Tag: Camaro

2018 Dodge Challenger – Comp Cam Install

Jim brought us his 2018 Dodge Challenger R/T with two goals in mind, improve the Hemi growl and get the 5.7L sitting over the 400whp mark!

Up first in the shop, John removed the factory ECU so that it could be overnighted to HP Tuners and unlocked for calibration, and then moved on to tearing the Challenger down for some engine work in preparation for letting those bald eagles fly! Modifications below:

Performed by us:

• COMP Cams stage 2 HRT 220/230 Hydraulic Roller VVT camshaft

• COMP Cams phase-limiter kit

• COMP Cams pushrods

• COMP Cams valve-lock set

• COMP Cams sprint seats

• COMP Cams 7-degree steel retainers

• COMP Cams valve springs

• COMP Cams positive stop PTFE valve seals

• OEM Mopar Hellcat lifters

• OEM Hellcat engine oil pump

• MDS delete utilizing OEM Mopar components

• NGK Spark Plugs LZTR5AIX-13 spark plugs

• Milodon 160° Thermostat

• Stainless Works 1.875″ Primary ID long-tube headers w/ high-flow catalytic converters

• HP Tuners smart access cable

• All the miscellaneous OEM and aftermarket odds-and-ends to bring it all together.

Pre-existing:

• Mopar air-intake system

• Ported throttle body

With the mechanical work wrapped up in the shop by Alex, Matt strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via HP Tuners. With 93 octane in the tank, Vlad increased the 5.7L’s output to 427.71whp & 418.74lbft! With an initial baseline of 360.07whp & 393.16, this ’18 Challenger R/T got a nice jump in power that Jim is sure to enjoy!

October 11, 2021
2019 Ford F-150 – Whipple 3.0L Supercharger

With 600whp at your right foot, the utility aspect of a truck, and the notorious Whipple whine under the hood, August’s may have the perfect daily driver! Once the truck was pulled into the shop, John got to work preparing the 2019 Ford F-150 SSV to get it’s Gen-III Coyote 5.0L Whipple 3.0L equipped! Modifications below:

Performed by us:

• Whipple Superchargers Stage-II 3.0L W185ax twin-screw system

• Whipple Superchargers billet 132mm throttle body

• Whipple Superchargers Crusher air-intake system

• Whipple Superchargers 55 lb-hr fuel injectors

• Boundary Lubrication Systems billet oil pump gears

• Boundary Lubrication Systems billet crankshaft sprocket

• All the miscellaneous OEM and aftermarket components to bring it all together

Pre-existing:

• Stainless Works 1.78″ ID long-tube headers

• Stainless Works X-pipe

• Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system

With the mechanical work wrapped up in the shop by John, Matt strapped her down to the rollers to flash a tune from Whipple Superchargers via HP Tuners. With 93 octane in the tank and the Whipple 3.0L delivering ~11psi, the Coyote’s output was increased to a solid 619.22whp & 513.54lbft! Needless to say, August is now having much more fun on the daily commute.

October 11, 2021
C8 Corvette – AWE Cat-Back Exhaust

In addition to the recent cold-start video that was posted, we also wanted to share some behind-the-scenes action of the cat-back install on Christopher’s C8 Corvette. With this being our first C8 in shop and on the lift, we were all a bit excited to have a glance at the new mid-engined machinery that Chevrolet has been teasing us with for the past few years.

With the C8 pulled into the shop and on the lift, Andrew got to work removing the rear bumper and OEM exhaust system. With the OEM exhaust system unbolted and out of the way, Andrew started piecing together the new 3” CNC mandrel-bent, U.S.-made .065” wall T304L stainless steel cat-back exhaust from the fine folks over at AWE Tuning. With this exhaust being designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house at AWE here in America, it’s nice to see American parts being used on American vehicles.

Once the install work was completed, the C8 was brought back down to the ground, and the initial turn of the key handled, it was evident that this exhaust system was exactly what Christopher, and the entire shop, wanted. The mild growl of the factory exhaust was replaced with an instant roar of the AWE, leaving Christopher with grin from ear to ear!

Performed by us:

• AWE Tuning cat-back Touring Edition exhaust system w/ quad chrome silver tips.

October 8, 2021
2021 Infiniti Q60s – HKS Exhaust

Ken brought us his brand new, 2021 Infiniti Q60s to have us install a beautiful exhaust system from HKS Co., Ltd!

