Bang for your buck VE mods

[VE 348]

Ok I think I have done the best bank for my buck VE mods with the following...

3" cat back $850 for 15 rwkw
OTR and mafless tune $1200 for 20 rwkw

What is the next best bang for buck mod on my VE SS manual?

How much would it cost and what rwkw should I get?

What would you do next?

[tuff366]

fit a set ot 1 7/8 four into one tuned legth headers and high flow cats man changes exhaust note at high rpm and increases torque and power i believe hurricane is the best value for this and they do them with a three inch collector as well :goodjob:

[VZSSTT]

Seems to be some great results with the L98 Engine with a simple cam change. Do some searching on here first but 300rwkw + doesnt seem to be to difficult to achieve, of course you would want to compliment this with a nice set of extractors/cats.

Cam/tune/springs -$1500+ DIY if you can find someone who will tune it on the cheap

Exhaust to cats -1K Less if you want to DIY on the cheap,

Good luck with it

[tuff366]

yeah cam it for sure if you got the coin but do your headers and let the thing breath first

[VE 348]

I have found XFORCE hedders & hi flow cats for $1700 fitted....I am told that should give me 10 rwkw and some good torque as well.

In relation to bang for buck maybe cam and tune for $2,800 for 60 rwkw is better.

Only problem is cam will take away some street manners so I am a bit concerned with that.

Will the torque increase from the hedders be more beneficial than the rwkw gain?

[tuff366]

you can go to a decent cam in these things and thay are still vry streetable depends on wat your after but if your end result is a high power out put start with the basics and work up to the big stuff that way u can do it once and do it right in stead of jumoing steps then having to go back later and fit these things to maximise your power :soap::) and yeah torque increases a decent amount have you had any tune done

[VE 348]

you can go to a decent cam in these things and thay are still vry streetable depends on wat your after but if your end result is a high power out put start with the basics and work up to the big stuff that way u can do it once and do it right in stead of jumoing steps then having to go back later and fit these things to maximise your power :soap::) and yeah torque increases a decent amount have you had any tune done

Yep had a mafless tune when my OTR went on....got 20 rwkw and thats good but the car is so much better....and sounds great.

I was thinking hedders but power per dollar is low....so then thought mild cam....but had concerns about grumpy street manners.

I guess I am trying to say will hedders give me more torque or more rwkw?

[tuff366]

when i put mine on took my rwkw from 222 to 236,5 wat torque figue is making on your dyno sheet now its been tuned bro ?:):headbang::headbang:

[VE 348]

when i put mine on took my rwkw from 222 to 236,5 wat torque figue is making on your dyno sheet now its been tuned bro ?:):headbang::headbang:

I have tractive effort up my right hand side of my dyno sheet.....I dont know how to do the torque x the total power thing.....I should have asked but I was a bit shocked at my rwkw reading.

[gRumbler]

Best bang for buck i think is a stall or diff ratio change with the mods you have. :)

[Wonky]

Are you looking for power for things like overtaking and driveability (torque) or for dragging (legal of course). :D 20rwkw sounds a little low for an OTR and mafless tune. On an already MAF tuned car (A6) I picked up 15rwkw going from a pod filter to an Orrsom OTR. 8rwkw with no tune change and another 7rwkw with tune tweak.

Diff change to 3.7 will liven it up a bit without giving you extra power as such. Headers - Pacemakers or similar and decent high flow cats should give you 15 - 20 rwkw. Myself and a few others I know picked up around 15rwkw going from HSV extractors and cats to Pacies, so from the standard cast iron headers you should pick up even more.

Cam is a good way to pick up a heap and judging from a few cammed cars I've been in a mid range cam will pick you up approx 30 - 50 rwkw and still maintain good streetability. More expensive, though still on a par as a bang for buck mod and possibly one of the best in the VE it would seem.

[HSVQUE]

3.7's.

But cam install was good bang for buck to. for the performance you get Vs. the Outlay.

[SSV8TE]

Ebay chip:lol:
Sorry lads had to do it.
I agree with the best bang for buck ive done would be the 3.7 diff .Roughly $1500. Dont produce kw's but gives a much better launch off the line.
I also would say that the lightened flywheel and ls7 clutch was a good one too. No point having HP if the old clutch cant connect it to the diff. Around $2200 i think for memory.

Cheers,

Andy.

[VE 348]

Ebay chip:lol:
Sorry lads had to do it.
I agree with the best bang for buck ive done would be the 3.7 diff .Roughly $1500. Dont produce kw's but gives a much better launch off the line.
I also would say that the lightened flywheel and ls7 clutch was a good one too. No point having HP if the old clutch cant connect it to the diff. Around $2200 i think for memory.

Cheers,

Andy.

Yep its hard to get a fast start in the m6 VE's......so 3.7 diff will fix that but will the standard clutch join the party or will I need that as well?


Are you looking for power for things like overtaking and driveability (torque) or for dragging (legal of course). :D 20rwkw sounds a little low for an OTR and mafless tune. On an already MAF tuned car (A6) I picked up 15rwkw going from a pod filter to an Orrsom OTR. 8rwkw with no tune change and another 7rwkw with tune tweak.

Diff change to 3.7 will liven it up a bit without giving you extra power as such. Headers - Pacemakers or similar and decent high flow cats should give you 15 - 20 rwkw. Myself and a few others I know picked up around 15rwkw going from HSV extractors and cats to Pacies, so from the standard cast iron headers you should pick up even more.

