What to do first?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 9
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From: Wickliffe, Ohio
What to do first? I am new to the LS scene, and want to know what are the first few things I can do to improve the performance of the car. I have a limited budget so, where do I start tweaking?
And as a rule of thumb when asking, it is best to include the car, year model, and what is already done because those impact decisions a lot.
If it's an automatic, a higher stall torque converter should be a priority. If it's a pre-01, a ls6 intake would also be up there.
If it's an automatic, a higher stall torque converter should be a priority. If it's a pre-01, a ls6 intake would also be up there.
Lid
headers/exhaust
stall
sticky tire (555r would be good)
tune
Would make for a very healthy ride. If short on funds, I would pool all the money into a quality 3600 converter (even a good used Yank, Circle D, Vig, etc) and put better tires on after the current ones are burnt to a crisp from the new awesomeness.
headers/exhaust
stall
sticky tire (555r would be good)
tune
Would make for a very healthy ride. If short on funds, I would pool all the money into a quality 3600 converter (even a good used Yank, Circle D, Vig, etc) and put better tires on after the current ones are burnt to a crisp from the new awesomeness.
Is this your daily driver/street duty only, street/strip car, mostly drag etc.?This will also help on advice. I agree with Thunderstruck. You already have the LS6 intake, stall is next bang for buck mod.(3200-3600 for street/strip).
Then LT headers, P&P TB, suspension mods, etc.
See...we need more info and budget.
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A tune with just a lid and headers?
Seems like a waste of $400 to me. Wouldn't you wanna wait for the tune after HCI? I was planning to probably do a lid.. eventually.. but I wasn't gonna bother with a tune till I get a new engine or something.
I agree tho.. with one exception. Do a tune up THEN do lid/exhaust.
Oil change, plugs, wires, clean the TB, IAC, MAF, new fuel filter new oil filter new air filter, check the brakes.
I have a feeling this is a DD for you?
Ls engines can get a really gunked up TB over the years because of the EGR.
Seems like a waste of $400 to me. Wouldn't you wanna wait for the tune after HCI? I was planning to probably do a lid.. eventually.. but I wasn't gonna bother with a tune till I get a new engine or something.
I agree tho.. with one exception. Do a tune up THEN do lid/exhaust.
Oil change, plugs, wires, clean the TB, IAC, MAF, new fuel filter new oil filter new air filter, check the brakes.
I have a feeling this is a DD for you?
Ls engines can get a really gunked up TB over the years because of the EGR.
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Verdad Gallardo In my opinion, don't do a sticky tire til you get a rear in it. If you are spinning, most of the time you ain't breaking. Just to give you an idea, my car is a 99 with Borla cat back, lid, and a 3500 stall. On street tires I have been 12.6 and 8.0 1/4 and 1/8. If you stall it DO A TRANS COOLER! it is an absolute must. Especially on a daily driver. If you do long tubes and a stall, most of the time a mail order tune from frost is a good way to have a "temporary" tune but if you go any farther, like heads and cam for example get ut dyno/street tuned. The good thing is that these cars react well to relatively small modification. Cat back and a lid is a great starting point.
In my opinion, don't do a sticky tire til you get a rear in it. If you are spinning, most of the time you ain't breaking. Just to give you an idea, my car is a 99 with Borla cat back, lid, and a 3500 stall. On street tires I have been 12.6 and 8.0 1/4 and 1/8. If you stall it DO A TRANS COOLER! it is an absolute must. Especially on a daily driver. If you do long tubes and a stall, most of the time a mail order tune from frost is a good way to have a "temporary" tune but if you go any farther, like heads and cam for example get ut dyno/street tuned. The good thing is that these cars react well to relatively small modification. Cat back and a lid is a great starting point.
For a bolt on car I would get a mail order from Frost though. Headers without a tune is throwing away about half the HP gain they give you.
Any shop charging $400 for a bolt on car tune is raping people IMO. Most shops will do a discount for bolt on easy to tune cars.
For a bolt on car I would get a mail order from Frost though. Headers without a tune is throwing away about half the HP gain they give you.
For a bolt on car I would get a mail order from Frost though. Headers without a tune is throwing away about half the HP gain they give you.
I guess if you don't plan to do those things, or you're unsure if you plan to, that does make more sense. I hadn't thought of it that way.