LS4 Performance Grand Prix GXP | Monte Carlo SS | Impala SS | LaCrosse Super

Budget Mods

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 12:44 PM
  #1  
SleeperGXP's Avatar
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: 870 ARKANSAS
Default Budget Mods

What mods can I do with little to no cost? Does a muffler delete really make a difference? And if so how far back do you reccomend to cut it?
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 01:53 PM
  #2  
baltsk8er69's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
From: Abingdon,MD
Default

Search airbox mod...port your throttle body...port your intake manifold...buy a turbo. Ok only 3 of those are budget mods. Are you tuned yet? What do u have done now?
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 01:56 PM
  #3  
blkchevyz's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,101
Likes: 0
Default

i felt a difference with the muffler delete. but i didnt like the sound at all... i thought it sounded too much like a truck with glasspacks on it. so i ended up just cutting it off at the y-pipe and using a single in to dual out 1 chamber muffler and then made new tail pipes.


might take your air box and open up the intake to it. if i remember its like a 2 inch opening for air to get in.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 02:13 PM
  #4  
SleeperGXP's Avatar
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: 870 ARKANSAS
Default

I'm bone stock now she's getting a built tranny and a shift kit next week plan for hp tuner tune and k&n cai
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 02:27 PM
  #5  
baltsk8er69's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
From: Abingdon,MD
Default

I got vince to do a trifecta tune....best money I've ever spent. He gets no respect on this forum but he's a gm master. Data logs and retunes for future mods are free. Ill give you my mods and tell you how they were... Tune $375....night and day difference.
Catlless Downpipe and u bend delete. $200 almost as much difference as tune. Cold air intake 200 and exhaust ???? Almost no difference. I don't have an aftermarket intake manifold but it supposedly will make a large difference for around 600-800 depending on how you piece it together. If your if you don't plan on spending thousands on a cam swap I would go to 1.8 roller rockers for around 400 bucks your looking at around 15-25hp depending on supporting mods. And if your ballin shotcalling go straight for the turbo. Cartuning with intercooler and meth injection. Your already going the right route with the trans upgrades. Also you can port and polish the stick heads with better valves and springs. They can also be decked to raise the compression. Davidgxp knows more about that. He has around a million dollars into his car lol. Sorry for rambling, not a lot of free mods but these are the ones that make a difference. I would skip the muffler delete. It's way to loud in a bad way. The biggest bottleneck in the exhaust is the Downpipe mouth which necks to under 2 inches. So unless you replace the Downpipe and u bend your not gonna get any bigger power gains. So hopefully that will get you started. And if you need vinces info its trifecta tuning they work with wot tuning.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 02:52 PM
  #6  
SleeperGXP's Avatar
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: 870 ARKANSAS
Default

Thanks man what's that tune u were talking about like how do I get it on my car ( I know I sound dumb but I grew up building dirt bikes not cars) how much better would it be then this shop here tuning it with hp tuners they were telling me around 40+ hp gains and 5-6 mpg's for $250 I know quite a few guys with 5.3 trucks that run awesome with this tune and all our sheriffs trucks are tuned by them also.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 02:58 PM
  #7  
baltsk8er69's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
From: Abingdon,MD
Default

You call vince tell him your mods and plans. He tailors a tune and sends you a cable and an emailed tune. You will need a pc. You load the tune into car via the cable he mails you. You select data log and drive around for a few minutes with some hard pulls. Email him the log. He tweaks it...and you do that til the tune is perfect. That 40 hp and 5-6 mpgs is total bs. The stock tune isn't that bad in these cars. It's the shift points that will make the bigger difference. It's around $300 but, if you ever change manifolds or change anything the retune is free. That shop will keep charging you. His customer service is phenomenal.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 03:59 PM
  #8  
Jay z28's Avatar
On The Tree
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Utah
Default

Sell and buy a LT1.



Hahaha, all joking aside. I did a custom cat-back with Magnaflow mufflers and I put down 254HP to the wheels. That was my only mod. Good luck.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-3

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-7

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0

 Brett Foote
story-9

10 Reasons the LS7 Is GM's Most Extreme Naturally Aspirated V8 Engine Ever

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 06:19 PM
  #9  
1CL3ANSUP3RSPORT's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (23)
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,349
Likes: 4
From: Inland Empire
Default

Start searching thru the classifieds for use part's,or save up for what you want
I was once told "its not cheep to go fast,but fast to go broke"
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 06:36 PM
  #10  
baltsk8er69's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
From: Abingdon,MD
Default

I once read....you can get a good look at a tbone by sticking your head up a butchers ***, but wouldn't you rather take the cows word for it? Wait....nevermind yeah thats it.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 09:22 PM
  #11  
91parkave's Avatar
Moderator
15 Year Member
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 9
From: Arizona
Default

I just got done emailing the wot tuning guys just a word of advice though they lock the pcms out unless u wana go back to stock. So be wanred before u buy
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 10:10 PM
  #12  
baltsk8er69's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
From: Abingdon,MD
Default

Vince through trifecta performance does not lock the pcm. But if you broker through wot tuning they do. Go to trifecta web site and email vince directly. He responds quickly to email. And that's not always a bad thing anyway. You just have to go back to them to make changes. And I don't want multiple tuners adjusting setups, ill stick to one at time.
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2012 | 11:24 PM
  #13  
LS1 Racing's Avatar
TECH Addict
20 Year Member
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,419
Likes: 6
From: 78°14′46″N 15°27′56″E
Default

Originally Posted by jay z28
sell and buy a lt1.



hahaha, all joking aside. I did a custom cat-back with magnaflow mufflers and i put down 254hp to the wheels. That was my only mod. Good luck.
lt1<ls1
Reply
Old Aug 10, 2012 | 01:28 AM
  #14  
1CL3ANSUP3RSPORT's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (23)
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,349
Likes: 4
From: Inland Empire
Talking


Originally Posted by baltsk8er69
I once read....you can get a good look at a tbone by sticking your head up a butchers ***, but wouldn't you rather take the cows word for it? Wait....nevermind yeah thats it.
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:07 AM.

story-0
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-3
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-4
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-5
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE
story-8
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0

The world was a better place when it was still around.

By Brett Foote | 2026-01-23 09:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Reasons the LS7 Is GM's Most Extreme Naturally Aspirated V8 Engine Ever

Slideshow: The 7.0-liter LS7 was designed for absolute cutting-edge performance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-07 18:36:00


VIEW MORE