The Verdict Is In!

Ahem.

And the winner is the bright white Bonneville SSEI. I'm picking it up on the 12th, and it's going right in the shop.

now what we're looking at here is a supercharged Pontiac sport sedan. 3800 displacement V6 with 4 speed automatic. Absolutely mint body and interior (like it's rolled off the lot!!!!!!!) just like my old one on the interior but white outside.

The only thing wrong with it, is high miles. Easily fixed, i'm having the engine and the tranny rebuilt.

WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT FASTER?

Stock it does 0-60 in about 5 seconds (estimated) top speed is probably close to 140 mph, i've had it at 240 km/h so......

Yeah, what should i add to it. I want the name of a suggested high-performance exhaust system, and i'm thinking a higher idle setting on it as well as a bigger supercharger, but i need suggestions on the best stuff, as i have no idea what to through on it.

Let the magic happen people! :flash:

Oh yeah, the PT i ended up getting 19 for, so i'm on a budget of 11, 200 Canadian for these mods.

Let's hear it!!! :flamer:*ricerocket*

The Bonneville is Back!

Congrats on the car, dawg. I wanna see pics!

Congrats on the purchase. :)

whoa a super charged auto tranny bonneville is that fast? to do 0-60 in about 5 seconds? thats pretty sick for a family car. :eek:

5 seconds for 0-60 is around a 13 second 1/4 time...

Just get the basic bolt on stuff... and maybe a shift kit if you can find one!

I doubt that you'd need a bigger s/c... I think what you mean is a pulley that makes more boost?? and can someone please explain to me what a higher idle setting does?

Originally posted by fatninja19
5 seconds for 0-60 is around a 13 second 1/4 time...

and can someone please explain to me what a higher idle setting does?


13 second Stock Bonnevilles? I doubt that... if that was true, everybody and their brother in laws would drive them.



higher idle setting? .... burns more gas....haha beats me...

|Origionally From Pontiac.com
The 2002 Bonneville's standard 3.8-liter V6 engine delivers a generous 205 horsepower and the supercharged 3.8-liter V6, standard on the SSEi, pumps out 240 horsepower, traveling from 0-60 mph in 7.64 seconds. From the SSEi's extensive programmable personalization options that automatically adjust seat, mirrors, radio, and more, to the SSEi's premium Monsoon® sound system, you'll find that in the 2002 Bonneville, luxury performs for you too.

This is the new bonne.

Supercharged 3.8 liter 3800 SFI Series II V6:
240 horsepower @ 5200 rpm
280 ft-lbs torque @ 3600 rpm
electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission

I would say check to see if you can up the boost,

Performance axle ratio – 3.05

If you can, change gears to something lower like 3.73's (dont know if pontiac uses 3.73's but something in that area would help alot)

If you want to risk it theres Juce, but I say stay away fron N2O...

Check for headers for it, and possably different heads.

Thats all I can think of, but I dont know much of the GM 3.8.

Bonneville doesn't do 0-60 in 5 sec. man......i wish it did......closer to around 7
But i'm glad you bought another Bonnie..

Originally posted by dbartoschek
Bonneville doesn't do 0-60 in 5 sec. man......i wish it did......closer to around 7
But i'm glad you bought another Bonnie..
read my above post :rolleyes:

The late bonnevilles are capable of 0-60 in 6 seconds flat. I've seen some magazines quoting 5.8 and 5.9...


While it's apart, have the rotating mass (crank, rods, pistons) balanced! This is absolutely key, and will determine how long your motor lasts, as well as picking up a few ponies.

If you want to run higher boost, check into how strong the rods are. Also, get forged pistons, they can't be very much for a 6 cylinder Pontiac. With forged pistons and good rods, you can probably get 400hp before the crank starts to give.

For this I would recommend a turbo instead, because you can get more low end boost, and better fuel economy. For anyone about to say something like "Turbos are for ricers", think back to the Buick GN, which used the same 3.8L V6(although set up for RWD).

There should be all sorts of GN goodies you can put in that engine, so thats a good place to start...

You'll probably also need bigger injectors, for more gas under boost...

My thanks to all who've offered advice on how to fix the car up......as far as exhaust goes, i've found a guy that says he can make a 2000 T/A exhaust work on my stock set up. Is this BS or can it actually be done?

