FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Hey all,

Long-time forum lurker here. Hoping for some sound advice, given the ridiculous amount of experience that you guys have collectively accrued.

The situation: I have a 2006 CTS-V with 14,000 miles. It's my daily driver, and I'd like to make upgrading this thing my spring project. I have no experience modifying cars (I've rotated tires, installed an iPod kit, etc), but I'm an unusually intelligent electrical engineer with a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together. Point is, I've budgeted $2k to upgrade this car, with provisions to raise that to $5k if I see a point to doing so. I've done about 10 hours of research this past weekend, and would welcome your suggestions. Couple of things:

1. Performance is key. I'm focused on the best price/performance (or price per unit driveability) upgrades. If the car looks or sounds better, bonus--but that's not what I'm here for.
   
2. I'll buy whatever tools I need, and I'm patient. But I have to be able to complete each modification in a weekend (20-24 hours working time)--I rely on this car to get me to work on Monday morning.
   
3. A completely legitimate answer to this post is, "don't waste your money." If I have to drop $5k+ in order to really see results, then I'll just put that money toward a 2012 CTS-V coupe.

That said, here are the problems with the CTS-V that I've identified so far:

1. The shifter / clutch / flywheel on this car are terrible. The clutchplate / flywheel are at least 20 pounds overweight.
   
2. The intake / exhaust system is too restrictive. Sounds like you can get an additional 40 WHP between new CAI and headers alone.
   
3. The car is too high off the ground, the wheels are small, and they used that unusual 6-bolt hub design.

And some of my potential upgrades, in order of importance:

1. Short-throw shifter--UUC or Katech. Roughly $300. No power gains, but big drivability bonus.
   
2. K&N Cold Air Intake. Roughly $225. 17 WHP gain with an easy 90-minute installation.
   
3. LS7 or aftermarket (Spec Level 4?) clutch / flywheel kit. Never played with a transmission before, so I don't know what exactly I'll need. Could use a lot of help here. Sounds like I could trim up to 28 pounds off the transmission's rotating mass. Inertia = 1/2 m r^2, so this should make the car feel quite a bit more responsive.
   
4. Different springs to knock height down by about 1.2 inches. Not sure if I need to get new shocks too.
   
5. Bigger / lighter wheels. I really like the Breyton GTS-R or GTSR-M ($420 each), which are incompatible with the CTS-V's stock hubs. Are there adapter plates and how much do they cost? Is the speedometer reprogrammable, or am I looking at maintaining outside wheel diameter by purchasing low-profile tires?

Couple of final questions:

1. Does anyone know the stock (unmodified) WHP output of a 2004-2007 CTS-V versus the output in various states of modification?
   
2. How hard is it to replace a clutch / flywheel? What kind of tools am I looking at buying?
   
3. Are new headers really that valuable? For $1000 (Kooks with X-Pipe), it sounds like you might get an extra 15 WHP. It really only seems useful if you supercharge the engine, because then your flow-rates are going to explode.
   
4. If I buy new wheels, do I need to purchase additional pressure sensors?
   
5. Assuming that I knocked an inch off the CTS-V's ride height, what's the largest diameter tires that you think I could fit without rubbing?

Thanks very much for your time. I'll be happy to post pictures / videos of my progress later this spring. I have a couple of other, interesting electrical modifications that I'll be making to this car with my own dedicated microcontroller that ties into several systems--but that'll come after the hard stuff is done. If you see it and like it, I may be willing to build additional copies at a small profit.

liqidvenom

iTrader: (2)

welcome. i have answers to some questions but what is the benchmark you are looking to compete with to consider your modding a success. do you want close to x whp? be able to run x time? etc?

I will say this though. the shifter needs to be replaced, but you could just replace the bushing and see a big result. I have the Pisinuoff shifter which i like.
Also that clutch, flywheel is a giant turd in this car. I would say if you are going to replace it stay away from the spec. I had an issue with a stage 3+ which i wont ever do again.
My car put down about 330-ish hp/tq
you can replace the trans in a day. you would need basic hand tools with a good bit of extensions. Also another set of hands wont hurt.
OBX makes a set of headers which people have been liking and those go for about 500 bucks if i recall.
You might be able to reuse your sensors depending on what type of wheels you buy and i am lowered and run 245 up front and 275 out back... if i recall my rears are 40 not 45 that is stock.


hopefully someone can add the links for the how to's for the various installs since i have to grab some dinner. if not i can toss them up for you.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for your quick response. Sorry about the total information overload up there--I have more questions that I'm sure most of you have time. Anyway, I don't have a particular goal, other than "have more fun." I get a kick out of honing my driving skills, and I'm beginning to reach the cornering limitations of this car.

Can't find the one you mentioned. Would you mind explaining the part about the bushings? Where might I find them, and what are you trying to accomplish with new bushings? Less wheel hop or shifter slop?

I assume that if I replace the flywheel, I might as well hit the clutch too. Have any recommendations, if the Spec Stage 3+ did so poorly?

I've got two or three tutorials saved, including a PDF that details the installation of a LS7 clutch. The low engagement range for that particular installation worries me, plus, why go with a GM design again if the LS2 clutch was so crappy?

whisler151

Wow, that's a lot to read.

1. Replace the clutch. I recommend the Monster level 2: http://www.monsterclutches.com/gm.html

2. Replace the shifter: I recommend the Pisnuoff shifter: http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...g-process.html

3. Lowering springs. This will make the V handle well and look a lot better. Look for Eibach or H&R springs and MM spacers: PM Nels http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...m-spacers.html

4. Intake and exhaust: I went with K&N intake, Magnaflow cat back and Kooks headers. Yeah, you can get less expensive headers, but Kooks is proven. Once all installed with tune you are looking at 40rwhp. Kooks headers are the best single mod i've done to my V in my more than 4 years of ownership.

