mods that would have little to no effect on gas mileage?
04-26-2006, 06:46 PM
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Hello. Is this a good idea? Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums so I wanted to say hi and, let me know if this is the wrong place for this but I wanted to throw an idea at you guys.
My z28 has 2.73 gears which makes it the slowest F-Body in my group of buddies. At first I figured that would be the first mod. Recently though I've been thinking of just accepting that as a "feature" and maybe looking into some mods that don't decrease gas mileage a whole lot. I was thinking, Full exhaust (of course) and turbo, since it runs off the exhaust I figure it wouldn't decrease the efficiency of the car. I figure a supercharger would lower gas mileage since it's powered by the engine more like an a/c compressor.
I'm looking for your opinions on this idea and maybe some ideas on other mods that would have little to no effect on gas mileage. Also, feel free to tell me if you think this is the dumbest idea ever, I'd just appreciate it if you explain why too.
My z28 has 2.73 gears which makes it the slowest F-Body in my group of buddies. At first I figured that would be the first mod. Recently though I've been thinking of just accepting that as a "feature" and maybe looking into some mods that don't decrease gas mileage a whole lot. I was thinking, Full exhaust (of course) and turbo, since it runs off the exhaust I figure it wouldn't decrease the efficiency of the car. I figure a supercharger would lower gas mileage since it's powered by the engine more like an a/c compressor.
I'm looking for your opinions on this idea and maybe some ideas on other mods that would have little to no effect on gas mileage. Also, feel free to tell me if you think this is the dumbest idea ever, I'd just appreciate it if you explain why too.
04-26-2006, 08:54 PM
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The 2.73 may give you lower end acceleration but will give you a higher end top speed. Get a lid about 100-120 bucks, adds 10 hp about. Get a cut out, that will bypass the muffler and get you 2-15 hp depending on how restrictive your muffler is. Get better tires to help with your launch so you dont spin and can get moving quicker. None of those will negatively effect your gas mileage. If you get a better TC (torque converter) that will change the when the car shifts when in the higher powerband and that will make you faster, but it will lower your fuel economy. For a good write up read jaberwaki's So you want to be fast?
04-26-2006, 09:30 PM
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Hey, welcome to the site 
Swapping rear gears is definitely a good mod, but if you're worried about fuel mileage, don't go with a turbo. Sure, it will make lots of power, but the fact of the matter is it will indirectly decrease fuel economy. So although it may not rob power like the drag from a supercharger would, it still forces more air into the engine under boost, and more air means more fuel.
Most people don't jump to turbos right away, its usually something you get after you've got full bolt ons yet still crave more power. I'd say get 3.73 gears, a high stall torque converter, a shift kit, full exhaust (Borla is one of the best), headers, bigger TB, Ram Air/Cold Air Intake, and possible a tune.
If you still want more power after all that, then go turbo, but I seriously doubt you will
Swapping rear gears is definitely a good mod, but if you're worried about fuel mileage, don't go with a turbo. Sure, it will make lots of power, but the fact of the matter is it will indirectly decrease fuel economy. So although it may not rob power like the drag from a supercharger would, it still forces more air into the engine under boost, and more air means more fuel.
Most people don't jump to turbos right away, its usually something you get after you've got full bolt ons yet still crave more power. I'd say get 3.73 gears, a high stall torque converter, a shift kit, full exhaust (Borla is one of the best), headers, bigger TB, Ram Air/Cold Air Intake, and possible a tune.
If you still want more power after all that, then go turbo, but I seriously doubt you will
04-26-2006, 09:43 PM
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long tubes, if you want true duals i'd get an ORX pipe with good flowing mufflers, or a nice catless y pipe for a regular setup. also a lid, an ls6 intake for 98-00 cars, an underdrive pulley (helps with gas mileage and adds HP) and you may consider 150 shot of nitrous as another option, you will run fast, but only when you want and it won't have the constant beating on your engine like a turbo will. something to consider.
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04-27-2006, 02:29 PM
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Welcome,
Intake and Exhaust upgrades don't hurt gas mileage at all. They might even help it. Since they give you more horsies per dollar, most people start there anyway. Other mods will suffer without good intake and exhaust first.
Turbochargers and Supercharges both use power. Superchargers make the crank work harder to spin. Turbochargers make the engine work harder to push the exhaust out. Sorry, energy is never free.
Any weight reduction will help mileage, acceleration, and handling.
Engine balancing and part coating will help mileage and power, but these are more expensive.
Intake and Exhaust upgrades don't hurt gas mileage at all. They might even help it. Since they give you more horsies per dollar, most people start there anyway. Other mods will suffer without good intake and exhaust first.
Turbochargers and Supercharges both use power. Superchargers make the crank work harder to spin. Turbochargers make the engine work harder to push the exhaust out. Sorry, energy is never free.
Any weight reduction will help mileage, acceleration, and handling.
Engine balancing and part coating will help mileage and power, but these are more expensive.
04-27-2006, 02:37 PM
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going from 2.73 to 3.73 you will probably see a decrease in roughly 2mpg, and with a Torque converter a little more. I would of course start on full bolt ons, as you will not only notice an increase in power but you'll get the sound to. You might consider a Cam down the road but again you might lose a couple MPG's depending on the cam and your setup.
Welcome to the boards.
Welcome to the boards.
04-27-2006, 03:49 PM
#13
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As some others already stated...
Intake and Exhaust work.
Longtube headers, Y-pipe/cat-back or duals, underdrive pulley, LS6 intake, ported throttle body....get it tuned and you should be capable of equal or better gas mileage. Problem is when people do exhaust mods they tend to use the pedal on the right a little bit more, thus using more gas as side effect.
It will affect your gas mileage in town, not on the highway, but the single most important performance modification you can get for an auto is a torque converter. Get at least a 3,000 stall speed converter along with a shift kit and transmission cooler. They typically drop a half second from your ET. With the converter I would also get a transmission temp gauge, subframe connectors, and drag radials.
Intake and Exhaust work.
Longtube headers, Y-pipe/cat-back or duals, underdrive pulley, LS6 intake, ported throttle body....get it tuned and you should be capable of equal or better gas mileage. Problem is when people do exhaust mods they tend to use the pedal on the right a little bit more, thus using more gas as side effect.
It will affect your gas mileage in town, not on the highway, but the single most important performance modification you can get for an auto is a torque converter. Get at least a 3,000 stall speed converter along with a shift kit and transmission cooler. They typically drop a half second from your ET. With the converter I would also get a transmission temp gauge, subframe connectors, and drag radials.