Cam is a good way to pick up a heap and judging from a few cammed cars I've been in a mid range cam will pick you up approx 30 - 50 rwkw and still maintain good streetability. More expensive, though still on a par as a bang for buck mod and possibly one of the best in the VE it would seem.

I would like the car to have more speed off the mark.

If I could get 20 rwkw from hedders I would do it.....my tuner who said I would get 15 rwkw and 20 rwks from my mods to date was right....he says I will only get 10 rwkw from xforce hedders.

Its 1 mod at a time for me but I can do 1 every 2 months....so what order would you do the following?

Hedders
Diff
Clutch

...knowing I want more speed off the mark and with current mods of cat back and OTR plus tune

[tyrhantc]

Mate I would go the Headers first. Go the pacies and let the car fully breathe first then move onto the others. If you go the 1"3/4 they will give you better low-mid range torque anyway. Then go the diff.

[VE 348]

Mate I would go the Headers first. Go the pacies and let the car fully breathe first then move onto the others. If you go the 1"3/4 they will give you better low-mid range torque anyway. Then go the diff.

Yeah that sounds like the best solution....but at $110 per rwkw it hurts......I hope the torque is worth it.

[bonners]

so much for only spending a little on the car...........

[boyley]

so much for only spending a little on the car...........

:rofl: The bug has bit

[VE 348]

so much for only spending a little on the car...........

I know.....power is like a drug


:rofl: The bug has bit

BIG TIME MATE

[donnie111]

hey dude i'm in the same boat as to wat cam to get. i have full exhaust wit otr, still using the maf. i want good off the line power so i'm thinkin of a cam that is designed for tourqe. will i be better off gettin mafless tune as well

[AMADR8]

hey dude i'm in the same boat as to wat cam to get. i have full exhaust wit otr, still using the maf. i want good off the line power so i'm thinkin of a cam that is designed for tourqe. will i be better off gettin mafless tune as well

fark mate, thread dig much? the last reply in this thread was 2 yrs ago, there are that may threads on this forum that have the answers to your questions, just try the search button

[donnie111]

with ur full exhaust and otr wit tune u should get around 50 rwkw gain on ur ve ss. when i dynoed my ss i had 3;nh cat back wit otr and i got 299.6 rwhp so thats around 222rwkw since then i have finished off my exhaust wit headers and high flow cats. i want a power off the line to as i'm not after big hp. from talking to a few people mild cams that give u hight touqe is what they suggest i should get.


Also should i get a tune wit my cam would that give me more power off the mark..

[zorro]

Meh didn't read the dates

[BennyMac]

I agree with the best bang for buck ive done would be the 3.7 diff .Roughly $1500. Dont produce kw's but gives a much better launch off the line.
Cheers,

Andy.

:search: :closed:

[HEKYEH]

Also should i get a tune wit my cam would that give me more power off the mark..

If you put a new cam in, yes, you will need it tuned. Otherwise your car will run like shit...

[FLASH-0889]

If you put a new cam in, yes, you will need it tuned. Otherwise your car will run like shit...

+1 for the tune.

The tune is probably the most important part of any performance upgrade in any car! You can almost say the tune is the heart of everything you put into your engine, you don't spend $3k+ and skimp on the tune.

[Craig93]

try the stepped xforce headers mate.

[chrispie123]

would it be absoluty necessary to tune after full exhaust?
would there be possibilty of lean out etc that would cause damage

[FLASH-0889]

would it be absoluty necessary to tune after full exhaust?
would there be possibilty of lean out etc that would cause damage

Well getting a full exhaust system will cause the engine light to appear. So if you want that gone then a tune is the way to do it. Like I said, if your gonna spend $2-3k on a full system you might aswell spend the extra $500 or so and make sure your getting the most from it.

[Wonky]

Well getting a full exhaust system will cause the engine light to appear. So if you want that gone then a tune is the way to do it. Like I said, if your gonna spend $2-3k on a full system you might aswell spend the extra $500 or so and make sure your getting the most from it.

Engine light coming on won't happen with extractors which leave cats in original position and even with long 4-1s it may or may not happen. Most places charge much more than $500 for a custom tune!! $500 is more mail order tune price and then it may not give optimum results and you are typically off the road a couple of days while you send the CPU off and get it back.

[FLASH-0889]

Engine light coming on won't happen with extractors which leave cats in original position and even with long 4-1s it may or may not happen. Most places charge much more than $500 for a custom tune!! $500 is more mail order tune price and then it may not give optimum results and you are typically off the road a couple of days while you send the CPU off and get it back.

Well he suggested a FULL exhaust system so meaning changing everything. And as for the smaller tri-y extractors you are spot on wonks they won't cause the engine light to appear but in about 98% of cases that I know of, people who put 4into1 long extractors will experience the engine light problem. And as for tune prices I won't go there. I was just using it as an example.

[SO PHAT]

For sure headers and cats and then cam & valve springs :)

[ClubbyLs1]

Good read fellas, :goodjob:
Pitty this thread started 2 years ago but still some good oil as far as bang for buck mods.
When I fitted cam, heads cnc'd, springs and roller rockers, my engine had only done 20k (VY2SS LS1) and i skimped out on a lousy few hundred and didnt replace the lifters and later experienced lifter noises at idle.
This time I am looking to mod my VE SS-V M6 with full exhaust (1-3/4 4into1 headers) twin 2-1/2 system, vcm otr, mafless tune and later a cam but dont really want to take heads off this time. Has the quality of the gm lifters improved or maybe it was my 150lb seat pressure double springs that did it to my vy.
Anyway, Good reading everyone. One of these days I will work out how to upload pics of my ride and share a little.