Mark Ducati

What's your opinion on going with a CAM install and no headers?

I had my Z06 dyno'd at Vengeance Racing, cold air, electric cut outs and got some good hp gains and a TON of sound with the cutouts!

Very cool!

But! I'd like just a tad more HP and the "lope" sound that a CAM can offer... Vengeance says they can do an install for me for:
---------------------
Camshaft/dual spring kit/hardened pushrods/crank bolt/installation totals 1800.00

Longtubes/Catted X pipe/Installation totals 2300.00

Dyno time will be a flat fee of 150.00 and include any tuning required to optimize your combo.
----------------------

$4250 for a total package... I don't have that kind of cash, so I was thinking of CAM only to give me a few more ponies the sound I'm looking for...

So my question is... how NECESSARY is it to go with headers?

Yellow2006Z

I would check these guys out (i dont know where you located but I will drive to have my car done from SC to TX to get this done - great deal for cam +cam installed and car tuned)
Cost of gas for me about 160$ round trip. Not sure where you are located.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...-warranty.html

1695$ = Cam + Install + tunning (pre/post dyno sheet probably)

They have Black Mamba and Black Widow cams which should net you great amount of power even with out headers.

Good luck

I dont see headers as must do, but it will help when you do get it installed. You will just have to re-tune your car.

take care

0MR Z

The Ragin Racin Stalker or LETHAL Cam would work well without headers. The Lethal would have a little more lope.

383vett

Richierich has a cam only Z06 running 10's on street tires. PM him

Madsen

I had a Cam, intake, and tune. the engine blew (no fault of anyone but GM valves)

So now I have small Stalker cam from Ragin, heads and install from RPM (charlie)
upgraded intake, Vette air ram air, and ported tunnel. NO headers.

Car runs great.

Oh yes always a tune to dile it in.
Good luck

GIO-305

Take you time and save up to have it done all at once. Also add the headers and you will have a nice set up.

veech

Any specs on these Cams or just stupid names?

Im thinking about a Cam for my 08 Z (I really dont want headers on it!)

Just want to know some Cam Specs before I buy one that i dont want...

0Myhardtop

Good advice.

But if money is a little tight, try either our Street Bully or Street Menace cam. Many Z owners in this forum have tried it is proven to make between 508 and 517 w/o headers and yet sound dorn near stock with the baffles closed.

Thanks,
Carlos

RichieRichZ06

Our Z06 makes 535/478 and traps 130MPH with a cam only. I literally have a cam, dual springs and a K&N CAI, no headers. It is a .238/.248, .610/.620 on a 112. It idles wicked, but drives close to stock with the right tuning. For comparison purposes the identical cam in the same car with AR 1 7/8" headers makes about 18RWHP more then me. It is not worth $2k for that little bit of extra HP and issues if I ever get stopped. Right now the CAI is the only part that is aftermarket under the hood and I even removed all the labels off it and sealed off from the engine compartment to make it more stealthy.

For $2k I can buy more Hoosiers rather then headers.

gogetterZ06

Hey guy contact Shawn at Ragin Racin...you dont need headers...give shawn a call he can hook you up the right way...Lethal Z cam is a killer and has a muscle car lope, i love mine

Randy@RaginRacin

stalker - 224/246 115
lethal - 232/250 113

SharkbyteLT4

I have a Street Bulley cam, halltech killer bee/beehive/vetteair, and ported intake/TB and make 510rwhp without headers..

I was in the same ballback as you.... I had roughly 2k to play with and the cam swap was the best choice compared to gains with headers... With the baffles open, it sounds wicked and with the baffles closed, you can barely notice that it has an aftermarket cam in it..


Good luck

0Myhardtop

It sounds like this with the baffles open

This Z has LTH and no cats and the Bully
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3VDromnpBo


This Z has bone stock exhaust and the Bully
http://www.youtube.com/user/SillyGoose72

And the cam drives like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cugc26GUEOI

Thanks,
Carlos

Mark Ducati

Wow, thanks guys! Awesome info here...

I was afraid that doing a CAM only was useless/pointless and thought I might be making a bonehead decision without headers... kinda like the advice when getting new rubber to not mix a different brand when replacing the rears... thought if I didn't do headers, a CAM only would fry my motor or something.

Looks like a CAM will be my next mod... The texas guys have a great price, Vengeance is only $100 bucks more, + $150 for the re-tune as I've already ponied the $500 up for the original tune.

$1950 for CAM/Install/Re-tune... about the same if I drove to Texas and got a room for the night.

I'm already at 483 RWHP with Tune/CAI/Cut-outs I'm hoping a CAM only will push me over 500 RWHP.... What do you conservatively think? Maybe 510? 520?

Thanks fellas,
M.

0Myhardtop

Mark,

If you come here and predyno at 480rwhp and don't make at least 500 rwhp after the cam install, then the entire job will be FREE; on the house!!!

How is that for a bold statement???

Thanks,
Carlos

RichieRichZ06

I was 464 SAE bone stock and 535 after the Cam, CAI and a little intake porting. I think 500 is EASY with out headers. Before the CAI our car put down 517/460, but the CAI added the additional 18 RWHP/18RWTQ to get to 535 SAE. This is with a VERY conservative tune and a little fatter of an AFR then normal. We beat on the car pretty hard doing Auto-X, Road courses and drag racing so I wanted it safe.

RICH

Gannet

These cars have truly excellent factory exhaust systems. The whole "ya gotta have headers" thing is a holdover from when cars had terrible factory exhaust. Think of the Z06 as more like the old Max Wedge Mopars.

I'm thinking seriously that when finances permit I want an emissions-stealth buildup like RichieRichZ06's: cam, cold air, ported intake, tune. Maybe add a ground-down and painted FAST. The goal: something that still runs and drives pretty much like stock, is as quiet as stock on long trips, and should still pass emissions tests if/when they are reimposed here.

Dbl6gun

Got a Video link to share??? I'd like to hear your car idle and rev .....

Mark Ducati

Richie, I'm looking to have a car basically like yours... I forgot to add that I also had the TB ported.

CAI
Ported TB
Tune
DHM Electric Cutouts
483 RWHP

With a Cam, I was hoping for 510hp... but form your numbers I'm thinking I should be similarly 535-540?

With that much HP and the ability to on/off the electric cutous, I'd be a pretty good sleeper I'm thinking against any Superleggera I might come across (hahaha, no lambo's in N. GA)...

What kind of 1/4mi times are you seeing? Just curious if you're in the 10's with 535rwhp?

blkz

My question is , if you are going to the expense of a CAM wouldn't it make sense to put headers on too . I'd say save then do it all . What I see happening is you wish you had done it and put them on later at a greater expense .