Help out a Noob

[Hercules778]

Hey ppl..when it comes to car parts..and what does what..Im pretty much a noob. Last 6 years Ive been leasing cars..never had problem with anything..just bring it in for scheduled service n oil changes n thats that. Prior to leasing I had a mercury mountaneer for 7 years...again I never had a problem with the car..just followed the miles for service..theyd tell me how much and what needs replacing..oil changes..etc.

Before car shopping I didnt know what torque stood for, didnt know what a dyno tune was, never heard of these "performance chips"..etc

So my camaro SS is coming in about 2 months. I got a $4500 budget to spend on extras.

$1,500 will go to installing and purchasing 4 train horns and a 5 gallon air tank thats gonna go in the back of my trunk. (Not sure if it fits but if not I will get smaller horns and tank)

I got $3,000 left. Wanted to install footwell lighting in both driver and passenger, that won't cost much.


What does a dyno tune do exactly? Is the 600-700 bucks for it worth it? Does it really increase performance? Ive read that alot of people got minimal 3-4hp gains after spending hundreds on it. What exactly do they tune and the dyno just shows the results right?

Next, what are these performance chips I keep hearing about? What do they do exactly? Is it worth getting?

3rd party exhaust pipes..other than changing the sound of the car, are there other benefits to getting a 3rd party exhaust?

ColdAirIntakes..I understand what they do..would they break the camaro warrantee? I read this about CAI's and was wondering if anyone ever had problems with them.

When using a cold air intake, there is a potential risk when driving in the rain. This is often referred to as "hydrolock", and according to the automotive portal, MODsearch: "Say it's raining cats and dogs and you're out for a spin in your car. Normally you'd love to rip through puddles without thinking twice, but because your engine is now getting air from inside your bumper you have to be careful. If your engine manages to suck up any amount of water through the intake and into the engine you will probably have little to no horsepower left. In other words, be careful." So, it is important to take the necessary precautions when using a cold air intake so you do not end up flooding your engine.

Lastly..superchargers..do they break camaro warrantee and should I be looking at one for my $4,500 budget? Which one should I look at? Would getting a charger/performance chip, CAI ever damage my engine?

Is there any other car part or addon I did not mention that I should consider looking at, and if so what?

Sorry for all these dumb questions for you pros out there, but I just dont know much about cars, but my camaro ss thats coming in im gonna have a long time, and dont mind spending extra money for increasing that torque feeling of my eyeballs going to the back of my head when I hit the gas pedal =o

[ZZcamaro]

I fyou have a 3k budget I would get a CAI, Full exhaust with Headers, and then Dyno Tune it...You should have enough left over to install your lighting!! That would be a great start and should gain you nearly 50HP at the wheels and it would sound MUCH better.

If you would like to discuss your options more let me know, or send me a PM...I would be happy to build a custom package for you to meet your budget.

[2Tightwads]

Wow you have alot of great questions. Let me know in exchange what the heck that horn thing is for exactly, $1,500? Ouch! Okay so a dyno tune is absolutely worth it but not necessary with the amount of modifications your interested in nor will it have the ability to curb the warranty fears you have. Its for serious upgrade folks who are really understanding of the fact that they are taking their chances by maximizing their power potential. 3rd party exhaust will give you more power (think of it like breathing out thru a coffee straw vs. a McDonalds straw...which one do you think is more effiecient at expelling spent fumes?...hence MO' Power!) Oh and the sound part is an added bonus! Cold Air Intakes void warranty? Haven't heard that from any local service managers out here...Worth every penny and never had an issue with the ones I support (sell many, support only a few personally!)...Supercharger, way outa' line on the factory warranty. Also the expense is tremendous over the other part options you mentioned. Okay now lets talk about what I recommend to you starting out...

$3k? Well I can say if plan to pay retail you aren't getting any further than a set of headers these days. Solution: 2Tightwads Racing, Though I can't openly quote you a price here I can comment on what I can do for you as I see a full on package with $'s left over for some ambient toysl. I would send you down the route of either Roto-Fab CAI or ADM Performance CAI, Magnaflow Axle Back, and ARH 1 7/8 headers with high flow cats and x intermediate pipes. If you want just a few more ponies a handheld tuner is available so you can swap your tune from stock to performance prior to visiting your dealer alleviating those tuning warranty issue you mentioned earlier. Oh and your ambient light upgrade I think I can service that for ya' too...I sell only the best (search AACSTYLE or ORACLE on here)!

Happy to discuss options and pricing anytime!

Cell 210-954-4985

[Z_Rocks]

Originally Posted by Hercules778

Hey ppl..when it comes to car parts..and what does what..Im pretty much a noob. Last 6 years Ive been leasing cars..never had problem with anything..just bring it in for scheduled service n oil changes n thats that. Prior to leasing I had a mercury mountaneer for 7 years...again I never had a problem with the car..just followed the miles for service..theyd tell me how much and what needs replacing..oil changes..etc.

Before car shopping I didnt know what torque stood for, didnt know what a dyno tune was, never heard of these "performance chips"..etc

So my camaro SS is coming in about 2 months. I got a $4500 budget to spend on extras.

$1,500 will go to installing and purchasing 4 train horns and a 5 gallon air tank thats gonna go in the back of my trunk. (Not sure if it fits but if not I will get smaller horns and tank)

I got $3,000 left. Wanted to install footwell lighting in both driver and passenger, that won't cost much.


