2.3 Gen 2 VMP vs 3.0 Gen 5 whipple (driving experience)

[JCDriller]

I’ve had a 2.3vmp in the past on a ~700rwhp e85 cobra, it was a blast on the street. It hit really hard and I really enjoyed it. I’ve told myself on my current cobra I wasn’t going to blower swap it but those thoughts are creeping in.

Anyway, I either need to find a used 2.3 send it off for rebuild and probably porting while I’m at it. OR do a 2.6vmp or 3.0 whipple.

While I’ll have an e85 tune and can run it easily, the car will be properly pulleyed for 91.

I’m worried I may not be spinning the 3.0 hard enough on 91 to really take advantage and it may feel sluggish compared to the 2.3.

Anyone had both? How does the feel compare? I’m not at all worried about dyno numbers or track times.

 

[PC03GT]

I’ve had a 2.3vmp in the past on a ~700rwhp e85 cobra, it was a blast on the street. It hit really hard and I really enjoyed it. I’ve told myself on my current cobra I wasn’t going to blower swap it but those thoughts are creeping in.

Anyway, I either need to find a used 2.3 send it off for rebuild and probably porting while I’m at it. OR do a 2.6vmp or 3.0 whipple.

While I’ll have an e85 tune and can run it easily, the car will be properly pulleyed for 91.

I’m worried I may not be spinning the 3.0 hard enough on 91 to really take advantage and it may feel sluggish compared to the 2.3.

Anyone had both? How does the feel compare? I’m not at all worried about dyno numbers or track times.

That escalated quickly....

 

[MG0h3]

If mainly 91, I’d do the 2.3.

My car came with a Gen2 2.9 on 91 and I def didn’t think it was sluggish. 590/540 15psi. AED did it all for the previous owner. You should see more torque with the smaller blowers at lower psi/91 than a bigger blower. But then again I’ve never seen 3.0 numbers on 91 either.

Hopefully someone has done it. Maybe check the Cobra groups on FB.

I’m 100% E85 with a 3.0 sitting in the closet for whenever I find time or the desire.


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[JCDriller]

That escalated quickly....

Maybe, this is more or less me deciding to keep my eye out for a nice low milage or ultra rare new 2.3.

I’m about to retune my 03 and get my 2020 gt500 back from Fathouse. I have a feeling that’ll keep me entertained for a while at ~1300rwhp.

 

[MG0h3]

Maybe, this is more or less me deciding to keep my eye out for a nice low milage or ultra rare new 2.3.

I’m about to retune my 03 and get my 2020 gt500 back from Fathouse. I have a feeling that’ll keep me entertained for a while at ~1300rwhp.

Damn. They’re pushing that much on the stock internals now!?


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[JCDriller]

Damn. They’re pushing that much on the stock internals now!?


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O no, I sent the engine to FFRE for a full build. Nothing like rebuilding a 4K mile engine that was perfect….

The trans is the big question.

 

[MG0h3]

O no, I sent the engine to FFRE for a full build. Nothing like rebuilding a 4K mile engine that was perfect….

The trans is the big question.

Haha solid!


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[2003RedfireVert]

2.3 easy. My 2.8 feels a bit lazy down low on 18psi. I’m on E. I can’t imagine how lazy it would feel on 93 and 7 less degrees of timing.

 

[Albatross]

I’ve driven gen 4 2.9 crusher setups and gen 5 3.0 setups on pump gas. They do not hit as hard down low. I wasn’t a fan. Some people like it I guess because it helps with traction. I like the instant torque. More fun.

 

[olympic]

The 3.0L Whipple will make 20PSI with the 3.5" pulley it ships with. Might be a little too spicey for 91 octane.

 

[CobraBob]

Maybe, this is more or less me deciding to keep my eye out for a nice low milage or ultra rare new 2.3.

I’m about to retune my 03 and get my 2020 gt500 back from Fathouse. I have a feeling that’ll keep me entertained for a while at ~1300rwhp.

