So I have a cobalt ss turbo, it is completely stock with the exception of the standard trifecta tune to 22psi. I was looking at doing more performance mods and upon speaking to vince at trifecta i was told that the downpipe and a K&N air filter would be great mods to get, and probably the only mods that really increases power on the LNF. He said charge pipes can be good insurance, but he rarely sees anyone blow them with his standard tune. And I have yet to have a problem either.
Now I keep reading that intakes can give huge power, modern performance claims 17hp out of the AEM cold air intake. Where as vince says intake systems dont make much of a difference on the lnf because you have the turbos compressor sucking the air as opposed to replying on the downward stroke of the pistion to create a low pressure area inside the engine and so therefore you would see the same gains with just a drop in K&N filter.
What are your opinions on all of this? At this point it makes me want to save some money and see what happens with just a catless downpipe and K&N filter for now.

 

every bolt on will give you some gain. but some more than others thats just depends if you want to pay out so much for lil gains...unless you buy them used

 

if you are just wanting a conservative tune then a catless downpipe and drop in filter will do you wonders!!
but if you are lookin for the most aggressive tune possible for your car then id go with charge pipes and a cai....and tune to about 23-24 psi

 

Downpipe is awesome. I have a treadstone stage 3. I'll be dynoing it on Friday to get some numbers. It's a Cold air intake, charge pipes, intercooler, catless downpipe, 3 inch straight exhaust, and a tune. If I had to say what gives you the best performance for the price... I would go with a CAI, a catless DP and a tune. That will allow your turbo to spool faster and more efficiently. This will net you HP down low, up high and everywhere in between. A good tune alone should get you close to 300 hp at the wheels so If you choose to go more conservative get a K&N drop in and a trifecta 22psi selectable tuned for it, just to start. That will get you some really good power. With that you should be able to break into the 13 second 1/4 mile times. This little LNF is a great motor.

 

"mods worth doing" is the wrong way to look at it. . .

It's all in what you want from the car dude

 

I look at the charge pipe and intake as an efficientcy thing, it's always better to move air in a more efficient manner.

 

Exhaust would be worth it just for the sound on a turbo car, IMO

 

heath knows his tc, oh wait

 

For 90% of the people on this site, a DP and Trifecta tune are all that is needed for months of driving pleasure. Chargepipes are supposed to help with longevity but they seem to leak more than the stock piping and only one person that I've seen on here has cracked the stock piping. You would think the metal intercoolers would have more longevity than the plastic-tank OEM unit, but all the metal offerings are basically hard-mounted, which can cause issues with piping, or, as in the case of the Synapse IC, they crack at the welds. Some hang too low, so you'll just curb-smack them and crack them anyway. An intake only helps you if you're a tuner for all the fuel trim issues they cause. Really, I'd like to see two identical cars with just an intake as the difference, run down the quarter mile and see how much of a difference there is. I bet none. Colder plugs are a waste of time and do nothing but cause misfires. Catbacks are worthless unless you want your exhaust to sound different than stock. High-perf clutches are downright needed if you go over 360ft/lbs, but it seems like everyone has more issues with the aftermarket clutches than with the stock units, so the 22PSI Trifecta tune is perfect because it doesn't overwork the stock clutch.

To sum it up: people on this site like to wrench on cars and make their cars unique (however possible that is, considering we all buy the same stuff,) so most of these bolt-on mods are just a waste of money. If you just want to make your car a little faster than stock and you want to do it without spending a lot of money, then just get a Trifecta dual-tune and a ZZP catted downpipe. No muss, no fuss.

 

The DP and Tune are the big ones for power, the other stuff nickle and dimes it honestly.

 

Nickel and diming for hundreds of dollars. Werd.

 

thanks for all of your input, its been really helpful. I've definitely decided to just stick witht he tune, air filter, and DP. As I dont race the car and just want the best bang for my buck. Not really trying to sqeeze out a few HP here and there at the risk of breaking things, including my wallet This may be slightly off topic and I know its asked all the time, but one of the last posters mentioned a Catted DP. Why not catless if I have the vehicle tuned for it anyways so that it doesnt throw a CEL? I mean catless is more power right, sounds a bit louder, and the only real downfall is the emissions, or perhaps the noise if you dont want it? Any other really good reason to go Catted vs Catless?

 

only reason is that it complies with the laws.....if there werent emission laws cat's would never have been invented....they dont help in any performance mannor

 

Intake, Catless Dp, and Tune. Sounds great, awesome power, cheap. I also have springs but that doesnt make me any faster in a line. I have a mere $1500 worth of mods done to my car, and 600 of it was GMS1 which I tuned over and the other 300 was my springs soooooooooooooooooooooo $600 gave me my power numbers in my sig.

 

This is true. I would put money down that if an LNF was tuned right it would emit less smog garbage on E-85 with no cat that high octane with a cat. If I can get around visual inspection in CA here I'm gonna try that out.

 

Bravo

 

I have to pretty much agree with most of what is said here. I would add suspension for sure...Pedders..Rear bar..Rotated mounts..to fully exploit the power. Having said this..there are those who drag race and are willing to *flog* their car. I respect that and in those cases, a DP and Tune are not going to cut it if they want to run sub 12's. That's a whole different ball game with Turbo mods and the like. They pay the *price*, but they know that....You PAY to PLAY. I know...I've *been there done that*. Thing is...it's something you carry with you all your life and I've never regretted the experience.

 

yeah i often wondered the same thing with the mods
i have the downpipe, hot side pipe, and tune, i talked to vince about the intercoolers and he said the same thing about the aftermarket ones not being the best but for the most part i am happy with the performance of my car thus far

i know for sure my next mods are gonna be suspension and appearance i will probably get a k&n drop in this week though

 

The catted vs. catless depends a lot on your age. The catless units smell, of course, and they won't pass inspection. The catted units don't smell, they're quieter, and they pass emissions. If you're old, like me, catted is a better choice. I'm not a flogger, though. I just do some spirited driving every once in a while.

 

Im a lil older now and I still prefer catless. I wouldn't do catless and MD, that's pretty loud! BUT, I only notice a smell of first start up and if I have my door open still. Otherwise no smell to speak of ever. It will not pass emissions tho, that is correct!

 

what is "old like me"?

this is good to read...

I am inclined ot be going catless, but I will also have a different exhaust;
I have understood that many here go w/o muffler, but I intend to keep one;
I would hope that retaining the muffler would keep any stink at bay...

 

I'm 40. I don't care what anyone says: there is absolutely nothing good about getting old.

 

Just keep your stock DP around and throw it on for inspection. It takes me 20 mins to change them out, it's pretty easy and things are in the open for the most part!

 

How often do you figure we'll be able to use that upper gasket sleeve? That thing is bound to wear out sooner or later, but I just don't know when.

 

bah-ha-ha

you gave me my morning snicker.... (I'm at work, so I gotta stay more or less quiet)...

man, I know why you would think you're old in this group (since most seem to be 25 or younger), but 40 isn't old...
imho, you've got twenty more years before you can call yourself old...

for the record, you have less than ten years on me...

according to THIS poll, I'm in the smallest age demographic here...

and according to the recent 'Automobiles' magazine, I should be driving a Mustang, or 370Z...
(both are nice cars which I could probably afford, but I have had V8 cars my whole life, and frankly high strung four bangers are a great compromise of fuel efficiency, and fun...