Noob planning upgrades

[Hardymon]

Hi all, I've been lurking in here for a little bit, and recently took the plunge and picked up a Yellow '10 2SS with 6M. I'm generally happy with the car, and since it's a major upgrade for me, (last car was 01 Monte Carlo, not the SS), I had a few questions that I was hoping the experience here could answer.

First off, I have no intention of racing this car, it's my daily driver, so my primary objective is to just make that experience better. To me this means anything that will improve power without killing my milage or wallet, anything that will improve milage without killing my power or wallet, and anything that will just make the car nicer to drive. I already drive fairly conservatively since the police are very prevalent around me, so please spare the "go lighter on the accelerator to save milage" comments.

Things I'm looking at at this point are a cai, a tune, based around a handheld tuner most likely, and a short throw shifter.

With regard to the cai, if I'm not planning to do headers, exhaust, etc..., for the money and what I'm trying to achieve, would I be better off with a drop in filter? What are your experiences with a ~$60 filter vs cai on an otherwise stock car, mileage/throttle response?

I know the cai will give more power, but from what I've gathered you really get the most out of it with other upgrades.

I've been through JANNETTY's cai test page, and for me, I would go with the Halltech Yellow jacket for performance, or as a toss up on the skinny wallet end, the R2C or the K&N.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...netty+cai+test

He mentioned on there that he recommended a tune on the R2C; is the driveability impacted without a tune, or would that just maximize its performance? I noticed the trims on that one were a bit farther out.

I was leaning towards the cai's I mentioned because they looked to generate more average power, particularly in the lower end, where I do most of my driving, as compared with some of the others that were listed.

For tuners, I'm leaning towards the SCT x4. Again, is this a worthwhile upgrade without doing a whole bunch of other stuff? More importantly, since budget is a factor, would it make sense to go this route first, or get a cai first and tuner down the road?

Lastly, on the shifters, I want something that's going to feel good, but it can't rattle/make noise while cruising, that kind of thing drives me straight up the wall. For that reason, I'm not too interested in the Hurst, I understand it feels/works well, but I've also heard it's prone to rattle. One shifter I haven't seen much about and was wondering was the LSR-Tri-Ax.

http://www.jreperformanceparts.com/2...w-shifter.html

Is it a less known gem or will I be "getting what I pay for"?

Sorry this ended up being a bit of a monster post, but I'd really appreciate the community's input. Thanks in advance!

[1KillerSS]

Originally Posted by Hardymon

Hi all, I've been lurking in here for a little bit, and recently took the plunge and picked up a Yellow '10 2SS with 6M. I'm generally happy with the car, and since it's a major upgrade for me, (last car was 01 Monte Carlo, not the SS), I had a few questions that I was hoping the experience here could answer.

First off, I have no intention of racing this car, it's my daily driver, so my primary objective is to just make that experience better. To me this means anything that will improve power without killing my milage or wallet, anything that will improve milage without killing my power or wallet, and anything that will just make the car nicer to drive. I already drive fairly conservatively since the police are very prevalent around me, so please spare the "go lighter on the accelerator to save milage" comments.

Things I'm looking at at this point are a cai, a tune, based around a handheld tuner most likely, and a short throw shifter.

With regard to the cai, if I'm not planning to do headers, exhaust, etc..., for the money and what I'm trying to achieve, would I be better off with a drop in filter? What are your experiences with a ~$60 filter vs cai on an otherwise stock car, mileage/throttle response?

Drop in filters are a waste of money. If you notice any response it will most likely be placebo effect.


I know the cai will give more power, but from what I've gathered you really get the most out of it with other upgrades.

Actually the headers and CAI are the two biggest, so your half way there doing the CAI.

I've been through JANNETTY's cai test page, and for me, I would go with the Halltech Yellow jacket for performance, or as a toss up on the skinny wallet end, the R2C or the K&N.

