[EddieM92]

Hey I’m just wondering what some of you guys have paid for porting heads and having cam installed. Just want to see what I should be expecting.

[PRAY]

My H/C kits are roughly $2,500 and the install is 2K.

[USAFS197]

I imagine that cost would go a bit higher for an automatic, no? Especially if you need a new stall for the bump stick.

[PRAY]

Originally Posted by USAFS197

I imagine that cost would go a bit higher for an automatic, no? Especially if you need a new stall for the bump stick.

The install price doesn't change on A8 cars. The parts price would. I don't double charge for stuff that has to happen anyway. So I will put in a clutch or converter for free. Installing headers at the time of H/C is only $100 extra for fitting it to the stock exhaust. Adding FF sensor is $25 changing to an U/D pulley or swapping IM/TB is free at that point and the list goes on. I am also not going to charge you $100 for "shop supplies" and other BS I have seen on too many of my customers previous invoices.

If you have an M6 the price goes up to $2,500 due to all the extra work to get the engine out.

[PRAY]

Originally Posted by KingLT1

Am I the only one that thinks Heads/Cam setups kind of fall out of place on the 6th gen? I was on board with it at first until I did more research on cost and how much more labor intensive it is to complete the job compared to previous gen small blocks.

It use to be Forced induction was much more expensive then a H/C/I setup on the LS stuff which made it a good option along with the more aggressive sound. Now its up there at the same price point and you make less power. For example: the Weapon X LT4 setup can be had for a tick under 4500.00, easier to install then Heads/Cam setup, and will make as much power as the LT1 fuel system can support. You also maintain stock drivability and reliability.

I am not knocking staying NA and going Heads/Cam either, I own or have owned my fair share of them. This route simply is no longer a bang for buck option like it was with the gen 4 LT1 or LS stuff. To some value does not matter and that is fine, it's hard to deny the sound of a nice high compression H/C setup no doubt. And making 580-600whp NA is kind of icing on the cake.

Not to disagree but to some of your points. The F/I build cost much more and you end up at the same power as a H/C build. If we simply focus on the actual parts. Blower is $4,500-7,500 depending on blower kit you go with. H/C is $2,500. If you count labor $1,000 for the blower and $2,000 for the H/C. Tuning comes out to about the same and all the add on parts to make them work cost the same. But you will probably need meth for the S/C car. So tack on another $600-900. And you will eventually be limited by fuel. As far as I know I am as fast or faster than 95% of the blower cars out there on the track. The ones that are faster are full tilt and the cost difference can't be compared. I drive my car to and from work every day 2 hrs. On pump I average 23mpg on E I average about 19mpg. My car fires right up in -1* temps to 110* temps. I have no belt slip or maintenance to worry about or filling my meth tank or losing my windshield wipers. And I got the cackle which is priceless. LOL.

Even the H/C stuff for the LS's ended up being 5K plus.

I will say that just doing a cam swap is a little ridiculous IMHO.

F/I has way more potential in the end but you are going to have to pay for all of that in the end to make it work. The F/I car should be faster.

Each have their pros and cons and it is up to the individual to figure out what is worth what.

[KingLT1]

The LT4 setup will make as much power and will do it more reliably for the same cost. No belt issue or meth needed to make the same power a H/C setup will. You get OEM reliability here. The downfall with it might be heat soak and power loss in extreme situations. It also is pretty much limited to 600whp without some form of chemical cooling to help lower IATs on track days. But again I was referring to making the same power as a H/C setup for similar cost, so If you go this route and keep it around 600 or less it's fine as is.

Also You are running faster because you are pushing the envelope and maximizing your setups potential. You spend more time on the dyno and track then probably an entire group of 6th gen enthusiasts combined(which I think is awesome btw) .Most bolting blower kits on are not optimizing their setups by playing with different tuning, shift points, tq tables, launching techniques, nor using drag packs to help get the power to the ground. I am not knocking you in anyway! I applaud your efforts and what you have brought to the table for the 6th gen. I do respect you opinion a lot and you make valid points.


Not sure where my prior post went either.



*Also keep in mind I am talking about just bolting the LT4 on and no other mods. Zl1's trap 124-126 stock. SS is lighter...so with a pulley and tire in decent air, 128-130 mph and 10's should be fairly easy with stock fuel system on 93. With H/C setup you need more supporting mods to reap full rewards...headers, rotofab, ported im/tb...that adds another 15-2000.00 to the total. H/C setup probably still be easier to get down the 1/4mi due to all the low speed tq the LT4 produces. I still like the heads/cam setups was just thinking out loud. Perhaps I am missing something here?

