performance mods for a 2002 gts.

[ramblinman]

Hey guys . Wanting some input on what performance mods to look at for a 2002 gts. I did some searching and found only older information. Just wanting some up to date info to give me a jumping off point to begin the search. Are there any companies that offer performance packages that are worth looking at. I have no plans to track the car. I drive the car as often as weather permits so i dont want to cause any reliability issues. The car is currently a 6000 mile 02 charcoal silver stripe car so i do not want to do anything that will hurt the resale potential of the vehicle. My main goal is to simply get a little more punch out of the engine and improve the handling and braking a bit. The car currently has corsa exhaust smooth tubes and a short throw shifter. Thanks.

 

[AZTVR]

The car is currently a 6000 mile 02 charcoal white stripe car so i do not want to do anything that will hurt the resale potential of the vehicle. My main goal is to simply get a little more punch out of the engine and improve the handling and braking a bit. The car currently has corsa exhaust smooth tubes and a short throw shifter. Thanks.

Hey ! That's graphite gray and silver , buddy !!! But, you certainly did have good taste in choosing which color combo to buy.

Many, many folks recommend 3.55 (or 3.54) gears as the best seat-of-the-pants upgrade to how the car feels on the street (after ensuring that the car has fairly fresh tires.)

 

[plumcrazy]

..........................

 

[Jeffsss]

I'm curious of the original posters question as well. I'd like to get full exhaust and intake but the market for Vipers is sooo slim!? if someone has suggestions on where to buy.. i'd be all ears.

 

[AZTVR]

..........................

Let me guess. The sound of a tea kettle at 210°F ?

 

[ramblinman]

Hey ! That's graphite gray and silver , buddy !!! But, you certainly did have good taste in choosing which color combo to buy.

Many, many folks recommend 3.55 (or 3.54) gears as the best seat-of-the-pants upgrade to how the car feels on the street (after ensuring that the car has fairly fresh tires.)

ha. i apologize...a.d.d was kicking in..thinking one thing typing another. I prefer to not change gears, just want to look at opening the engine up as long as it is not going to destroy reliability.

 

[eucharistos]

.... I prefer to not change gears, just want to look at opening the engine up as long as it is not

going to destroy reliability.

you are describing greg good heads, cam, headers + hiflow cat back, smooth tubes and filters and possibly fuel system





oh and some decent coin

 

[eucharistos]

Hey ! That's graphite gray and silver , buddy !!!..... (after ensuring that the car has fairly fresh tires.)

beat me to it

 

[Zentenk]

Twin Turbo

 

[costanZo]

Super Charger. Can easily remove it if you wanted to sell the car, and you'll get the most power for the best value spent.

Other than that, you could use my car as an observation. These will be my N/A mods by end of summer.

American Racing Headers
American Racing Metallic High-Flow Cats
Corsa Cat-Back Exhaust
T&D 1.7 Shaft Mount Rockers
New Pushrods
708 Cam
SCT Tune
Fidanza Lightweight Flywheel
CenterForce Clutch and Hydrolic Slave Cylinder
K&N Dual FIPK
KW Variant2 Coilovers
Dave's Big Brake Kit
AB's Wires
172 Degree Thermostat with gasket
3.55 Gears and B&M Short Throw(not 100% certain I'll do these yet)
New Power Steering Pulley and Steering Brackets
Wood House Poly Engine and Transmission Mounts

*If you weren't going to go the Super Charger route, to get the most power N/A you could do some of the performance mods I listed above along with new ported heads and more aggressive Cam. In your case with a 2002, if you don't want to spend a lot, go with the 708 Cam. It's cheap and a lot better than your stock one. Fortunately for me, my 96 came with the 708 Cam stock.


**Also, I have a question myself. In the past I've read a little bit about Throttle Bodies. I've read on some threads how depending on the mods you already have in your car, installing TB can actually reduce you're overall power? I also heard they can be an expensive mod with perhaps only a 7 or 8 HP gain. Is this true? I'm trying to squeeze out the most power N/A as possible. So I've been wondering other than what I listed above, is there anything else worth doing, or are TB worth it? I'm not doing new heads/cam because I don't want to spend that much more money. Maybe in the future I'll think about it, but for now, besides everything I listed above.. is there anything I'm missing for more HP gain to the wheels?

