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Good luck with your mods! It sounds like you've got some pretty decent sized plans. First of all, a couple big questions:
- Automatic or manual. If you have an automatic you have more options as you can go with an AFM cam (not recommended by hardly anyone), a VVT cam, or you can do a full LS3 conversion and get a standard LS3 cam. If you have a manual then you're stuck with LS3 cams.
- What are your future modification plans? If you are thinking about forced induction there's some different type of cams depending on your application there, nitrous will have some other options, and if you plan on staying NA then there's a different list of cams there too.
- Back to if you have an automatic. If you have an auto, are you keeping the stock converter or are you budgeting in an aftermarket converter? You can get away with a stock converter on any "stage 1" cam and depending on the manufacturer a "stage 2" cam will allow you to keep the stock converter, but most manufacturers will recommend an aftermarket converter for any stage 3 and all stage 4 cams. If you do a custom grind you can talk to the manufacturer and get the best one for your application as well.
As for your question about if there is a package that will allow you to get springs, puchrods, etc. any of the cam manufacturers can provide you packages and get you a package discount and potentially a little extra based on forum association. They should be able to guide you towards the best setup. Also, if you're having a shop do the work they should be able to help you get everything done "correctly" or at minimum whomever is tuning your car should be able to offer advice on what should go into a cam swap.
As for you header choice, I have Kooks LT's with high flow cats and I couldn't be happier. Mine are ceramic coated as well to keep engine bay temps down and to preserve a good looking header. The forum preferred choices of headers are as follows:
Higher priced: Kooks, ARH, Stainless Works
Mid priced: OBX, Texas Speed, Stainless Power
Budget: Speed Engineering
Why you'd buy each:
Higher priced: Warrantied for life, American made, great tech support, and typically better quality control.
Mid priced: 2 year warranty, Chinese made so less price, decent tech support, high flow cats still an option
Budget: Cheap cost, Chinese made so less expensive, (draw back no warranty, and no high flow cats in a kit as an option)
I hope this helps! Happy modding!
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