Cadillac CTS-V - Picked up a CTS-V for cheap

Hello all,
I'm not new to the LS1 thing but am to the CTS-V. I just purchased a 2004 CTS-V from the original owner. Last year she had a lifter go down on the car so she replaced the usual things, cam and lifters, oil pump, water pump, push rods. The clutch had also been done as did the shifter and rear end bushings. Although it was showing 136xxx it was extremely clean and I picked up the car for under 10k so I thought it was a good deal.

Well forward a few months, I've replaced the plugs with NGK's and put some MSD wires on it and a stock replacement K&N filter in it and changed the oil with some Mobile 1. I had the Caddy dealership run the vin for me and I found it came with 3.73's from the factory. After driving it out of town a couple of times, I averaged 24 mpg while cruising 80 mph.

Coming home from work one night an 03-04 Mach 1 came beside me and wanted to go from a roll. Car sounded good, later found it was full exhaust and bolt-ons. Well we hit it from about a 45 roll and from a 30 roll and each time I got him by about 4-5 lengths. I thought to myself this car didnt feel that fast. When we stopped at a light I rolled the window down and asked about his car, thats when I found out about the bolt-ons and exhaust. When he asked about the V I told him I opted for the dual baby seat option and 2 extra doors as I rolled the back windows down and showed off my dual baby seat option. (empty baby seats) He didn't want to go from a dig, imagine that.

I took the car to LMR here in Houston to get a dyno tune on it the other day and after it was all said and done, it made 338.29 rwhp and 337.01 ft lb while keeping an a/f of 11.4.

I have no complainants about the car just getting used to the power and realized I think I need to add a cam and some headers now. I want 400 at the wheels.

The weather down here in Houston has been crap lately so I havent taken any pics of the car yet but might be a better day tomorrow.

Sugestions for adding power would be greately appricated.

Sorry for the long read guys,
Chuckd

Congrats on the V!

Congrats. You are on the right track. From what I've seen, headers and cam work puts you at 400+rwhp.

headers and cam work puts you at 400+rwhp.

Headers ($1000), cam ($500+ after doing rockers, springs and pushrods), and a tune ($300). And I haven't seen anyone that kept the stock resonators/mufflers, so that's another $1000 for the rest of the exhaust.... but....

$1800 / 60hp = $30/hp.

Wet kit:

$950 / 100hp = $9.50/hp

Whatever you do, start looking for rear ends or save up for one of the kits. Did you put a stock clutch back in it?

I've got 2 car seats in mine too. Congrats on the V, and welcome to the club. All the dads like to 'talk cars' and the soccer moms swoon. :D

And by swoon I mean rolling their eyes.....

Congrats on the "cheap" pick up!! Now get a short shifter. (from me) LOL

Headers ($1000), cam ($500+ after doing rockers, springs and pushrods), and a tune ($300). And I haven't seen anyone that kept the stock resonators/mufflers, so that's another $1000 for the rest of the exhaust.... but....

$1800 / 60hp = $30/hp.

Wet kit:

$950 / 100hp = $9.50/hp

Whatever you do, start looking for rear ends or save up for one of the kits. Did you put a stock clutch back in it?

I've got 2 car seats in mine too. Congrats on the V, and welcome to the club. All the dads like to 'talk cars' and the soccer moms swoon. :D

And by swoon I mean rolling their eyes.....

My wife "swoons" at my car talk all the time :nod:

4 or 5 lengths on a bolt on Mach 1 and you put down 338? Wow good job that is good driving.

Nice buy ! Have fun getting the mod bug!

Headers ($1000), cam ($500+ after doing rockers, springs and pushrods), and a tune ($300). And I haven't seen anyone that kept the stock resonators/mufflers, so that's another $1000 for the rest of the exhaust.... but....

$1800 / 60hp = $30/hp.

Wet kit:

$950 / 100hp = $9.50/hp

Whatever you do, start looking for rear ends or save up for one of the kits. Did you put a stock clutch back in it?

