best and cheapest way to get to 350rwhp?
06-08-2010, 08:48 PM
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best and cheapest way to get to 350rwhp? i have a 1998 trans am automatic and i want to know the best way to get 350 rwhp and i want it to be done as cheap as possible. what is the cheapest way to do this?
06-08-2010, 09:08 PM
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06-08-2010, 10:26 PM
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i'd say if you kept and eye out in the classifieds, and found deals, you could do the lid, ported throttle body, headers, y-pipe, cat back, wires/plugs, and a mail order tune for less than a grand.
06-08-2010, 10:32 PM
#6
if you buy used it can be very cheap i just sold a set of headers for 200 shipped and im about to sell another set uncoated for 100 a Y pipe can be had for 100 and and ls6 intake for 300 shipped maybe 315-325 and a ported tb for 75-125 and a slp lid for 50-100
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
06-09-2010, 09:38 AM
#9
Buying new parts that do not encounter wear is not the best way unless you want to throw money down the toilet...in which case I can send you my paypal 
Search for deals on a lid, ls6 or fast 78 intake, port your stock tb, headers, manual cutout, underdrive crank pulley, and a get a shop to do a dyno tune...do not buy a handheld tuner
Avoid throttle body spacers, anything like a tornado or velocity stack you cram in the intake path, larger MAF sensors, expensive gimick spark plugs, flowmaster catbacks, handheld tuners, shorty headers, expensive fast 90-102mm intakes and throttle bodies (waste of money for the power level you want), and don't expect any liquid you dump into the engine to do anything but lubricate...there are no magic potions for power or a significant boost in octane so those are all just pissing away gas money
With that being said since you have an automatic you will likely see a bigger gain in performance and fun factor by getting a good 3600 stall converter than that whole list
And before you freak out, my stall made no noticeable difference in my fuel mileage and I drive it all the time rain or shine all year long. Even in town if you dont hot rod around the difference is negliable to me...my yank stall is tight enough on flat ground it drives like stock until half throttle or so when it stalls up. On steep hills it will still pull at under 2500rpms. At speeds above 50mph it locks like a stock stall so it bahaves exactly like stock on the highway or interstate.
Search for deals on a lid, ls6 or fast 78 intake, port your stock tb, headers, manual cutout, underdrive crank pulley, and a get a shop to do a dyno tune...do not buy a handheld tuner
Avoid throttle body spacers, anything like a tornado or velocity stack you cram in the intake path, larger MAF sensors, expensive gimick spark plugs, flowmaster catbacks, handheld tuners, shorty headers, expensive fast 90-102mm intakes and throttle bodies (waste of money for the power level you want), and don't expect any liquid you dump into the engine to do anything but lubricate...there are no magic potions for power or a significant boost in octane so those are all just pissing away gas money
With that being said since you have an automatic you will likely see a bigger gain in performance and fun factor by getting a good 3600 stall converter than that whole list
And before you freak out, my stall made no noticeable difference in my fuel mileage and I drive it all the time rain or shine all year long. Even in town if you dont hot rod around the difference is negliable to me...my yank stall is tight enough on flat ground it drives like stock until half throttle or so when it stalls up. On steep hills it will still pull at under 2500rpms. At speeds above 50mph it locks like a stock stall so it bahaves exactly like stock on the highway or interstate.
06-09-2010, 03:07 PM
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if you buy used it can be very cheap i just sold a set of headers for 200 shipped and im about to sell another set uncoated for 100 a Y pipe can be had for 100 and and ls6 intake for 300 shipped maybe 315-325 and a ported tb for 75-125 and a slp lid for 50-100
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
06-09-2010, 03:12 PM
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if you buy used it can be very cheap i just sold a set of headers for 200 shipped and im about to sell another set uncoated for 100 a Y pipe can be had for 100 and and ls6 intake for 300 shipped maybe 315-325 and a ported tb for 75-125 and a slp lid for 50-100
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
06-09-2010, 03:24 PM
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Listen to Thunderstruck he hit it on the head. 350 hp is going to be a gain of about 50 horse and really no "noticeable" gains. Do the intake, exhaust, and then grab yourself a 3500 stall and FEEL the difference 
After that get a mild cam just to add the lope of a badass in there
After that get a mild cam just to add the lope of a badass in there
06-09-2010, 03:36 PM
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Used performance parts are your best bet.
