92CamaroReallySlow

Ya know alot of people says certain mods are pointless, but alot of these mods are good in the long run...like spark plug wires, they probably dont feel anything on the butt dyno but they are probably better for the engine and in the long run as well...just because you dont feel it get any faster doesnt mean that it isnt better for for our engines...

God of Thunder

my mistakes were:
1. flowmaster (too quiet)
2. descreen MAF (lost mpg)
3. loudmouth (went with headers later)
4. taking a cammed and stalled car to the track on street tires. worst mistake EVER! for anyone that is reading this and has some serious wheel spinning capabilities, get some DR's.

jrp

iTrader: (16)

not with the 10 bolt and the t56. my new setup should make around 450rwhp and with my spec 3 and 10 bolt i dont plan on any kind of hard launches. dont have money for a 12 bolt . besides, 450rwhp + 245/55/r16 eagle GSC's should be fun

cyphur

iTrader: (10)

hahaha thats like trying to ice skate wearing roller blades. its just not going to work out that well should be fun slidin all over the place tho.

convexion

Luckily I haven't really made a mistake yet, but I have run into some difficulty. Before purchasing my Loudmouth, I didn't closely look at the exhaust system the previous owner hooked up. I figured it was factory because it had those ugly rectangular exhaust tips on it. Come to find out he welded in a flowmaster muffler and attached it to one of the hooks so I had to end up getting under there with a skil saw and cut it out. Halfway through I had to switch to a hacksaw because the skil was getting too close to other parts for my own comfort.

chris stiner

my biggest mistake (pre LS1 tech)got 1)jet chip. told its useless after basic mods,2)got kyb 8 way adjustable shocks.bilstein would be better,same price. if i had it to do again i just would have saved for koni's. hope this helps. p.s. i did do search on the kyb agx shocks on the web,,mostly good reviews..don't believe the hype...

Nsty98LS1

iTrader: (11)

so far only mistakes were buying the flowmaster muffler instead of LM and hooking car up on dr's (posi is fried now, i'll save for a rearend instead of wasting money on stock rear)

DrkPhx

iTrader: (15)

I really don't think doing one given mod is really a newbie mistake. I think the biggest and worst newbie mistake is not doing enough research for any given modification. Which leads to second mistake of getting in over one's head, then forced to deal with an unforseen problem. But then again, that is part of the learning process.

As much I hate the search ***** on this board; they do have a valid point. Using the search (it should be called the research button) feature will usually bring up a wealth of information. The LS1 has been around for 7 years now; so if you plan on modding you car; more than likely it has been done before. Which means the problem(s) encountered have been dealt with and fixed by someone else in your situation.

2kta--89formula

iTrader: (2)

I have read this thread and have some questions: I have a stock '00 TA A4 which I would like to start to mod with a couple bolt ons, where would you suggest I start? The car is my daily driver, so things like a stall converter or a 4.10 gear ratio are out of the question. I am basically looking for a little more acceleration. I have seen that everyone does not care for K&N air filters due to the oil, what about Accel Cool Blue air filters? Also, I am seeing a lot of negative posts about the HPP3, is there a better one out there <diablo, etc>? I was thinking of going with the SLP air lid w/the Accel Cool Blue Filter and the Granatelli Diablo tuner for starters. Am I headed in the right direction? I already have a Flowmaster catback which I am happy with performance wise although it is a little on the quiet side.

ChevyGoldfinger

I don't want to get into a debate about the hand held programmers, suffice to say I think they are tantamount to snake oil. Do a search on this site for further discussion. Flowmaster is not what most peeps consider a high flowing exhaust. MagnaFlow has been dyno proven to flow much better. You already have the Flow Bastard, so IMHO you might be wise to get a 3" cutout as your next mod. Proven to give you 15 to 17 RWHP over the stock exhaust. I have a dyno sheet that proves it with my own car. I highly recommend the McCord Power Plate http://www.mccordcg.com/mpp/mpp.htm
for opening and closing your cutout if you decide to get one. Any perfornance exhaust shop worth their salt already knows how to fab up a 3" flange and a piece of stainless pipe. Many are familiar with F-Body cars and know the best place to position them. The great thing about the McCord electronic plates are the convenience of opening & closing your cutout from inside your car in a few seconds. Keith McCord is a great guy who can answer any questions you may have about this.
His email addy is:
kmccord@mccordcg.com
He builds the best electronic opener, and gives by far the best customer service. I speak from experience, I have tried brand X.

