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more power on a budget

Posted: August 14th, 2002, 8:55 pm
by vuduben
well i got my gs about two months ago and i want to up the performace a bit. i'm on a pretty tight budget, so i figured i should toss the question out. how would one most wisely spend 300-400 dollars (canadian) to give the car a bit more power. <P>there is the obvious intake, exhaust upgrades but i've been thinking about those thermal spacers as the drop in power from my car cold to operating temp is annoying.<P>what do you think is the best money spent when doing the first mods on a stock 95 gs<P><BR>tahnx for you help guys ;)

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 14th, 2002, 9:41 pm
by nolimits
there is not any cheap upgrades! my plug wires cost me $150 and my intake system cost me $150 U.S.

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 14th, 2002, 10:25 pm
by white fish
a couple hundred more and you can get nitrous ;)<p>[ August 14, 2002: Message edited by: white fish ]

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 3:25 am
by VizualXTC
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vuduben:<BR><STRONG>well i got my gs about two months ago and i want to up the performace a bit. i'm on a pretty tight budget, so i figured i should toss the question out. how would one most wisely spend 300-400 dollars (canadian) to give the car a bit more power. <P>there is the obvious intake, exhaust upgrades but i've been thinking about those thermal spacers as the drop in power from my car cold to operating temp is annoying.<P>what do you think is the best money spent when doing the first mods on a stock 95 gs<P><BR>tahnx for you help guys ;)</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Air intake definatly. Definatly invest in some fuel injector cleaner. I hear good things about Redline's SI-1, but they say make sure you use it before an oil change because it will tirn it black. DO NOT use it after or you will need to change the oil again. If you want a good site (infact where I heard about SI-1) go to <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Down ... build1.htm" TARGET=_blank>Luc & Vaughn's Build Your Own GSR Technical Database</A>. I have learned alot there. Good luck. An exhaust would be a great power adder too. make sure it's from the mani back, not just the cat back.

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 3:33 am
by ProtegeSTS
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by VizualXTC:<BR><STRONG><P>Air intake definatly. Definatly invest in some fuel injector cleaner. I hear good things about Redline's SI-1, but they say make sure you use it before an oil change because it will tirn it black. DO NOT use it after or you will need to change the oil again. If you want a good site (infact where I heard about SI-1) go to <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Down ... build1.htm" TARGET=_blank>Luc & Vaughn's Build Your Own GSR Technical Database</A>. I have learned alot there. Good luck. An exhaust would be a great power adder too. make sure it's from the mani back, not just the cat back.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR>Just looking at David's old K8 exhaust, it seems like it actually flows pretty well. Id ditch the huge heavy muffler though. The stock cat isnt great, a Carsound high-flow would be a better option.<P>Ryan, just a question this time...but what did you mean by a "manifold back" exhaust system? Im confused... (NOT an insult)

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 10:59 am
by Buzzin vee 6
manifold back = header back I assume.. Luckily in the UK we can de-cat our mx's as the emissions are still low enough, not sure bout the US though.. makes for good gains though - enough to feel the difference an thats what its all about ;)

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 6:46 pm
by vuduben
so sounds like intake and exhaust are the first choices. two questions, how much better is a bought intake vs a home made one, if one does not really care about looks. and secondly what do you guys look for in a exhaust systeme, i've read the faq but i'm thinking along the way of brands styles that kind of thing.<P><BR>again guys thanx for the help.<P><BR>oh by the way no one has mentioned those spacers any opinions of them

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 7:05 pm
by David Coleman
Phenolic spacers and bypassing my coolant lines into the TB kept my K8 manifold very close to ambient temps.

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 15th, 2002, 7:17 pm
by vuduben
but was there a noticable difference in the performance of the car ?

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 16th, 2002, 1:55 am
by VizualXTC
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ProtegeSTS:<BR><STRONG><P><BR>Just looking at David's old K8 exhaust, it seems like it actually flows pretty well. Id ditch the huge heavy muffler though. The stock cat isnt great, a Carsound high-flow would be a better option.<P>Ryan, just a question this time...but what did you mean by a "manifold back" exhaust system? Im confused... (NOT an insult)</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Yes by manifold back I mean exhaust manifold back. Downpipe, cat, muffler, piping, etc. I don't know alot about the resonator, if it flows well, or if there is a aftermarket one.

Re: more power on a budget

Posted: August 16th, 2002, 2:09 am
by Custommx3
According to Vaughn, the MX-3 cat is a very free flowing cat.