It all depends on what your looking for in a CAI. I found Temps to be the most important factor in performance. Most flow a ton more air. You will want to figure out what is more important for you, looks, quality, temps and flow. Do some more research on your CAI options.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...netty+cai+test

He mentioned on there that he recommended a tune on the R2C; is the driveability impacted without a tune, or would that just maximize its performance? I noticed the trims on that one were a bit farther out.

I was leaning towards the cai's I mentioned because they looked to generate more average power, particularly in the lower end, where I do most of my driving, as compared with some of the others that were listed.

For tuners, I'm leaning towards the SCT x4. Again, is this a worthwhile upgrade without doing a whole bunch of other stuff? More importantly, since budget is a factor, would it make sense to go this route first, or get a cai first and tuner down the road?

Get your CAI first then tune. You can always benefit from a tune. If you plan on getting a tune then done worry about which CAI gets you the closest on fuel trims. Also Do some more research on which Tuning software you choose and the tuner you choose. We are lucky there are a lot of good tuners on C5, so talk to a few. Ted is a good choice.

Lastly, on the shifters, I want something that's going to feel good, but it can't rattle/make noise while cruising, that kind of thing drives me straight up the wall. For that reason, I'm not too interested in the Hurst, I understand it feels/works well, but I've also heard it's prone to rattle. One shifter I haven't seen much about and was wondering was the LSR-Tri-Ax.


My hurst makes no noise.


http://www.jreperformanceparts.com/2...w-shifter.html

Is it a less known gem or will I be "getting what I pay for"?

Sorry this ended up being a bit of a monster post, but I'd really appreciate the community's input. Thanks in advance!

Good luck and hope this helps.

[Hardymon]

Thanks for the response. I'll check into the cai s a little deeper. So you think the temps are a better measure of actual achieved performance?

I know the dyno isn't the end all when it comes to real world gains, but I do like objective numbers where I can get them. Again, I'm newer to this and the ones I mentioned made the most sense at the prices they are listed for based on the dyno runs, (best hp/torque gains in the lower 1/2).

Also,i know I don't "need" a tune with most of those, but I've read from several users that the car got fussy after they added a cai and before they tuned . Maybe it was a weak MAF issue?

Maybe I'll put the Hurst back on the list, I've just heard from several other sources that they can rattle a bit, particularly in the mid to high end, (which I suppose wouldn't be that big of a concern given that most of my driving is "responsible").

Again, I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about the tri-ax. I only found one post on this forum, and it was very positive which is why I'm curious. If it's what the user says it is, at that price, it's hard to say no.

Thanks again.

[Ragnar]

I would highly recommend a Bo White throttle body and a CAI cold air intake! These will make you go WOW! Check out the threads on this topic. By the way, Welcome!

[1KillerSS]

Originally Posted by Hardymon

Thanks for the response. I'll check into the cai s a little deeper. So you think the temps are a better measure of actual achieved performance?

I know the dyno isn't the end all when it comes to real world gains, but I do like objective numbers where I can get them. Again, I'm newer to this and the ones I mentioned made the most sense at the prices they are listed for based on the dyno runs, (best hp/torque gains in the lower 1/2).

Also,i know I don't "need" a tune with most of those, but I've read from several users that the car got fussy after they added a cai and before they tuned . Maybe it was a weak MAF issue?

Maybe I'll put the Hurst back on the list, I've just heard from several other sources that they can rattle a bit, particularly in the mid to high end, (which I suppose wouldn't be that big of a concern given that most of my driving is "responsible").

Again, I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about the tri-ax. I only found one post on this forum, and it was very positive which is why I'm curious. If it's what the user says it is, at that price, it's hard to say no.

Thanks again.

Dyno charts are great but you need to remember that they have fans going all the time while the car is sitting on it. That keeps air circulating so there is no real chance for you to see how temps affect performance.