As for the pulley on the s/c, i think that's what i'll be doing. The dealership will be taking care of that addition for me so i'm not too worried.

My biggest question is about the T/A exhaust working...somebody can help me?


The 5 second 0-60........that was a guess, as stated, an estimate. I never figured it out, so i threw out my best guess. I appreciate the accurate info now though!

According to a backyard mechanic i CAN get something around the 3.73's, but i forget what he said they were.......he wants and exhorbet amount of money for it though so no chance. Just rebuilding the engine and tranny and a new pully on the supercharger for now, but if someone can give me information on the feasability of a T/A exhaust on the car it would be appreciated.

Thanks. :sun:

Check this link out about th 0-60 times of the bonneville.
http://www.car-stats.com/stats/showstats/showstatsgivenid.aspx

Anybody know about the T/A exhaust possibility???

:confused:

Check this link out about th 0-60 times of the bonneville.
http://www.car-stats.com/stats/showstats/showstatsgivenid.aspx

Check this link out about th 0-60 times of the bonneville.
http://www.car-stats.com/stats/showstats/showstatsgivenid.aspx

well, I have a custom exaust

Headers work as long as they are for your engine, the rest is just pipes, cat, and mufflers. A half compitent guy can make custom pipes for you.

forget trying to make the t/a exhaust work, just go to your local muffler shop and have it custom fabricated... although the word "custom" may lead one to think that big money is involved, it is quite the contrary. if you have the money, have the shop install a high flow cat too.

ps. dont forget to free up the air induction department.

All you have to do for a "custom" exhaust setup is find where the stock bends are in your exhaust system(they'll probably be off the shelf 30/60/190/180 degree bends), and cut the tubing to the right length.

As TV was mentioning, the headers are the important part of the exhaust. Find the best headers for your application, and then just get the apropriately sized exhaust.

Swapping the pully overdrives the supercharger, to give more boost. This will put more strain on the blower, so a high mileage supercharger being strained might not be too effiecient. Even so, with higher boost, you should probably intercool it. Intercooling allows higher boost, cheaper gas, or more timing. You can have 1 of the 3, or try to comprimise...

Turbochargers can actually be quite a lot cheaper than superchargers, and the engine is already set up for forced induction. A single Garrett T3 or T4 could provide all the boost you need, give you better gas mileage, and offer more tuning options in the future.

A new Garrett turbo goes for about $600-$700, and would be much easier to intercool than the supercharger setup. It's a better option really, if you're already going to do the exhaust and rebuilding the engine/tranny.

All you have to do for a "custom" exhaust setup is find where the stock bends are in your exhaust system(they'll probably be off the shelf 30/60/190/180 degree bends), and cut the tubing to the right length.

As TV was mentioning, the headers are the important part of the exhaust. Find the best headers for your application, and then just get the apropriately sized exhaust.

Swapping the pully overdrives the supercharger, to give more boost. This will put more strain on the blower, so a high mileage supercharger being strained might not be too effiecient. Even so, with higher boost, you should probably intercool it. Intercooling allows higher boost, cheaper gas, or more timing. You can have 1 of the 3, or try to comprimise...

Turbochargers can actually be quite a lot cheaper than superchargers, and the engine is already set up for forced induction. A single Garrett T3 or T4 could provide all the boost you need, give you better gas mileage, and offer more tuning options in the future.

A new Garrett turbo goes for about $600-$700, and would be much easier to intercool than the supercharger setup. It's a better option really, if you're already going to do the exhaust and rebuilding the engine/tranny.

The turbo would be a better route if the supercharager was not already in tact. The main problem for Student is to find an exhaust manifold that incorporates a turbo; it may not exist from aftermarket companies because of the low demand for a turbo exhaust manifold for Bonne's. You can have a turbo exhaust manifold custom made for you though, and I've had shops tell me around 400 bones. The turbo and the exhaust manifold are not the only things you need to go Turbo, there are a bunch of other little things that sum up to a good amount of money.

The turbo would be a better setup, but would set Student back a few bucks. :alien:

ps. single muffler(flowmaster or the like), custom mandrel bent 2.5" piping exhaust, and a polished tip costs about 140 at my local muffler shop.