Holy crap! Yeah, you definitely will be very entertained with your 1300whp GT500. Why even bother over thinking the setup on your Cobra. Go with the 2.3 VMP with 91 octane and call it a day. It will feel great on the street (but won't come close to feeling like your GT500). So, will the GT500 see primarily street time, or track time? I'm trying to understand which one you'll spend more time on the street with, since you said that you're not worried about track times with your Cobra.

 

[JCDriller]

Holy crap! Yeah, you definitely will be very entertained with your 1300whp GT500. Why even bother over thinking the setup on your Cobra. Go with the 2.3 VMP with 91 octane and call it a day. It will feel great on the street (but won't come close to feeling like your GT500). So, will the GT500 see primarily street time, or track time? I'm trying to understand which one you'll spend more time on the street with, since you said that you're not worried about track times with your Cobra.

I’ve had the 2.3vmp and really liked it, but I’ve never been in another cobra besides the few ported examples I’ve owned. Just trying to get a feel for how these newer more efficient blowers respond. I also think I knew the answer, just looking for verification. This isn’t something I’m pursuing this very moment, I’m definitely not taking the car out of commission until next winter, but I will start watching for a nice 2.3.

All my cars are primary street cars, the gt500 will be running MoTec to keep it under control and there is a good bet i pulley it up a bit for the street. I’m not really a racer, but I am signed up for the Indy 1/2mi with FH and I plan on attending the kansas 1/2 and Texas 1 mile in 24. The car will most definitely see the drag strip, I’ll be hunting for that 8 second pass, once I get it, who knows.

Thanks everyone for the input!

 

[94slowbra1]

Easy answer, 2.3 tvs. For a street car, especially on 91/93, this blower is king. I don't have a 3.0 but I do have a gen 4 2.9 crusher and i can tell you the 2.3 has more snap in it. With that being said the 2.9 on a 10.5:1 e85 motor is rowdy

 

[BUNKY]

Ill let you know in a few months
Trying to finish this Build and slap a 3.0 on it.
My 2.9 in 3rd hit hard at 70 rolling like i was rear ended.
Anyone want a 2.9 lol

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[Tifosi2003GT]

Who ports the original gen 1 Vmp's and what kind of gains are made?

 

[JCDriller]

Who ports the original gen 1 Vmp's and what kind of gains are made?

I’ll be using jokers to rebuild a used unit if I go down this road. They can port too, but if I want max torque, im still unsure if porting is the best. I’ve emailed them to clarify, but on my race ported GT500 whipple 3.8 porting increases HP but drops torque. It’s all good with that one as I’ll still have around 1000rwtq and I’d prefer the trans to stay functioning.

 

[DCguy]

Jokerz Performance is the go-to for blower porting services.....VMP even has the option if you buy a blower from them to ship it directly to Jokerz if you opt for the port upon purchase.....so they are well vetted.

They offer a porting service for the 2.3 starting at $1000 which is decent. On the website it says they hand port these but I believe for the newer blowers they use CNC machines. They also show a 50hp/50tq increase along with an increase of 2-3psi. I don't think that means a port job will automatically increase your boost pressure......the opposite in fact. I think what they're saying is that the efficiency of the blower is now capable of utilizing more boost effectively.

VMP 2.3L Gen 1 Supercharger Port & Rebuild Service - Jokerz Performance

Jokerz VMP GEN 1 ported blower. Want your Gen1 improved while keeping the factory warranty? Jokerz is the only VMP backed Supercharger porting company on the market. With complete consistency from blower to blower, you know you’re going to get the same power every time. The VMP Gen1 are hand...

jokerzperformance.com

A guy recently managed to run an 8sec 1/4 mile at 150+mph on a Jokerz ported VMP 2.3 at like 27psi. Can't remember if it was a manual or auto car. Car was right at 1000whp.