[PRAY]

Originally Posted by KingLT1

The LT4 setup will make as much power and will do it more reliably for the same cost. No belt issue or meth needed to make the same power a H/C setup will. You get OEM reliability here. The downfall with it might be heat soak and power loss in extreme situations. It also is pretty much limited to 600whp without some form of chemical cooling to help lower IATs on track days. But again I was referring to making the same power as a H/C setup for similar cost, so If you go this route and keep it around 600 or less it's fine as is.

Also You are running faster because you are pushing the envelope and maximizing your setups potential. You spend more time on the dyno and track then probably an entire group of 6th gen enthusiasts combined(which I think is awesome btw) .Most bolting blower kits on are not optimizing their setups by playing with different tuning, shift points, tq tables, launching techniques, nor using drag packs to help get the power to the ground. I am not knocking you in anyway! I applaud your efforts and what you have brought to the table for the 6th gen. I do respect you opinion a lot and you make valid points.


Not sure where my prior post went either.

LOL. I appreciate the kind words Sir. I have put a little work in over the last year or so. But what you said was my original point. For what guys are spending on blowers and install I can get a drag pack, headers, converter, etc w/ a H/C build. That is all costs they will still have to incur to get "fast". I have same day same track blower guys with drag packs, MS109, meth, tunes and was only down .2 or so. That was with just bolt ons and heads. No cam yet. I can also do my mods incrementally to lessen cost shock.

As far as OE driving and what not, I can't compete with that yet but I am very close.

A blower done right with cost thrown out the window should and has crushed me. But your average blower guy that dumped a ton of cash into just getting it on the car is gonna get smashed. So price per performance at that point goes back to the H/C car.

That all said, I wish I didn't have to sell my blower. F/I was the plan on this car the whole time.

[KingLT1]

good points! I agree the NA cars are more impressive at the track.

[F1FTY]

It really speaks to how incredible this platform is that we can even have this debate and for it to be relatively close/subjective based on the desired outcome for the car owner.

[PRAY]

One thing to mention and probably in another thread but hats off to Ben and the guys at Weapon-X for making the LT4 affordable. I personally had over 7K into my LT4 set up and that was getting EVERYTHING at wholesale. How they are selling new blowers with everything you need to bolt in onto/into a LT1 is beyond me but good on them.

[MR 45TH]

Originally Posted by PRAY

I don't double charge for stuff that has to happen anyway. So I will put in a clutch or converter for free. Installing headers at the time of H/C is only $100 extra for fitting it to the stock exhaust. Adding FF sensor is $25 changing to an U/D pulley or swapping IM/TB is free at that point and the list goes on. I am also not going to charge you $100 for "shop supplies" and other BS I have seen on too many of my customers previous invoices.

Now that's service! Great job by you

[PRAY]

Originally Posted by MR 45TH

Now that's service! Great job by you

I have seen some ridiculous invoices in my day.

Maybe someday I will have a 10,000ft shop, three race cars all with trucks and trailers, two Winnebago's and smart cars for towing my race cars and every brand new 100K car GM makes to pay for. But for now I am cool being cheap. This is not an indictment but just something to think about when you get a 13K bill for a H/C job. Where is your money really going.

[KingLT1]

Originally Posted by PRAY

One thing to mention and probably in another thread but hats off to Ben and the guys at Weapon-X for making the LT4 affordable. I personally had over 7K into my LT4 set up and that was getting EVERYTHING at wholesale. How they are selling new blowers with everything you need to bolt in onto/into a LT1 is beyond me but good on them.

Pretty sure part of it is because the superchargers are used take-offs that are inspected.
I'm kind of leaning this way because my brother wants to sell me his LT4 blower off his 16 C7 Z06 for a song. The Weapon X install kit with 2.7 offset pulley for the C7 blower is 3300.00 shipped. So for 4300.00 I can have 550-570whp on tap. Will need tires and a tune of course. Just seems like a bargain for what you are getting. Now if it was 7k, then no way...Maggie 2300 or H/C/I setup.

[HorsePowerAddicts]

at HPA we do not double charge for services here either, A lot of parts and things have to come off, so swapping to upgraded parts (IM,TB, Balancer, Etc is not a install up charge, just parts only Charge/Price)

Our heads and cam packages are right around 5K including tuning