5. I'm lowered with Eibach and Nels spacers. I run 245/40 18 front and 275/35 18 rear Nitto Invos. No issues at all.

6. Dont forget to get axles! I recommend Gforce. He is a site sponsor and also makes the 9" rear for the V. http://www.shop.gforce1320.com/categ...?categoryId=11

I have several videos of my V in different stages pre and post cam. www.youtube.com/whisler151

liqidvenom

iTrader: (2)

cool then i think you will enjoy the path to finding limitations of the vehicle... and then modding the car to go further.

from one engineer to another i will pass on what i think is the greatest V thread i have ever read. enjoy. http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...05-v-less.html
he explains in there basically everything he has done to go from a soft squishy car to a proper sports sedan. some of it might be a bit extreme but either way enjoy the read.

well your main goal would be to get rid of the dual mass flywheel. i went the route with a twin disk clutch from exedy. while its a bit expensive its the best clutch i have driven in a v, aside from the twin disk in the 09 V. it gets rid of any of the binding, chattering or bucking some other clutches have.

in this thread you will see tons of info about most aspects of the car and the first link in the trans section you will see a good thread on how to pull out the trans. there might be other links in there to other clutch talks as well.
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...questions.html

but if you have questions we are here to help. just do what you want with the car, be unique if you wish. dont let other people tell you something is too hard or doesnt work. new ideas are what keep a platform alive.

whisler151

Ahhhh...back in the day when a jacked up '05 V went for $20k. If that V were for sale now it would go for $10k on a good day.

On a side note, do you not capitalize or place proper punctuation for a reason? Are you lazy because you feel this is the "Internet" and not real life? In my line of work (computer forensics) the way someone posts on line or the activity they engage in on their computer behind closed doors, tells a lot about who they really are. The engineers I have hired are all perfectionists. Posting grammatically like you do would drive them crazy. I guess math is your strong suit and not English.

liqidvenom

iTrader: (2)

I actually posted from my phone, then sent it to my pc to upload ( since my phone was treating the links funny). So I had a hard time finding the links, reading the content, eating dinner and also keeping my wife company. My two thumbs were only able to do so much.

Also I am an Automotive Engineer, more so a Power train Engineer lately. My strong suit lies far from grammar. I am not in marketing or some other bs suit wearing field.

Most likely the engineers you work with would not have enjoyed validating engineering issues or putting miles on preproduction vehicles.

But in all honestly typing on the internet properly isnt high on my priorities for my day. I am serious for a large part of my day and I go online to relax.

I am sorry to have offended you.

ColeGraham

iTrader: (8)

My answer in red...and one other thing to look into is upgrading the MotorMounts since the stock ones are even biggers piles of crap then the clutch. Also, new Trans Mount, Shift and Diff bushing wouldnt be a bad idea. For those you can use UUC or Creative Steel. But there are solid mounts on the market now, and more coming out soon.

and welcome

idrvarocco

iTrader: (2)

Is this dude serious? Why waste your breath with a reponse like this?

aurora40

iTrader: (1)

It doesn't sound like the exhaust is particularly restrictive, save for the cats and obviously the exhaust manifolds aren't as good as actual headers.

The 17hp gain from the K&N seems highly dubious. I did some datalogging of my car in a different thread, and the pressure drop is not that large with the stock setup. There's not 17hp worth of room in there.

You may also want to include some kind of anti-hop axle solution or something for the rear end.

liqidvenom

iTrader: (2)

he is right on all 3 counts. the exhaust is one of the best i have seen on a mass produced car of its time. it can be better but really its not whats holding you back.

1BADCTS

iTrader: (17)

I have a Monster stage 3 right now and I hate it... hate, hate, hate it...




But with the budget you mentioned you could always buy my Maggie and have plenty of change left over... it's like bolting on a smile...

liqidvenom

iTrader: (2)

yeah some people have had hit or miss with their monster clutches.... my excedy works like a dream.

SVT F15O

How much for the supercharger>???

Blakt Out

How much for the maggie? Picked up my V yesterday. Stoked. It's bone stock. Clean canvas. I'm in "info soak up" mode.

greddy91

iTrader: (2)

Here's me in all to do over again mode:

B&M
BMR AWH Bushings (no bar needed)
Ipod Kit
LPI CAI (trim out the rubber boot of the factory airbox)
Figure out how far you're going - power adder? Cam? - if not get a diablo - if so - get an hptuner
Use tuner to kill the cags and disable the back o2 sensors
Replace the cats with a test pipe
leave the factory manifolds
leave the bone stock ehaust system
Replace motor mounts at the same time the cats are being removed
Install Monster Stage 2 or 3 with LW Flywheel
Replace the diff bushing

If not using a power adder:
Gforce Axle
Hugest cam ever known to man
Pick your weld-in mufflers (Bassani)

If choosing a power adder:
Pick your weld-in mufflers (Bassani)
Maggie kit - with 90MM TB
Upgrade the maggie with a front mount hex
Blower Cam with goodies
Sell off functional diff and axles to poor bastard that can't keep his foot off the gas (me)
Purchase an 8.8" or 9" solution for the rear


Then - Drive it as though it were stolen until the 2nd gen gets down to the $30K range

I probably missed something here... but seems pretty on-track for hindsight.

1BADCTS

iTrader: (17)

I have one other member who asked me first and is trying to put together funds... but I'm asking $3k for the whole kit. I'll post it up if the deal falls through.

tommycompton

iTrader: (1)

If you get a maggie you can be in "heat soak up" mode.

SVT F15O

Shoot me a PM if it fall through.