I have read a thread about headers and came across that headers will not be worth it until you upgrade other parts first. One of those parts is camshafts. I was wondering for a definite answer on this topic. Right now the mods I have installed are JWT intakes, ISR Y-Pipe, and ISR single exit exhaust. The next mod I am planning on getting is high-flow cats. Since I still want to pass the emission test. Then after that, I was planning on getting some better headers, but after coming across that thread I read about, I was wondering maybe installing a better camshaft is the route to go before headers (pricing is no concern).

 

Sorry to say, but if you are required to pass an emissions test, I'd give cams a pass. Go with headers, but make sure the hi-flo cats don't start throwing CELs first.

 

Assuming you have an HR the headers won't do as much as a DE but it won't hurt. I vote for headers over cams though, then tune.

 

Unless it's a racecar, cams in general won't add a huge amount. Idle becomes lumpy, and depending on the profile, high end power comes at the expense of mid-range. Not much desirable for a DD. What are your goals?

 

Assuming you can do the work yourself, what do you value the cost of 1hp to be? Multiply that by the increase in power you'll get from the cams to determine if you think it's worth it. For me it's about $35 per hp on this platform /shrug

 

That's boosted tho, NA is much more expensive. People say headers aren't worth it and I love mine, completely changes the feel and sound of DEs. If I had an HR and was looking at cams or headers, I'd go nitrous... same overall price with more power potential and no drawbacks outside of filling the bottle.

 

Yea I have an HR, so im probably leaning towards the headers still.

 

My overall end goal with my HR is to supercharge it after creating a solid foundation to support the supercharger. I would go turbo but I don't like the unreliability with the turbos.

 

Haha I probably wont go nitrous but I do like that the headers do change the tone of the car.

 

Because other mods are not worth it to me!

 

LMAO, I feel ya. Some people want the bare minimum, others don't. For your power level I would've went bottle but then again it would cost more in the long run. Now that my DD is a turbo car I see that it's not something I would NOT want for the Z, N/A, supercharger or bottle but not turbo.

 

the headers won't do much for the HR as they have better headers, unless you are willing to go LTH.

 

The inconvenience alone of nitrous for anything but a quarter mile car is unacceptable to me. I want the power every time I WOT, plus the RFL BOV with a stock exhaust is just bliss and turns heads

 

My Z is quick enough for me as is 75% of the time, the nitrous would be fine for the other 25% but I decided to go supercharged. I don't like turbo lag one bit, it doesn't suit my driving style.

 

Hard to get 335wtq at 3k rpm with supercharger

 

I'll have more at a decent, more natural RPM. I prefer linear power. Not into the boring-then boost-then boring again powerband of turbo cars.

 

Sounds like you haven't owned a SC car AND a turbo car before, tbh

 

Turbo I currently own, supercharger not yet but I know exactly how they work. It doesn't take a genius to know how a car is going to feel based off a dyno sheet either.
My turbo car feels exactly how the dyno of that engine looks, and I've seen what the dynos of the supercharger I have look like so I know what to expect.

 

+1 to what @dkmura said.

I’m running NA DE RevUp with JWT C8 cams with headers and HFCs. You will see a bump in absolute power, but where that power happens is important to consider.

The power band was moved significantly up the rev range and now the engine makes its best jam at 4000rpm up. We also bumped my idle to ~975 to keep the chop manageable and to keep the car from stalling during throttle cut (cams + open element filter + trash DW injectors…).

I was willing to live with those compromises because the car is built for the track, and only really drives to and from the track. If it was a street build, I would have skipped the cams for sure.

 

Stage 1 are just fine IMO and put the power to well within the VQ rev range. Whether it's worth it is another thing, if you are building an engine then why not, otherwise probably skip.
What's wrong with DW injectors?