Modifications performed by us:

• HKS Co., Ltd stainless steel, dual muffler cat-back exhaust system.

While not an overbearing exhaust compared to most, this Q60s left the shop with a refined, smooth note that enhances the VR30. With titanium tips and the option to cap off the secondary Helmholtz resonators, it’s the perfect upgrade to a street-driven daily driver.

October 8, 2021
2019 Honda Civic Type-R

The newest generation of Honda’s Civic Type-R boasts some obtuse styling, something that can be hard for some to handle, but hop in the driver’s seat of one of these and you will find out just how much fun Honda’s latest iteration of the Type-R lineup is to drive. Featuring great performance and practicality, this hot hatch seemed to tick all the boxes for its owner Rueben.

With the helical limited-slip differential keeping both front wheels under control, an extremely rigid chassis, joyous 6-speed manual transmission, and Honda’s known reliability completing the whole package, the FK8 CTR’s are considered one of the best-performing cars in the front-wheel-drive market today, consistently receiving positive praise from journalists, owners, and enthusiasts alike.

While good enough for most, Ruben wanted to enhance his FK8, so a decision was made to bring us his bone-stock 2019 Honda Civic Type-R to get the K20C1 breathing a bit better and making some more jam! Modifications performed below:

• PRL Motorsports, LLC air-intake system

• Mishimoto Automotive stock-location upgraded intercooler

With the mechanical work wrapped up by Andrew in the shop, Matt strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to get the FK8 dialed in via Hondata‘s FlashPro. With the stock turbocharger delivering ~23psi, Vlad increased the K20C1’s output to 333.43whp & 320.60lbft on 93 octane! Considering these cars normally baseline between 280-290whp in stock form, that’s a difference Ruben will definitely notice!

October 6, 2021
2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Rick’s 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, finished in a fitting Sebring Orange Tintcoat, comes out of the box as a great platform, sporting loads of performance straight from the factory. With plans to track the car on road courses, Rick wanted more. The objective for the C7 was simple: increase throttle response, allow the engine to breathe better, and increase power. With a plan in place, the car was pulled into the shop and the build commenced. Build list below:

Pre-existing modifications:

• aFe POWER air-intake system

• CORSA Performance cat-back exhaust system

Performed by us:

• MSD Performance Atomic intake manifold

• Katech drive-by-wire 103mm throttle body

• Kooks Headers and Exhaust 1.78″ primary OD long-tube headers

• Kooks Headers and Exhaust 3″ X-pipe w/ high-flow catalytic converters

• MSD Performance spark plug wires

• Design Engineering, Inc. Protect-A-Boot sleeves

With the mechanical work wrapped up in the shop by Andrew, Matt strapped the C7 down onto the rollers for a custom calibration by Vlad via HP Tuners. With 93 octane in the tank, Vlad increased the LT1’s output to a solid 449.15whp & 455.32lbft, sending power to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. With the upgraded dry-sump lubrication system in the Grand Sport models keeping the oil pumped into the engine during sustained cornering and the added width of the fenders and body in contrast to the base model, you can say that Rick made a great choice when choosing the Grand Sport as a weekend cruiser and track car.

October 6, 2021
2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Michael brought us his 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with the goal of adding 130-150whp on 93 octane while maintaining stock-like drivability. The solution? Our Stage-3 package! Modifications below:

Performed by us:
• Kong Performance OEM supercharger/snout porting service matched to 103mm throttle body
• ZPE GripTec 2.30″ upper pulley
• Dedicated Motorsports 10mm wider 6061 aluminum tensioner pulley
• Gates Corporation HD Fleetrunner Micro-V “Green” belt
• Nick Williams Performance drive-by-wire 103mm throttle body
• ATI Performance Products Super Damper harmonic balancer
• ATI Performance Products 8.295″/3.25% overdrive pulley
• Roto-Fab, LLC Big Gulp air-intake system
• Stainless Works 2.00″ primary ID long-tube headers w/high-flow catalytic converters
• Stainless Works axle-back exhaust system
• NGK Spark Plugs LTR7IX-11 spark plugs
• MSD Performance 8.5mm spark plug wires
• Design Engineering, Inc. Protect-A-Boot sleeves
• Lingenfelter Performance Engineering 160° thermostat
• DSX Tuning auxiliary fuel pump kit
• Mightymouse Solutions Mild catch can setup
• PWR North America 27mm heat exchanger
• Cordes Performance Racing & Sales supercharger expansion tank

With the mechanical work wrapped up in the shop by Tim, John strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via HP Tuners. The results? 695.29whp & 746.95lbft on 93 octane! Considering these cars normally baseline between 540-550whp on our dynos, this is right in line with our expectations. Solid outcome and killer value for what we consider to be our Stage-3 performance package for these cars.