I've got 2 car seats in mine too. Congrats on the V, and welcome to the club. All the dads like to 'talk cars' and the soccer moms swoon. :D

And by swoon I mean rolling their eyes.....

Why not just meet at the middle and install BOTH for $17.19/hp? LOL

What part of Houston are u from? I'm in sugar land quite often.its where in from It's a pretty big V community out there

What part of Houston are u from? I'm in sugar land quite often.its where in from It's a pretty big V community out there

I live down 59 and 99.

What color is your car Chuckd?

The baby seat mod adds 50hp if kids aren't in them but deducts 300hp if they are... :-P

The baby seat mod adds 50hp if kids aren't in them but deducts 300hp if they are... :-P

Someone who knows how the baby seat mod works. LOL


I'm by the Sugar Mill off of 90 and Main. Do you guys ever get out to Otto's on Saturdays?

I also have a white Buick Limited Turbo. I usually drive it to Otto's.

If your AFR was in the 11's after a tune, something is not right.

Chuck, what's your budget? The fastest way to 400 RWHP would be to purchase the TVS1900 kit from Lingenfelter for $6800 ($10k with installation) and be done with it. However, that would be backasswards from where you *should* start, for numerous reasons (one being the fact that you won't get as much out of the TVS1900). Based on what little I know, here's what I'd try if you're on a tightly controlled budget:

Step 1: Wrap or coat a set of Pacesetter ($300 - eBay) or OBX headers ($650 - eBay), add Kooks 6760-FC high-flow cats ($425), and a Magnaflow 16636 ($650) catback. The Magnaflow exhaust will not fit correctly on the cats, but any reputable exhaust shop will cut/weld it correctly for about $150. Budget $120 for new rear O2 sensors (the stock wires are too short). That's $2.5k right there including odds and ends (e.g. jack stands, special tools, DEI header wrap, ties, beer, etc).

Step 2: Ditch the spare tire and tub, send out your throttle body to get ported/polished ($100 - ask for a recommendation), and pick up a good cold air intake ($300 - don't get the K&N one). Get yourself a F1 Racing LS7 flywheel ($230), GM LS7 clutch ($275), O'Reilly LS7 slave ($90), Tick spacer kit ($30), and Tick remote bleeder line ($60).

At this point, the car will be an entirely different animal. You'll be roughly 390-400 RWHP once you get tuned up, and you'll have lost more than 100 lbs of curb weight, $4000, and probably an eighth of a cup of blood if you don't get some good work gloves. Reward yourself with a copy of Going Faster - Mastering the Art of Race Driving.

Recommended options during this process include the Ground Control coilover kit, so you can play with your ride height and lower your center of gravity, Katech short shifter (Lingenfelter sells it for a good price), UUC shifter bushings, and a PA15-VETTE so that you can plug in an iPod or iPhone that'll simultaneously play music and charge your device. You'll also want to allocate about $300 to flush (not drain) all of the major fluids in your car. Go Redline 15W-40 diesel oil in the engine (5 gallon tub = $165), 3 quarts of Redline D4 ATF + 1 quart of MTL 70W80 in the transmission, and Redline 75W140 oil in the differential.

After all of that's said and done, you'll roughly be in my shoes. Options at that point will include a cam, supercharger, or both. I'm spending $3000 to pick up an ATI harmonic balancer, TRuTorq L3 cam kit from Thunder Racing, and replace my motor mounts, transmission mount, and differential mount. I expect to be somewhere in the 450-475 RWHP range when I'm through and will have spent about $7500 total for +120-150 RWHP, -100-150 lbs, and massively better handling.

Someone who knows how the baby seat mod works. LOL


I'm by the Sugar Mill off of 90 and Main. Do you guys ever get out to Otto's on Saturdays?

I also have a white Buick Limited Turbo. I usually drive it to Otto's.

I go sometimes. I think I seen your Buick Limited Turbo there.