I bought The Intense Stage 3 with HPtuners and a Binary File from Intense. With the apprx $450 for Stage 3 and $650 for Hptuners and $99 for Binary File and the $550 for Installation at my shop. i paid $1750 for 245 whp. Whe i could have went to GM and bought stage 2 for $637 and then $200 for install and bought the Pulleyboyz 2.8 for $100. and paid $937. and still be under warranty

Yes the HPtuners and expensive install is the factor in this. but now i see tuning isnt cheap and unless u plan on going all out. HPtuners isnt necessary. I made a $800 mistake. and i hope no one else does. do u see anything positive in this or am i just dumb?

 

You would have saved either 500 or 200 by installing yourself. It really isn't that hard, plus I've seen people get it in writing that they can keep their warranty if they install the GM stage kits. You also really cant add HPTuners to the stage 3 if you dont use it with Stage 2. You could have sent your computer to Intense and they would have done it.

 

yeah. but i had the fear of not knowing what was going on in my computer. at least now i can see what they did.

 

yeah self install is a sinch. it took me no time about an hour and a half to do it all. 550 is alot for an hour and a half of work. all i had to pay was 5 buck so my friend could drink some beer to help me haah.

 

Unless you plan to really step it up down the road and can benefit from the much cheaper binary files , or you have the ability to tune yourself theres really no reason to buy HPtuners . Eh , ya live a learn dude . Tuning will be cheaper in the future though now , hehe If the Cobalt community gets like the LS1/LT1 community is , there are sites with several different tunes for various combo's that people have posted all free to DL . It was a great way for dumbasses like I was to get base tune and build on it , and eventually learn to do it yourself .

Just straight ordering stage 3 from intense , which already woulda had the tune still woulda been cheaper by about 200 bux than GM stg 2 with the 2.8 .

stg 3 @ 529 plus 200 bux install . I didnt include the core for the PCM cuz u get that back anyways .

edit : didnt see the 550 install price , yikes !

 

I think your plan was Great. Only thing I would of changes is:

1)Bought the $500 STD hptuners
2)Installed it myself.
3)Why did you pay $99 for the bin, doesn't the stage 3 include the binary file?

 

Hmm I dont get it.

I would have got the 60LBS injectors, 2.8 pulley, and HP TUNERS. then do it up.

what did I do? I ordered stage II cause the price dropped. was 1150 CDN and now is $850. It would have cost almost that just for HP tuners set $650US plus exchange and duty would be $850.

 

That was what I should have done as well.

The HP Tuners tune is smoother than the Stage 2 one as well. Rob posted before that he got 16 HP and 12 TQ OVER the GM stage 2 with his HP Tune.

Oh well still have the warranty.

 

Yeah but add the $100 2.8 pulley ring and then you would be even. he also had exhaust and intake. Do the same and you will have the same or more power. then get HP TUners and do better. The stage 2 injectors are good for 400HP or a little better. Dont need 60LBS. If I actually replace the pistons then I can up grade injectors. some one will buy them. its not a total waste.

 

i didnt go with a 2.8 becasue im scared ass hell about my pistons. I didnt order the Intense Stage 3 kit technically. because i wanted 60lb injectors. so i did a everything in the kit except 60 instead of 42 lb injectors. if i would have bought the kit then i would have stuck with the tuned PCM.Im depressed right now and u would know why if u read my horror story post. i dont see that big of a gain with all i got. but yet who knows i may not have even felt the full power out of it yet.
read my story if u havent

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/2-0l-lsj-performance-tech-47/well-i-got-my-intense-stage-3-now-read-about-my-ride-home-23902/

 

Afraid of a 2.8 pulley. Hell I got a 2.5 as do quite a few others. lol

 

pistons are good to 300hp. you will be good with the 2.8. it could you are cautious though. Being depressed is normal but man you have some really good parts. figure out what you want to run. sell off the rest. tune it with your software and you will be good in the future when you replace the pistons. Set your personal limit to say 280 to 290 if that is what you feel comfortable with. dyno tune it to that level with the 2.8 pulley or at least a 3.0 and you will be safe. If you replace the pistons you will have the software and injectors to do the job. You made a good purchase. '

I bought stage 2 but I will get a different pulley or two ($200) and then I will buy 60 lbs injectors ($300 with harness) there it goes $500 but you know there is overruns. that is the way it goes. I give you credit for trying. now you have learned. use that knowledge and move on when your ready.

And thanks for sharing. at least you helped me feel better. I could decide between the parts route or GM Stage 2. I know that it is good for me now, but it will be a temporary void filled for now.

 

2.5 on the way for me...I bought hptuners so I can learn to use it, and plus i got the pro kit from crisdawg for 500 so why not...later on when I have figured this program out I will not have to pay for a tune, or just tweak the one i have...much cheaper in the long run...plus I'm going full out so I'm not too worried, got plenty of cheap POS bckup cars, well the fairlane is not POS but the rest are...

 

Your doing what I was going to do. but I paid for an extended warranty so I thought I could wait. When I do the engine or drop a crate 400HP 2.2 in there I will get HP TUNERS or know someone who can do it then. rather have the software. but it didn't make sense to buy vs STAGE II right at this time. plus I not sure I have alot of time to play with it right now. I would get caught up in it and spend hours. let me know how it goes though. I am interested in your results!

 

I sure will, plan on keeping everyone updated as to what I am doing, lots of how-to's and pics of everything in my sig coming in about a week...heading back home and the first day I get back I am starting to put all that crap on...well after I wake up with a hangover from my first night back, just bought a new dig camera so it should be really sweet...