advice on hp upgrade

[forensicsteve]

I have a modest budget for horsepower/performance upgrade. Is there a way I can achieve 80-100 hp increase at a cost of $6k to $8k? Apparently due to the previous owner's exhaust upgrades, supercharging is not the best option anymore.

Or should I wait a little while...save up my pennies and then invest in the upgrade? The car will remain my daily driver.

Thanks as always for advice and suggestions

 

[plumcrazy]

7-8k should be a roe S/C cost i think.

whats wrong with the exhaust upgrades ?

 

[forensicsteve]

The performance place (near where I live) called Doug Levin and my guy was told that the present exhaust set-up would work against a supercharger...so my guy suggests headers and cam work... Also I don't have forged pistons.

Alas, I don't actually know how headers and cam work to increase hp...(being mechanically challenged) so I was hoping to learn from others.

I might give Roe Performance a call though and see if they concur with the DLM prognosis.

 

[IEATVETS]

NITROUS!

 

[LETHAL GTS]

You can still go with a Roe SC, you just can't run too much boost. Your exhaust will likely be fine, you just may not get the full potential of the charge is all.
Kinda gives you something to look forward to later.

 

[plumcrazy]

call sean or dave at roe racing

 

[Anaconda]

I don't understand how modifying the exhaust somehow hinders a supercharger?

 

[Kiaser]

Yeah most SC setups take advantage of exhaust upgrades you commonly see on vipers. But you will be limited by how much boost you can use because of your pistons so if you want serious boost you are gonna have to get those switched.

Heads and cams can always give you more power. Besides porting and polishing, you can increase compression to gain more power (of course, if you ever plan to boost you aren't gonna want to do this because you'll need low compression before adding boost).

 

[GARY J]

At 7-8k, a roe or paxton setup would be your best choice. If you could scrape together 11-12k(installed), you could go with a Heffner Mail Order Turbo System that would be the ultimate setup for your price range.

 

[RedGTS]

What kind of exhaust "upgrade" would "work against" a supercharger? That makes no sense whatsoever. Any upgrade would have attempted to improve the flow, which would work with a supercharger. For that matter, the Roe or Paxton will work fine with the stock exhaust (though they may make a few less ponies than with headers & exhaust). IMO there is something very wrong with what you were told.

 

[forensicsteve]

I cannot explain it because I know so little about cars but my guy was on the phone with Mr. Levin who reported this was the case, given my exhaust upgrades.

My guy advises that I proceed with heads and cam work that would give me about a 20-25% increase over stock horsepower and also fit my immediate budget.

 

[Inferno]

I cannot explain it because I know so little about cars but my guy was on the phone with Mr. Levin who reported this was the case, given my exhaust upgrades.

My guy advises that I proceed with heads and cam work that would give me about a 20-25% increase over stock horsepower and also fit my immediate budget.

Will that(heads and cam), have any effect on your daily driving, eg; loopy cam, bad gas milage, less reliable in extreme heat?

 

[forensicsteve]

Will that(heads and cam), have any effect on your daily driving, eg; loopy cam, bad gas milage, less reliable in extreme heat?

My guy says no to all above. Also the car's extended factory warranty will remain in effect

 

[Anaconda]

Maybe the guy welded a bunch of restrictor plates in the exhaust? haha

 

[99 R/T 10]

I cannot explain it because I know so little about cars but my guy was on the phone with Mr. Levin who reported this was the case, given my exhaust upgrades.

My guy advises that I proceed with heads and cam work that would give me about a 20-25% increase over stock horsepower and also fit my immediate budget.

This just doesn't make much sense to me, with either a S/C or Heads and cam, you're incresing airflow which will give an increase in power. From what you describe, either one would be hindered by the exhaust restriction. I think the first thing to do is to fix the exhaust. I can only surmise that the problem is you have a 2.5" Borla catback with the stock cats. Maybe Doug can chime in, but other than this, what else can it be. If it were me, I would go with the Roe S/C 6.5 lbs pulley and a "fixed" exhaust system. You'll gain 150 RWHP.

 

[STUGOTS]

I agree with Mike just Change the exhaust to either full B&B or full belanger (I like B&B better myself) and get high flow cats, that should be the first thing you do.

 

[diabolos88]

hey STUGOT how much power you got with your listed mods?

 

[STUGOTS]

Well as a matter of act I just went to a local Dynojet the other day and my #'s were 517.5 RWHP and 602.3 RWTQ on a 88 degree day with 9X humidity.

I had it tuned on a mustang dyno about a month and a half ago and the #'s were a little lower but not much but it was hotter out and the humidity was worse. not bad but im looking to do more over this winter.

 

[LETHAL GTS]

Those seem like some really big numbers for your mods. I'm not calling BS, but what would you say contributes the most to those numbers? Exhaust? Rockers? Vec2?

 

[STUGOTS]

Those seem like some really big numbers for your mods. I'm not calling BS, but what would you say contributes the most to those numbers? Exhaust? Rockers? Vec2?