Point is that the 2.3 is a very capable blower. Stock vs stock, the VMP Gen3 blowers are more efficient as they utilize a Magnussen rotor pack.

VMP even found several brand new 2.3's in their warehouse a couple months ago and were offering them for sale on their facebook page. Might be worth reaching out to see if they still have one.

All that being said, I went with a Gen3r because they had a killer black friday sale on them and the head units were $3600....couldn't pass that up,

The Whipple 3.0's are monsters but the cost is almost double......i'm not a drag racer so for a street car I went with the much more affordable option. The whipple is still king but at "street car" boost pressures most run, around 18-22psi, you're not going to see massive differences in power. The VMP's are also known for being more torquey down in the lower rev ranges which is nice when you're on a built motor running longtubes and/or cams and your powerband is now higher in the rev range.....the additional low end torque is nice.

 

[pridemore54]

Seems like the consensus has already been made, but figured I'd throw in my experience to help confirm.

My old 08 GT500 with a 2.3L Eaton on 93oct, was just like what everyone else said, near instant torque and power practically wherever you wanted it.

My 03 Cobra with a gen4 2.9L Whipple Crusher on E85 has just a half moment of rolling into the power before it hits real hard. But it also pulls hard as hell throughout the powerband. The Whipple just feels more efficient at the higher rev range, where as the 2.3L seemed to start losing steam towards the top end.

Of course these are vastly different cars, with different engines, but what everyone else said here seems to resonate with my experience.

 

[cj428mach]

@MalcolmV8 might have some insight or be able to point you to a guy. The guy that owns that redfire car in his YouTube videos has had multiple cars and I'm pretty sure a 2.3 and 2.65 tvs and now a 3.0 Whipple. Since we only have 91 octane in our state I'd try to go smaller on blower if e85 ever disappears.

 

[BUNKY]

Jokerz Performance is the go-to for blower porting services.....VMP even has the option if you buy a blower from them to ship it directly to Jokerz if you opt for the port upon purchase.....so they are well vetted.

They offer a porting service for the 2.3 starting at $1000 which is decent. On the website it says they hand port these but I believe for the newer blowers they use CNC machines. They also show a 50hp/50tq increase along with an increase of 2-3psi. I don't think that means a port job will automatically increase your boost pressure......the opposite in fact. I think what they're saying is that the efficiency of the blower is now capable of utilizing more boost effectively.

VMP 2.3L Gen 1 Supercharger Port & Rebuild Service - Jokerz Performance

Jokerz VMP GEN 1 ported blower. Want your Gen1 improved while keeping the factory warranty? Jokerz is the only VMP backed Supercharger porting company on the market. With complete consistency from blower to blower, you know you’re going to get the same power every time. The VMP Gen1 are hand...

jokerzperformance.com

A guy recently managed to run an 8sec 1/4 mile at 150+mph on a Jokerz ported VMP 2.3 at like 27psi. Can't remember if it was a manual or auto car. Car was right at 1000whp.

Point is that the 2.3 is a very capable blower. Stock vs stock, the VMP Gen3 blowers are more efficient as they utilize a Magnussen rotor pack.

VMP even found several brand new 2.3's in their warehouse a couple months ago and were offering them for sale on their facebook page. Might be worth reaching out to see if they still have one.

All that being said, I went with a Gen3r because they had a killer black friday sale on them and the head units were $3600....couldn't pass that up,

The Whipple 3.0's are monsters but the cost is almost double......i'm not a drag racer so for a street car I went with the much more affordable option. The whipple is still king but at "street car" boost pressures most run, around 18-22psi, you're not going to see massive differences in power. The VMP's are also known for being more torquey down in the lower rev ranges which is nice when you're on a built motor running longtubes and/or cams and your powerband is now higher in the rev range.....the additional low end torque is nice.

Problem is if you get everything ported is another $2300.
Which could bring you back to where the whipple range is.
It all Comes down to if you need power down low or more top end.
Well See whats next.
Stay Safe

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