July 31, 2021
Deeper into the 9’s with Sean’s 860WHP 2016 Camaro SS

Deeper into the 9’s we go, with an assiduous quest for 8’s!

Sean has been a long time National Speed client and GM performance car fanatic, owning and restoring a gorgeous 1964 Nova SS, and for the past couple years, his dedicated performance car, a Mosaic Black Metallic 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS.

For the latest evolution of Sean’s never-ending quest for more power, a simple goal was laid out: 850+whp on 93 octane.

The car has lived through several iterations over the five years of Sean’s ownership, starting from a bone-stock, brand new platform straight from the dealership. While all was fine for a while, Sean had a craving for something more, and after spending multiple weekends at the dragstrip, the need for more power could not be contained.

With the original engine-out build yielding him some great results. throwing down a tire-slaying 9.98 quarter mile at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway, it was clear the existing setup needed to be updated. Unable to suppress the desire to see how far we could really push the LT1, a plan was set in place to completely tear down and rebuild the 6.2L LT1...for the second time.

With the Camaro back in the shop, our Performance Technician, John, made quick work pulling the engine from the car, tearing it down to the bare short block. From there, he meticulously gapped each piston ring to the exact spec needed and in went a Gwatney Performance Innovation complete drop-in piston & rod package. This specific package includes Diamond Pistons 2618 pistons with rings, Callies Performance Products 6.125″ connecting rods, connecting rod bearings, heavy duty wrist pins, locks, and rings. To compliment the new pistons and rods installed, in went a custom designed 5150 billet-core VVT camshaft from Cam Motion.

While John was working away on the bottom end, we tapped the great team at Gwatney Performance Innovation again for their ported cylinder head service and installation of Brian Tooley Racing valve spring set. Once the heads were finished with their revamp, John finished up the engine internals with a COMP Cams high pressure fuel pump lash cap, OEM LS7 rocker arm pad, and all the various gaskets and seals to complete the installation.

With the internals beefed up and the motor dropped back in, it was time to work on some more power! While Sean was able to make a solid 740.05whp & 694.24lbft on E50 at only ~12.5psi on his old setup, a Magnuson Superchargers Heartbeat TVS2300 supercharger, we decided to up the ante and go with an even bigger setup from Magnuson Superchargers, the Magnum DI TVS2650R! To dial in more boost, a smaller upper pulley was needed, so John swapped out the existing upper pulley for a smaller 80mm unit, then added a 103mm SD103LTX throttle body upgrade from Williams Performance, allowing the most amount of air into the TVS2650R. Finishing up the engine build, John installed a set of LTR7IX-11 spark plugs from NGK Spark Plugs attached to a set of premium spark plug wires from Katech.

With the drivetrain set, it was time to figure out how to get the power to the ground. The stock wheels, control arms, and wheel & brake hub setup were all removed and replaced with a 15” conversion from Carlyle Racing. The stock set was quickly replaced with a set of gorgeous WELD Racing 15×10 S71B Non Beadlock wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels 275/60/15 ET Street S/S radials. To help the car stage correctly and to get heat into those new meaty tires, a line lock kit from SJM Manufacturing, Inc. was installed allowing the front brakes to lock up independently from the rear brakes.

With all the parts installed and mechanical work wrapped up in the shop by John, our Calibration Assistant, Matt, strapped her down to the rollers for Vlad to perform a custom calibration via HP Tuners. With 93 octane in the tank and the Magnuson TVS2650R delivering around 16psi, Vlad and the National Speed team were able to increase the LT1’s output to a kick-ass 863.71whp & 742.04lbft!

For Sean, power has come in stages, originally seeing 546.80whp & 545.77lbft with bolt-ons, 740.05whp & 694.24lbft with the first build, and now with the current setup, 863.71whp & 742.04lbft! With the factory direct-injection system being the only limiting factor in this build, the temptation to switch over to LS-based port-injection is already on Sean’s mind. Hopefully we will see him back here for more fueling upgrades and tap into the 900-1000whp range, finally reaching his goal of 8 second quarter mile times!

