what works? need hp/tq!

[kdm212]

ok first of all im pumped that it only took like a week to get activated on here! not complaining lol. but anywho im here and thats all that matters. onto the questions.

ok i have a 2002 3.8 v6 5 speed 73xxx miles. 200hp and 225tq. same as any other stock 3.8 camaro out there. how much hp and tq are REALLY getting to the rear wheels? i was kinda wanting to change out the engine but then decided that was a lot of work. i then thought about the supercharging method. also a lot of work. so with all that being said i was wondering where i can get the most power without doing either of the previous ideas. from the cat back should i go with 2.5 inch or 3 inch? k&n intake really make that much of a difference? aftermarket chip/computer? after doing these things what should i see in hp/tq increases?

any thoughts ideas? im all ears, well eyes!

glad to be on with you guys!!!

:rock:

[cam98aro]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

you should be getting between 160-180hp at the rear wheels

personally i would stick with a 2.5" exhaust, the 3" is a bit overkill IMO

exhaust, intake, and a chip would probably give you 10-15 more hp at the rear wheels.. at least thats my guess

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

welcome aboard! i have a '02 3800 m5 with nearly identical miles, so i can definitely attest to how it should respond to mods. stock, you should be putting down roughly 165 on the wheels, give or take, so figure about a 17-18% loss from the crank. if you're running bone stock, invest in the basics and work up from there---a short-throw shifter, whisper lid, k&n, slp cai, hi-flow cat, and a good catback. work your way up to headers and full exhaust, then some suspension and rear end work, and always be aware of your necessary supporting mods. tuning is key to take full advantage of your mods (i'm about to get mine dynotuned this summer) and around this forum you'll find the guys are definitely "hp tuners or nothing". also, make goals for what you want out of your car and stick to them---you'll never get anywhere if you just want bang-for-your-buck mods and don't research. i've been working on mine for years and just now have her up to full exhaust/intake, nearly complete suspension, and bolt-ons/appearance---so be patient and dont rush into mods you'll be in over your head with.

use that search feature and sift through the infinite amount of threads here to get an idea of what works and what doesnt, and post up some pics!

[Blizzard242]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

Now for my 2 cents..

It really depends on how much money you want to spend. If you want to keep it cheaper, you can go with a N/A setup. If you have plenty of money to blow you could go with a turbo since you don't want to do the supercharger. Assuming though, that you don't want to put forth too much effort into this, you'll want to stay N/A.

Intake.. Eh, whisper lid.. K&N filter. A smooth airway between the lid and throttle body too, use your creativity on that one.

As far as exhaust goes, record breakers have 3" pipes. And do the whole exhaust and not just a cat-back if you're in it for performance. Headers, Y-pipe, get rid of the cat or a highflow, and definitely go Borla cat-back if you can. Borla's cat back for these cars is more expensive by far but worth it IMO. Or just get the pipes you need and buy one of their mufflers separate, which would help with cost. The dynomax turbo muffler is a very nice choice too. :D

And yeah, as BallerMaro said, HP tuners or nothing. DO NOT BUY HPP3 or any jet chips. Waste of time and money.

Look into getting new heads, or taking your stock heads to a machine shop to Port and Polish them. Upgrade the valvetrain, Rockers, springs, retainers, keepers, guides, blah blah. And of course the Camshaft. An aftermarket camshaft with a weld done exhaust can sound amazing in one of these engines.

Drivetrain: A 1 piece aluminum driveshaft is definitely a cheap and from what I've heard a very noticeable upgrade. Gears, and Limited Slip Differential. Now I'm not sure if you have a LSD or not, you'll have to figure that out but, if you have an open differential get one.
Changing the gear ratio can also make a big difference. If you do more highway driving I wouldn't suggest getting a real high gear ratio like 4.10's since it would kill your gas mileage. But a nice mediocre gear would be like 3.42's or maybe even 3.73's. That is something you can learn and decide for yourself.

As far as suspension, eh.. Search around. Anything aftermarket is going to be better and any aftermarket springs will lower your car. Upgrading the suspension is important since you'll need to plant the power to the ground.

