I've been reading old posts and what not and I'm seeing alot of people say to get a stall over the hotcam kit. I've driven my friends t/a with a hotcam kit and like the way it pulls, I have NEVER driven a car with a stall on it. My car has 57,000 miles with full suspension, headers and cat-back. I don't goto the drags much but occasionally I'll hit it on the highway. I just want the car to be kinda stupid fast (I know I'll never really use it) Now the question is what would be better for a daily driver (during summer) the hotcam kit or a vigilante 2600-2800 stall? Lots of stop and go city driving and some highway driving. Please respond with why you voted the way you did. Thanks!

 

I would go with a Vigi, the gains are awesome. I drove my Trans Am daily in terrible Houston freeway traffic with a 3200 stall, never had any problems with it. Stall really changes the way the car runs, night and day difference. I let my buddy Jon drive my TA, he has a Z28, same exact mods as me just no stall and he could tell the difference. The car leaves the line harder and from a roll stays in the band like crazy. Its an awesome mods, I would deff do it again over a cam any day

 

I would say go with the hot cam. It will increase your HP, which is always a good thing. It also would make it alot more fun to drive all the time. The emgine will have a slight lope to it. Which, I think is always nice. Also, it will pull harder when driving on the freeway. As, you mentioned.

TQ will launch you harder off the line. It will allow the engine to get in the power faster. Also, it will probably give you a better ET in the 1/4. Other then that, it will sound stock and drive like it is stock. Of course, when you jump on it, it will launch hard.

IMO, I would go with the Hot cam, first. Then if I want more. buy TQ to match the cam for an awesome combo.

 

I don't drag either so when I did my first cam swap (already had all the bolt-on stuff too), I went with the 224/230 and left the stock converter for later.

With the tune, my idle was higher so it tried to creep a little bit when at a dead stop. That just meant holding the brake down a tad more. No biggie.

I could be wrong, but I figured this sort of thing might raise trans temps so I installed a cooler right after the cam. Easy to do and very cheap insurance either way.

So... given that you're not building towards a primarily drag car, I'd go with the HC kit over the stall right now. BUT - when you do get a stall, go for a 2800-3000.

 

I have the vigilante 2800 stall and its alot of fun. Just make sure you get a shift kit to firm up the shifts.

 

Without a doubt go with the Vigilante 2800 over the Hotcam kit for your car...Even though you don't dragrace at the track, you actually gain more performance wise with the stall over that cam on your car...You don't believe me? Then go to the track on some Nitto DR's and find out first hand for yourself which one will get your car quicker down the 1/4 mile...

Besides, I think the stall would be a lot more fun on the street too...Great hard launches from a dead stop and good punches from low speed rolls...And like the others said, a good stall like the Vig 2800 (it's actually a true 3200, but just underrated) will help keep your car in its powerband better after shifts, thus the rpms won't drop nearly as much and out of the powerband like they would with the crappy stock converter. It's all about the better shift extension you get...

The last thing I'll say is that your car will feel much stronger down low with the bigger stall and stock cam rather than the stock stall with the Hotcam...Many have said their cars felt kinda sluggish with the Hotcam + stock converter combo...Think of it like this...It will take the stock converter a lot longer to get the engine up into its newer/higher powerband, thus making the car feel weaker until you finally get up into the rpm range that starts making good power...And a good stall will lock up over 40+, so your gas mileage will not drop any at speeds over that (a little around town because of the higher rpm use, but only really if you drive the car far more aggressively). With the Hotcam, gas mileage will be worse all around all things considered...

Go with the stall first, then go into the motor if you feel like it later on...

Mike

 

Alright, vigilante it is. I've read that they stall higher (like everyone is saying) so I think i'm gonna go with the 2600 which would really be around 3000 right?

 

Not quite so, my "3200" flashes to like 3400 from a roll. Its barley any difference

 

I vote for the stall too I like the Edge 2800 in my Caprice mellow enough for light towing and the wife to drive even in bad weather, but really made a huge difference in how the car drives and on track times. I did a ZZ3 cam first which felt nice, then did a tranny rebuild, the stall and dropped back to 87 octane tuning and still picked up .8 in the quartermile. The stall not only helps the launch but shift extension and with a good 9.5" like that Vig you want or an Edge or Yank greatly reduces rotating mass at the flywheel like a good 20+lbs. less that has to accelerate at engine speeds that is a lot of energy freed up to go to the wheels.