help...blower or h/c/i for my car?

SVT3183 · Jan 23, 2006

i have a '95 cobra with 24,000 miles that is basically stock besides an off-road h, mac catback, msd cap and rotor, and superconductor wires. it is not my daily driver and it is used only for pleasure driving and i want to take it to the track once in a while but i want to keep it street friendly. like everyone here i'm hungry for more power but not sure of the best route to take. blowers scare me a little about blowing up my engine but the consensus seems to be that if you don't go boost crazy and get a good dyno tune you will be safe. i was thinking about going afr 165's, performer intake, and custom cam but not i'm having second thoughts about messing with the engine with such low mileage. for around the same price i can get a kenne bell (i like the kenne bell fkat torque curve and have only read good things about them) and run 6# or 8# and think i'd be pretty safe. of course i need the supporting hardware for both (tb, maf, headers, fuel pump) and in addition to that i'll need injectors and i believe some ignition stuff for the blower. with either set up i will be getting it dyno'd. basically, money seems close enough not to be an issue for me. installation also seems much easier with the kenne bell and it seems like the h/c/i swap gives people lots of headaches. so what i'm looking for is good power while keeping it realiable, streetable, and not blowing up the engine. i'm leaning towards the blower now. is a kenne bell at 8# a better option for me? sorry for the long post. what would you do?

WHITE94COBRA · Jan 23, 2006

Well lets look at what it is that you wanted, its for pleasure driving, and ocasionally track use; The kb on the stock block is tons of fun on the street but kinda limited at the track, the h/c/i is not too much of a headache and you really dont need to upgrade your fuel system, (accept for a better fuel pump and maf meter). I did my h/c/i with 22000 miles on the clock, and she still runs strong, and I had only slight problems (tuning).
So in my opinion I did and would still go with a h/c/i package, you could always add a blower later on.

final5-0 · Jan 23, 2006

Your thread gives me the opportunity to get out in the open some thoughts I've been having for quite some time now about stock block NA combos

I myself have had
1) A Stocker OR one with a few mods
2) A Stocker with ported E7 heads, Edel intake OR a GT40/Cobra equivalent
3) A complete after market h/c/i combo ... see sig

I feel you can lump most NA stock block STREET combos in one of the three above.

I used to think the approximate dyno results of those combos might be as follows
1) 240 - 260rwhp
2) 260 - 280rwhp
3) 280 - 310rwhp

I have learned a few things since I built my combo and feel confident about saying all three groups of above combos can be improved upon with more precise part selection but most of all, better tuning.

Where all this comes to having relevance in your thread is, I now believe the rwhp rating for group 3 is too low. I feel a more realistic value is closer to the 350rwhp mark than 300 rwhp.

Please keep two things in mind here about what I just said

1) Very careful parts selection and a custom tune will be necessary if you have plans to reach that 350rwhp mark.
2) I feel you could have close to stock drivability if the tune was optimum.

Having said all that, follow along with me a while and see why I think you could apply some of that thinking to where you want to go.

You now have a combo that I would see as a 2 from above and you are considering going to a 3 from the same group of combos.

To reach 350rwhp you will need the following after market parts:
Aluminum heads
After market intake (maybe port your Cobra but I'd not bet on it)
custom cam
tb
maf
inj's (24's will not support 350rwhp at stock fuel pessure)
255 in tank pump
lt headers
off road mid pipe
cat back
Again ... custom tune

Now lets talk about going with the KB

You can use your GT40 heads
You can use your GT40 intake (btw, more options with the KB)
You can use your stock cam
The rest of the list from above will be needed if you do it right
but
You could use the fmu for a while but that method would be my last choice
Once more ... custom tune

Seems to me you could get to about the same hp more easily with the KB

It is true, the KB will cost more
but
The h/c/i combo will not behave on the street like the KB

You said this car is your toy and not your dd
SO
If I were you ...... I'd go with the KB

Grady

bimmertech · Jan 23, 2006

what he said. to do over again, i would have bought the blower first.

SVT3183 · Jan 24, 2006

thanks for the replies. my way of thinking is along the same line as grady's....about same power easier and around same money. i think i'm going kenne bell...

