

Well, the Vortech blower has a CARB number, it's legal for CA.

I believe the Procharger also has a CARB number so that gives you a couple of good blowers to choose from.

Mike

Ernie King · 05-30-2008, 06:12 PM

If your looking at 500 rwhp with a 346 LS1 or Ls6 your going to have a bit of work to get those numbers, $$$$$$ if that is possible. A 402 would be the way to go or bigger...
Go with the SC, then like they said, if it goes, just build a forged bottom end and put the SC back on..

Ernie

CraZee ZO6 · 05-30-2008, 11:10 PM

trickflow heads and a nice size cam with a fast manifold will do 500rwhp n/a
theres your research.

I wouldnt trade my 500rwhp n/a for 550rwhp boosted.

MPRTKLR · 07-22-2008, 05:29 PM

The most important factor to decide is what you want to do with your car. If you are into road racing, then NA is by far the best way to go. If you want a fast street car that sees very little track time, then I would go with the S/C, especially since it is more linear with the boost and is easier to control on the street. Also, the S/C is better suited for the 6 speed when compared to turbos. However, if you want a full drag car or just an uncontrollable animal on the street, a turbo setup is the way to go. Not that you can't make a S/C car a full drag car, obviously they do very well, I just think the full boost lower in the rpm range is a big benefit, which also makes the car more uncontrollable on the street.

Also, figure out what a realistic budget is for now and the future. If you know you want to forge the motor later on, definitely go FI, but if you have any doubts about spending the money to build the car, stay NA.

PuJu Z · 07-22-2008, 08:01 PM

500hp n/a then slap a blower on it

ZO6 AL-X · 07-22-2008, 08:24 PM

If your NA option is to stick with the stock motor, I would opt for the blower (centrifugal, rather than a roots type due to no hood swap). If you were considering more cubes, I'd go with NA. I think, eventually, you'll end up with both. Good luck and keep us posted.

Z06-Dave · 07-27-2008, 10:16 AM

I was always an N/A guy, I built my first 2 Corvettes up to about the power level you are lookng for. I recently bought a 2003 Z06 with 595 RWHP that runs 9's. It is by far more streetable and more fun to drive then the H/C cars I had. Plus, unopened motors are always going to be more reliable. I'm sure the lifespan of my blown car will be less than the N/A setup but who cares, I wont have it that long!