What does a dyno tune do exactly? Is the 600-700 bucks for it worth it? Does it really increase performance? Ive read that alot of people got minimal 3-4hp gains after spending hundreds on it. What exactly do they tune and the dyno just shows the results right?

Next, what are these performance chips I keep hearing about? What do they do exactly? Is it worth getting?

3rd party exhaust pipes..other than changing the sound of the car, are there other benefits to getting a 3rd party exhaust?

ColdAirIntakes..I understand what they do..would they break the camaro warrantee? I read this about CAI's and was wondering if anyone ever had problems with them.
Lastly..superchargers..do they break camaro warrantee and should I be looking at one for my $4,500 budget? Which one should I look at? Would getting a charger/performance chip, CAI ever damage my engine?

Is there any other car part or addon I did not mention that I should consider looking at, and if so what?

Sorry for all these dumb questions for you pros out there, but I just dont know much about cars, but my camaro ss thats coming in im gonna have a long time, and dont mind spending extra money for increasing that torque feeling of my eyeballs going to the back of my head when I hit the gas pedal =o

The horn is a waste of money IMHO and you're gonna piss people off. You can spend the $1500 on a nice CAM plus what ZZCamaro said.

[HorsePowerAddicts]

I would suggest Kooks long tube headers, SLP or Magnaflow catback, Rotofab cold air intake, and a dyno tune to maximize gains. That would be about your budget depending on where you went assuming you do not do your own work. If you could also pick up an underdrive pulley. Then you would be done with the basic bolt-ons and you will have 425-430rwhp with a LS3 car. Definatly a big improvement over stock. Get someone with HP Tuners to tune your car instead of just a generic handheld tuner.

[JohnInSoCal]

Originally Posted by Hercules778

$1,500 will go to installing and purchasing 4 train horns and a 5 gallon air tank thats gonna go in the back of my trunk.

dude, is that a huge NOS tank in your trunk ? Nah it's my amtrak horn.

i'd skip the the train horns and go with an exhaust and CAI. You mentioned warranty several times so that rules out a tune or a CAM or supercharger. If you decide you don't care about warranty then go for long tubes and full exhaust, CAI and a tune and that should fit your budget and give you a decent performance improvement.

[Hercules778]

Originally Posted by JohnInSoCal

dude, is that a huge NOS tank in your trunk ? Nah it's my amtrak horn.

^ that made me LOL

Thank you very much for the response guys..Ill throw out the appropriate PMS or look at your contact info when the time comes in 30-60 days. Bookmarked this thread. Thanks again.

[Partick]

The difference between a Mountaineer and the SS will be enough to inflict permagrin (and scare the crap out of you a time or two) so I would leave it be for a while and wait until you get a feel for how much more you really want out of it.

Train horns...

[Revo1]

Originally Posted by JohnInSoCal

dude, is that a huge NOS tank in your trunk ? Nah it's my amtrak horn.

i'd skip the the train horns and go with an exhaust and CAI. You mentioned warranty several times so that rules out a tune or a CAM or supercharger. If you decide you don't care about warranty then go for long tubes and full exhaust, CAI and a tune and that should fit your budget and give you a decent performance improvement.

LOL

Definitely not my first thought when it comes to mods.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Hercules778

What does a dyno tune do exactly? Is the 600-700 bucks for it worth it? Does it really increase performance? Ive read that alot of people got minimal 3-4hp gains after spending hundreds on it. What exactly do they tune and the dyno just shows the results right?

A tune adjusts the engine parameters such as timing. Tunes help other mods work together better.

Next, what are these performance chips I keep hearing about? What do they do exactly? Is it worth getting?

Chips are basically non-existant for new cars. They do the same thing as a tune.

3rd party exhaust pipes..other than changing the sound of the car, are there other benefits to getting a 3rd party exhaust?

Aftermarket exhausts will get you some extra power, and slightly better fuel economy (if you drive conservatively, which is rare with a badass exhaust).

ColdAirIntakes..I understand what they do..would they break the camaro warrantee? I read this about CAI's and was wondering if anyone ever had problems with them.

A high flow filter will let more dirt into the engine, but its not really enough to worry about. Technically, warranties are only voided if it can be proven that part caused the damage. The reality is a little more muddled than that, and I don't know enough to go into more detail

Lastly..superchargers..do they break camaro warrantee and should I be looking at one for my $4,500 budget? Which one should I look at? Would getting a charger/performance chip, CAI ever damage my engine?

Based on your experience and budget, I don't think a supercharger is realistic. And your GM powertrain warranty is pretty much guaranteed to be gone if you install a supercharger. If you make more power without increasing the strength of the parts of the engine, its essentially a given that the life of the engine will be reduced, though this could mean that it will die at 375,000 mi vs 400,000. For the most part, anything under 600 hp is going to be almost as safe as stock (which can still have things go wrong).

Sorry for all these dumb questions for you pros out there, but I just dont know much about cars, but my camaro ss thats coming in im gonna have a long time, and dont mind spending extra money for increasing that torque feeling of my eyeballs going to the back of my head when I hit the gas pedal =o

Don't apologize. At one point we were all clueless when it came to cars. For some it was 5 years ago and for others its been more than 50. One thing that I recomend is to keep your car stock for a while, and then decide what you'd like to improve upon. Could be that the power is enough, but you don't like the handling. Or that the exhaust note is fine, but you still want a bigger punch.