what is the best modification for its price? ZL1

[zezo-zl1]

Hi everyone

I'm new owner of Zl1 with auto trans. I Just install OBX headers and I felt power reduced. Should I take it off or tune the car. Also, I'm planning to changer the heat exchanger or just change coolant reservoir, thermostat 160 degree, roto fab or airaid intake, supercharger pulley..etc

Just need your advises what parts and from which company? why?

[gen=5]

you need to install better headers,i would not install $400. headers on a 60k ZL1..exhaust mainfolds cause the torque to be lower in the rpm range which gives you the seat of the pants feeling sooner when you have a SC installed on a engine(any engine)..when you installed those headers the hp,and tq both move up in the rpm band...If you had a better set of headers on the car the tq would of not moved up in the rpm band as much causing loss of low end tq,plus you would gain more top end power..go spend $1400 and get a good set of headers,but your first mod should of been a CAI and a tune..increasing boost ,and timing makes the most difference on those motors..Then you need to get a set of pullys,then get a catch can for the PVC system to control the oil being sucked into the blower..after that get some injectors,followed by improving the hex system to prevent the computer from pulling timing due to heat soak,as well as protecting the motor.. good luck there is a ton of info on this forum,just do a search instead of posting you will be able to find so much more infomation..

call nick at fastlaneturbo.com he will hook you up,they do business overseas all the time,i know he has shipped at least 30 cars to that part of the world,,including a 700hp new gm4x4 truck with a complete ZR1 vet drive train in it..tell him i sent you to him,just mention the vert ZL1 with hand controls in it,and he will know and give you a 10% discount..good luck..

[lsxtuner]

Originally Posted by zezo-zl1

Hi everyone

I'm new owner of Zl1 with auto trans. I Just install OBX headers and I felt power reduced. Should I take it off or tune the car. Also, I'm planning to changer the heat exchanger or just change coolant reservoir, thermostat 160 degree, roto fab or airaid intake, supercharger pulley..etc

Just need your advises what parts and from which company? why?

Keep the headers they are fine

Get a ported snout with 2.38 upper pulley and retune the car

[Macina]

Originally Posted by gen=5

you need to install better headers,i would not install $400. headers on a 60k ZL1..exhaust mainfolds cause the torque to be lower in the rpm range which gives you the seat of the pants feeling sooner when you have a SC installed on a engine(any engine)..when you installed those headers the hp,and tq both move up in the rpm band...If you had a better set of headers on the car the tq would of not moved up in the rpm band as much causing loss of low end tq,plus you would gain more top end power..go spend $1400 and get a good set of headers,but your first mod should of been a CAI and a tune..increasing boost ,and timing makes the most difference on those motors..Then you need to get a set of pullys,then get a catch can for the PVC system to control the oil being sucked into the blower..after that get some injectors,followed by improving the hex system to prevent the computer from pulling timing due to heat soak,as well as protecting the motor.. good luck there is a ton of info on this forum,just do a search instead of posting you will be able to find so much more infomation..

call nick at fastlaneturbo.com he will hook you up,they do business overseas all the time,i know he has shipped at least 30 cars to that part of the world,,including a 700hp new gm4x4 truck with a complete ZR1 vet drive train in it..tell him i sent you to him,just mention the vert ZL1 with hand controls in it,and he will know and give you a 10% discount..good luck..

I clearly see that your knowledge of these cars are greater than mine but I just cant get my head around that another brand of headers (if the same size) would make any difference. I can't recall I've read any threads that actual OBX users have said that they in any way make less or more power than any other brand. I would think the outcome would be exactly the same if it where kooks, arh, pfadt or any of the big names.
Sorry I can't say whats wrong with your car OP but I really dont believe that the brand of the headers are to blame!

[67motorcat]

Originally Posted by lsxtuner

Keep the headers they are fine

Get a ported snout with 2.38 upper pulley and retune the car

Plus one

You just lost a little boost since your exhaust flows better now with headers.

