So i went to Cartek and got some quotes. Need opinions.

[redbanditZ28]

I went there today, and for the most part i liked what i had heard. Seem like they are very professional with everything and they work on a lot of cars at one time. Many 9 second vettes, camaros and GTOs. Anywho, I got some pricing. I personally think its a little too high for the engine components.

Stage 2 heards, includes full porting heads intake, exhaust, and combustion chamber, new custom stainless valves, 2.02 intake, 1.57 exhaust, seals, custom dual springs, spring seats seals, titanium retainers, cleaned and assembles. 2,350.00 .
Stage 2 Cam 399.00
rollmaster roller timing chain 160.00
z06 oil pump. for rollmaster 130.00
cromoly hardened push rods 130.00
30# injectors 250.00
Misc, parts, gaskets, blts, fluids, etc2 45.00
High flow 160 degree thermostat 59.96
ECU Reprogram 550.00
labor to install 1200.00
Kooks stainless steel headers 1 3/4 long tube 864.90
3 in y pipe with igh flow cats 575.00

=6,913.86 in total.

He says this alone would drop me to about the mid 11 second mark.
I mean i trust him completely, but for that money i can get this from speed inc.com

F-Body LS1 Sportsman 348 Close
SPORTSMAN LONG BLOCK INCLUDES:
-Polished& refinished factory LS1 crankshaft
-Billet 6.125” connecting rods
-Diamond Flat top Piston w/2cc reliefs or -8.6cc Boost pistons
-Diamond Pro-select rings
-High performance bearings
-All Gaskets, seals and hardware
-Custom Comp Cams Roller camshaft, Forced Induction or naturally aspirated
-Comp Cams Lifters
-Comp Cams chrome moly pushrods
-Double roller timing chain
-SLP blueprinted oil pump
-ASP SFI approved underdrive pulley
-RGR, MTI, or Patriot GTP stage 2 premium cylinder heads
-Fully balanced/blueprinted/Finish hone w/torque plate, assembled
-Everything Professionally Installed
-Fully Professionally Dynotuned
for 7,500.00

[Tru2Chevy]

Cartek has turned out some nice work, but after meeting the owner and their tuner, I would never have any work done there. Both of them can be real jerks, and they refused to admit that they messed up a tune in my friend's '98 Z28 with heads/cam.

- Justin

[redbanditZ28]

See, thats the type of replies i like. I like hearing stuff like that so i know the level of trust to have with them. I am sorry about your frined's car though.

Anyway, i am trying to figure it out, why is if i pay justa little more, i get a new longblock engine that comes with all of that stuff while at cartek i am just getting a new head and cam setup for just a little less. I mean installation isn't a concern if i just bout a fully built engine. i can have my mechanic install it for very cheap.

[Batman]

My friend went to Cartek years ago, they bashed in his whole wheel well area putting his engine in. I would burn my car to the ground before I went to that place.

[foff667]

i was the friend with the heads/cam...not a big fan of cartek wouldnt take my miata there to get work done.

[JL8Jeff]

I was under the impression that the stock LS1 heads are really dam good and capable of 10's or lower without any work. So I don't understand the need to work the heads like that. The headers and y-pipe seem a little overpriced as well. I would start by determining what kind of power you're looking to make and how fast you want to go. Then come up with a plan on what mods will get you there. It might be a lot cheaper than those quotes.

[foff667]

I was under the impression that the stock LS1 heads are really dam good and capable of 10's or lower without any work. So I don't understand the need to work the heads like that. The headers and y-pipe seem a little overpriced as well. I would start by determining what kind of power you're looking to make and how fast you want to go. Then come up with a plan on what mods will get you there. It might be a lot cheaper than those quotes.

not quite...yes the ls1 heads are good...the fastest cam only car went high 10's with the stock heads weighing like 2700lbs lol for a full weight car depending on how big cam only you go you'll be in high 11's low 12's even with tuning depending on your overall combination...obviously if you've got a stock converter & 2.73 gears and a huge cam you might end up going slower then stock.

[JL8Jeff]

I thought those "cam only" guys over at LS1Tech were running low 10's on stock heads. You mean they weren't "cam only"?:???: I know Brian was running 11.8's(correct me if I'm wrong Pampered) with stock heads on his 97 LT1 with a CC306, longtube headers, high stall and stock 10 bolt(until it blew up) with 3.73's. So I would imagine stock heads on an LS1 could run deep into the 11's but I don't really know the LS1's that well.

