Help deciding on mods

[Nightrage]

I recently made the mistake of driving my dad's 06 Viper. It got me thinking about how much potential my car has that I'm not making use of (not to mention my car feels like a Mack truck in comparison to his). I've owned the car for 3 years, but I never got around to doing anything to it. It used to be because I planned on selling it, but now it's because of other reasons.

My car is at 104k miles, so I'm afraid to drop any money into go fast goodies or suspension pieces. I'm basically for my optispark to go, my clutch to burn out or my brakes to go. On top of this, I don't want to add power only to have my rear blow.

A brake upgrade is a necessity. I think the LS1 swap is relatively inexpensive, so that seems like a good option. I've had the same rotors and pads on the car since I bought it 3 years back. They've got to be on their last legs. They don't squeel or give me any trouble, but I can't imagine them lasting much longer. As for the ignition, from the research I've done, the Delteq set up seems to be favored over the Dynaspark set up. I don't want to go with another opti unit after the nightmare stories I've heard. Also, I like to think of myself as good at handling a manual transmission, but my clutch can't possibly last much longer. It's the original clutch with 104,000 miles on it.

Should I upgrade the brakes and save up for the Delteq and a new clutch, or should I just go ahead and buy headers, LCAs and whatever else I want? I need new tires, so I plan on buying different rims. I was going to get a set of 10 spoke Z/28 rims as they're lighter than mine, but I think I should upgrade to 275's or 285 in the back. Should I go with Vette rims or what? I want something light and cheap. I don't care what they look like, so long as they're not hideous.

I figure I'll do the brakes, rims and tires, save up for LCA's and relocation brackets, panhard bar, full exhaust and take it from there. What you guys do things differently, taking my cars age and mileage into account?

Sorry that this post is all over the place, but this is the exact reason I haven't started with modifications. I have no clue how to go about starting. I'd really appreciate help.

[Z Ya Later]

As I tell everyone, give me a budget and I'll give you suggestions. The Dynaspark is a great unit, esp. if you live in an area where you can't run the Delteq or LTCC setups (like I do ). Let me know how much you're workin' with and where you want to take it and we'll go from there.

[Nightrage]

I only have about $1,500 to toy with right now. I plan on trying to bank $50-$100 per week for mod money, so it's going to be a long term thing. I forgot to mention that I want to squeeze an A/C delete pulley and racing seats/ brackets in there somewhere.

[raroZ28]

you said your car feels slow and you wanna wake it up, brakes aren't going to do it man...

I would def. do a clutch. Get a SPEC stage 2 or maybe 3 depending on how much power you plan on making down the line.

Get your heads ported and polished for sure. 104k is nothing man. That car will run another 200k.

[Nightrage]

I'm just wondering where to start. I don't want to spend thousands on exhaust and suspension work, only to have my opti go or my clutch burn out. As for my brakes, they've been on the car for (probably) over 4 years. All the power in the world won't help me if my brakes fail. Also, I've been told it's best to start from the back of the car and work towards the front. Once you have a good strong rear, good suspension and everything else to handle the power you'll be making, that's when you start with a H/C/I package, power adders and so on. I'm scanning around on LS1tech.com for used LT1 headers (coated) and a Borla cat back. I figure I can save hundreds if I get them used and in good shape. Another issue is whether to go with long tubes or SLP short tubes with a good Y pipe. I'm thinking the latter since it's emissions legal, but it's a PITA to find them.

[Z Ya Later]

Seats alone can run you 1/3 of your budget right there, depending on make, model and # of seats you want to do (driver or driver/pass.). As for the Opti, I wouldn't worry about it until it goes. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And the clutch, unless you have the needed tools and the time, you'll need to take it to a shop, which will run you a good chunk as well (mine was around $800, but that's CA labor rates). I'll assume we're dealing with the full $1500 for performance stuff for now. Lets see...

Spohn CM LCAs, poly bushings, non-adj. - $155
Spohn CM Panhard Rod, poly bushings, non-adj. - $125
Spohn front and rear sway bar kit - $295
Spohn Shock Tower Brace, non-adj. - $125
Spohn LCA relocation brackets, weld-in - $65
Spohn LCA installation hardware - $10.95
Spohn Panhard Rod installation hardware - $10.95
SLP bolt-on sub-frame connectors - $379.95 (can be welded in, plus come powder-coated)
Stainless Steel Brake front/rear pad/rotor kit - $289.95

That brings the total out to $1391.80 before any applicable tax, shipping and handling. You'll stop and handle much better and have a little left over. Let me know if this isn't what you're looking for.

[Nightrage]

Seats alone can run you 1/3 of your budget right there, depending on make, model and # of seats you want to do (driver or driver/pass.). As for the Opti, I wouldn't worry about it until it goes. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And the clutch, unless you have the needed tools and the time, you'll need to take it to a shop, which will run you a good chunk as well (mine was around $800, but that's CA labor rates). I'll assume we're dealing with the full $1500 for performance stuff for now. Lets see...

Spohn CM LCAs, poly bushings, non-adj. - $155
Spohn CM Panhard Rod, poly bushings, non-adj. - $125
Spohn front and rear sway bar kit - $295
Spohn Shock Tower Brace, non-adj. - $125
Spohn LCA relocation brackets, weld-in - $65
Spohn LCA installation hardware - $10.95
Spohn Panhard Rod installation hardware - $10.95
SLP bolt-on sub-frame connectors - $379.95 (can be welded in, plus come powder-coated)
Stainless Steel Brake front/rear pad/rotor kit - $289.95

That brings the total out to $1391.80 before any applicable tax, shipping and handling. You'll stop and handle much better and have a little left over. Let me know if this isn't what you're looking for.

