-Ben-

Alright guys, I am a mustang guy(flame suit on)...but I love and respect all great cars, including GTOs/Trans Ams/Camaros/Vettes - LSx motors in general.

Anywho a buddies mom just bought a 05 GTO with a catback. The car is a 6 speed and she is looking for more mods to the car, simple yet effective. I recommended opening the intake track with a drop in filter or CAI, opinions?
Also I recommended a tune of sorts, how do the hand held tunes do? Worth it or should I talk her into a dyno tune? Any other recommended mods, I doubt she we will go with headers, cause shes trying to keep it simple...and cams or FI is out for sure. So any help will be very useful.

Thanks guys
Ben

radkon

iTrader: (2)

Dyno tune maybe overkill unless she gets a few mods on it. In general they run kind of rich from the factory but you won't pick up more than 5~10 HP if you're lucky.

intake tube/filter or K&N type intake system is a good place to start but gains have been questionable at best.

Headers and a tune are really the first mod most people do and see a nice gain from (20+) Hp easy.

sweetness

simple effective mods would be ( just throwing names out there) volant intake kooks lt's gears shifter underdrive pulleys she is really leaving alot on the table if she does headers and nothing else to compliment it... say a nice cam and fast90. But if she wants to keep it stock then from all those mods + dyno tune she could see maybe35-40 more hp better shifting and faster acceleration (due to gears).

KrautBurner

iTrader: (5)

CAI, Cat Back, LT's, and tune make for an awesome combo

nitrous works well too

-Ben-

alright boys, hows the install on a set of longtubes? could it be done by a pretty amature mechanic and a standard let of tools? I did it on my fox body 5.0 and it was a complete pain in the ***. I am going to suggest it to her for sure, just worried about install.

Thanks
Ben

EllisJuan

iTrader: (1)

I would not call it a simple install but it is not that bad. You have to drop the steering rack because the sterring shaft/knuckle sits between the primaries. The worst parts is connecting and disconecting the power steering lines. Long extensions and crows feet wrenches (16mm & 19mm) make it tollerable. I have done it in about 4 hours with a lift.

04JRB

stubby wrenches for the power steering lines were my freinds. drivers side was a bit of a pain, passenger side was easy. total install on a lift 6 hours, and Im certainly mechanically inclined but not a mechanic by any means. Dynatech has a set of instructions somewhere...

Here: http://www.pfyc.com/supportfiles/dynatechgto.pdf

I know they are for a 2004 but its the same animal. these were the best instructions I found from any header manufacturer. I dont recommend skipping any steps. hind sight is 20/20, LoL!

ExTurbo

SLP's come with pretty decent instructions....but you have to be pretty mechanically inclinded to do a header installation, i know i had to do something like taking off the coil packs on the passenger side to fit the headers in...total time was about 5 hours on a garage floor but that was with 3 people working at the same time

firefly9r68

iTrader: (10)

i would go with a CAI,underdrive pulley, port the TB,do a TB bypass,cat back,and a dyno tune, you will get more out of the dyno tune for the same price! those would be the eaisest one....

but i would do the headers, cat back, CAI,cam, and TB port, and dyno tune if it was my DD....just my $.02

Bluhaven

iTrader: (1)

No need to disconnect the lines from the rack just take the brackets holding the lines in place and that will give you the room you need on the drivers side. Passenger side slides right in from the top.

05_GTO

Well a CIA and LT's are a must. Volant for the CAI and either Kooks or Stainless Works for LT's. A catback would also be good, though you could just have a shop weld in an x-pipe and some new mufflers if she wanted to save some $$$. Then I would also suggest a dyno tune, I wouldn't waste the money on a handheld IMO.

FastPacedGTO

since you said she wants cheap, gut the air box, drop in a k&N, add longtubes, and since you said it already has a catback, those mods should do quite well alone..