[foff667]

your right...sorry 10.30's@130ish with stock heads...i think the pistons were flycut...but again your talking a 2700lb raceweight whereas most ls1 powered cars with driver are in the 3600-3700lb range. Add 1000lb to that perticular car and your damn close to being back in the 11's

[foff667]

I thought those "cam only" guys over at LS1Tech were running low 10's on stock heads. You mean they weren't "cam only"?:???: I know Brian was running 11.8's(correct me if I'm wrong Pampered) with stock heads on his 97 LT1 with a CC306, longtube headers, high stall and stock 10 bolt(until it blew up) with 3.73's. So I would imagine stock heads on an LS1 could run deep into the 11's but I don't really know the LS1's that well.

and your right brian's combo ran perticularly well for the mods it had but theres a huge difference in the power needed to run 11.8's@112 and 10.9's@124 lol

[foff667]

plus few take these cars to their limits...like demonicbird has run high 11's@118ish i believe with just bolt ons with an m6 should redbandit be dissapointed if a cartek heads/cam pkg only guarantees mid 11's? Not necessarily...it all depends on the combo...just throwing on a big heads/cam doesnt mean you'll necessarily run some great number at the track...theres more that goes into it then that. As far as the headers/ypipe goes thats about the going price for SS Kooks with a catted ypipe...far cry from coated pacesetters and ORY ;) lol

[JL8Jeff]

And those headers aren't even coated so you would still have issues with engine compartment heat! As for the catted y-pipe, I will have a catted y-pipe shortly and it will be less than half what they charge. I think he just needs to come up with a good game plan on what he wants to accomplish and then get some heads together to figure out the best "package" of parts. I know you're laughing at their charge for programming Bill! :laugh:

[foff667]

And those headers aren't even coated so you would still have issues with engine compartment heat! As for the catted y-pipe, I will have a catted y-pipe shortly and it will be less than half what they charge. I think he just needs to come up with a good game plan on what he wants to accomplish and then get some heads together to figure out the best "package" of parts. I know you're laughing at their charge for programming Bill! :laugh:

Don't take anything im saying the wrong way Jeff I totally agree in that the stock heads are very good & you can go very far with a cam only setup & I actually recommend that alot because of those facts...the only thing im trying to put a bit into reality is those cars that go as fast as your saying are fully built race cars with little expense spared in most of them not to mention the countless hours that go into them & actually racing them at the track regularly. I usually recommend midrange cam only setups(TR224/TSP225 113-114lsa) for many people because you can still make great power both down low & up top and are very driveable in comparison to some of the larger cams out there. Coating Stainless Steel headers is pointless imho & I always thought SS was actually far better at keeping underhood temps down in comparison then mild steel coated headers.

[Tru2Chevy]

Coating Stainless Steel headers is pointless imho & I always thought SS was actually far better at keeping underhood temps down in comparison then mild steel coated headers.

How does normal stainless steel act as a heat barrier?

- Justin

[foff667]

How does normal stainless steel act as a heat barrier?

- Justin


http://www.burnsstainless.com/TechArticles/Stainless_article/stainless_article.html

"Typical 1010 carbon (mild) steel conducts 219% more heat per foot than do the types of stainless steel we use in header fabrication. By contrast, quite a bit more heat stays inside the stainless header tubes and does not get passed into the surrounding air. By not allowing the contraction of the cooling gases as they flow down the tubes, more exhaust velocity is retained which promotes better scavenging at the collector. This retention of velocity increases the overall header efficiency."

http://performanceweldingheaders.com/svsm.htm

"It is believed that due to Stainless Steel Thermal characteristics, the high exhaust temperature is retained inside the primary tubes and can increase the exhaust speed in the header, which in a Competition Racing Header sometimes is an important goal. Due to the simple fact that there is no rust generated, the inside of each primary tube will stay smooth and flow accordingly"

http://www.quicktimeperformance.com/Headers/

"Stainless steel performs this function without the need for add-ons because it has a much lower coefficient of thermal conductivity, thereby keeping more heat inside and transmitting it to the header outlet. Radiated heat is perhaps the most important reason to wrap or ceramic coat the headers to protect the car and the driver from excessive, fatiguing high temperatures"

[redbanditZ28]

Well, i am looking to reach the high 9's low 10's quarter mile times. I mean i have no problem paying a little more for a new engine that comes with all that stuff versus paying for just a head and cam package that would get me only into the mid 11's. As it is, i have email quotes from various engine builders that gave me good pricing on forged 348 ci and 370ci engines that are fully built and ready to install. I am guessing that i am just going to buy the engine through an engine builder and have my mechanic to install it and then go back to cartek to have them install and tune the turbocharger. Seems like the right route to go at this point. Any other ideas? Believe me, i am open to them.

[Batman]

I went 11.78 @ 116 with just the GM hot cam and 4.10's with a 3,900 pound race weight and LOTS of practice. I would recommend Cam only if you are going to be driving it alot. Those "Cam only" cars you see in the 10's are running 4000+ stall converters and weigh nothing. I am actually tearing my motor down next month and going back to cam only because Iliked it better then the heads/cam set up I have now. What I have now is faster at the tarck but on the road it is a PITA. One burp of the throttle and kiss my tires good bye. All it does is spin and that is with 555R's on the back. Go with a good mid range cam like the TR224/224 cam. I've also been hearing good things about TR's cheater cam for a street warrior....

[ins0mnia24]

I would start with the Header, Y-pipe, Cam, new Torque Converter and new gears depending which gears you have now. I got to drive a car exactly like mine with the same modes and i couldnt believe the difference a torque converter makes on these cars

[foff667]

I would start with the Header, Y-pipe, Cam, new Torque Converter and new gears depending which gears you have now. I got to drive a car exactly like mine with the same modes and i couldnt believe the difference a torque converter makes on these cars

true but he also hasnt stated if he has an auto or m6.

[Njgunslinger]

How about just installing a supercharger for that money?