Not sure if I've ever told you this, but you're a gentleman and a scholar Thanks man. That's definitely a nice looking list. I'm hoping to go all chrome moly with suspension pieces, plus I need new tires. I guess the stock wheels are alright for now. It's just $700 for tires I can save about $100 since I'd go straight for the bolt in SFC's. How much does a strut tower brace help as far as tightening everything up? I've heard mixed responses. Also, should I go with LS1 Powerslot brakes? Are they worth the $450? I really appreciate your help, amigo

[Z Ya Later]

Just glad to help out dude

Here's the tires I'm running. They grip pretty good, even in the rain, and they're pretty quiet. I've had them on for nearly two years now and they're wearing pretty good. I'd recommend them.

[Joshu]

Haven't some users on here had some issues replacing the stock seats with racing ones? If I do recall correctly most seats will have you sitting higher than the stock ones, a problem if you're tall.

[Nightrage]

Just glad to help out dude

Here's the tires I'm running. They grip pretty good, even in the rain, and they're pretty quiet. I've had them on for nearly two years now and they're wearing pretty good. I'd recommend them.

Not all of us enjoy the Cali weather, you palm tree hugging hippie (I say that out of envy ) I see snow fairly often during the winter. Ken told me to buy BFGoodrich KDWS tires and they've worked great so far. They're only $126 each. Not bad at all. Thanks for the suggestion though

[Z Ya Later]

Not all of us enjoy the Cali weather, you palm tree hugging hippie (I say that out of envy ) I see snow fairly often during the winter. Ken told me to buy BFGoodrich KDWS tires and they've worked great so far. They're only $126 each. Not bad at all. Thanks for the suggestion though

Then go with those and quit your griping ya freak . Or move out to CA, one of the two.

Yes, always check TireRack for prices, as they are usually a lot cheaper than most local tire stores. And, if you can find a local store that will price-match, even better.

[ConElite]

Spohn CM LCAs, poly bushings, non-adj. - $155
Spohn CM Panhard Rod, poly bushings, non-adj. - $125
Spohn front and rear sway bar kit - $295
Spohn Shock Tower Brace, non-adj. - $125
Spohn LCA relocation brackets, weld-in - $65
Spohn LCA installation hardware - $10.95
Spohn Panhard Rod installation hardware - $10.95
SLP bolt-on sub-frame connectors - $379.95 (can be welded in, plus come powder-coated)
Stainless Steel Brake front/rear pad/rotor kit - $289.95

That brings the total out to $1391.80 before any applicable tax, shipping and handling. You'll stop and handle much better and have a little left over. Let me know if this isn't what you're looking for.

All this will help you with Launches and the Sway Bars are going to make that thing carve canyons. When I did the 1LE front sway bar, I was pretty impressed with what a difference it made (matched with Poly End Links). The LS1 Brake upgrade would be good you can step it up and got with this.

UMI is also a pretty good brand thats a tad cheaper than Spohn.

C5 Conversion

As for the rear end, If your not planning on pushing some serious power (450+hp) then your rear end should be fine. Get a T/A cover and call it a day. Just dont expect it to stand up to a bunch of 5000rpm clutch dump on some radials. ha ha h

[Nightrage]

All this will help you with Launches and the Sway Bars are going to make that thing carve canyons. When I did the 1LE front sway bar, I was pretty impressed with what a difference it made (matched with Poly End Links). The LS1 Brake upgrade would be good you can step it up and got with this.

UMI is also a pretty good brand thats a tad cheaper than Spohn.

C5 Conversion

As for the rear end, If your not planning on pushing some serious power (450+hp) then your rear end should be fine. Get a T/A cover and call it a day. Just dont expect it to stand up to a bunch of 5000rpm clutch dump on some radials. ha ha h

Their stuff looks pretty good. I'll definitely consider it. Thanks man! The Vette brake upgrade is way too expensive for right now. The fact that my brakes have lasted me personally for over 3 years (and they were well broken in when I got the car) shows how rarely I really need them. I figured the TA girdle should do for now, but I don't want to play Russian Roulette with my rear end. I rarely drag race and when I do, I feather out the clutch from about 1700RPM.

As for right now, it's looking like tires (about $530 since I'm not being charged for an alignment) chrome moly LCA's plus relocation brackets and hardware ($215) and the brake upgrade ($300) put me at a little over $1,000. Next I'll get the A/C delete pulley, maybe gears, a girdle and a tune. After that I'll go with the Panhard rod, SFC's, sway bars and STB. How does that sound? Should I get a 1LE driveshaft? After that come the headers and cat back. Pretty expensive, but I'll have a solid foundation to build power on now.

How long do stock shocks last? I might have to upgrade to these beasts-
http://spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1435

[Z Ya Later]

That sounds like a good approach to me. The only thing I would warn you on is that the QA1 setup from Spohn does not include rear springs. Now, if you really wanna get trick with your suspension, go for their rear coil-over conversion. You'll have a much better handling TA and a very unique setup. Good luck with everything man. You've got my AIM s/n should you need anything

[DetroitLT1]

Do relocation brackets, subframes, and Nitto Nt555R 275/40/17 in the back and whatever you want to run in the front. ALso upgrade to a LS1 driveshaft. If your going to do tires go to discount tire and befoer you go check out onlinetires.com and get the guote for whatever tire you want and they will match it at discount tire.