sup everyone i got my 2010 ss balt less than a year ago and im loving it. ive already put in gms1 upgrade a twm short shift and a aem cold air intake, and some hot rims, now im wondering, what nexT? im not too car saavy but im looking for the most gain for $2000 or less, easily replaced with stock parts (in case i need to bring in for warranty). are exhaust systems a large gain? if so which one should i get? are they bolt-on or is welding required? i was looking at the hahn high flow catted d/p back but i dunno how much performance i would get out of it. also are aftermarket exhausts warranty voiding? thanks for the help

btw i never thought i would fall in love with a cobalt but i think gm finally struck gold with this one. well until they discontinued it lol...

 

DP and a custom tune.

 

ducksauce have anything to do with duck butter? welcome to the site, sounds like a quick ride!

 

catted downpipes and exhaust will NOT void the warranty. A custom tune will, but will get you more power with the downpipe, probably 30-40whp more, so its a lot.
up to you whats more important, but any of the catted downpipes are pretty good from other peoples suggestions.
Hahn is the most expensive and zzp is the cheapest $200-$400, but turboxs looks to be the best quality in my opinion and $309....gl

 

catless downpipe, hp tuners tune, intercooler/piping, and maybe a clutch down the road

the catless downpipe will provide a nice gain as will an hp tune, an aftermarket intercooler will keep temps consistent and the intercooler piping is more or less a supporting mod to make sure the pipes down explode.

a catback will gain a couple ponies but nothing significant on the stock turbo.

as for voiding the warranty.....if you have to go to the dealer i would demod it and take it in bone stock. keep that in mind when upgrading. some dealers are cool...others are a pita

 

although true....a hp tune can go undetected as can a trifecta

 

whats the gain going catless over high flow catted? is it negligible? and should i get a 2.5'' exhaust or a 3"? which exhaust/dp combo will make my car sound good i dont want a rice burner sound (no offense to those that like the rice burner sound)

 

prolly 5 ponies or so...and a different smell. any reason for the catted? i though savannah was emmissions exempt...maybe not. def go with a 3" as the stock is 2.5" that would be rather pointless. most exhausts for the cobalt don't have that ricer sound....guess its all a matter of preference though. search youtube for exhaust clips and see what you like.

 

ok im thinking this, it will be right at $2000 all together:
Hahn Racecraft Charge Air Piping 08-10 Cobalt SS Turbo
MPx Downpipe and Exhaust 08-10 Cobalt SS Turbo
Hahn Racecraft Intercooler 08-10 Cobalt SS Turbo
and a MPx Shorty Antenna 07+ Cobalt just to put it right at 2 grand with shipping.

what kind of gain am i looking at from this stuff?

and the reason for catted is the CEL thing i keep reading people get with catless (onstar would call my dealer :S)

 

you could save a lot of dough by ditching the hahn stuff...going maybe zzp on those items...and using the money saved on a tune. a tune is the only way to maximize what you invest in your performance parts. it also is needed when running an aftermarket intake such as your aem unit. when you change the intake you change the airflow read by the maf sensor and your fuel trims will be off.

there are certainly catless downpipes that do not throw codes...my zzp does not as well as others....just food for thought.

with the bolt ons on the gms1 you'd prolly be around 300hp and 330tq.......add a tune and you can add another 20 or so to those numbers pretty easily

 

like everyone is saying, get a DP. also id advise into getting trans mounts, hotside pipe, and a fmic cuz the stock one breaks easy.

 

so hahn is just like the kraft brand macaroni? costs more but tastes the same?
whats a fmic and i assume traNS mount is new mounts for my tranny? btw how much can the f35 tranny and stock clutch handle before i gotta dish out a crap ton of dough

 

fmic= front mount intercooler. Its bigger=better cooling and much stronger end tanks than stock. Ottp stage 2 trans mounts are what you would want and they cost 200, but honestly if you dont go to the drag strip often you don't need them because all they do for the most part is prevent wheel hop... at least I only get wheel hop at the track. As for the tran it will hold what your throwing at it you just might need a clutch but, you really won't know until it starts slipping.

And in my opinion the only mods you really need are a catless downpipe for zzp and either a trifecta tune or an hp tune from a good tuner. It will make your car noticeable faster to say the least.

 

320lbft of torque, then slippage occurs^^^^^^^^

 

I haven't noticed lol^^^^^ only when you get on the gas while in a high gear at low speed from what I have found=== DON'T DO IT!!!!

Do you have a red sstc? if so didn't we meet @ the track in Bradenton?

 

that made me bust out....but yeah exactly

front mount inter-cooler is a good option cause as stated the stocker is prone to breaking and heatsoak so your power will be more consistent. when i dynod my car 2 yrs ago i lost 30 hp on the 3rd pull due to heatsoak.

unless you track the car there probably isn't a need for mounts. they eliminate wheel hop but i have never had wheel hop on the street in 90k of driving.

stock clutch is will start to slip around the 350wheel tq range.....all depending on how it is driven. the tranny is pretty solid to about 400......again all depending on how it is driven.