Performance upgrades

[wes.b]

I got a 98 eclipse gs about a month ago. I want to increase the horsepower in it, but I'm not sure what the best things are. Any words of advice?

[l_eclipse_l]

If you are ready for an investment of a lot of time and money, turbo it. Don't waste your money on any of the simple bolt-ons except an exhaust system.

If you want just a little extra pep in your car, a CAI, 2.5" exhaust, a header, and ignition upgrades will get you to around 160-165 hp and you will notice a difference but will not be able to beat any type of worthy car.

[JoeShmoe]

l eclipse l, is that the V2 intake? how good is it in comparison against other CAIs, and where does the intake filter end up?

[Black99GST]

Originally Posted by wes.b

I got a 98 eclipse gs about a month ago. I want to increase the horsepower in it, but I'm not sure what the best things are. Any words of advice?

a simple SEARCH would have done the trick! but obviously, if you have to ask where to start... start here

[UnderEstimate Me]

Originally Posted by l_eclipse_l

If you are ready for an investment of a lot of time and money, turbo it. Don't waste your money on any of the simple bolt-ons except an exhaust system.

If you want just a little extra pep in your car, a CAI, 2.5" exhaust, a header, and ignition upgrades will get you to around 160-165 hp and you will notice a difference but will not be able to beat any type of worthy car.

I doubt bolt-ons will get you to 160hp on the 420a. Unless you have some dyno sheets Im calling bs.

[bleedEGLblue]

Yea me too, But whos to say thats what he wants. Wes.b without knowing some HP goals we cant really say. | eclipse | has the right idea. I must admit I dont know too much about the 420a, so if you do decide to turbo you might want to check what the stock nt internals can handle. Or else you might be spending alot more money than you want to.

[rickyrickster25]

With the 420A you need new rods if you turbo it. I read somewhere that the rods were made weak, which is understandable being its n/t'd... Im also pretty sure there was another internal part that needed to be replaced, maybe someone else will be able to clear that up.

[gthompson97]

To make serious power on the 420a you need to upgrade almost everything in the motor. Rods, pistons, an aftermarket crank wouldn't be the worst idea, cams, springs, retainers..all that good shit. Just throwing on a t25 or 14b thoug, you could run it stock on 6-8 lbs of boost safely, for at least awhile, before needing an upgrade.

[rickyrickster25]

Originally Posted by gthompson97

To make serious power on the 420a you need to upgrade almost everything in the motor. Rods, pistons, an aftermarket crank wouldn't be the worst idea, cams, springs, retainers..all that good shit. Just throwing on a t25 or 14b thoug, you could run it stock on 6-8 lbs of boost safely, for at least awhile, before needing an upgrade.

Thats the part that really sucks about owning an RS if you want to make some serious HP.

[bleedEGLblue]

Yea sounds like a big project to turbo his car. All those peripheral mods that had just been named, not to mention the turbo, intercooler, exhaust mani, etc.

Originally Posted by wes.b

I got a 98 eclipse gs about a month ago. I want to increase the horsepower in it, but I'm not sure what the best things are. Any words of advice?

Judging by his initial statement sounds like he wants some other mods besides a turbo (turbo is pretty obvious upgrade for hp) but once again we are useless with out his input.

[rickyrickster25]

that be true, that be true... but hey we all get to talk about him behind his back so thats pretty cool.... j/k lol

[rickyrickster25]

If you dont want to spend thousands of dollars, you could look into nitrous... I am probably going to do it after i get everything else done, but then again, you will stil have to do a little engine work to run spray too... plus you wont always have the extra power so to speak, only when you wanna haul some ass... But its still a nice, cheaper option for the RS's.

[wes.b]

WOW I was not expecting this many replies already or I would have checked it sooner lol..thanks guys. In response to how much hp I want, I'm not really sure. Something that will make a significant difference, whether it be one or multiple parts. I guess I'm basically asking what will give me the most bang for my buck.



It would be awesome if I could spend under 1000, preferrably less

[gthompson97]

Nothing for under $1000 will give you some serious gains except nitrous. A turbo is about the biggest "bang-for-your-buck" with the 420a though. A stock 2g gst/gsx turbo (t25) will put you right around the 210-215 hp range, compared to the stock n/t hp of 140, but then you'll have to start worrying about the longevity of your car if you don't put some built parts in. A DIY turbo kit will run you about $1000-1200, granted you get some good deals and do most of the work yourself. Either way, it's your car, your choice, but if you're looking for a quick sports car, definitely go with a stock turbo'd Eclipse/Talon, the 420a just won't cut it for the budget that you have in mind.

[wes.b]

I understand what your saying. Although it would be nice to have a turbo, I just cant spare the money.

Whats your opinion on cold air intakes and underdrive pulleys? I've heard both good and bad things about them, and just want to clear that up.