SOTP says its not the headers, with the exhaust I noticed a little but not much (the sound makes it well worth it) I did the rockers and Vec 2 at the same time so that WITHOUT A DOUBT was my biggest SOTP and the Vec 2 continues to make power with every mod I add, so if I had to say 1 mod thats done the most I'd have to say Vec 2 with hours of tuning with Bill at VOS. Sean really steped in it with this VEC 2

 

[LETHAL GTS]

I'm in the process of installing roller rockers. I'm hoping for a noticable gain. What would you think?
I have stock shorty headers B&B all the way back (no cats), Vec 1, tubes and S&B's.

 

[STUGOTS]

I'm in the process of installing roller rockers. I'm hoping for a noticable gain. What would you think?
I have stock shorty headers B&B all the way back (no cats), Vec 1, tubes and S&B's.

from what I hear jesels will give you 20 - 22 RWHP.

To be honest the headers were kind of a waste IMO HOWEVER I got the jet hot coated so the under hood temps are down AND above about 3500 RPM those headers make it sound like a drag car so thats cool but power sooo NOT worth it.

Spend some hours on the dyno witha good tuner it pays off trust me

 

[diabolos88]

Jessels or TDs? which ones are better? Im looking to do Greg Good Heads, B&B, T&D, Vec2, hot Cam and Fluidyne plus hood louvers to help cooling.
what kind of power could I expect from just this?

 

[STUGOTS]

jesel's are better from what I understand.

I have everything you want except the heads,cam and fluidyne (well I have it just not installed yet) and my #'s are above so adding Gregs heads/cam I'd say another 100/100 or so on top of what I have now.

BTW heads and cam are in my near future as well.

 

[RedGTS]

C'mon Stu. Over 500 rwhp and 600 rwtq with no blower, no NO2, and no heads or cam upgrades? Please. Aside from the nutty peak numbers, what would account for the torque being almost 100 greater than the hp--forget about the NO2 or something?

 

[STUGOTS]

C'mon Stu. Over 500 rwhp and 600 rwtq with no blower, no NO2, and no heads or cam upgrades? Please. Aside from the nutty peak numbers, what would account for the torque being almost 100 greater than the hp--forget about the NO2 or something?

I know every dyno I go to is wrong but YOUR right.

BTW if you look around on this board there are others with some of the same #'s with the same mods and actually some with a little more

 

[diabolos88]

· 3.55 Gear
· Fidanza
· SVS short throw
· Embroidered Carpets
· Laser Jammer
· K&N Carbon fiber kit
· Corsa catback
· Momo shifter/wheel/pedals
· 2” seat lowering kit
· Eibachs
· Limo tints
· Carbon Fiber interior kit
· Straight Pipes
· BBS chromed
· 170 stat
· Dynamat heat/sound kit
· Brembo’s

this is my mods now. but am doing B&B, T&Ds, Cam, Vec2, Fluidyne/Louvers.
I want to go TT but need to do forged, Im prob gona hold off til winter when I can't drive her anyway....

 

[diabolos88]

· 3.55 Gear
· Fidanza
· SVS short throw
· Embroidered Carpets
· Laser Jammer
· K&N Carbon fiber kit
· Corsa catback
· Momo shifter/wheel/pedals
· 2” seat lowering kit
· Eibachs
· tints
· Carbon Fiber interior kit
· Straight Pipes
· BBS chromed
· 170 stat
· Dynamat heat/sound kit
· Brembo’s

this is my mods now. but am doing B&B, T&Ds, Cam, Vec2, Fluidyne/Louvers.
I want to go TT but need to do forged, Im prob gona hold off til winter when I can't drive her anyway.... Might also do ACR koni's, but not sure since I heard that the gen2 GTS sets are height/firmness adjustable, is this true?

 

[STUGOTS]

· 3.55 Gear
· Fidanza
· SVS short throw
· Embroidered Carpets
· Laser Jammer
· K&N Carbon fiber kit
· Corsa catback
· Momo shifter/wheel/pedals
· 2” seat lowering kit
· Eibachs
· tints
· Carbon Fiber interior kit
· Straight Pipes
· BBS chromed
· 170 stat
· Dynamat heat/sound kit
· Brembo’s

this is my mods now. but am doing B&B, T&Ds, Cam, Vec2, Fluidyne/Louvers.
I want to go TT but need to do forged, Im prob gona hold off til winter when I can't drive her anyway.... Might also do ACR koni's, but not sure since I heard that the gen2 GTS sets are height/firmness adjustable, is this true?

Honestly im not sure about that one.

J/W you paid the install to have the 170 stat put in?? I was told to wait until I did heads or a blower, that the install was not worth it just for that.

After talking with Dave at Roe racing today, Im gonna do a water **** kit on my N/A car and bump my timing and see what kinda #'s I can make.

 

[diabolos88]

me and my buddy installed most of the things at his shop, so i saved a ton there. You can gain 100hp just from heads?, that would put a stock GTS just around 500hp. then you add the vec2, cam, freeflow, rockers etc....that is just around 550-650hp, depending on what how tuning is setup