What do you do?

[TransDreamer]

I dont have my F-body yet... but by april ill have my baby in my garage. Anyways, when i start to mod it ( im buying one stock if i can ) what do you guys do for installation? Do you do it yourself, or do you pay a shop to do it? I mean im not a retard, im sure i can do some things by myself. My dad worked on pontiacs for years so he can help, but hes out of it. I got most tools i could use, but i cant weld or anything.

I got a friend that has a garage where him and his bad build hotrods, so thats what i think i might do, but thats a maybe...

And if i do pay a shop to work install parts, how much should i except to pay for like headers/full exhaust/cats....

Also any shop i have had work on my old firebird they wouldnt instal parts they didnt sell... and they never sold performance parts...

Point me down the right path

[Corey1987]

so far i have done all my own work, ive got a lid, pro 5.0 shifter, LTs, y pipe slp lm2, and wheels, only 1 thing so far im not going to do myself, gear install.

[99blueZ]

yea all the bolt-ons aren't too difficult. And you don't need any great knowledge or skills to do them.

[TransDreamer]

So like headers to cats i could myself? with a slight amount of help

[99blueZ]

yea with a friend to help you headers are pretty simple - will probably take you all day though. You learn a lot doing it and feel great when you are finished.

[ss~zoso~ss]

its the matter of being able to work on these cars, like a lift is really necessary for most installs, these cars just have NO clearence whatso ever underneath

[99blueZ]

its the matter of being able to work on these cars, like a lift is really necessary for most installs, these cars just have NO clearence whatso ever underneath

Its not always easy to do all installs on our cars, but you don't need a lift for most mods. You can use simple ramps to get the car up higher.

[WARP211]

The bolt-on's you shouldn't have a problem with and the headers are pretty basic.. Shops can charge anywhere from 75-120 HR. for labor it depends on the shop..



(Also any shop i have had work on my old firebird they wouldnt instal parts they didnt sell... and they never sold performance parts...)

The shop was just being lazy the didn't wana install those types of parts for whatever reason... Any shop can install it depends if they want to.. High performance shops are gonna get you.. They usually charge alot.. i would call around and ask how much they would do the work for... If you brought the parts in..

[Mr. Luos]

Did a motor swap in a one car garage.

The exhaust and a couple fuel fittings were the only things I didn't do here.
Had some help from local LS1er's...thank god.

Shop prices are just WAY too much.

[Y2KPewterSS]

4 years ago, I could change oil and fill a car with gas and thats about it. Now on my second Camaro, I have done every single thing possible except a cam swap and build a shortblock. All suspension and bolt on mods are very simple. I do all my work in a one car garage with my 2 jacks, 4 jackstands, and creeper. Anything can be done if you have the desire to attempt it and the patience to follow through with it.

[Mjolnir]

Just drop a 408 in there ;-)

[TransDreamer]

Is a catback system fairly easy? I dont mean easy, i mean possible. I have the tools nessacary i belive, other than like 02 sensore wrench, welder, and a plasma cuter....

For a full exhaust system how hard is it, i mean dont headers just bolt on to your exhaust manifold, then the primarys go back to your Y-pipe to a collector to you mufffler/resinator.. then out the duels...

Btw whats the difference between the resinators and the muffler..

Another thing, my dad wants me to run "True duels" when i get my T/A, ive heard of a few people that have them... how hard is it to deal with puting in an H-pipe and is it worth it?

[Mr. Luos]

It depends on the true duals. Most are pre-made so they bolt up or weld up.

A catback is a piece of cake. No need for the tools mentioned. Maybe a sawsall to get the stock stuff off. Otherwise it is just basic tools.

[LS1MuNkY]

just takes time and patience but like 99bluez said it feels great to know that you did it yourself and didnt have the shop do it..

[TransDreamer]

Its not always easy to do all installs on our cars, but you don't need a lift for most mods. You can use simple ramps to get the car up higher.

what kind of ramps and lifts would you use in a garage?

[Mr. Luos]

I had to make my own ramps to get my car on.
Those rhino ramps my tires are too wide for. Just pushed them.

[99blueZ]

what kind of ramps and lifts would you use in a garage?

yea i have rhino ramps. They will be plenty for doin exhaust. When we did headers on a friends car we just interlocked some 2x4s under the ramps and that got it up high enough.

This is overkill but really cool - i just picked one up.
http://www.kwiklift.com/

[BowTied]

Just don't put yourself in a time crunch.

If you are not inside the engine (meaning you are doing bolt-on mods) nothing is too bad.

My SLP long-tubes were a bit tough on the driver's side but the result is worth all the work and then some! These cars really respond to mods, basically you've got a LS1 that is crammed into a car and greatly detuned from the airbox to intake and the exhaust manifold and back.

My brother just drove my car last month (and was wondering hw it would compare to his fancy dentist friend'd 420hp Cobra.) Well his eyes got really big, and I think he was a bit scared when he felt the torque. He said the Cobra didn't have anything on it! AND THE CAR SURVIVED A 4TH TO 1ST SHIFT, when he bounced off 5th the ass came up about a foot!

The only mods at that time...
Headers
Hi-Flow Cats
Muffler
MAF
K&N and slight mod to the cold-air intake
EGR mod.
And I believe my Intake Manifold is off the Vette LS6?

(coming soon, a Fast Intake and 90mm throttle body.)

[Mr. Luos]

AND THE CAR SURVIVED A 4TH TO 1ST SHIFT, when he bounced off 5th the ass came up about a foot!

You lost me with this.



And how did your 335RWHP car compare to a 420RWHP Cobra? Don't get me wrong, I love the LS1. But something just doesn't add up with that.

[WARP211]

You lost me with this.



And how did your 335RWHP car compare to a 420RWHP Cobra? Don't get me wrong, I love the LS1. But something just doesn't add up with that.

4th to 1st.. gear change wooOOOOO.. hold on boy... yeah i gotta agree with luos.. i love my LS-1 but the cobra had around 390 to 380 HP at the wheels.. and TQ was arond 370.. stock.. But then again FORD has to put a supercharger on a mustang to beat a camaro.. I guess they can't do it with motor.. Put a supercharger on a MARO.. and watch out boy..