Engine Buildup

In that list of mods, the only restriction I see is going to be the plastic lower intake, especially with a set of stage II ported heads beneath it. Will you make over 300rwhp with just the mods you listed and a tune ? I'm not going to say it isn't possible, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Also, I don't know much about Crane Cams. Most guys are using either Comp Cams or VT Engine cams. What are the specs on those Crane cams ?

Yeah, I know what you mean by "not many options" in terms of full aftermarket intakes. The Bullit Intake and the P-51 intake from Fox Lake are about the only options, unless if you want to run a sheet metal intake that is like 2,000 dollars. Even with the P-51 intake, there is still fitment issues in terms of hood clearance. The Bullit intake would probably be a good idea if you're looking for the most power you can get n/a. If you get a Bullit Intake, port and polish that sucker to improve the flow even more.

As for the cams you've listed, they seem more like a low-end to mid-range cam. Strange thing is, I couldn't find the cam specs for lobe seperation on that chart. Its hard to say how well that cam will perform. It also is going to depend on how much nitrous you're planning on running in the future. Remember, when under boost, you want a bit more lobe seperation, where as n/a, you want a tighter lobe seperation. If you're planning on running more than around a 100 shot, you might want to look into something with around a 112-113 lobe seperation, but with plenty of lift for good n/a mid-range power.

I think the following cam looks better for a n/a application.

http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brow...4.6-5.4 L&partNumber=379621&partType=camshaft

There is also this one, which seems to be good for mid-range torque and for mild nitrous application;

http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brow...4.6-5.4 L&partNumber=379631&partType=camshaft

If you're willing to go all out, the last cam on that list would work well n/a, but well with some nitrous. Though it would be a bit harsh to run on the street. Here is is with its specs.

http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brow...4.6-5.4 L&partNumber=379631&partType=camshaft

In the end, the choice will be yours, but I really don't know of anyone using these Crane Cam designs, though I'm sure someone out there is using them. Might want to check with Comp Cams and VT Engines to see what they recommend as well. Wouldn't hurt to try.

Get Vt stage 2 sticks, try another intak manifold, lose the bbk headers and midpipe and go for SLP

IJustwon, is there any particular reason why you recommend the Stage II cams over the other brands ? Also, why do you recommend SLP over BBK when you have the BBK headers listed in your signature ? Just a question.

Performance Red, you must remember that with any cam upgrade, you're going to have a different idle than you do with the stock cam. Naturally, the more aggressive the cam, the more lopey and rough the idle is going to be. It all depends on if you can live with that. Also, what it means by "computer upgrades" is simple. When you swap cams, the computer is still programed to monitor and allow the motor to function as it did with the stock cams. To correct this, a dyno tune or custom computer program is needed. I recommend a good tune so you can get everything working correctly.

I think the stock MAF meter on the 01 motor is an 80mm to begin with. I'm not sure what size the 96 GT's use. I don't see where there would be "big gains" in using a bigger MAF meter. The one you've got would probably suffice as long as you got the computer tuned to function with it.