Project C4orce was on display...
Project C4orce was on display at Corvettes at Carlisle and at Mid America's FunFest. With open headers, the car drew an immediate crowd every time we started the engine.
It doesn't have any seats. Or carpet. Or door panels. Or doors, for that matter. But it starts and runs. And at Corvettes at Carlisle, it turned heads and raised eyebrows as it made its official debut. "It" is Project C4orce, and, in addition to being the subject of a seminar at Carlisle, it also appeared at Mid America Motorworks' site on the Manufacturers' Midway. Project C4orce was greeted with enthusiasm and curiosity at both locations-gratifying because Trey Hanson and Jody Gregg of Speed Hound Performance burned more than their share of midnight oil finishing up all the last minute details that always bite in a very tender part of the anatomy.
Aside from the inevitable 11th hour adjustments and alterations, Project C4orce has been proceeding fairly smoothly. After Trey installed the Vmax Motorsports-modified cylinder heads and an LS6 intake manifold (that Speed Hound Performance had leftover from a supercharger project), he completed the intake system with a cable-actuated Camaro/Firebird throttle body, which had also been modified by Pete Incaudo of Vmax. Modified (or ported) throttle bodies are available from a variety of sources, but we've found a fair amount of variation in both the quality of the modifications and the results they produce. Pete has a truly unique understanding of air flow, which invariably translates into cylinder heads, intake manifolds, and throttle bodies that offer unrivalled performance. (I'm frequently reminded of that when someone in a uniform asks me for my license and registration.)
To make fuel line plumbing...
To make fuel line plumbing easier, we flipped the fuel rail so the inlet is positioned on the passenger's side (as opposed to the driver's side as it is on a C5).
At this point in time, we don't have actual horsepower numbers because the car isn't in "dynoable" condition, but according to the flow bench, we've got a killer throttle body. Its flow characteristics will definitely allow the engine to take maximum advantage of the performance potential of the new camshaft and cylinder heads.
Considering the vast array of off-the-shelf camshafts that are available, you may be wondering (then again, you may not) why we elected to have Comp Cams grind a special "C4orce profile." Unless your departure from the turnip truck is fairly recent, you're probably well aware that developing a "combination," as opposed to simply choosing components out of a handful of catalogs, is the key to maximum performance. Since our turnip truck days were more years ago than we care to remember, we wanted a cam profile optimized for this particular engine and the conditions under which it will operate.
An LSx engine fits as well...
An LSx engine fits as well in a C4 engine compartment as the original L98. As is obvious in this photo, we replaced the original truck manifold (which is too tall to fit beneath a Corvette hood) with one from an LS6. The coil brackets used on truck engines are different from those installed on car engines, so some adapting has to be done when a Corvette/F-body fuel rail and accessory bracket are installed.
The C4orce camshaft provides...
The C4orce camshaft provides the engine with a nice lope at idle and a broad torque range. In the short drives we've taken in it, the car feels very strong. Even light touches of throttle make the driver feel as if he's about to roll off the milk crate (aka driver's seat).
Pete Incaudo of Vmax Motorsports...
Pete Incaudo of Vmax Motorsports ported the original truck throttle body to provide increased air flow. This particular throttle body just has a rough-cut finish because we were in a time crunch and needed it done quickly. As soon as time permits, we'll send it back to Vmax for final finishing.