When it comes to LS performance, at the cornerstone lies not only performance and longevity but also a quite favorable reaction to modifications at a quite affordable price in the grand scheme of things. Just how much will your run of the mill LS3 respond to a swap of the camshaft and a little bit of work to the cylinder heads? PCM of NC set out to discover just that with the help of a customer’s 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
Off to the dyno it went as a bone stock car. When the numbers came in, we find out that it laid down 381 rwhp and 384 ft/lb of tq, not bad numbers for a stock car, but the customer wanted to stretch the legs out a little to see what she was capable of. As the car would ditch the all-motor build in favor of a supercharger setup at some point down the road, the shop wanted to set it up for the long haul. Thus, selecting parts that would be able to pick up some nice numbers now, but would also be optimal for performance down the road was an integral part of the process.
The first order of action was to replace the stock camshaft with the shop’s own Phoenix cam that would be custom tailored to compliment a centrifugal blower. The heads would also be shipped out to Advanced Induction for their 280cc port and polish package that would improve the flow specs. The final power mods to get the car in motion would come in the form of a Halltech intake for the inflow and Kooks full exhaust featuring 1 7/8″ headers to evacuate air efficiently and in a hurry.
As with any cam swap, the valvetrain must be upgraded to support the new modification as well. In this case, the supporting role would be played by Brian Tooley Platinum valve springs and a COMP trunion upgrade. Other supporting mods include a Katech C5R timing chain and Melling 10296 oil pump.
When the car finally found its way back to the dyno again, the horsepower for dollar ratio was out in full effect as the ‘Vette managed to muster up 504 rwhp matched with 454 ft-lbs. 0f torque. That’s a 123/70 gain, respectively, all with the help of just a few basic parts.
When all was said and done, the car picked up a nice little choppy sound as you can see in this video and PCM NC reports that the ride is nice and smooth with plenty of drivability. We can’t forget that most importantly the new found power is almost too good to be true.
Jesse is currently a senior at the University of Delaware and has been around cars his entire life. From a GTO and a C5 Corvette, to a CTS-V and a C6 Z06, he’s always seemed to have his fingers in LS performance. He is a student by day and a YouTuber and automotive journalist by night!
