I am a fairly new Z owner. I got my Z in March or so. Anyway, I'm planning on getting the Stillen Stage 3 SC kit next year and I want to get some basic mods now that will help in the future. I'm looking for mild HP and torque gains, but I know I can't get too much out of a Z w/o FI. Here is what I plan on getting over the next couple of months or so:

I already have:
Greddy SP2 Exhaust
Injen CAI

I'm going to get:
Motordyne 5/16" basic spacer
Topspeed Headers
Topspeed Test Pipes
Topspeed Y-Pipe
Custom Resonated mid-Pipe
Ground-wire kit
Hotchkis Springs and Sways
and some shoes

OK, so I know the Springs, sways and wheels aren't going to help in the power department, but what else might I want to look at, or what should I NOT waste my money on? I'm not looking for big HP gains, I just want 350 or so rwhp so I can scare my friends. Thanks for the help!!!

 

The only thing I'd suggest not wasting your money on is the Stillen. Get Vortech SC or a STthat'll give you that 350whp much easier and allow you to go for more power later down the road...and trust me you grow an immunity to boost, lol. You will want more later.

 

If your going FI, i don't think i would mess with any test pipes or Y pipes until you decide on a kit. Some kits don't work with certain exhaust mods.

 

Are the vortechs as reliable as the Stillens? Reliability is my main concern because my Z is my daily driver.

 

Both have about the same # of booms. Just like any FI its all in tuning.

 

Incompatible with turbos and cost a ton to install with minimal gains on NA. I'd ditch them alltogether, unless you know for a fact that you're going with Vortech.

 

if you do get the stillen just about every breathing mod you have will be worthless. the stillen kit was designed with all stock components in mind. its tuned that way and designed that way. you will LOSE power with aftermarket breathing.

 

See, this is why I posted. Maybe I'll go with the Vortech then. More power, and if it's reliable....

 

The stillen has been dead reliable for me over the 4 years ive had it.Do not do anything with the plenum spacer cause the stillen replaces the entire plenum.Do not do any headers or hfc,s since the roots blowers like back pressure.
The vortech is very reliable also but builds power a different way then the stillen.It is more like a turbo as it gets higher in the rpm,s it builds more boost were as a roots blower builds boost right away.In a 1/4 mile run the stillen will pull away from a vortech but at the end of the 1/4 the vortech will pull on the stillen.It all depends on what you want out of a fi kit that determines what you should buy.btw stay away from the stage 3 just go straight to the stage 4...............trust me on this.

 

Vortech all the way if you're definitely going with a S/C

 

dont do na mods period. Save the cash for fi. i spent too much on na to gain little, i just ordered a vortech kit myself.

na ftl! if you have to have more power now, do a nitrous setup.

 

If you're going to do a Vortech kit, everything but the Injen will work. If you're looking at the Stillen, skip everything in red and replace your Injen with the stock box or a Stillen CAI.