Funds approved for mods!!

[Uncle Tone]

Wifey-poo has given me permission!! :D

Problem is I can only spend 5 grand until the baby comes :( (late August) :D

So I'm thinking:

-Twin 3 inch catback or perhaps full system, I hear Xforce are doing some bigger headers, and they said they could make up a quiet 3' catback for me. Also if I want FI later on I have an exhaust that can compliment it better.

-Metal substrate cats.

-Cold air intake, either an alloy tube or perhaps mod the airbox (Shouldn't be too hard)

-1.8 roller rockers (perhaps giving the effect of a little baby cam?) and springs (maybe...not sure if they're needed, I've heard the springs in the LS2 are better)

-MAF :drool: :love: tune to top it all off.

Should be about 5 grands worth there I guess.

Whaddya reckon? I'll get this done as soon as I've chosen an exhaust:yahoo:

[OUTAtheBloo]

Tone, you need to think bigger picture.

Save the money and work towards a turbo/blower package. You know what all those other things do, how about getting what you ultimately want ?

What ever you do mate will be cool :thumbsup:

Dan

[LS1TOY]

i would get full stainless system with coated headers. cai. and a tune coughmaflessplutter. a big tick to the 1 7/8 headers and twin 3's.:thumbsup: dont know about the rockers. would it be worth it. could buy some drinkys with that money for while you are fitting your exhaust.:beer:
Jake,

[vyssbeast]

Tone, maybe hold on the extractors thought for a moment till you decide blower or turbo ...

[vpstroker]

hahahahaha congrats on bubs and wife allowing the mods ,id go full zorst first
2nd otrcai,and then a full tune and rest money save up for better things later down the track

[BLACKWAGON]

couldnt u stretch it for cam 3g, and rest to exhaust/intake? or are the ve's more expensive?

[michaels1v8]

hahahahaha congrats on bubs and wife allowing the mods ,id go full zorst first
2nd otrcai,and then a full tune and rest money save up for better things later down the track


No OTRCAI on VEs...


Tone I would do the mods you have listed except like vyssbeast hold off on the headers until you are sure on blower or turbo FI. No point wasting money on something if your not going to need them later. If blower go the 1 7/8 extractors..

[HSVQUE]

just get ttkit.. run the standard exhaust should still be good for 350+rwkw on f.a boost.. not to mention stealth :D

but seriously.. i have the 1 7/8 ceramic coated headers on my car with twin 3" stainless and it sounds nuts.. make sure you choose the mufflers wisely as my system wasn't supposed to be that loud but the headers seem to make it sound abit spastic.

baby cam could be the way to go though..imrpoved fuel economy and bucket louds of usable power.. Many many options..

[swingtan]

Uncle Tone, don't do a cat back but go the whole hog on the headers as well. If you are going to go for 1.8 rockers, why skimp on the exhaust? Besides if you go for a turbo down the track, Shep may want the headers.....

Otherwise you have a pretty good plan but may just exceed the budget.

[Uncle Tone]

, Shep may want the headers.....

Dammit I forgot to look for them last night....sorry Shep, shall look on the weekend!!

[TUFFIE]

Go get em Tone.... Target 245 Rwkw and then some:driving:

[fatas]

dont forget twin mafs tone :idea: i hear sonny has some very special ones just for you !!:deal: :teach:

[fastestls7]

look at what you get for 5k at kpm motorsports. and what an awesome drive home it would be from adelaide?????????? take the missus have a little 3 day holiday. win win situation.

[hRTHSV]

Tone, Pretty sure the spings will bind at full lift with 1.8 rockers.

[Uncle Tone]

Go get em Tone.... Target 245 Rwkw and then some:driving:

At 239 now, so just 6rwkw to go!!:yahoo:

Might see if I can go a mite higher than that eh? :D

[My SS-V]

Tone

This is the way I went, and I couldnt be happier.

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=75034

Finished with 273.3 rwkw in my SSV. with just over 5k spent

Greg

[crtx]

Go with the regular bolt ons,

CAI,
Extractors,
Exhaust,
Tune.

