CamaroX84

I am getting an LT4 HOT cam and a bigger intake. Would it be more economical to get the AFR 190s and put them on straight out of the box, or to buy a pair of Vette heads and have them ported? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

CamaroZ_85

im not sure about the cost of modding vette heads, but i do know that afr's will cost you about $1200. at the same time, i dont know what type of performance you'll get out of the vette heads...but the afr's are the fastest way into the 12's (w/ the other necessary mods of course)

ScreaminDeamin85Z

the afrs right out of the box will probably flow better and make more power than the ported vette heads. you can only take a stock head design so far. the "492" head castings from back in the day are badass when fully ported, but if you compare them to a set of afrs or brodix...the stock heads dont stand a chance.

iroc22

The L98s flow well on the exhaust side but the AFRs flow well alll over and they just cant be beat. However the price is a big issue.

ir0cz

He's not asking which will flow better....we all know the AFRs will. He wants to know which is a smarter choice dollar wise. If the extra he'd pay for the AFRs would be worth the extra flow. Or if he should just save some $$$ on the vettes, and lose a few HP.

2QUIK6

If the AFR's are the choice out of the two, I have to wonder how would using the GM stock Vortec heads with the ScogginDicky TPI intake match up performance wise to the AFRs?
I appears that the Vortec setup would cost around $500 for the heads and another $350-400 for the intake and misc parts needed, so that would be less than the AFRs at $1200?

ir0cz

Personally I would go w/ the vortecs.....equal the performance, lot cheaper....as he said, the vortec heads and intake would be less than the AFRs alone. But since you asked about the vettes and AFRs.....I'd deffinately go w/ the vettes. Reason being that people saying the AFR's are around $1200 is misleading. It's not manditory, but you'd have to get a hole drilled for the fan switch, the heads milled to get 58cc chambers. If you were to get the AFRs and get them done to work perfectly w/ a thirdge, it would run you $1700...that is the price 3 or more people on here have quoted. For a few hundred more than that, you could buy the 330 HP crate motor.

Dyno Don

iTrader: (7)

I agree with ir0cz....What he speaks is fact.

Der91Z

iTrader: (1)

i would personally go with the AFR's because they will flat out flow more than the corvette heads will ever. If money is an issue the corvette heads look like a good contenter. I think the vortec heads was a good idea until they stuck us with the $400 manfiold in the A$$. Its no longer a cheap option when you combine $500 and $400 for the manifold for a total of about $900. You could get a set of Trick flows for a little more and AFR's for about $300 more. The trick flows and the AFR's are aluminum too, so thats another down side to the vortec option. If you are on a tight budget, get the corvette heads and port them yourself if you're good with the dy-grinder.

craiger

Right after i had my motor rebuilt in my vett i read an article about heads. It said that unles you get the l98 heads REAL cheap, its better to go with a good aftermarket head! I guess the l98 heads are limited in what they can flow. And the cost of porting them, its just easier to get the for sure thing. Vortechs' are a good inexpenisve option!

ir0cz

Yea, the manifold for vortecs is too damn much. But you pay $900 in all for the heads and intake....and if you get AFRs, you're gonna have to do something about the intake. Assuming you can't, dont want to port the stocker, you're gonna still end up having to buy an intake for $300. And if you get the AFRs and get them done the right way, they will cost upward of $1700. So $900 for vortec heads and manifold or $1500-$2000 for AFRs and manifold. Thats savings of $600-$1,000...thats a large chunk of change. If he has the money, then yes AFRs would be better, but he wanted to know which would be more economical....meaning that money is an issue.

I dont even think this guy is reading the thread? haha

craiger

I paid 1300 shipped to my door for AFR's and they included the egr crossover port, temp sender ports and centerbolt valve covers..

blowen90ta

craiger where did you yet your heads from?

69TPI383

I just ordered a set of AFR 190 #1011 (streel emmision legal) direct from AFR for a 383 TPI I'm putting together. Coolant sensor hole in each head ($25), milled from 74cc to 64cc (produces a better chamber after milling than starting with the 68cc head per AFR tech named Dave)(milling $150), set up for centerbolt valvecovers($45). Heads themselves were $1275 and total cost is $1495. Shipping is $50 - $60.

I sold my L98 Vette heads to buy these!

Doug

Der91Z

iTrader: (1)

Z-racing has the best prices that I know of for AFR heads. the site is http://www.users.qwest.net/~zjon/z-racing/

f-crazy

iTrader: (-1)

if your looking to spend $1,700 for the afr's which are excellent heads spend another 100 bucks and get a set of gm's nascar winston cup heads called the "sb2"...these heads are on 357cu. in. chevys that make 800 horse and redline at 9,000 rpm....they flow about the same on the lower side as afr's but above that they rock...but to take full advantage of these powerhouses youll have to do valve train mods to get it to spin to 7,500+......
im in the process of building one of these monsters...so far i have the:

sb2 block 1,200
billet crank 950
sb2 heads (with matchin intake) 2,200
carillo rods 600
jesel shaft mount rocker system 650

the only parts im waiting on are the 12.1 pistons $250
wristpins and distributor

craiger

send me a PM

f-crazy

iTrader: (-1)

got the pistons and the wristpins today....called about the distributor they (musclemotorsports) said it was shipped out yesterday and i should get it sat.....
the cam will also be here sat..
there are only 2 cams in existance that will work with these motors one is the full race version (obviously the winston cup engine builders have different cams for different tracks) and the one that is supplied with the "kit".....
you can also decide weather you want a dry sump oil system or a wet sump....if you want a "crash course" in dry sumps its good for another 40 horse
basically its a 4 stage belt drivin oil pump with a sepretly mounted tank....3 stages evacuate the motor and 1 stage supplies and cools the motor...sounds simple but its complex
hopefully in a couple weeks ill be under way with the build up...