Hey......how about this:

1. Got a place that can do the custom exhaust, basically a performance flowmaster exhaust is what the guy said it equivalents to

2. Intercool system to match it, probably flowmaster since it's the same kind of set-up.

3. Buying a new supercharger with a better pulley for the whole set up.


With all this, plus the engine and tranny rebuild, i can get it all done at the same place for about 6 grand, which leaves me with some change in mjy pocket. Does this sound like it will work? The guy quoted me 16 days for the work and the labour will bring the grand total to about 9500 bucks.

Good deal, good plan?

By the way, the only reason i hate to throw on a turbo is because my fiance's dad had a turbo on one of his cars, and the gas was way too much, the car just ate up his wallet on gas money, and i believe that the set-up i've suggested will run me cheaper then the turbo as i will be using premium ethanol blended gasoline to power the machine. That's just my view.

So yeah, if it will work, give me a go-ahead folks, ya'll know alot more about these things then i do!

:cool:

What supercharger should i get by the way?

I don't know what will work with the set-up i have planned...

:confused:

Actually i think the 1/4 time is high 13's low 14's. The S/C Bonney has 240 HP stock, that is a lot for a family car but the SSEI isn't considered a family car since it's a seperate sport package. As for the mods that need to be done to it, it should be whatever you prefer. Make your car unique from everyone elses. If you think about it the Mustang GT comes stock with 240 HP so why shouldn't the lighter Bonneville have a decent 1/4 time.

I say go for it. But make sure the supercharger is from B&M.

I just got off the phone with the guy that can do the work for me on the car, and he says i have a choice for the set-up i want to run....

I can either do a B&M supercharger on the set-up so it would be brand new like the rest of it, add on 900 bucks, or he said he'd take the stock supercharger and re-calibrate the whole thing so it's set-up specifically for the all new system, for 950 bucks.

I think i'm gonna go for the re-calibrated system, what do you guys think?

No more expensive suggestion though, with the supercharger the grand total is gonna come to just over 10 grand...........i'll be left with only a thousand bucks for insurance start-up fees!!!!

:smoker2:

If it were me i would go with the B&M supercharger and sell the old one.

dont forget to get fatter meats! because power is useless if traction is absent.

Good call........and i just happen to know where i can get a set of yokohama all-season performance low profile tires for my rims at wholesale!!!

Peace all, will post some junk when i pick up the car November 1st.

:sun:

Actually, a turbocharger should use a lot less gas, compared to a Supercharger. The Turbo only increases power under load, so off throttle, the engine is a low compression naturally aspirated engine, and doesn't use much gas.

Considering you're looking at rebuilding the engine, replacing the exchaust and everything else, I really think a turbo is a better idea at this point. It would cost about as much, or even less than the supercharger, and reward you with better performance and gas mileage.

My big concern through all of this would be your transmission though, as I recall the W body's tranny wasn't as strong as it could have been in the early 90s...

The tranny does well enough for the set-up that i'm running here, it's just a matter of how long it's gonna last.

My old Bonneville's tranny was better then the engine, required alot more motor work on the old bonneville then the tranny, so i'm not too worried.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Considering the same guy is doing the whole job for me, i imagine he'll do something with the tranny to make it work better with the set-up, i'm just not sure. Even if he leaves it stock, i'm not worried. i had the old Bonneville up at 240km/h and she was still pushing. That's pretty substantial considering the "mild" driving attitudes of people here in Canada!!

I've never gone more then around 150 or so racing........not in the city anyways, so i should be ok i think.

In any event, thank you for the 'heads up!' Cbass :D

The tranny does well enough for the set-up that i'm running here, it's just a matter of how long it's gonna last.

My old Bonneville's tranny was better then the engine, required alot more motor work on the old bonneville then the tranny, so i'm not too worried.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Considering the same guy is doing the whole job for me, i imagine he'll do something with the tranny to make it work better with the set-up, i'm just not sure. Even if he leaves it stock, i'm not worried. i had the old Bonneville up at 240km/h and she was still pushing. That's pretty substantial considering the "mild" driving attitudes of people here in Canada!!

I've never gone more then around 150 or so racing........not in the city anyways, so i should be ok i think.

In any event, thank you for the 'heads up!' Cbass :D