Do this and it will all come back plus more.The OBX headers are just fine as stated.I have had mine for almost 3 years and are good as new!

[zezo-zl1]

thank you all. I decided to keep the headers on. Now I'm completely confused I want the boost to be around 14. will 2.5 upper and 9.1 lower pulley make it with the headers? Do I have to heat exchanger or just the coolant reservoir? I'm not planning to port the snout cause in my area no one will do it perfectly. I need power and keep it in safe side.

[Roto-fab 1]

Originally Posted by zezo-zl1

Hi everyone

I'm new owner of Zl1 with auto trans. I Just install OBX headers and I felt power reduced. Should I take it off or tune the car. Also, I'm planning to changer the heat exchanger or just change coolant reservoir, thermostat 160 degree, roto fab or airaid intake, supercharger pulley..etc

Just need your advises what parts and from which company? why?

Many people on the forum will tell you that the Roto-Fab CAI is the best bang for your buck mod. Installs easily with no modifications to your vehicle.
Nets huge whp gains for those of you that decide to keep stock ecm tune.
Has been installed on many 700+whp ZL1s so the Roto-Fab can handle any other power additives/mods you decide to add.

[hognutz]

Originally Posted by zezo-zl1

Hi everyone

I'm new owner of Zl1 with auto trans. I Just install OBX headers and I felt power reduced. Should I take it off or tune the car. Also, I'm planning to changer the heat exchanger or just change coolant reservoir, thermostat 160 degree, roto fab or airaid intake, supercharger pulley..etc

Just need your advises what parts and from which company? why?

you may have actaully lost some boost if you just did headers. OBX I think are kooks knock offs so power wise they should be fine. fit and finish they are china made so who know who the life of the product will be.

Datalog you boost and tune you car is my .02.

I would just add lower pulley, cai, tb, injectors, tune to the mix. don't mess with the thermostat IMO. waste of energy. car should move right out.


just so you know max blower RPM recomended is about 23,000 and that would be 10% lower and 2.55 upper. some will run very small upper ie 2.35 this requires machining on the snout. or very large lower ie 10.00 this requires different idelers and brakets and such. or you can just run both which costs a bit more.

you just need to read a bit more. there is tons of info out there. weapon x and lingenfelter have a bunch of charts that explain the pulley and boost combo's.

[Stephen12ZL1]

good info with these posts...pulley, tune, & cold air induction will yield the largest gains.

[zezo-zl1]

I'm going with 2.38 upper pulley with green belt 64.5, airaid intake, and d3 heat exchanger and reservoir. what would be the boost with aftermarket headers? how many hp should I get?

thank you

[silver surfer ZL1]

I installed an ATI balancer pulley along with a 10% lower overdrive pulley, roto fab CAI and im running a can of torco fuel accelerator for every fill up

NO TUNE

the car made 574 rwhp 3 times back to back

[Joe@CPR.com]

Our level 3 kit puts down 650 rwhp with our junky 91 octane gas here in AZ. If you want to discuss a complete package or just some bolt on's we would love to answer every question you may have!

[Stephen12ZL1]

Originally Posted by zezo-zl1

I'm going with 2.38 upper pulley with green belt 64.5, airaid intake, and d3 heat exchanger and reservoir. what would be the boost with aftermarket headers? how many hp should I get?

thank you

That is a 14psi ish setup with 570 A6 585 M6 guess rwhp. You will be happy without changing valvetrain components, heads, or cam.

[Matt@510]

Originally Posted by Roto-fab 1

Many people on the forum will tell you that the Roto-Fab CAI is the best bang for your buck mod. Installs easily with no modifications to your vehicle.
Nets huge whp gains for those of you that decide to keep stock ecm tune.
Has been installed on many 700+whp ZL1s so the Roto-Fab can handle any other power additives/mods you decide to add.

I agree we use the Roto Fab intakes on all our camaro packages, even our 800hp FlameThrower package.