I have gone from K&N to AIRAID to Cold Air Inductions. The K&N was a steal when I first bought my car I got it from a friend for a great price. I noticed a big difference the second I put it on. I invested in some tuning software and because I was formerly in the high performance automotive industry I knew how temps effected performance. Colder air will make more power and after all thats the point of a CAI, "Cold Air Intake" hence the name. So I noticed a major temp difference from sitting for a few min at a stoplight vs driving down the road. Meaning if I was at the track waiting in a staging line or getting frisky with another car at a stoplight "in Mexico of course", that I would not have as much HP as I could with a different product.

Here is a thread I started and some testing I did. This one was K&N VS AIRAID, I never started a thread showing the results of my current system frankly because I sold the system and shipped it the same day and left my car immobilized while waiting on my new setup to come from UPS.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=349338

I will note that on the day of testing it was cool out. The variance of temps from an at idle at a stoplight past 5 min were tremendous on a hot day.

If you feel like waiting until the end of December I can sell you my CAI inc system. I just bought it new a few months ago. I will be installing an AGP twin turbo kit and it doesn't use that style of intake. In fact, I'll also be selling my Kooks stepped headers which are basically the same age.

I would recommend either CAI inc, ADM CAI, or an OTR "over the radiator system" if one is available for your year.

Let us know if you have any other questions.



***EDIT***I forgot to mention the reason I switched to CAI inc. The CAI inc. system is a sealed box with an ADM race scoop installed for fresh air routing when driving down the road, it essentially directs the air right under the opening of the sealed box. The sealed box also eliminates the engine heat that causes your high temps in the first place. The temp differences were about the same, a little better with CAI Inc. but the big difference was the temps after 4 or 5 min. The CAI Inc. system was by far superior to the other two I tested and used.

[ntmad8tr]

Yeah I would also recommend CAI's cold air intake system. It is an easy install and has excellent results. It was my first mod and have had no regrets. You wont need a tune from just adding a CAI. I mean I guess it is really never a bad thing to do a tune but I waited until I installed my headers to have it tuned.

[CCMADONNA]

1. catch-can
2. Cold Air Intake
3. Range AFM-delete module
4. Flowmaster, Corsa, Borla, your choice of performance exhaust.

This should be about $1000-$1200. No tune necessary.

Good luck and enjoy.

[ToddB]

Don't get a tune till you do headers. Being a LS3 a tune wont do much.

[Hardymon]

Thanks guys, I'll look into these and update as I make progress.

[Dimitrim]

These cars handle like crap. I put in larger BMR sway bars front and rear, BMR trailing arms with BMR toe rods, all for about $500.00. My car handles like a slot car.

I also put in a Bo White throttle body and CAI Industries. What a huge difference in daily driving both those made.

Welcome to the forum.
Dimitri

[Spartan01]

“Welcome to the party, pal.”
-John McClane


For the shifter, regarding your specs, you may want to consider a complete shifter housing replacement, like the ones offered by TWM and others.
Personally, I have the Barton, very precise and notchy, exactly what I like, but probably not what you are looking for

If you do go with CAI, also consider the Racing Scoop and WW tank relocate kit.

[Hardymon]

With the sway bars, does that just eliminate body roll or does it stiffen up the whole ride? For my taste, the stock ride is about as stiff as I want it, but if it will corner better without being too much bouncier in daily driving, I'd certainly look into it.

[Hardymon]

I'm kind of leaning towards the Barton shifter atm, it seems to be the biggest reduction in throw and also offers good custom options, at the best price. I did see a hurst shifter for about 165 though (including shipping), and for that price, I may go that direction.

Can anyone offer insight into how much different the MGW with the whole replacement is versus a Barton or Hurst stick? I've watched videos and read reviews, but they all look about the same, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has had or at least driven more than one of these for comparison.

[Spartan01]

The sway Bars will reduce body roll and reduce the under steer in the Camaro.
You will feel a dramatic improvement in the steering response as well.

With the 2010, for many of the sway bars you will also need to upgrade to the 2012+ control arms.