Thanks!
-Ant

 

[KNG SNKE]

Let me guess. The sound of a tea kettle at 210°F ?

Great observation!

 

[FastMatt]

I have some mods off my 2001 GTS that I will be willing to sell. My car was a heads/cam car that put 612 hp to the wheels and 728 rwhp on NOS, I'm adding a supercharger so I made a few changes. Parts I have removed that I will be willing to sell.

Ballenger header
3.55 gears
UD pulley set (with belt and overdrive alternator pulley to speed it back up to stock speed)
RPS Alum Flywheel
6 puck clutch with about 500 miles on it
Carbon Fiber Airbox with S&P green filters
BTR NOS/Propane kit

I also have new in the Box a Nitrous Outlet Plate system NOS kit with Jetting up to 300hp, and 15lb bottle

 

[ramblinman]

you are describing greg good heads, cam, headers + hiflow cat back, smooth tubes and filters and possibly fuel system



oh and some decent coin

what type of increase is typical out of a package like that.

 

[ramblinman]

Super Charger. Can easily remove it if you wanted to sell the car, and you'll get the most power for the best value spent.

Other than that, you could use my car as an observation. These will be my N/A mods by end of summer.

American Racing Headers
American Racing Metallic High-Flow Cats
Corsa Cat-Back Exhaust
T&D 1.7 Shaft Mount Rockers
New Pushrods
708 Cam
SCT Tune
Fidanza Lightweight Flywheel
CenterForce Clutch and Hydrolic Slave Cylinder
K&N Dual FIPK
KW Variant2 Coilovers
Dave's Big Brake Kit
AB's Wires
172 Degree Thermostat with gasket
3.55 Gears and B&M Short Throw(not 100% certain I'll do these yet)
New Power Steering Pulley and Steering Brackets
Wood House Poly Engine and Transmission Mounts


Thanks!
-Ant

hey thanks. I dont want to get into super charging or a tt car. Some of the options you listed are along the route i am thinking. Does anyone have a car with these types of mods. what type of horsepower would that set up be producing and will the drive line handle it. Thanks

 

[nutkees]

I have all the bits and pieces as listed, but also have 70mm accufab TB's. I now put down 475 RWHP. I do think the car has a little bit more Hp in it with a good tune. I live in the Netherlands and still tuned on a USA based map. Hope a good tune will bring it closer to 500 RWHP.

Also have 3.55 gears, love them and still is the best mod ever!

 

[costanZo]

I have all the bits and pieces as listed, but also have 70mm accufab TB's. I now put down 475 RWHP. I do think the car has a little bit more Hp in it with a good tune. I live in the Netherlands and still tuned on a USA based map. Hope a good tune will bring it closer to 500 RWHP.

Also have 3.55 gears, love them and still is the best mod ever!

I was told with all the mods I listed including a custom tune with the SCT Tuner I could possibly hit 500 HP to the wheels. If not, extremely close to it since the SCT is good for around 25-30 HP. That's why I was figuring if I didn't quite make the 500 number, would TBs possibly give me the extra HP I need to hopefully hit 500rwhp consistently after the install and tune.

If not, I'll have to figure out what else(besides heads/cam) I'll need to get that number if TB's isn't the answer.

Either way, if I ever do 3.55 gears, I'll make sure to have those installed AFTER I hit 500rwhp so I know where I'm at.

 

[costanZo]

I have all the bits and pieces as listed, but also have 70mm accufab TB's. I now put down 475 RWHP. I do think the car has a little bit more Hp in it with a good tune. I live in the Netherlands and still tuned on a USA based map. Hope a good tune will bring it closer to 500 RWHP.

Also have 3.55 gears, love them and still is the best mod ever!

If you dyno'd your car with 3.55 gears and hit 475 HP, in reality your car most likely has more power to the wheels than that. Throwing stock 3.07 gears in would show you the true number since changing your gears to a higher number from stock lowers the HP readout on the dyno sheet. At least, this is what I remember reading in some other threads.

 

[nutkees]

I also remember reading about it.... Dynorun was done in 5th gear because 4th gear resulted in a little spin on the dyno.

