Pure Bolt on Beginner mods

[00LaCamaro]

I got my car not too long ago, but I'm looking to change some stuff on the engine. I'm new to all this, so I'm going to post what I've looked at so far and just try and gather some opinions. I'm about to get some major overtime at work so I'll have about $1000 to work with, which will need to cover the welding on the exhaust as well.

I was looking at getting the SLP Cold Air Intake, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, and Pacesetter headers. I was reading that I need to get an S-Pipe as well, will the muffler shop be able to fabricate this piece or is it something I have to buy extra from wherever I get the Exhaust System. I know the headers are a big install job as well, taking probably all weekend for somebody with my limited skill.

Any thoughts for what I am looking at, any tips for a beginner?

[hockeyman]

$1000.00 should cover all of the exhaust.
Are you planning on having the shop install the exhaust? Yes, the shop can fab an s pipe for about $30. You should look into another converter too. The stock converter sux!

Headers -$230 (non-coated) & $330 coated
Flowmaster cat back -$350
Magnaflow converter -$60
Shop installing the whole exhaust from the converter back, including the s pipe -$150-$200

Keep in mind, these are just rough estimates. I always install and weld my own stuff, so I'm not totally sure what a shop charges.

[Marty85]

Also you can fabricate your own stuff for cheaper than is on sell. You can make your own cold-air intake (do a search on custom air intake, custom cold air, custom CAI, etc. etc. and you will get hundreds of results with some even xplaianing how they made their own.) Also you can look up results for EGR delete or EGR block off plate, or just do a simple search on EGR. What these will all do is stop your emissions control system from putting exhaust gasses into the intake to lower combustion temps and lower Noxious emissions but it also raisies the intake air temperature whereas if you disable it by blocking it off, you get colder air into the cylinders. Beleive me I can tell a difference in mine.

[00LaCamaro]

Is it possible for me to get a link for the Magnaflow Cat or am I going to just be told to search for it, which I will be doing in the meantime.

So for $1000 I'm looking at SLP CAI, Pacesetter Headers, Magnaflow Converter, and Flowmaster American Thunder.

Can somebody explain what the resonator on the American Thunder is, is it just to give a better sound, because that's what I imagine when I hear the name of the part.

[T-Punk]

I would say not to bother spending the money on the catback, get an electric cutout (it allows you to open your exhaust and close it when you want to) and put it either before or after the cat (i like it before because then if your cat dies you arent screwd). get the coated pacesetters, the magnaflow cat (only if you put the cutout after the cat), and then get a z28 or TA take off exhaust. this way when you want the power you have it and when you want your car to be more quiet (like when you want to listen to music) you can, you also have the dual exhaust look. this will also save you money to spend on drivetrain parts which are equally important as intake and exhaust. get a limited slip differential and 3.42 gears and you will feel a difference in acceleration. then do all the free mods to your intake (3" pvc cupling to replace your air baffle, and trim out the fins in your air box lid, and the free ram air if you want but it doesnt make much of a difference). for more on the free mods do a search.

[Harrison]

yeah all good stuff, the intake is great, i wish it would growl a little more tho, i have the american thunder as well and that is good, definitly add the magnaflow cat to it, you will make it a little louder, some people dont like the american thunder cause its not as loud as others, but u get the notorious flowmaster sound and as for the resonator, it helps take out some of the rasp up at higher rpms to mellow out the sound. im satisified with it. the s-pipe however, i guess thats preference, i put one on and the shop charged me 100$ to drill in the place for the o2 sensor and fabricate that little piece of piping, and i gave him the U bent mandrel piping too... u wont tell a difference at all.....im getting ready to purchase the pacesetter headers as well, but im opting for the uncoated cause i cant see the headers in my engine so i figure why get them coated if u cant see em?

[T-Punk]

the coating dissapates heat more efficiently, that is the reason for it.

[Rob@USC]

Originally posted by T-Punk:
the coating dissapates heat more efficiently, that is the reason for it.

I thought the purpose of the coating was to insulate the exhaust, keeping the heat in the exhaust pipes and out of your engine bay. This will cause higher exhaust velocity (because energy is kept in the exhaust instead of radiating under the hood) and also (possibly) lower under-hood temperatures.

Rob

[00LaCamaro]

Based on my fluid dynamics and heat transfer classes, that would be the objective, I've also read that several times on other forums.

These are the headers I was looking at. These are the Ceraminc Coated ones, but I believe they cost much less then what was stated above. I was wondering if headers usually come with the Y-pipe or not.

[ October 14, 2004, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: 00LaCamaro ]

[T-Punk]

yes they do and i beleive they are about $300 coated.