Prob have $2k left 918 Springs in?

[vt350phantom]

Tone, you need to think bigger picture.

Save the money and work towards a turbo/blower package. You know what all those other things do, how about getting what you ultimately want ?



This sounds like good advice!

[bermudablue]

If you could only give up th MAF:p

[[J]]

Go with the regular bolt ons,

CAI,
Extractors,
Exhaust,
Tune.

Prob have $2k left 918 Springs in?

Let me know where to get those sort of prices :p

Either 1) people everywhere are being royaly ripped off, or 2) your guesstimate calculator is waaaay off. (I think its option 2 ;) )

Sparky

[EXCESSV]

Go with the regular bolt ons,

CAI,
Extractors,
Exhaust,
Tune.

Prob have $2k left 918 Springs in?

not on the VEs champ...
the prices for VE stuff has a nice premium on them since they are new...
for $5K you might be able to JUST squeeze the mods you said above minus the springs ofcourse

[xquizit]

I agree do the exhaust properly dont skimp, otherwise you will go to do further mods in the future & the exhaust might not handle it & youll have to do it all again.

[volt]

This might be a squeeze for 5g, but what about a small cam (something FI suitable). Then, if funds permit, some exhaust mods.

Why bother doing intake, or rockers if your going to bin them later?

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

Thats not a bad idea really. I'm not sure but do E-series HSV's come with 4-1 extractors (short) standard? If so I reckon.

FI style cam - $3500 installed and tuned
CAI - $750?? (cant remember price)
Exhaust - $750 for a twin 3 inch? Not sure on cost for VE.

Like everybody says leave the headers untill you know if you are going turbo or blower. Remember you can talk some shops down on price too.
With the cam in it should go like stink and keep you satisfied until the FI stage.

Edit - Just realised the intake would get binned so maybe another thing to think about, unless you dont mind losing some dollars and sell it once you are done with it.

[EXCESSV]

FI style cam - $3500 installed and tuned
CAI - $750?? (cant remember price)
Exhaust - $750 for a twin 3 inch? Not sure on cost for VE.

Edit - Just realised the intake would get binned so maybe another thing to think about, unless you dont mind losing some dollars and sell it once you are done with it.

CAI = $500
exhaust cat back 3" = $1600 at least for the VE

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

CAI = $500
exhaust cat back 3" = $1600 at least for the VE

Problem solved scrap the CAI as its going to get binned anyway. But are you sure thats not stainless?? Thats hell expensive for an exhaust, they cant justify that for mild steel!

[EXCESSV]

Problem solved scrap the CAI as its going to get binned anyway. But are you sure thats not stainless?? Thats hell expensive for an exhaust, they cant justify that for mild steel!
its the premium for having a VE being a new car...trust me i am shocked.
looking at the stuff its close to $5K for a full system in stainless!!! :cussing:

and if you put cat back and decide later to go cats and extractors then you either have to buy different catback of hack/modify the existing one!

[Uncle Tone]

its the premium for having a VE being a new car...trust me i am shocked.
looking at the stuff its close to $5K for a full system in stainless!!! :cussing:



Yeah, screw paying that much....:cussing:

I'm starting to mod myself a nice CAI tonight using the stock airbox. Theres $500 bucks saved.

I reckon a bigger snorkel will fit well in there.....going to make one up and call it the UTCAI....patent pending of course :lol:

Bigger snorkel and some smooth pipe from airbox to TB and that should be the intake sorted out for this old chestnut.

[UTE FORCE]

I reckon a bigger snorkel will fit well in there..

Tone this is a family forum mate

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

Yeah, screw paying that much....:cussing:

I'm starting to mod myself a nice CAI tonight using the stock airbox. Theres $500 bucks saved.

I reckon a bigger snorkel will fit well in there.....going to make one up and call it the UTCAI....patent pending of course :lol:

Bigger snorkel and some smooth pipe from airbox to TB and that should be the intake sorted out for this old chestnut.

I thought the main issue with the air box was that it was too small. I don't think a snorkel will help it much but I could be wrong.

