'15 Power Goals

You're really not that far off of that dead stock.

This is my car with NOTHING done to it. No intake, exhaust, tune, etc.....even the air filter was stock.

It's already around 370 ft/lbs at the tires and 30 more really isn't a stretch on a good tune and basic mods. I'm working with Paul at Bama right now to get this tune right and then I'll strap it back down and see what it does. Some of the areas I've been specifically working with when talking to him is the low end response and eliminating the torque management and delay to the TB response, as well as the WOT power.

When all is said and done, 400 ft/lbs really shouldn't be a stretch....

Realistically, if you want 400 ft/bs in the 3000 - 4000 RPM range, here is what you're looking at.

HP = (TQxRPM) / 5252

Let's flip that around to solve for TQ.

TQ = (HPx5252) / RPM

You want 400 ft/lbs, so let's plug that in and our RPM range...

400 = (HP x 5252) / 3000 RPM's

That's 228 HP at 3000 RPM's and 304 hp at 4000 RPM's.

If you compare that to my dyno sheet above, you're pretty close. And most of these cars respond better in the mid range than they do on the top end.

This may give you a better picture. I started these pulls down at 2000 RPM's vs 3000 RPM's. This was nothing but a base line tune that was hitting all kinds of limiters and knock sensors over-reacting and is what I've been working with Paul on. But, you can see the 3000 - 4000 range much clearer here.

The car was initially delaying power for more than a second, the knock sensors were pulling 4-9 degrees of timing, and it was hitting a couple torque limiters that really limited the total output. Right now, the data logs I have vs this dyno sessions are MUCH improved. The car is responding a lot better.

Once Paul says he thinks it's ready, I'll strap it back down and see what we get. I've added the intake and exhaust since this last session, so I'd expect a little improvement just on that, but I'll do 2 more baseline pulls with a stock tune to see where it's at before putting it back on the 93 tune. Actually, I'll run it with the 93 tune that's on the car first and then set it back to stock so it has plenty of drive time on the tune.

Well, normally with intake and headers what you get is big end numbers. With a larger intake you slow the intake velocity and this is where your torque is. BUT, with these motors, having control of the variable cam timing, you can make some really good low end numbers and not kill the top end.

Most physical power mods aren't gonna give the response you want in that RPM range, they're geared toward the big end. Tuning will get you low end numbers.

But yes, this motor LOVES to rev. I've never driven a mostly stock car that responds so well over such a broad RPM range. Literally, wherever you smash on this thing from 3000 RPM's to redline, there is good power.

As far as stock cars go.....this is the most fun I've ever had in a mostly stock vehicle. Especially when you consider the price tag of them and what the stock driveline will handle without any real serious internal mods. I mean come on, strap on a SC and put 600+ to the tires without doing anything internally. This thing lends itself pretty damn well to making more power than is even reasonable on the street.

For a street car, even on drag radials, 600 is pretty close to limits of usability. Everything I have that is over 600 hp is useless on the street unless I turn it down. The '88 GT does 890 to the tires, but just knocks the tires off at that level. Any more than 14 psi of boost and it won't go from stop, just spins. The Chevelle....forget it. Any more than 6 psi and it's useless, even with DR's and ladder bars. The truck.....lol.....at 1551 hp you can be doing 80 mph in 2wd and drag radials and you'll actually feel it nose over when you smash it. Look behind you and its nothing but tire smoke.

I like 600-650 hp for the street.

SilverS550 said:

I like 600-650 hp for the street.

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I honestly think that for the street, it should be under 600hp. I've had two Cobras now at 550hp and you can seriously give your tires a beating with that power. Anything more really should be saved for the track, imo. But I daily drove mine. I guess there is nothing wrong with a 650hp sunday driver for a few miles.

Honestly, 95% of these 600+hp factory production specialty cars (shelbys, vettes, hellcats, etc) now a days are bought by people that have no experience owning and driving high horsepower cars. I know it's manufacturer flexing-contest/arms-race really lately, but I think it's becoming overkill honestly.

That said, the New GTs are in a great place. 400+hp stock, 600+ with a power adder if yout hink you can swing it.

Yup, most of these factory cars coming out at those power levels are really not properly setup to have that kind of power. You look at stuff with that much power and it's already in the arena of need a 6-point roll bar in it.

I daily drove my '06 until it was in the 930 hp range. The way I tuned it was so that it was totally tame in the first 50% of the throttle. You'd never even know it had the kind of power it did if you drove it like a sane person. I bring the power in harder from 50 - 75% throttle. No kill mode power, but you know it's coming. Over 75% throttle was straight kill mode. If you didn't know that it was there, the back end and front end would swap sides in a heart beat on street tires. The '06 is completely useless as a street truck now. Big turbo, 2 kits, caged, 4 drag radials, 1551 hp.....it's just stupid. I'll still drive it on the street, like to and from the track for a "street" race, but that's it. Otherwise it's a trailer queen now.

Now, the '88 will put down 890 hp at the tires, but I turn it WAY down on the street. On the ET Streets I'll give it 14 psi on pump gas and that is about the limits of usefulness. On the track and slicks I'll turn it up to 22 psi. It's in the 600's at 14 psi.

I've had guys tell me they want 700+ in their truck and as soon as you ask them have they ever driven something with that kind of power it's always the same thing, "Well, my buddy has this bad a$$ car..........", yeah okay..... Take 'em for a ride in the truck and I'll find a spot where the road is crowned pretty good and bring it up to around 20 psi. Launch in 4wd and it'll slide 2 feet sideways before it moves forward an inch. There's usually finger marks in the door handle and console. Their power expectation suddenly goes down to the 400 - 500 range. lol

For me, 600 - 650 puts me in the range of a 10 second car on radials. That's where I like a street car. It's too much for street tires, but that comes with having enough experience to know when you're pushing the limits. That power normally won't hook from a dig on pavement, but concrete and radials is a whole different story.

SilverS550 said:

Take 'em for a ride in the truck and I'll find a spot where the road is crowned pretty good and bring it up to around 20 psi. Launch in 4wd and it'll slide 2 feet sideways before it moves forward an inch. There's usually finger marks in the door handle and console. Their power expectation suddenly goes down to the 400 - 500 range. lol.

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You're a sick puppy, Silver. HaHaHaHHa

In the words of my best friend and tuner @93TRANSAM "it's all about throttle modulation" in other words, don't be an @sshat with the go fast pedal and you can drive anything on the street! The problem with big horsepower cars is the owners, not the cars. This can go back to the same argument that I use for gun control, people kill people... guns don't kill people... Same applies to high horsepower cars. Anyway, 1576rwhp and still street driven without incident and even in the rain for the few that have tried to call BS!
On the dyno:
View: https://youtu.be/kiqCxUsLV6I


Going to Taco Bell:
View: https://youtu.be/50feDpCHkoo


Driving in the rain:
View: https://youtu.be/Yfpv5Q6ksaE


Either way, @Fordnut I think that your goals are easily attainable with bolt on parts and a solid tune

You'd laugh.....

On the halo of the roll cages, right in front of me, I put a sticker that says, "Drive good! Don't suck!"