NDFORSPD

My mod experience has been fairly unsatisfactory myself, being that this site is for the avid enthusiast/modder, I will underline that the modding I am talking about is on my GTP!

I got the car stock at around 55k mi and first started with a panel filter(K+N) and felt a bit of pep, so i figured alright lets keep it DDable, and able to cope with good amounts of snow(which it did even when modded). Anyways within a years span, I spent over 2500 in exhaust, intake, plugs, tuning, Pulleys, puller and a new set of kybs with stock springs(peanuts really to what you guys spend, but its a V6! , modding might be a total diff ballgame with the LS1). Anyways i drove the car for a while, without too much issue. Then last Mar. my tranny blew the 4th gear, the car became very hard to diagnose any problem, and little issues came up here and there. The biggest issue I had, wasn't the small problems coming up here and there(its a decent car, and still dependable) but small things like the exhaust booming at 1500-2000 rpm, the tranny shifting as if it was gonna give you whip-lash and the feeling that something was wrong with the car all the time. i did research all the mods and the proper order to do them in etc. but its like getting a tattoo, the first leads to more and more!

Well, i have demodded the entire thing(lol the pulley puller totally f'ed up the end of the snout, but thats this weeks problem !) and now i appreciate the car a lot more, nice and smooth, quiet at any speed and overall a better driving experience. For the last few weeks, people kept on askin me "if there was something wrong with my car?", which peeves me off like nothing else. What i did like was that the mods were fairly easy to sell and maybe lost 40% which isnt bad, and it was fun while i did it. But This has kind of put a bad taste in my mouth for doing anything to the TA(aside from the K+N panel filter!), for me, the TA from stock is acceptable in EVERY way from the factory. i would like a lil more power(who doesn't?!!) but from here on out, I personally am going to keep cars, boats, bikes etc stock like a rock.

MARKSZ71

iTrader: (3)

i had a 02 SS with a lid and exhaust i loved that car,i sold it and bought a cheaper 01 and a daily driver,now i have a low 11sec car and a truck i can drive everyday.The camaro has seen a lot of downtime over the years it takes time for upgrades from broken parts

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

its never cheap or easy meeting your mod and power goals.


sometimes you never get there.

Asmodeus

I feel you. I bought some ported LS6 heads from Patriot, a custom cam from Thunder Racing.. as well as several other parts here and there.. I'm collecting all of them waiting to do one big transformation. I've been having second thoughts.. maybe just leaving the car as a full bolt on, with stock internals.. and maybe spending a little bit of cash to make it lighter, and selling the parts I have, maybe going with a small cam. (I'm not worried about emissions, it's registered in an area w/o smog tests.). I'm honestly 50/50 with myself on this.

corvet786c

iTrader: (6)

I know what you are saying. Ever since the LS1's came out in 1998, This is my 3rd LS1. I had a red 1999 WS6 A4, 2002 Blk A4 WS6 and 2000 Red Regular T/A and spent thousands on Mods and fixing things over and over again. To me, I've learned from my mistakes too, I love the LS1 and to get it right performance wise is worth it. Where can you go and get a $10,000-$15,000 car and be as fast as a corvette?

I cant go back and drive anything else, other than an LS1.

2000LS1Z28

Sorry to revive this thread from last month, but great post! Bottom line though...I think it's all in what YOU want out of your car.

For a daily-driver (or car that is driven almost every day), you simply can't beat the drivability and reliability of one with just the basic bolt-ons (lid, ram air, pulley, ported TB, full exhaust, gears, etc.). That's the great thing about bolt-ons...They noticeably improve performance, yet still allow you to retain that completely stock feel so many of us want to keep.

But when you start modding the car heavily (i.e. going into the engine for a cam or heads/cam swap, forced induction, NOS, & bigger cube motors), that's when drivability/reliability can really start to be compromised at many different levels. And this has a direct effect on other parts related to the car too, such as trans, rear-ends, clutches, etc. Before you know it, you've spent thousands (it's sick the amount of money that can be wasted on a car), given up valuable amounts of time, had to wait out a lot of downtime, and encountered a lot of uncessary frustration that has killed your enjoyment for your ride.

Knowing all of this though, that's why it's important to decide what you want out of your car like Ryan (RPM WS6) said. Is it just going to be a daily-driver? Do you only want to make it a nice weather show quality-type car? Or are you looking for more of a drag racer? Sure, you can make it a mixture of a couple (or blend it into all three of those), but at the expense of what is the real question??

Anyway, even though mine is just a nice weather only car, I still have no plans to go beyond bolt-on level (with possibly the exception of a small cam someday). Simply not interested in the high cost, eventual repairs, and loss of drivability associated with modifying it beyond what's practical to me knowing what I want out of the car...

Mike

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

^^^^^

Hi Mike! Glad to see you're still around the board. Haven't see you post in a long time. Hope you and your car are doing well.

Any time I read about someone questioning whether they should mod heavily or not, I always try to point them to this thread for some experianced insight and direction. Modding can either be a great expericance or it can become a nightmare. All depends on your goals, circumstances, and expectations.

All_out_06

you'll love that YFZ!!!! i have one and have a bunch done to it....fun fun good write up

super_fro_daddy

iTrader: (29)

I was in a similar boat over the winter. I think the internet/TV/magazines lead you to believe that you HAVE to modify everything on your car when in reality its not really necessary to go that far. I just recently had a discussion with my younger brother about it would be kind of cool to have an LS powered car with all the usual goodies except for exhaust and anything that makes it louder.

Richard@WCCH

iTrader: (3)

Glad to see Mike finally got what he wanted. I missed this thread when it was originally posted.
I also have the only CNC program for the YZF450 heads.........

Good luck.

Richard

Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

You forgot another lesson:

6) Don't race and abuse your daily driver. Buy a beater or reliable 2nd form of transportation. Nothing like busting a rear axle on Friday when you have to be at work on Monday

02silvaZ

iTrader: (12)

yes i too understand this, i am currently contemplating my LT and 3" ORY removal and going back with manifolds, cats and y-pipe from stock, i am sick of the banging pipe under the car and the rasp of having no cats

Rob98LS1

iTrader: (5)

as with me, when I get my car back, its going back to 100% smog legal, I'm tired of getting around it for nothing but headache.

NovaTodd

AMEN


Or send the dam liberals back to NY with Hillery & Wild Bill

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

I had all sorts of issues with LTs on my last two cars. On this one the most I'm thinking of is a cutout. Cheap and easy. Sure the gain isn't as much but really, theres other ways to make power.

DCsLS1

wow old thread... but since its new again just wanted to say the op just had some straight up bad luck i dont understand how after the cam and everything he only made 350 hp i made 330 with just a lid and cat back

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

tune?

the jester 812

iTrader: (5)

my car only made 363 with a 224 cam 243's, LT's, and lid, tuned on a dyno. a buddies car although it is an a4, with my old 224 cam and LT's just made 335rwhp, tuned on a dyno.

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

old thread but yes i agree, sometimes it is just bad luck. my car runs fine stock all year around, gets looks/compliments and I still get to have fun in its stock form but I 've had issues other fbodies or other cars didn't have at such low mileage.

I don't trust my car outside my city limits (basically from where I can easily be towed home to, while other friends have home grown foxbodies that travel the maps).

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

old stuff but still true.