Generally a standard Paxton/Roe/Vortech/Powerdyne/Whipple, etc. kit on an engine pushing 5-8 psi boost is not going to give you any serious trouble. Yes, you must change out the complete exhaust system to really see the benefits. More air in, means more air out. More air out, means less heat. The Supercharger kits usually have the required mods for fuel system, air intake and programming to handle that 5-8 psi. Beyond that and you are grenading your stock engine. Go beyond and you better have forged internals.
It is when people want to start changing pulleys and making all the other HI-PO mods to be dyno sheet warriors that problems really arise. A nice conservative tune on a car with an 5-8 psi pulley (and a decent sized supercharger unit) as opposed to an aggressive tune on a car with a huge blower and 10+ psi is better every time. I had the larger 3.1L Whipple Blower on a GMC truck I had back in the 90s. It was the larger 454 Blower as opposed to the 350 sized blower. Yes I had other mods to my truck. But we went with a very conservative tune and a 5 psi pulley. Maybe I never got every last HP possible out of it with the mods, but I put on over 60K absolutely trouble free miles on it with that set up before I sold it. It can be easily done.
Now my 95 S351R went KABLEWY after a mere 1,200 miles. Piston failure due to non-forged pistons, heat and detonation. $20K into the motor for forged internals, 408 Stroker kit, etc. and some mods to the fuel/ignition system. 8K miles absolutely trouble free since. Sure with the mods to the motor, I could really crank up the psi now, but I am just running the 8 psi pulley. Hey I am putting down 576 rwhp. Good enough for me. Can't use it all anyway.
My point is a Paxton/Roe Kit, as is with just a complete exhaust change will put down 575-625 RWHP. That should be very reliable system and more than enough power to keep a smile on the face.
An NA car will always be the preference over FI, but a conservative FI car can produce a lot of power on the same motor and it can be absolutley troubel free if you don't go overboard.
I see absolutely no issue with the current 5-6 psi Paxton set-up on the 03-06 Vipers. It is a very simple kit. I am waiting on Roe because it should have the torque curve that more suits my style of driving.
BTW Turbo Diesel HP trucks do have a ton of near free HP with just a tune and minor mods. My Dad puts on over 75K miles per year on new work trucks for years and they all have exhaust/wastegate change out and a simple KN filter and are chipped. The are very reliable. Only thing he has learned is to upgrade the torque converter right away as well as those WILL blow apart from the increase torque. Beyond that, everything else has held up pretty good.
