what should you get for more HP with a budget

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shootmfshoot

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Aug 23, 2005

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Aug 29, 2005

#1

• Aug 29, 2005

• #1

I am going to be getting bassani headers and a x pipe to go with it and wondering if I should buy cams or buy the steeda cat back to get the most out of the car. I am on a budget of about 2000 dollars. I know the cams would cost more than the cat backs. If anyone had any idea how much it would cost to get cams installed and then the car to be tuned? I have a mass air meter, underdrive pulleys, accufab 75 mm throttle body with the plenum and a timing adjuster already on the engine. So what would be the best set up to go with. headers, x pipe and cat back or headers x pipe and cams. Thanks a lot

 

K

Kilgore Trout

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Mar 30, 2005

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Aug 29, 2005

#2

• Aug 29, 2005

• #2

Actually I think you should go with cat back and cams. Skip the headers and X. Keeping good back pressure will keep your power band down low. If you open it up you'll move the power to the top end. Gotta love the down low power.

Then when you save up more money, you can do headers and X.

I think it is best to upgrade the exhaust from the back to the front, not vice versa...

 

SamMan

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Aug 20, 2005

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Denton, TX

Aug 29, 2005

#3

• Aug 29, 2005

• #3

If I were you I would get gears first if you dont already have them. Besides my nitrous they were my favorite mod to date. They dont actually increase HP but they allow your car to get into the powerband alot faster.

That being said a catback wont really do anything for performance. Cams will help out with power but it will move your power higher into the RPM range. Like was mentioned above freeing up your exhaust will reduce backpressure which will yeild you more HP but the tradeoff will be a loss in low end torque. Without the gears to get you out of the low end fast Im afraid that might hurt your overall 1/4 time and most certainly your 1/8 mile.

Good luck!

 

K

Kilgore Trout

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#4

• Aug 29, 2005

• #4

+1 for gears

 

tomustang

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Jun 8, 2000

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Aug 29, 2005

#5

• Aug 29, 2005

• #5

I say to remove the MAF if it wasn't tuned. Since you have a decent budged get some stage 2 cams/springs, gears and a cat-back, the gears will let the cams shine

 

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shootmfshoot

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Aug 23, 2005

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Aug 29, 2005

#6

• Aug 29, 2005

• #6

Sorry guys, I actually already have 4.10 gears installed just forgot to mention that

 

K

Kilgore Trout

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#7

• Aug 29, 2005

• #7

You might also mention mileage and year built...

 

S

Stangboy017

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Jul 30, 2005

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Aug 29, 2005

#8

• Aug 29, 2005

• #8

nitrous

 

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'03GTinFLA

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May 29, 2004

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Aug 29, 2005

#9

• Aug 29, 2005

• #9

I have LT's and O/R Prochamber and I noticed a good difference with those. I know, dynowise, I probably lost some torque but I can't tell. It spins through 1st, some in second and scratches in third.
So for most HP, my vote is LT's and midpipe. Then if you have enough cash left, which you probably won't, I would then do cams. I don't have personal experience with cams but from dyno's charts that people posted they do seem to give good results, with a proper tune. As stated by the others, they do move the power band up a bit, but that's what the 4.10's are for.

 

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'03GTinFLA

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May 29, 2004

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St. Petersburg, FL

Aug 29, 2005

#10

• Aug 29, 2005

• #10

As far as cam install prices, MPH lists them at $350 for stage 1 type that uses your stock springs and $1000 for stage 2 type that requires you to put new springs in. Quite a bit of difference in price. If I were doing cams I would try to save for VT stage 2's.

 

hotmustang331

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Apr 29, 2004

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Bastrop,TX

Aug 29, 2005

#11

• Aug 29, 2005

• #11

Well...lets see here. Cams are 580ish+350 instal+ another 425(MPH)+ for the tune. SO your looking at over $1350 for cams.
And I have VT stg 1s...they loose 0 lowend power when tuned...I actually gained alot with the tune over what I had....felt about like normal before the tune...as for getting the stg 2s over the 1s. I wouldnt recommend it they LOOSE power below 3500...quite abit actually, think around 20-30FtLBs of torque way down low...peak torque will be simular to stg 1s, and only make 10RWHP over the stg 1s...if that. Just not worth the extra hassle IMHO. Please dont listen to the person that said forget the LTs and midpipe LOL. thats where MOST of your bolton HP comes from, screw the little bit of lowend torque lost...you will gain so much everywhere else, its worth it...in reality with the tune you should be the same or higher with a FULL exhaust...Tune helps lowend grunt a TON. A catback is darn near worthless and will bring about 6-9RWHP, and thats ONLY way up top. I couldnt even tell much difference when I put mine on. IMO a catback should be one of your finishing mods after you have done most of the boltons. BTW You can get the magnaflow CB from partshopper for like $350.

 

SamMan

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Aug 20, 2005

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Denton, TX

Aug 29, 2005

#12

• Aug 29, 2005

• #12

Or you could way more bang for your buck. Given that I would skip the cams and exhaust and go straight for the giggle gas. You can spend less on the nitrous and get 75-125 HP and LOADS of torque all over your RPM range or spend more and keep the torque you got, if your lucky, and maybe gain 30 HP up high.

Two biggest performance mods on a budget are nitrous and/or gears.

Ive been running mine for 6 months w/o so much as a hiccup. Now that I have the off road H Im planning on upping it 25 HP. Hopefully I can get back some of the torque I seem to have lost with the exhaust upgrade. Putting it on the dyno this weekend if all goes well.