[Uncle Tone]

I thought the main issue with the air box was that it was too small. I don't think a snorkel will help it much but I could be wrong.

Thats possible too...guess I'll find out, eh?

[swingtan]

Make sure you calibrate the "seat-o-the-pants-o-meter" so it's ready for testing. We want full details on how each mod works out.....

[shep]

And hurry up we are all waiting :toetap:

[HSVREDSLED]

Tone,

Take the 5 grand and stash it. Tell the missus you got the mods and keep reassuring her about how good the car is now going. (If she is like my missus, she wont know)

Start a slush fund and save till you can afford TT or some other form of forced induction and do the mods once and do the mods right.

Sled

[EXCESSV]

the factory air box is very shallow tone and the way it sits over the wheel arch you cant put a deeper one.

good luck with the bigger snorkle but i doubt you will get any improvement as one of the bottle necks is the shallow box

[Uncle Tone]

the factory air box is very shallow tone and the way it sits over the wheel arch you cant put a deeper one.

good luck with the bigger snorkle but i doubt you will get any improvement as one of the bottle necks is the shallow box

Fair point.

And so starts the UTCAI project!!!

http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_1.jpg
I've enlarged the hole considerably, as big as I could without stuffing up the lid clips and such. The hole is now more than twice the size easily.
http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_2.jpg
Not a bad size increase at all!!

http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_3.jpg
As it sits in the car

http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_4.jpg

http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_5.jpg


http://www.tcphotos.com/getuserimage.asp?t=n&id=img14438_09052007132906_6.jpg

With the lid on and filter in.


Next is to figure out how to do plastic welding, and see if I can't get some sort of fair sized snorkel grafted onto the front somehow. It looks promising, but the volume under the filter is a concern, especially how it tapers in towards the back.

I'll complete it and do some back to backs on a dyno somewhere.

[swingtan]

The hole size is good, but I'm a tad worried that the lip has been weakened and may allow unfiltered air past the filter. Does the filter seal in the lid or the base for the VE? Plastic welding a snorkel into it will restore some structural integrity though. As long as it still seals though, it looks great.

[TUFFIE]

"I'll complete it and do some back to backs on a dyno somewhere"

Hey Tone you can try it out at the Dyno day in Hallam on the 19th.:yahoo:

Why not just enclose it from the engine bay instead and it will be similar to a pod filter set up..no need for a snorkle.

[IH8FORDS]

Where you thinking of getting the work done tone?

[Uncle Tone]

Hey Tone you can try it out at the Dyno day in Hallam on the 19th.:yahoo:

Why not just enclose it from the engine bay instead and it will be similar to a pod filter set up..no need for a snorkle.

Well...theres an idea!! Won't be finished though, but we could test out my big hole!! :lol:

Also considering removing the entire bottom of the airbox and sealing it with sponge against the inner guard, then making a duct that hugs the inner guard down to the bottom, sealing it from hot air from the engine bay.

Thoughts?


Where you thinking of getting the work done tone?

I'll make the CAI, but as far as a tune goes it will be going to Electronic Automotive, who will also do the rockers and springs.

Still undecided on the exhaust, but the Sonny inspired system has my vote at the moment.

[crtx]

ahh sorry i was speaking for the ls1, missed it he had a ls2.

in that case no chance :) but thats what i paid for my goodies or there abouts.

Cheers

[IH8FORDS]

I pick my car up from there in 2 weeks, love thier work:driving:

[Uncle Tone]

The hole size is good, but I'm a tad worried that the lip has been weakened and may allow unfiltered air past the filter. Does the filter seal in the lid or the base for the VE? Plastic welding a snorkel into it will restore some structural integrity though. As long as it still seals though, it looks great.

The rim of the airbox is very thick and strong, and seals well even after the cutting.

Another thing to look into is some port matching of the manifold to the TB and maybe the heads.

I think I'll listen to the majority here and get a twin 3 inch catback.....unless I can be persuaded that there is a significant benefit from changing the extractors and cats.

So the mods on the to do list now read as follows:

CAI
Port matching manifold
1.8 rockers
cat back
tune

Wonder if thats still under the 5 grand?