95snoozer · Jan 24, 2006

boost it, no doubt about it.

your current heads and intake can support a considerable amount of hp with the right cam and boltons.

since you have a cobra, just blow it. KB will make a great street car with tons of torque and lack of traction.

What are your exact needs and desires for the car? do you want to blow peopel away on the highway, just have a big block feel under the hood, autocross/open track type racing?

KBs do get heat soaked is their only real problem.

Are you considering the 1.8 or which model?

why not turbo?

Black95GTS · Jan 24, 2006

95snoozer said:
boost it, no doubt about it.

your current heads and intake can support a considerable amount of hp with the right cam and boltons.

since you have a cobra, just blow it. KB will make a great street car with tons of torque and lack of traction.

What are your exact needs and desires for the car? do you want to blow peopel away on the highway, just have a big block feel under the hood, autocross/open track type racing?

KBs do get heat soaked is their only real problem.

Are you considering the 1.8 or which model?

why not turbo?

I've also heard the Kenne Bell's have a tendency to drink oil. I know my friends 91 FOX did in High School and I'm pretty sure JR's did too when he had it. JR, you around to chime in?

They are fun as hell stoplight to stoplight though!

I'm more of paxton fan myself.

Adam

SVT3183 · Jan 24, 2006

well my desire is just to make the car more fun on the street with the occassional visit to the track. i'm looking at the 1500, 6# or 8#

Cobra_Dusten · Jan 24, 2006

final5-0 said:
Your thread gives me the opportunity to get out in the open some thoughts I've been having for quite some time now about stock block NA combos

I myself have had
1) A Stocker OR one with a few mods
2) A Stocker with ported E7 heads, Edel intake OR a GT40/Cobra equivalent
3) A complete after market h/c/i combo ... see sig

I feel you can lump most NA stock block STREET combos in one of the three above.

I used to think the approximate dyno results of those combos might be as follows
1) 240 - 260rwhp
2) 260 - 280rwhp
3) 280 - 310rwhp

I have learned a few things since I built my combo and feel confident about saying all three groups of above combos can be improved upon with more precise part selection but most of all, better tuning.

Where all this comes to having relevance in your thread is, I now believe the rwhp rating for group 3 is too low. I feel a more realistic value is closer to the 350rwhp mark than 300 rwhp.

Please keep two things in mind here about what I just said

1) Very careful parts selection and a custom tune will be necessary if you have plans to reach that 350rwhp mark.
2) I feel you could have close to stock drivability if the tune was optimum.

Having said all that, follow along with me a while and see why I think you could apply some of that thinking to where you want to go.

You now have a combo that I would see as a 2 from above and you are considering going to a 3 from the same group of combos.

To reach 350rwhp you will need the following after market parts:
Aluminum heads
After market intake (maybe port your Cobra but I'd not bet on it)
custom cam
tb
maf
inj's (24's will not support 350rwhp at stock fuel pessure)
255 in tank pump
lt headers
off road mid pipe
cat back
Again ... custom tune

Now lets talk about going with the KB

You can use your GT40 heads
You can use your GT40 intake (btw, more options with the KB)
You can use your stock cam
The rest of the list from above will be needed if you do it right
but
You could use the fmu for a while but that method would be my last choice
Once more ... custom tune

Seems to me you could get to about the same hp more easily with the KB

It is true, the KB will cost more
but
The h/c/i combo will not behave on the street like the KB

You said this car is your toy and not your dd
SO
If I were you ...... I'd go with the KB

Grady

+1
My car had a stock motor, other than a cam, and the usuall bolt ons, headers, intake, stock TB, stock maf, intank pump, and fmu and made 333 HP with 100K on the clock, with a KB at 8lbs.

95snoozer · Jan 25, 2006

SVT3183 said:
well my desire is just to make the car more fun on the street with the occassional visit to the track. i'm looking at the 1500, 6# or 8#

kb is for you

get a ported lower intake to match up to it!!

Cobra_Dusten · Jan 25, 2006

I have been driving my car with the 6lb, vs the 8lb, and i must say, the drivability is there, where with the 8lb, it was harder to keep it from pinging

SVT3183 · Jan 25, 2006

did you mess with the timing? what octane were do you run?

help...blower or h/c/i for my car?

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