Or ebay headers or turbo kits, i myself am very jealous of a few Friends who ebay turboed their cars with AMAZING results. GTOs have no such option, not even ebay headers haha
Or ebay headers or turbo kits, i myself am very jealous of a few Friends who ebay turboed their cars with AMAZING results. GTOs have no such option, not even ebay headers haha
06-09-2010, 03:51 PM
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if you buy used it can be very cheap i just sold a set of headers for 200 shipped and im about to sell another set uncoated for 100 a Y pipe can be had for 100 and and ls6 intake for 300 shipped maybe 315-325 and a ported tb for 75-125 and a slp lid for 50-100
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
btw dont buy a hypertech tuner waste of money and also dont spin that 98 past 6200 or the rod bolts might stretch
06-10-2010, 12:30 PM
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With that being said since you have an automatic you will likely see a bigger gain in performance and fun factor by getting a good 3600 stall converter than that whole list
And before you freak out, my stall made no noticeable difference in my fuel mileage and I drive it all the time rain or shine all year long. Even in town if you dont hot rod around the difference is negliable to me...my yank stall is tight enough on flat ground it drives like stock until half throttle or so when it stalls up. On steep hills it will still pull at under 2500rpms. At speeds above 50mph it locks like a stock stall so it bahaves exactly like stock on the highway or interstate.
06-13-2010, 06:21 PM
#18
A good budget build; if you happen to find used parts like a used UD pulley the total below will be even less, but this list is an excellent starting point. *Note: Add $100 if you upgrade from Painted Headers to Ceramic Coated. Recommended for humid areas*
This build should be good for strong low 12's and maybe even 11.8's to 11.9's at sea level on a good day.
$200 Underdrive Pulley
$200 Fast Toys Ram Air
$90 Lid
$65 Ported Throttle Body (by one of the sponsers on this site)
$300 LS6 Intake Shipped (classifieds on LS1tech)
$478 Pacesetter Painted Headers Shipped (with spark plugs, plug and play 02 extensions, off road y-pipe and all necessary hardware for install)
$37 Manual Cut out
$125 Mail Order Tune by LS1tech sponser "Frost"
$725 3200-3600 Stall Convertor
$80 Pair of Pick and pull 4th Gen wheels for Drag Radials
$400 Pair of Mickey Thompson or Hoosier Drag Radials
$270 3.73 Ring and Pinion with complete install kit
$2,970 Total
Solid budget build for under $3,000 in my opinion. If any other senior tech members have anything to add let me know.
This build should be good for strong low 12's and maybe even 11.8's to 11.9's at sea level on a good day.
$200 Underdrive Pulley
$200 Fast Toys Ram Air
$90 Lid
$65 Ported Throttle Body (by one of the sponsers on this site)
$300 LS6 Intake Shipped (classifieds on LS1tech)
$478 Pacesetter Painted Headers Shipped (with spark plugs, plug and play 02 extensions, off road y-pipe and all necessary hardware for install)
$37 Manual Cut out
$125 Mail Order Tune by LS1tech sponser "Frost"
$725 3200-3600 Stall Convertor
$80 Pair of Pick and pull 4th Gen wheels for Drag Radials
$400 Pair of Mickey Thompson or Hoosier Drag Radials
$270 3.73 Ring and Pinion with complete install kit
$2,970 Total
Solid budget build for under $3,000 in my opinion. If any other senior tech members have anything to add let me know.
