Suggestions on what to mod next?

[will4242]

Recently bought my ls1 car and it already has pacesetter long tube headers 3" cat back exhaust from collector to tail and slp lid. I have 2k to play around with what should be my next mod?

[az gt eater]

Auto or manual? If auto, stall. That should wake it up real nice. Brake kit also. That way, you have some go and some stop.

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If you add A4 or M6 to your sig, then we will all know right off the bat.. BTW, welcome to the site.

[will4242]

thanks for the welcome its A4. What would be a good stall to add?

[az gt eater]

That I can't answer for you. I do know that everyone says that these cars should have come from the factory with a stall. Makes it a completely different car. You can get a mail order tune to wake up some power and mpgs, too. Costs around 200, car is down for a few day. I don't know what your emissions sit is like, but the tune can delete the rear O2's and that way you can pass emissions without cats. You should check out the sticky section. It is under general help. Lots of info there, including install guides on everything.

[az gt eater]

Here is everything I have done so far. If you need help with any of these, send me a PM.

[will4242]

i wonder if it already has a tune then because i don't have cats now and it passes emissions.

[az gt eater]

Hard to know without seeing a tuner, or gettin into tuning yourself. One thing I would reccomend if you get a tune, is to change the thermostat. Put in a 160 degree stat. The radiators in these cars are at an extreme angle, and don't cool efficiently. The 160 will open up sooner, and stay open longer. Hence, run cooler.

[will4242]

the thermostat is one thing i am going to change for sure.

[az gt eater]

The smooth bellows is really cheap to do, and affects your airflow. That needs to be accounted for in the tune as well. You will need a "no-hub" from Home Depot. 3"by 3". Fernco makes it. Goes between the airbox and MAF. Wrestle that baby on. Less then 10$. Reduces turbulence into the intake, which will increase airflow. You can look at your engine as an air pump. The more air you move, the more power you make.

[Naaman]

I'm just going to throw this out there:

With 2K to "play around with" you'll want to know what your goals are. Do you just want something faster than what you've got? Or does handling mean anything to you? Either way, the more power you make, the more supporting mods you'll need.

The concensus around here is that all autos need a stall. Another thing that is fairly universal is that all F-Bodies need subframe connectors. UMI is the popular choice. The 3-points will yield the best results, but 2-points are cheaper, if that matters to you.

You might also look into a rear end (might need to save up a few hundred more, though).

[will4242]

As for my goals i want something faster but i don't want an all out track car. I had really looked into the suspension the other night. I can get some used Hotchkis performance trailing arms, sway bars, Panhard rod (adjustable) and subframe connectors for around $600.

[will4242]

I can get a 3600 stall, 160 thermostat, ls6 intake manifold, 241 heads, subframe connectors, and torque arm for under 2k. Would this be worth doing then having a tune done after?

[az gt eater]

That is a good list. I am pretty sure you will need a tune after the intake. A tune can help your shifts as well.

[will4242]

So what actually would the difference be between my stock 98 heads and the 241 heads off an 05 gto?

[will4242]

Or I could get some 243 heads with sodium filled valves, PRC .650 springs and a G5x2 cam with 3600 stall.

[Naaman]

You may want to hold off on the heads until you're ready for a cam. It's good to get those done together because the labor overlaps significantly. Generally, the 243 heads are better, I believe, but since you have a 98, there are considerations for the heads (the perimeter bolts on the 98 are a different pattern than the 241s and 243s).

Depending of what you want out of the car, I might also hold off on the torque arm as well. I don't know from personal experience, but I understand the aftermarket ones are noisy which would annoy the crap out of me (YMMV).

If you get the LCAs for the rear, rod-end type will also make noise, but they allow better performance of the suspension. UMI makes a roto-joint that is supposed to reduce the noise while still offering the same flexibility (and increased durability/life-span) of the rod-end. So do some research before you buy.

[robcas47]

At the very least, I recommend sub frame connectors first. The take a look at shocks/struts and figure out if you need to replace them or not. You'll still have some cash left over to afford a decent torque converter. Most will say no less than a 3k stall,, but that depends on your goals. Also recommend shift kit, trans cooler, and A4 upgrades. Just my .2c

[Too Fast]

Yes subframe connectors first. Then I'd do a stall.

[SMWS6TA]

OP more important questions is how you want the car to be when all is said and done. There are many ways to skin this chicken. Us 98's are a special breed. We reap all the benefits of of the advance mods but none of the body nightmares like Chicken Pox and crack door panels.



I've picked up a set of used 243's for $450. They are out there and you can find them. Yes you will also need new valve covers and coil pack mounting plate. Those both I picked up for around $40 for a set of covers and $28 for the plates off of ebay.

Heads & cam's you really want to tie together because the it's the cost of tuning. $500 is the average. So getting both together saves you $$$


Best advice is make it a solid car before modding the hell out of it. I was told early on to build a solid foundation and leave the engine last. That way your not chasing broken parts every time you launch because the engine is breaking the transmission, suspension & rear.


Biggest 2 weak points on our cars is body flex and the POS 10 bolt rear. SFC's should be required on all of these cars. Rear - that's a deep pocket of coin to invest in but one you'll never regret.



I've attached my signature to show what I've been doing and done.

[will4242]

So start with the foundation first. Sounding more and more like that's what i should do.