New LS1 Owners - Newbie Tech - whats the first things I can do to my stock 2002 firebird t/a to increase horsepower

I just bought a 2002 t/a and Im not to smart on cars, so I was wondering if anyone can help me figure out what I should do first to get some added horsepower.. PLEASE

Cheap/Free...Air Lid, K&N filter, smooth bellows, free "ram air" mod, ported MAF mod, remove weight (ex: front pass. seat, back seat, spare tire)

Not as cheap...cat-back exhaust, long-tube headers, heads, cam

There's lots more....lurk around here a bit and see what others have done.

The first thing to get is definatley the air lid.

Also is your car AUTO or STICK and what are your goal's as of power,track ,etc.

My best advice for you is READ ALOT. Live on these forums for a few weeks, you wont believe how much you will learn and how quickly. I didn't know too much at all about cars before I got my Formula and found this site, I have learned SO much from these forums its unbelievable, do alot of research before you buy anything live by the stickies and learn who the big dogs are and you will learn fast

Good luck and congrats on the LS1!!!

man i was in the same boat when i bought my 02 ws6 a lil while back def. listen to luna hang around on here for a little while you will def. learn alot i did and still am. but as far as a quick little boost in to mod fever get you a k&n filter, a lid good luck and congrats. on the new ride man enjoy

your first two mods should be a lid and catback.



im sure most members will agree. :nod:

your first two mods should be a lid and catback.



im sure most members will agree. :nod:


What do you mean by lid? Somebody point me to one.

thanks everybody for the good advice!!! I just got a spl lid with a k&n filter and a spl maf air sensor, a magnaflow exhaust which I pry will change and some spl long tube headers with cats an new y pipe.

thanks everybody for the good advice!!! I just got a spl lid with a k&n filter and a spl maf air sensor, a magnaflow exhaust which I pry will change and some spl long tube headers with cats an new y pipe.

obviously you didnt take Luna's advice. good luck to you..

I won't put anything with SLP's name on it on my car. Mediocre to average products with excellent marketing. Almost everything else out there is as good if not better.

You get what you pay for, cheap is usually not good expensive doesn't mean it;s any better, research the parts and vendors before buying anything. Don't buy into the marketing of all of the vendors, seriously; if you have a question on anything, search button works wonders, if you don't get the answer there, ask before you buy anything.

Want to save money? Become friends with a local vendor who you can learn to trust and who has a great rep and excellent customer service, become a dedicated customer and receive the rewards of being one.

A good vendor will share any and all information with you, educate you on the business they are in so you are more inclined to utilize them. Walk away from anyone who won't return your call, or give you the information you are paying for, such as giving you the cam card for the cam you just bought.

Example, I live less then 10 miles from TSP, one of the best in the business. I'll let them work on my car and I can really trust them, I enjoy a great friendship with them that has extended beyond cars and as a result I get some very nice discounts because I don't shop anywhere else. I live even closer to Scoggin Dickey Chevy and Performance Parts, won't let them wash my car much less buy from them.

Not all mods are good mods. Don't waste your time on smooth bellows, taking the screen out of the MAF, buying a tornado, etc... all are wastes of time, effort, money with no benefit at all.

Not all mods are good mods for you. What someone else is doing may not be a great idea for what you want out of your car. Do you plan to drag race alot? Road race? Two different types of applications for the same car.
If you just want a bad ass street car, no need to redo the chassis with complete tubular components and a 6 point roll bar. If you aren't drag racing, no need to remove the front sway bar, install nitrous, etc...

First Mod: Dynotune, (no handheld or "mail in" tunes), get your car to a good tuner to base line and optimize what you already have. Put a lid, long tube headers, true duals or a nice catback, subframe connectors and lower control arms on and redynotune it again.

Tires/rims: lightweight rims with proven performance tires, Chrome are easy to clean and look better IMO, polished are lighter but harder to keep clean.

Brakes: good pads, lines, don't waste money on drilled or slotted rotors. Stock blanks stop as well or better with less problems for most people.

Suspension/chassis: shocks/struts, springs, Kmember, upper/lower control arms, poly motor/trans mounts.

Rear end/gears: Either Strange, Billingsly, Driveline Solutions 12 bolt or 9", don't put a dime into the stock ten bolt at all, complete waste of money to do so.

Engine: (a big air pump, make it effective getting air fuel mixture/exhaust in/out and optimizing the performance inbetween.Star with bolt on mods first) exhaust system, cam, heads, ported TB, dynotune it again,

Trans: depending on what kind you have, a converter/clutch/driveshaft.

Research the hell out of all of this stuff online through the vendors at right and see what other people are running and chat with them, see what they would do different, what they like and don't like, make friends online here. Most are nice enough people who will respond to your questions with out being dicks. Research the feedback boards on here about vendors and members, stay away from those with too much if any negative feedback.

Good luck :)

What do you mean by lid? Somebody point me to one.



http://www.slponline.com/view_product.asp?P=21044&BIG=21044-1

Get the first thing I got the lid.

Cheap/Free...Air Lid, K&N filter, smooth bellows, free "ram air" mod, ported MAF mod, remove weight (ex: front pass. seat, back seat, spare tire)


I thought the general feeling around here that doing anything to the MAF, especially porting it, was bad. :confused:

stock maf is good for ~500hp

Best First Mod IMO: GMMG Exhaust... it made my car come to life and it sounds so friggin badass....

After that, lid, then choice of SFC's or LT's + Y.. ( I'm going LT's next )... or do a really smart mod and pay the car off faster... I don't have as many mods as I'd like, but I'm 3 months up on my payments already, and THAT is a good feeling.

If its a auto get a stall, air lid, exhaust, NITROUS.