Need advice for 91 stealth

[Micah_Jones]

Hi everybody, Im new on this forum and pretty much new to the whole car scene in general...I am 16 years old and only have my permit but i recently inherited a 1991 Dodge Stealth base model with the 12 valve SOHC v6(i know its probably one of the worst models but i still like the looks of it..) I want to know what i can do to make it faster without killing the wallet...i was thinking the basics to start such as changing the oil, new air filter, new plugs, and new battery...i was looking at andysautosport.com and saw "air breathers"..do they do anything? and also i probably sound like a noob asking this but what about those "performance chips" on EBay? do they do anything or are they a waste of money? Theyre only like 30 bucks and they claim to give you like 30 horsepower...well thats all the questions i have for now...thanks in advance!

[jason_bet]

ok.. first of all welcome to the forums.. second.. you will find a lot of search buttons all over this site.. try that..as well, the FAQ is a GREAT read.. so check that out.. third I can hook you up with factory parts (25% off) as well as killer deals on after marked parts.. like the plugs and wires you where talking about..
Don't get one of the chips they are worthless.. you can get on at radioshack for like $.10 and they don't really help

Jason

[new2mitsu]

hi flow filter, and free up your exhaust would be first mods you want... guttijn your precats is free, and and Ebay filter and adapter is like 30 bux

[Micah_Jones]

Thanks for the replies...

Jason-how much would a stock gas tank run me if you have one? and where can i get those aftermarket parts you were talking about?

new2mitsu-im guessing you meant to say gutting the precats? well anyways what does that mean? sorry if i sound like an idiot im just new to cars and need to learn more

[vectorspecialist]

Originally Posted by Micah_Jones

Thanks for the replies...

Jason-how much would a stock gas tank run me if you have one? and where can i get those aftermarket parts you were talking about?

new2mitsu-im guessing you meant to say gutting the precats? well anyways what does that mean? sorry if i sound like an idiot im just new to cars and need to learn more

it's ok...we're all new to cars at some point...i was like this only a yr ago when i bought my stealth tt.

as for those ebay chips...if it sounds to good to b true...than it is. it is however fun to c how many people buy them and ship em thru ups(i worked for em last yr and delivered like 500 in a one month period)

[Micah_Jones]

I was thinking they were too good to be true but i wasnt sure...what are some good websites to buy stealth aftermarket parts? ive looked on google for the last couple nights and havent really found much...andysautosport was the best one i could find and they didnt have everything i was looking for..

[new2mitsu]

3sx has alotta stuff, and jason can get his hands on just about anything(sneaky lil bastard :P).

[Twizted_3KGT]

Welcome to the forum and the 3S world

I'll tell you right off the bat, if you're dead set on putting money into this base SOHC to make it faster, just save you're money and time. There's no making a base Stealth "fast" without swapping in a TT engine or hooking up nitrous. Slightly faster than it is now? yeah, maybe half a second to a second in the 1/4, but mid-15's are still slow. Maximal Performance owner Terry has a SOHC that ran 12.6 in the 1/4 with his direct port nitrous setup, which I believe runs for $800 or so. Probably the best bang for your buck, and with the right supporting mods is perfectly safe. But being 16 and this is your first car, I would just save up and worry about taking care of regular maintanance, you'll be happier in the end. Fast + beginner driver = never good anyway so you could use the extra time to gain experience.

Also, if it's not a 5-speed, you really should just take care of it until you can afford a better model or a conversion.

My best advice for you. The decision is of course up to you, and we'll be here to help any way you choose to go.

[liquidPunk]

+1
the SOHC is a decent engine, but it will take massive money to make it actually fast, because its your first car, just work on fixing stuff and doing the maintenence, maybye an air filter or a couple of easy bolt ons, but i wouldnt waste much money, learn about the car and then buy a vr4 when the time is right if you really want a fast car.

[Micah_Jones]

yeah i have the automatic transmission also...so its not the best car to mod or anything but i really dont want it to be like a 12 second drag car...i just wanna be able to beat my friends in races...they have a 2000 plymouth neon 5 speed and an 07 chevy cobalt ls 5 speed...

[Twizted_3KGT]

Originally Posted by Micah_Jones

yeah i have the automatic transmission also...so its not the best car to mod or anything but i really dont want it to be like a 12 second drag car...i just wanna be able to beat my friends in races...they have a 2000 plymouth neon 5 speed and an 07 chevy cobalt ls 5 speed...

lol 12 seconds is not a drag car, it's still slow to me. But SOHC auto...ouch. Well as it sits you have a 17+ second car, nothing you can really do about that in the price range you want to keep. You should really just concentrate on maintanance and looks, because you won't be winning races much. The "I have a slow car but want to win races" mentality doesn't make sense.

[AutostradaVR4]

just start with the simple stuff bro. Cheap-o ebay Intake, some good synthetic oil (mobil 1 seems to be very popular among owners), and if your motivated or if they seem to need replacing, plugs and wires. Your first car is always gonna be a learning experience. After you do those basics, see if you feel ready to tackle more complicated stuff. theres no need to make up your mind at this point in the game, so just take it one mod at a time.

Chances are, with a 16 year old car, your gonna have your hands full with general maintenence anyways. After you do that basic stuff above, you should know right then how much further your willing to go. Your either gonna like working on/modifying your car, or your going to dread it.

welcome to AF!

oh, btw, gutting precats...a pre-cat (pre catalytic converter) is the section of the exhaust right after the exhaust manifold (which is the section that is bolted to the engine and basically funnels the exhaust from the 3 cylinders into 1 pipe), and right before the downpipe (which is the section that takes the exhasut from both pre-cats, since a V6 has 2 sides, and funnels them together before going through the catalytic converter (and the rest of the exhaust system). These pre-cats are filled with crap to reduce emmisions...this reduces the exhasut flow and thereby reduces performance and horsepower. The catalytic converter itself is the exact same story.

keep in mind though, that gutting the cat and or pre cats may make you fail emmisions, depending on what state you live in.

[AutostradaVR4]

Originally Posted by Twizted_3KGT

lol 12 seconds is not a drag car, it's still slow to me. But SOHC auto...ouch. Well as it sits you have a 17+ second car, nothing you can really do about that in the price range you want to keep. You should really just concentrate on maintanance and looks, because you won't be winning races much. The "I have a slow car but want to win races" mentality doesn't make sense.

slowness be damned, at least it should get you laid based on looks alone

[Micah_Jones]

haha well i know 12 seconds isnt really that fast but i was just sayin i dont need it to be crazy fast...just fast enough to be able to say i have one of the faster cars in my group of friends...def not the fastest cuz one of my friends has a vr4 and another has an 04 eclipse but i still wanna be able to keep up...i agree with the getting laid part =) haha...i knew what pre cats are i just didnt know what i had to do to them...thanks for all the advice guys...ill probably just keep it til like next winter than get an older subaru..theyre fun haha