Ok, so can anyone give me a real world opinion on the stage 1 and 2 kits available for the ss? I always run premium fuel already, so that's no big deal. But how about if i do a long trip with it? Mileage changes? Any cold weather issues? Reliability? Loved the stock hp when i first bought the car, but just like anything else, a little more would be nice. But not if i have to sacrifice something big. Any opinions? Thanks... kev.

 

mileage would be about the same if you lay off the gas hardcore, get the stg 2 man you wont regret it

 

stage II rocks, Milage all depends on your foot.

 

stage1 is a waste of money, not enough of an upgrade to make it worh it. If you're gonna do it get stage2. From what I've heard there's been no issues with it in our climate and like others say you dont see too much of a decrease (if any) in milage as long as you keep it out of the boost.

 

Depending on how you want to mod your car in the future stage 1 is worth it but only if you are planning on going with an hptune and smaller pulley like a 2.9", you can buy the rest of the parts for a stage 2 kit for cheaper then what gm is offering. If you are concerned about your warranty and you do not whant to mod after the stage 2 then just buy the stage 2 and call it a day. Some might disagree but that is just my oppinion, I run a 2.8" and I'm glad I didn't buy a stage kit but then again I don't care about the warranty. Good luck with your choice!!

 

Bit of a NooB question to ask but related none the less... I remember seeing or hearing somewhere that if you go with the Stage upgrades you MUST change ur axles... is that true?

PS - Personally I agree go with a Stage 2 and then focus ur attention on the other fun stuff...

 

The stage 2 is all you'll need for a good start. The feel from the supercharger is more than just noticeable. Second and third gears will put a smile on your face. As far as long distance driving, you'll be fine as long as you only hit the boost while passing traffic. Like said before, as long as you don't develop lead foot.

 

I have a smaller pulley and Stage 1. That was good for a bit... Either way, go with a smaller pulley. But if warranty is a concern, go Stage 2. What are your goals?

 

Stage II FTW!!! It changes the way the car drives. A lot more pull. Completely different beast. Definitely worth the money for the upgrade....and get it done at the dealership...warranty is good to go!

 

Partially true. Stage 2 will put you in the 240ish hp range. With that much power its definately alot easiar to snap axels, especially when the ones on the car arent that strong to begin with. If you go to stage 2 I would say its a must to get traction mods that not only help with putting all the power to the pavement, but also help eliminate wheel hop. These cars have been known to break axels completely stock when you launch hard and get wheel hop. So to make a long story short, not nessicary unless you're going to do more than stage2 and take it to the track. Traction mods like ingalls torque dampner though are highly advised.

 

Thanks for the input guys...... i guess the concensus is that there is no difference in fuel mileage as long as you drive as you always have in the past. Good to know. No one has had any issues with head gaskets when putting on the smaller pulley? The only reason i ask is because i would love to get more hp out of this car, but i have to be able to maintain the daily driver status. Being the second "economical" vehicle, this thing has to be able to do the long trips too. I'm not really a street racer, so the axle and wheel hop problem hasn't really been a factor so far. I like to roll on the gas with this thing and pass someone like they are standing still when pulling onto the highway. That's what impressed me when i got it. But..... like anything, you get used to it all too quick and you start looking for more. The good news is you can do some cheap mods to get you quite a bit more power, still retain warranty, and you only have to do bolt-ons, which can be put back to stock in no time. Thanks again chevy.....

 

If thats the kind of power you are looking for, you can hold close to 300 hp on the stock clutch/axles with no problem. The only real weakness with the stock drivetrain is aggressive launching, it doesn't hold up well to that, but rolling starts are not stressful at all. My car is still on stock axles and clutch, I tried to dyno the current setup and had a little complication, but I'm sure I'll break 290 at the wheels, if not clearing 300.

 

I've had the car almost three months now, and still really like the power, but if i can bump it up a bit for minimal $$ and still retain the driveability, i'm in! To be honest, i have yet to really try to smoke the tires off, but maybe that has something to do with getting old! Ha ha, diapers and car seats will do that to ya....

 

Nitrous is the best way to bump up power without affecting anything else drivability wise. It only works when you want it to and has absolutely no change on anything when you aren't using it. Check the link in my sig to see what a 50 shot does to a stage 2 car.

 

Nice vid, and i agree, the MOST cost effective way to make power is the bottle. Does the NOS come on gradually as the rpm's come up or is it just dumped in at wot? How does it work?

 

On-off switch style, when I enable it you get a straight shot of 50 extra HP. Real simple to install and has been good to me so far. I did just have a solenoid go bad, but I bought this kit used so I can't complain.

 

Do you have a hand operated switch or is it hooked in with the pedal?

 

Do the airbox mod its cheap and makes a nice difference! Also an exhaust seems to make the car feel a little nicer. I have those two and the ingalls dampner and I have no problem breaking the tires loose.