Don't get huge wheels either. Please don't do that. Get 17's.. And MAYBE 18's. Anything larger will reduce performance.

And use the search function on this forum. It's a pain in the *** to sift through the BS in some threads but you'll find a few nuggets of gold here and there.

I don't usually give huge explanations to complete newbers but I was bored. Good luck in your modding. And search before you ask questions.

Oh snap. That was my 2,000th post too.

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

lol blizzard you were feeling generous today huh?

OP---i think you've got a good amount of answers now, so keep searching and keep us posted on your plans.

[kdm212]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

ok i need to learn how to post some pics. i want to also thank you guys for the info. of course im sitting here with my head spinning as you guys have given a lot to chew on quickly! now with regard to a whisper lid is that seperate from k&n? cant i just buy an entire kit from k&n? also i JUST got my cat replaced from gm. my check engine light came on and i was due for the RI inspection. so of course i brought it in and failed for the cat. so gm had to replace it free under the 8yrs or 80k warranty. then i had to drive it for over 600 miles to get all the monitors to reset and get the inspection test again. finally passed! can i go cat back and get any hp/tq??? one piece driveshaft any preferences? also i do know that i have 323 gears and limited slip. found that out the ONE and ONLY day i did a burnout when i was pissed at my girl. one tire fire yet i must say i left an enormous cloud of smoke and at least 45 feet of rubber. needless to say she thought that was childish, but wow that was nice lol. i have the stock 16's on there from 02. possible upgrade but no priority. if i told you guys how much i paid for this car you would all accuse me of robbing the guy. this car is in great shape and i really want it to turn heads. it already has hugger orange racing stripes on white paint. very nice, not a tacky job!!!

need instructions on how to add my car pics on my sig or something also. thanks for all the help you guys. glad to be aboard!!!!!

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

ok first: read this http://forum.camarov6.com/showthread...cket+tutoriall

[pace2006]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

Be sure to look through this to learn about upgrades for our cars. It will help you to decide what you want for your car.

Modifications Encyclopedia

Also be sure to look at the stickies listed at the top of every section. They answer the most frequently asked questions and provide some helpful info.

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

second: yes, a whisper lid is separate from a k&n filter, you'll want them both. check out hawksthirdgenparts.com to pick up a lid and u can get the filter anywhere.

hi flow cats will usually throw codes, you can get it tuned out, or get a 02 simulator.

a catback will yeild you some nominal gains, but nothing to write home to mom about---you'll need a full exhaust/tune to really feel the power on your butt dyno.

if you're laying down a one-tire-fire...you don't have a lsd. sounds like you have an open diff like mine with the t5 tranny and 3.23 gears. i'm looking into a diff with 3.73's very soon---that will actually get the power to both wheels.

if you upgrade the wheels (i had the stock 16" snowflakes too), look into some c6 replicas in 17 or 18---i have the c6 z06 17's on mine and love them.

[Blizzard242]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

I'm a bit confused.. with a limited slip both tires will spin. Yet you said "one tire fire yet.."
Lol so which is it?

EDIT:
Bah beat me to the LSD Baller.

And hellz yeah about the C6 replica's. I'm getting some within a month. Then tires for them after another month lol.

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

i dont think he does, and if he had lsd he'd probly have 3.42's also right? (y87)

[kdm212]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

okie dokie i see i was wrong on lsd. i thought that meant that only one tire goes. i stand corrected. well either way it was the right side that fired up. i cant have posi though or they both would have went...right?

once again thanks for all the help. im trying to get some pics up now.

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

yep, now you're on the right page. posi lsd = twin track rubber, open = one tire fire.


pics!

[kdm212]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

im no idiot but for the life of me i cant seem to load the pics. lol i need a tutorial. as far as the gears im certain they are 323 as i called a dealership and gave them my vin. they then faxed me the production sheet on my car. very cool!

[BallerMaro13]

Re: what works? need hp/tq!

check the link i posted to the tutorial ^