Firebird Upgrades

[Black-Bird]

Yes, I know there have been many threads explaining this, but I would like to hear some info. for myself. I have a 2002 automatic Firebird v6 with xlerator exhaust. Currently I am looking into full bolt-ons. I am looking at...

1. K and N cold air intake
2. Whisper air lid, K and N may already provide a lid for my intake so I'm not sure
3. Pacesetter headers
3. VS Cam from www.zzperformance.com
4. Recently found a pcm tune http://www.pcmforless.com/
5. I do not know much about stalls, but any websites would be useful.
6. I believe I have GU4 gears which means ?? Should I change my gears?

Any comments at what I am looking at for purchase would be useful. I am looking for horsepower without spending a lot of money. I do not want nitrous so do not bring it up. Thanks for any help and maybe let me know which are the best "bang for the buck", or useless ones.

Thank You

[Crmartin99]

GU4 = open 3.08s sorry...

if you want to make the sixer respectably fast go with:

1. intake including lid and filter
2.exhaust, including headers y-pipe and cat-back
3.GEARS... 3.73 posi's or 3.42 posi should do the trick
4. Tune HP tuners if you can, or pcmforless is good too.
5. cam, one you have picked out is pretty decent.

this should put you in the mid/low 14's with 13's ACHIEVABLE... youll be able to run with most stock/LIGHTLY modded 99-04 mustang GT's

www.fullthrottlev6.com is your best bet for tech, and answers to questions.

[2000pontiac6]

I suggest you get the tune after most of your planned mods are completed. Also a stall is the first thing i've always been told to get for the auto. fuddleracing.com carries them, theyre one of our sponsors on the site. But are you looking for your car to improve in the 1/4mile drag racing or something else? Full exhaust (including headers) is good. I've never heard of the exhaust u mentioned tho. I have a full exhaust and lid with filter, and even with a near full tank of gas and my heavy TT2s on i was able to run a 15.34 so it is possible to make our cars fast. (i do believe mine came with 3.42s tho) I was also looking at that cam, if you get it let me know how u like it. I might just go with forced induction tho

the reason why people always mention nitrous for threads like this is because it really is the best bang for the buck.

[Black-Bird]

Ok as I am unexperienced in the world of upgrading cars, how would I change my gears from 3.08 to 3.42. I forgot to mention, but I am not running my car in the 1/4 mile just want it to keep up with faster cars without spending a lot of money. I was reading about the stall and is that mostly a 1/4 mile upgrade giving you better take offs or am I mistaken? I need to look into a Y-Pipe also so any website and prices would be useful. I found some good headers that I would like to install also.
I just bought my K and N cold air intake and was told that it comes with lid and a filter so that upgrade is taken care of. Any advice on which upgrade I should go with next y-pipe, headers, gears, stall? Also how much do gears cost to change?
My xlerator exhaust came with the car and is unheard of by most people but I think I am going to leave it.

[2000pontiac6]

Some headers come with the y-pipe. My pacesetters did. yeah a stall is basically for better take offs. 3.08 gears will have a better top end speed. and the higher the gears you go the more top end you lose and the more low end you gain. Do you know how wide the piping is on the exhaust that came with your car?

[Black-Bird]

Stupid Questions... What area of the exhaust would I check to see how large the piping is? Any webpages that I would be able to purchase pacesetter headers with a y-pipe included because I have not seen this. My top end gears are pointless since I do not have the power for topend would 3.73's help a lot with a 0-100 range?? What difference in speed would I see with a stall? Are pulleys a useful upgrade?

Thanks for answering my dumb questions and helping me out.

[2000pontiac6]

Stupid Questions... What area of the exhaust would I check to see how large the piping is? Any webpages that I would be able to purchase pacesetter headers with a y-pipe included because I have not seen this. My top end gears are pointless since I do not have the power for topend would 3.73's help a lot with a 0-100 range?? What difference in speed would I see with a stall? Are pulleys a useful upgrade?

Thanks for answering my dumb questions and helping me out.

You just need the diameter of it. it doesnt really matter what part of the exhaust... so long as its the new exhaust system still. I think all pacesetter headers for us include the y-pipe. Read up on stalls... i'm still not 100% about them thats why i never got one. Plus gears and stall hurt gas mileage which is a another reason i havent gotten them

[Black-Bird]

Did my research on gears and I heard that 3.73's barely effect gas mileage. I heard it is a significant difference in speed and covers low end power nicely. I now nothing about where I can purchase them and what type of shop installs them, but hopefully I can find out soon. I have seen a lot of mustang forums talk about them but little mention in ls1 territory. I would est. 95% of people that gear'd there cars loved the difference. A few people with older models did have significant differences in gas mileage but that does not affect me. As I am not working to have a strong take off a stall is pointless to me.
Hopefully soon to come upgrades:
1. 3.73 or 4.10 gears
2. Pacesetter headers
3. PCM tune
4. VS Cam
5. Pulleys, know nothing about but hope to learn more