Stock SL...

What mods should i do to it first? i only have about $500-$600.



PS: sorry if this thread has been made before

There really isnt all that much that you can do for that price. If you are stock i would start with a cold air intake. You could get a light weight pully, maybe a downpipe. It is really up to you. You could even do some exaust work for that much.

Heh lotsa people wonder this. There's some pretty inexpensive things you can do. You can make your own cold air intake. You can gut your catback. You can advance your timing a couple degrees. Otherwise, a light weight pulley isn't a bad idea. But don't get an underdrive pulley. I heard bad things about them and our engines. You could probably get exhaust. Or you could just save up for some of the more expensive stuff... Like an LSD and a lighter flywheel and what not.

Yeah, IMHO underdrive pulleys should be avoided. They work great for some, and can cause damage for others...too risky for me.

http://www.team3s.com/FAQudp.htm

Good page for some info on em...

have you done your 90k tune up yet?? :wink:

u should do a custom cat back exhaust and a k&n fipk

have you done your 90k tune up yet?? :wink:

90k? I thought it was every 60k.... Or I'm just missing something...

u only need it every 70k really but 60 is safe and 90k are basically sparkplugs

Mmkay... Yeah. I did mine at about 68k just a while back. Timing belts are all or none right? I mean, if it did go, would you be able to tell before hand?

no way to tell when a belt is gonna go but better to be safe then sorry and the water pump is actually the 90k but its easiest to do at the same time as the 60k the shop i worked at charged 1k which isn't bad considering the work involved but you can do it yourself

I was thinking of doing a K&N Fipk also but heard it doesn't do anything for power, just basically makes more noise under the hood. Not sure if it's true or not.. I've got a K&N filter in the stock housing and would hate to drop down $150 for something that doesn't do any better.

I'm also looking for some inexpensive HP.. :biggrin:

the k&n is an awesome mod its one of the mods that gains more power the more that you modify it, a testpipe and k&n will surprise the shit out of you

He's right, the K&N might not gain much HP on it's own, but its a basic necessity in modding...you want your engine to breathe better. So a bigger intake is a good start. Any modding guide will tell you to start with that simply because it will help with every other modification. Downpipe, intake, catback, hiflow cat/testpipe, will all allow your engine to breathe better which = more hp.
After all that, it's up to you how much hp you're wishing for. You can always turbo or supercharge it, or do engine and cam work. Also, weight reduction is the cheapest way to make your car go faster. I think it's for every 100lbs you lose, you shave a 1/10 off your 1/4mile.

I have plans to replace the entire exhaust system so I might put the K&N intake on the list. I'm just looking for some extra power to keep up with todays cars, I seem to lag behind everyone!

How are you lagging, you have a DOHC 222hp engine right? I mean its still a pretty quick car that runs low 15s.

I need more off the line power.. that seems to be the area it lags in. I still have the stock original exhaust and I think that's holding it back.. A lot of new cars today run 15's or better, I want to be able to leave them behind without having to push it to the limit!!

not all cars were created equal and not all cars have the same maintenance history

True,...perhaps upgrading traction and reducing rotational mass? Lighter rims, flywheel, etc and better tires, and a limited slip differential would lead to better starts.

I've got a question about the intake, if i go with the K&N FIPK, will it affect idle quality? My idle is as smooth as glass and want to keep it that way.. Would there be any change? I was also considering a pipe to replace the intake hose..

no the idle is as smooth as ever with the k&n and and theres a swishing sound from under the hood(sounds cool)

whats a test pipe i hear evryone talkin about em and i dont know what it is?

A test pipe is where your cat is.It replaces your cat.Sometimes they are called race pipes.Even if you have a high flow cat the test pipe flows much better.But, if you have a smog check you will not pass it.The cool thing about test pipe (i what i remember is true) it will sent flames out the back of your car.

http://www.3sxperformance.com/exhaust-tt.asp

Go to that and look at the race pipe there.Thats what they look like.