2.5 KLDE V6. List of Performance Upgrades to do ??

[Brtshamerican6]

Im in the learning process of the performance world, and my mind doesnt really go past headers, exhaust systems, turbochargers, and intakes. So I need some help on what to do with this car of mine.
Remember its the 2.5 KLDE V6.
It already has:
Cold air Intake
Lifter Cammed Heads
Headers
Straightpipe Exhaust
and obviously the engine swap

Im wondering what more I can do with it, and where I would find the resources to order parts. I have mental resources for help thank god or i'd be nowhere right now lol.
Idk if Im planning on turbocharging it or not.
Does anyone know if it would be worth turbo-ing it????
If its 3 grand to correctly install a turbo, and only like 2 seconds off the drag time, screw that. Anyways, thanks!

[MrMazda92]

Best bang for your buck as far as "I have more horsepower than you neener neener neener" is a turbo setup.

To be fair, you can stay NA, or go FI, and manage a clean build all the while. If you're looking for the most power, you're wanting to go turbo. Honestly, I'm not for that approach, unless you truly know what you're getting yourself into.

I've seen way more turbo setups being sold because people lost interest or ran out of money, than I have for NA setups. Typically, NA costs more to go big, beyond a certain point. What are your HP goals? It sounds like drag racing appeals to you... If this is the case, first off the car is FWD and you need to keep that in mind. Second to that, you won't make magical 1/4 mile times NA. However, you could still build something worth being proud of, so long as you're patient and do it right.

It sounds like you're enthusiastic, and I like that, I really do; Just make sure you don't get in over your head, it always sucks to see members sell because they hit their financial ceiling too quickly...

[davmac]

$3K for turbo set up is about right - probably more unless you're very experience
And if you lose 2 seconds in 1/4 mile time you would have lots to brag about - 2 seconds is huge
A turbo setup could move you into 12 second range in 1/4 - well over 100 mph - that's a fast car

[Nd4SpdSe]

Look into what factory cars do 12's in the quarter...it'll change your mind....

[MrMazda92]

You're right about factory cars... but most of those mentioned would be RWD.

[Nd4SpdSe]

Lol, duh! Isn't the Speed3 the most powerful factory FWD car on the market? Even that has power limiters in the first few gears to help with traction and torque steer and even that's only a low-14 second car...

[MrMazda92]

Wikipedia claims 13.8, but I get your point...

Still, not half bad. What do those weigh in at, with driver?

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Ok, before this turns into a "1/4 mile times" thread, I have a couple of suggestions for you.

First, there are 2 things you should spend money into, before even thinking on doing any performance upgrades to an engine you don't know:

1. Books. Lots of books. You can't expect good results if you don't know what you're doing. You will find a lot of information here, but that will only take you so far. Some reading material would be highly advisable.

2. A full rebuild kit. Before you add power to your engine, you need to make sure it's performing at its best. That means, ideally, doing a full blueprint of the engine. That will run you about $1000-1500, and, in the best of cases, it will make your engine reach the stock HP number (so it's not much of a "performance improvement" per se), but it will give you a strong, durable foundation to then add power.

And then, of course, you will need the tools to do the job.

That is, if you're serious about getting the most of your engine. If you just want some extra power for bragging rights, there are plenty of things you can do to it, or you can just go with the crowd, slap a ZE into the car (which I'm surprised nobody recommended yet), and call it a day.

[IMACHU2]

Bang for your buck you can't beat a nitrous kit. I have run nitrous on many cars. I would put a good quality brand name fuel pump matched with a good quality adjustable fuel pressure regulator. If your responsible and run a 75HP wet shot and you have a good quality fuel system you can expect 100's of trouble free passes. If you have a fuel system issue with nitrous, really bad things happen LOL. Nitrous gas is expensive, and if you use a lot of nitrous it is a waste of money, because you could use all the refill money on a Turbo or supercharger set-up. If you only go to the track once in a blue moon, and you want to drop some serious time off your ET a nitrous kit can't be beat. If you look @ the 1/4 mile time thread on our site, you will see some of the quickest MX-3 times are Nitrous cars. You could expect to drop at least a second and a half off your quarter mile time for well under $1000 with a nitrous set-up.

This would be a great kit for the MX-3
http://www.holley.com/05130NOS.asp

I can't decide with my.....um MX what if any root I am going to go. I was thinking nitrous, but the M62 clutched Mercedes supercharger has also got my attention. I have a Mustang that is already set-up for drag racing, It has 320hp + 100hp nitrous kit so I really don't need another race car, although A KLZE powered 323 with a 100hp nitrous shot, or some boost would be a riot.

[IMACHU2]

QUARTER MILE TIME LIST update
Nickname -- Engine Type -- ET -- MPH --

TITOMX3 --------- KL-01 Turbo -- 11,080 -- 129.00mph
Limegreen mx-3 --- BP-DE Turbo---- 12,400 -- 118,00mph
Slammed6 --------- KLZE Nitro -- 12,600 -- 108.00mph
therieldeal --------- GTR BPT -- 12,611 -- 111.27mph
hppwdn ----------- KLZE turbo -- 12,958 -- 114.97mph
XxantwawnxX------ KLZE turbo -- 13.300 -- 110.00mph
93MX3KLZE-T ----- KLZE turbo -- 13,400 -- 108.00mph
kab-rst ------------- BP-T ---- 13.541 -- 108.00mph new time
Stereoking15 ------- KLZE N/A --- 14,084 --- ???mph
andy -------------- K8 turbo ----- 14,300 -- 105.00mph
comish71 --------- KLZE N/A ---- 14,320 -- 95.90mph
timpronk ---------- KLZE N/A ---- 14,385 -- 98.21mph
mx3autozam ------ KLZE N/A ---- 14,400 -- 99.70mph
93MX3KLZE-T ----- KLZE N/A --- 14,800 --- 93.00mph
Mooneggs --------- KLZE N/A --- 14,750 -- 94.70mph
Brennan ----------- KLZE N/A --- 15,200 -- 94.00mph
JWMX3 ----------- KLZE/DE ----- 15.453 -- 91.89mph
OutlaW ------------ K8 N/A ----- 15.567 -- 84.60mph
96mx-3 ----------- K8 N/A ----- 16.100 -- 84.40mph

[RX8SE3P]

Maybe some better cams could be a cheap upgrade if you can find someone on here parting with theirs for a few hundred bucks? Colt cams are popular from what I've read. Apart from a lot of your personal time valve cover gaskets plus a few more gaskets, you'd not need much else to install the cams.

Could also give you an excuse to change timing belts if you have not done so for a long time.

The DE shouldn't need any valve train upgrades either since it's the ZE that has the supposed high rpm valve dropping issue.

With that, you should be able to push your peak power to around 7000-7500rpms hopefully, which would have to be a 30HP gain or more considering your headers and exhaust system would help the engine to breathe at those numbers.

Only issue is that you lose power down low in order to make more when in higher revs.