Reach out to National Speed today to see what we can do for you!

March 2, 2021
The 2010 Hennessey Camaro: 705HP Supercharged LS9

Hennessey, of Twin Turbo Viper and SRT fame, has got their hands on a 2010 Camaro already.

A supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 fuels the new Camaro (dubbed the HPE700) and it pumps out 705 horsepower and 717lb/ft torque routed through Michelin PS2’s (not PlayStation’s) wrapped around lightweight HRE wheels. Slowing down the Camaro is a set of 15″ carbon ceramic brakes borrowed from the Corvette ZR1. Coilovers and Front and Rear sway bars round out the handling package.

Exterior-wise the Camaro has received a vast improvement. Steve Everitt, a British designer has created the Cam-Aero body upgrades (Cam-Aero….REALLY?). These unoriginally cleverly named pieces consist of a: Carbon fiber rear lip spoiler, carbon fiber side rocker panels, carbon fiber front splitter, front fascia with hideaway headlights and a front billet grille. To top it all off is a ZR1 inspired hood with a window, showing off the HPE tweaked LS9.

The bad news? Price starts at $109,000. Is that a fair price to pay for a Camaro on steroids? I can’t pass judgement, but I’m leaning towards a resounding “No.”. You are almost into ZR1 territory with that kind of cash. Either way, I look forward to seeing what one of these things can do.

January 12, 2009
No Pistons, All Rotor: Brandon Wiggins FC RX7

Poise and Balance is something we forget about every now and again. When building a car, a lot of people overlook balance and attack everything with brute power. Brandon’s FC RX7 is the underpowered underdog nipping at the heels of cars with over twice the horsepower.

After having a mildly built ’67 Camaro, Brandon already had his fun in a straight line…but something was lacking, you can’t exactly attack corners in a steel bodied beast like the Camaro. While a performance minded RX7 without a TII motor sounds pretty crazy, this surely isn’t the fact with his FC. Trying to avoid the whole turbo rotary stigma of “Working 100% of the time, 60% of the time“, this rotard purchased the N/A FC with reliability in mind. (Haha…reliability..)

While not gleaming with parts in the engine compartment, it has the necessary mods such as a custom intake setup, and Borla exhaust. ALL the power that this twin rotor produced almost broke our dyno from sheer energy. It put down a whopping 136hp and 116ft/lbs. All of that earth shattering power is sent through a Stage 2 Competition Clutch paired up with a Fidanza aluminum flywheel and Short Shifter. This car was always meant for Autocross and Roadcourse, so the FC didn’t need a lot of power to do what it was intended to.

The motor wasn’t focused on as much as the most important aspect of this car, The Suspension. Lots of time and thought were put into the suspension setup and stance of the car before purchasing, naturally, Stance coilovers. Rota D2’s mounted on 235/17 Falken Ziex’s. All of this was put on the car at the same time and WOW did it make a difference. Many a highway onramp and offramp have been assaulted while tweaking the 32 way adjustable coilovers to Brandon’s exacting standards. Further suspension components include a Racing Beat front sway bar, Rear steer eliminator, and front and rear strut tower bars.

Another modification important to a low horsepower car is weight. While not weighing much to begin with, in order to extract every bit of available power, there was some things scrapped to reduce unnecessary load. First off all of the carpet was ripped up and all of the sound deadening tar was painstakingly removed (Believe me, it wasn’t fun) and all of the “undercarpet” as well. After all the now lightened carpet was thrown back in, the Spare tire, Jack and AC compressor were removed. While it doesn’t sound like much, you can tell a weight difference when you only have 136 Wheel Horsepower.

I can tell you first hand that this will warp your understanding of physics in a corner of any kind. The first time you go into a corner and Brandon smoothly heel-toes and throws you into a bend, it will surely send a shock to your system. Believe me when I say, This thing handles. My car only has ~230whp, but I can pull away from the FC hard. In the same familiar corner however, when following the FC in my car, I have to half throttle it while Brandon can absolutely keep it to the floor. It really is all about balance. This car is truly an enthusiasts vehicle and goes to show you don’t have to have massive power to keep up with the big boys. It’s far from done, and at the going rate will be a full time attack car before too long. Not only that, but rotaries always have a habit of blowing huge flames at the top of every gear. Below is Brandon’s ’67 Camaro.

That’s just badass…Silly Rotard.

December 18, 2008