ok heres my delema. I really want the intense stage 4 or 5 not sure which one yet but i really want to go with intense. but basicly if anything goes wrong my car, like putting a hole in the top of my piston i'm pretty much fucked. I called intnese and talked to i think TIM was his name and i asked him if something where to go wrong with my internals directly related to the stage kit that they would install if they would cover the damage? and in reply i got well i tihnk your GM warrenty will still hold up because they make stage kits..... phone went silent a mintue, and then i replyed with a oook...i KNOW GM dealerships wouldnt be ok with it, hell they throw a fit when they see a CAI, or a Fram oil filter. anyways, i guess i'm not worried about the warrenty of my vehical so much. but internals can get pricie. And i think GM would warrenty a GM stage kit installed by a dealer. I mean hell i culd install this myself but i guess if i **** up i'm stuck paying for it to fix it, but if they do they are held accountable. soo i guess i needs some input on people that have stage 4 or 5 of the intense and wether or not they like it, or should i just go with the stage 2 by GM? not to mention the stage 4 kit from intense is like $300 cheaper installed.

 

screw the warranty go for power

 

yeah thats what i was thinking... but i dont know...=\ Help!

 

stage2 is nice but there can be problems with any kit just make sure you have the right tools to monitor your car maybe a interceptor gauge and a wideband and you will be fine. Pistons usally go from being to lean although i have seen some go for no reason hope this helps.

 

so go with the stage 2 or 4? and how about the stage 5 by intense, that thing looks awesome...

 

nothing big really a ported blower and a 2.5 pulley. so more heat and most likely the blower is barely touched prolly just cleaned up. just get a 2.5 or 2.6, over sized tensioner,60# ,different plugs and you should be fine. Then worry about traction

 

dont screw your warranty , dont go for power , go for reliable power which = gm stage 2 kit especially if you have a cool dealer , gm parts on a gm car installed by a gm mechanic = warranty

 

or if ur dad and bro work for the dealer its warrenty family empolyee's ftw.

 

If your feeling that your warranty is important to you and that safety and reliability is also very important, I would say go with the GM Stage 2 because all of that will be covered with that kit. If your looking more for power and overall performance, than an aftermarket kit is the better route to go. I think that making your own kit (buying all the necessary parts on your own) is the best route. It is typically cheaper and your getting the same results. I'm in no way saying that you should not get an Intense Kit, I've heard numerous reviews/stories of how great they are, but I personally think making your own kit is better.

 

^ agreed make your own and get a h/e and the intercooler endplate. Then a clutch and tires

 

ehh i dont know anymore... =(, i mean are the intense kits known for having inssues down the road? and is the intense kit a good everyday driveer?

 

get a stage 2 so when you blow your motor you can throw your stage 2 tune back on and the stage 2 pulley 42 pound injectors and tell them thats how you blew your motor

DO NOT BUY INTENSE IF YOU LIVE FURTHER THAN 500 MILES AWAY , thats my opinion

 

i drive a 2.5 pullied car daily never a problem i do my own tuning though. i also have tranyy inserts and cab's and the vibs aren't that bad after awhile. It drives just like normal until you get into the gas.

 

if you by intense go there and get a custom tune

 

Having the proper supporting mods for any kit is crucial. Gauges for keeping an eye on things, exhaust, mounts and/or other traction mods, clutch, tires, cooling mods, etc. will all help in keeping the reliability of your car and making it safer to use. Not to say that things don't happen and that problems arise, but if you can prevent the minor problems from becoming major, then your good to go.

 

well i dont its only like an hour and a half away, i was going to go up there and have them install it for 175 pluse the kit. and thats still cheaper then the GM kit... =\ i'm so lost on what to do.

 

dude if you live close to intense i would be there in a heartbeat but i dont i live 1000 miles plus , the only reason i wouldnt recommend intense is how are they gonna aggresively tune a car thats in a completely different part of the country , elevation , pressure , temps all that matters they have no clue how a car would run in phoenix just like a tuner in phoenix wouldnt know how to aggresively tune someone that lived in buffalo

those tunes will come out about as sloppy as a ******* from a chick with no teeth

 

soo i guess intense it is? with a custom dyno tune? then i was thinking about getting either the cobra HE or the CA HE with a freeze rail to help with cooling. then full exhuast... with just a stage 4 or 5 witth the mods i have what do you think the 1/4 would be? low 13's?

 

no buy a h/e off e bay its the same one for like 180 shipped and get the dual pass intercooler endplate that gm makes or make your own. That should cool you down quite a bit then full exhaust.

 

It basically comes down to these questions:

1. How fast do you want to go?

2. How much time and effort (and money) are you wiling to invest getting and maintaining a proper tune?

3. How important to you is your warranty?

4. Can you afford/wiiling to pay the damage if something goes wrong?

For me:

1. I wanted to be faster than stock, but don't feel the need to be in the low 13's or 12's *yet* I don't race that often.

2. My 'Balt is my daily driver and only vehicle and I don't have time to mess with custom tuning and other stuff right now.

3. I don't want warranty issues. I know some dealerships are being dicks, but the place I went to won't give me any problems regarding Stage 2.

4. I'm not ready to shell out some big bucks if I blow a hole in one of my pistons or something to that effect.

I know other kits make more power, but Stage 2 meets *my* needs the best right now. You just have to decide what you want out of your 'Balt at this point. Good luck

This is just my opinion, it's probably not worth much

 

^ very true, but low 13's sound so appeling

 

times are all in the driver take the car on a roll and then you can see what it really does.

 

intense stage 5 FTW cause ive wanted to see a cobalt with that for quite sometime. anyone know who has it on here?

 

If you remember a former member with the s/n Tofu then you might remember he pulled a 13.69 pass with no power mods whatsoever. Just traction stuff. He had a stock tune, pulley, etc. If you take that run and add a stage 2 to it you might see some really nice results and keep the warranty. Of course you'd have to be able to launch and drive the car pretty well but good things are certainly possible with the GM stage kits.

 

if you have money the money to spend, i would get the intense. if you want to play it safe, go gm.