As for the air filters, the permanent filters only have one advantage, and that is that you only have to buy them once. However, the paper filters cannot mess up your intake with oil, and do not require messing with cleaning and re-oiling with materials you have to BUY from them. All in all, you don't save much, and if you believe they flow more than paper and make more HP, you are a good candidate for some beachfront property in Arizona. LOL (again, do a search on this site for more info)

Most lids are about the same, although for the "WOW" factor, hard to beat MTI's clear lid or the carbon fiber look. http://www.motorsporttech.com/fbody_air_intake01.asp

Hope this helps you, just my own humble opinion's, but I have made my share of mistakes on purchases, but never fell for the hand held tuner scam.

JEB99TA

iTrader: (32)

ChevyGoldfinger ... wasn't asking you to debate handhelds, nor would I fall in that trap ... just relating my experience and it was great one. How much RWHP/RWTQ did you gain from the cutout's? I couldn't find the dyno you referred to. I have the 3" adjustable Borla with the single cutout ... switch in the ashtray, as well. I'll bet the dual ones really make good power.

ChevyGoldfinger

No problem Jeb99. . . it's all a matter of degree. I know you can do limited things with the hand helds. I just think you could do better with LS1 Edit after you do enough mods to merit doing a tune. About the only thing he might benefit from at this point would be to delete GM's infamous TQ. MGMT.

As for my Dyno sheet, I was referring to the one we did in 2002 when I had a stock exhaust & a 3" cutout. We did 4 pulls. 2 with the cutout closed, 2 with it open. I have that dyno sheet attached. Never did a comparison with my present setup on the dyno with the dual McCords open vs. closed. I will try to remember to do that next time we have it on the dyno for some tuning. The difference in sound between my MagnnFlow exhaust and the open cutouts is amazing to say the least. With that 427 and big cam snarling thru large diameter headers will wake the dead from a mile away.
Cop magnet. Track only, unless out on the open road. Here is that old dyno graph showing the gain (3" cutout vs. stock exhaust)
290 RWHP closed vs. 306 RWHP open.

Zach@Texas-Speed

iTrader: (7)

only mistake ive made...is not goin with enough nitrous

brightgreenZ

I have a 98 z with a 4.10 stock rear what would you recommend for nos a 100 or 150 shot and would be able to handle it I also have a A4 trans.

JEB99TA

iTrader: (32)

I'm goin' with a 100 shot because it will put my 28.8# at about their max 80% load. Once I upgrade to SVO 30#'ers and a walbro in-tank pump, then, I'll probably go straight for the 200 shot ... with a tune. If I had it to do over, I would first do these:

1. Stall converter
2. 100 shot NOS
3. Cutout

... just my personal view if I had it to do it over again. The exhaust was the most expensive lesson learned. I should have taken JRP's advice more. He's been helpful to me.

Joker

My newbie mistakes include even thinking about installing a set of 4:10's in a 10 bolt and taking it to the track, putting in the loudmouth with the slp OFY when a set of headers and true duals is the most effective and best sounding thing I've seen for the money and only cost a little more, and then theres the smooth bellows (waste) and the K&N filter....should've gotten the Holley sooner...

Best first time mods include the TSP lid, headers, LCA's and SFC's. Plant the rear, remove the hop, stiffen the ride and let that sucker breathe......

jrp

iTrader: (16)

man i gotta say this thread blew up

Tiger2o69

iTrader: (16)

Wires on the ls1 are so short it really doesnt make a difference.

zchgla

Another satisfied reader of ls1 tech, I made no mistakes really worth mentioning. The only thing i really learned from my mistakes on is to find a company you like to work with. IMO, no one beats Texas-Speed.

boosted03cobra

i agree what a waste of money