Ok. As far as obvious mods, I have Injen CAI, Magnaflow exhaust (got a question about that too) gm stage 2, ZZP H/E (I don't know which), and SOMETHING with the supercharger.

the questions I have are these (I will be as descriptive as possible. I admit my limited knowledge.):

1. how do I know what stage heat exchanger I have? it's about 1.5" thick, as long as the radiator (just about...not exactly), and about half as tall.

oh, I don't have pics. sorry. I didn't think of it when I had the car in the air.

2. the exhaust piping is the same size from the manifold back. however, the pipe that connects to the manifold and includes the catalytic converter is noticeably darker in color (almost rust colored, not rusted, just almost rust colored, like a brownish-silver...), making me believe that it may be a stock part (which wouldn't bother me) or that while doing it's job, the cat may have discolored the piping. Am I crazy for theorizing this?

3. most interestingly, my supercharger is black. painted black. It was a professional job, I'm sure. it's too perfect to have been done with a spray can. It makes me believe that, at a minimum, the supercharger has been out of the car. the car feels much faster than my 240hp mustang, so I'm thinking it may have been out to be ported, or some such thing. maybe they put a different style of supercharger, but how would I know? no real distinguishing marks to speak of, other than the black.

4. how do you measure the pulley? I measured it two ways, one, from the outside of the pulley, which I got about 3.4-3.6" and from the inside (I tried to guesstimate. What I mean is where the belt grabs the pulley...basically) and it seemed like it was still, like, 3.2.......let me again state; I could be wrong! I really don't know how to measure it. I know the stage 2 comes with a 3.0 pulley, so what's the deal? I also know the boost is supposed to be around 15.5 and I'm reading about 12.5...atmospheric pressure, right(I'm at about 4600ft elev..)? is there anything else to consider?

I guess that's enough. I love this car, and bought it with the mods mentioned. I know, I know...sacrelige...I don't care. I'm not claiming the mods. but it is a fun car that I got at a good price. forum-instigators and internet crap-talkers be darned.

 

stage 2 pulley usually has bolts on the end (most of the time blue ones), but nonetheless all aftermarket pulleys are screwed in, unlike the stock pulley is PRESSED fitted on. so check that out. also because there is a lip on the pulley it might come out a little bigger in inches than it really is. IMO pulleys should have been measured in circumference (flame suit on), believe me spray can jobs can look VERY pro, just ask my rims. , also there is no real easy way to tell if you had any exhaust work done unless you actually measured the pipe and compared it, unless you had a notable "magnaflow" muffler or resonator blah, blah blah, WELCOME!

 

A stock downpipe will have a narrowing at the rear o2 sensor and will again taper down before the catback flange.

12.5 psi is stock boost level. 15 psi is gm stage 2 or some other stage kit with a 3.0"ish pulley. easy way to tell if its a stock pulley, stock will not have any bolts as it is pressed to the s/c. stage 2 or aftermarket will have 4 or 5 little bolts holding the pulley on.

 

first off, you guys are awesome for responding so fast

just checked. stock pulley The reason I'm sad is because the fewer parts the car actually has, the more I have to rely on my stupid butt-dyno and that can be off by several hundred hp...



Oh, and as far as the wife and I remember, there was no tapering on the exhaust to speak of. same size straight back. and yes, it is a true magnaflow muffler. of that much I am certain. I saw it when the car was up.

 

make sure you actually have a stage 2 or zzp pcm before you swap to a 3" pulley.

 

for the record the old school guys had alot of diff sized press on pulleys

 

Not really talking swapping pulleys. Heck, I'm not sure if there's anything left of the "stage 2" other than the plaque that says "stage 2" on the front under the hood (soon to be removed)

see, the problem I'm having is that this car felt amazingly faster than the stock ss I drove the same day. I drove these cars back to back and there was absolutely no comparison. Would an intake and exhaust alone do that? or is there even a slight chance someone modded with the supercharger or something?

If it helps, the supercharger, under heavy throttle, is really loud. Like, louder than the engine.

 

Well, obsession and a little research go a long way. I think I found the guy who owned the car before me. I'll spare you the details, suffice it to say that I know what's done for the most part...



HPT Tuned
42lb Injectors
TTR Tranny Mounts.
Injen Cold Air Intake.
Carbon Fiber SS style hood
ZZP S3 HeatExchanger
ZZP downpipe
Magnaflowcatback exhaust
Pedders springs

This further strengthens my hunch that the supercharger was removed to do some work. It also explains why the car is faster on stock boost. plus it gives me a springboard for the next mods.. I think a 2.8 pulley is in line. What would you do next?