Later on this year I will get it on a better dyno an let them retune my VECII. Don't really have a clue what the real HP is.......

 

[72hemi]

I just installed a set of 3.54 gears and a Borla cat-back system on my 01 ACR and it made a huge difference in the way the car performs. I personally believe now that Vipers should come from the factory with a 3.54 gear set, but understand for CAFE standards they have to go with the 3.07 gear.

 

[TowDawg]

I also remember reading about it.... Dynorun was done in 5th gear because 4th gear resulted in a little spin on the dyno.

Later on this year I will get it on a better dyno an let them retune my VECII. Don't really have a clue what the real HP is.......

You need to find a new dyno shop. If they couldn't keep a sub 500 rwhp car that's N/A and those big tires from spinning on the dyno in 4th gear, then they're not doing something right.

 

[Jeffsss]

I just installed a set of 3.54 gears and a Borla cat-back system on my 01 ACR and it made a huge difference in the way the car performs. I personally believe now that Vipers should come from the factory with a 3.54 gear set, but understand for CAFE standards they have to go with the 3.07 gear.

How does the stock rear end hold up with the gear change?
Only reason I ask is I've played the whole rear end change on my Camaro and I broke them twice. It wasnt because it wasn't properly installed either. LS1 Fbodys are notorious for weak rears..
more importantly, did you actually see performace improvements?

 

[72hemi]

Well I don't have any track slips to prove a difference, but it definitely accelerates faster. I have read on hear that people with stock GTS coupes running around a 12 flat, then with gears and exhaust run 11.50's but I don't have any slips to prove those either.

I don't think you would have to worry about breaking the rear end after a gear swap. They diff in a Viper is a Dana 44. You may eventually need to upgrade the half shafts, but I doubt it.

 

[AZTVR]

edited.... deleted unnecessary post

 

[Vipuronr]

I think, when discussing mods, you need to put a budget in as a qualifier. You can do lots of things if money is no object. Also, if you are looking to keep the car relatively stock, changing cam and headwork, etc., loses some of that "stockness" of the car. I think the mods are good ones, but just need to keep in mind what your end goal is.

Just my 2-cents.

 

[ViperGTS]

Buy a faster car if you want a faster one.

Why (?) **** up an unmolested 2002 - they are rare!

 

[vpower01]

You don't want a supercharger but for the money you won't
Get better power for the money.
And with cast pistons you can't run very much boost and they are easy to remove.
IMHO there is nothing better for the money.

 

[costanZo]

You don't want a supercharger but for the money you won't
Get better power for the money.
And with cast pistons you can't run very much boost and they are easy to remove.
IMHO there is nothing better for the money.

I second this if performance is your #1 priority. A Super Charger will give you 160-180 +HP for around $8,000 or so I've been told. I would think labor would be anywhere from $2-3,000, so in the end you're looking at about $10-11,000. All the mods I listed together cost well above that and might only give me half the HP of a Super Charger, prob somewhere between 75-90 +HP to the wheels at most, but all I care about is breaking the 500rwhp barrier. I pretty much just wanted to keep the car N/A at the moment. Didn't want any headaches or worry about the car being harder to drive in the end, so for me N/A is more reliable. Also, there were other things I wanted to upgrade that were important to me(such as suspension, flywheel, headers, rockers), which is why I didn't want to drop all my money on just a Super Charger.

 

[vpower01]

You don't want a supercharger but for the money you won't
Get better power for the money.
And with cast pistons you can't run very much boost and they are easy to remove.
IMHO there is nothing better for the money.

 

[Jeffsss]

So lets say you want to throw 2-3k including labor on to a bone stock 97' GTS and not go the nitrous route. what do you do.

I understand 96/97' have forged internals?

 

[costanZo]

So lets say you want to throw 2-3k including labor on to a bone stock 97' GTS and not go the nitrous route. what do you do.

I understand 96/97' have forged internals?

The #1 best thing you can do for around $3,000 including cost of labor to add performance to a stock GENII Viper would be new cat-back exhaust, high-flow cats and smooth tubes/air filter. Those were the first things I did, and for all the parts plus labor would be around $3-$3,500 tops.

Yes, 96-99 GENII have forged Pistons. 2000-2002 GENII have Cast Pistons.