Hey all,

I had my Stage 2 installed today. Letting the dealer do the install is against my religion, but wanted to make sure the 3/36 warranty on the car was not affected, nor was the 10/100K warranty I purchased. (I have it in writing from the dealer that neither was affected)

Anyway, I waited till all the hoopla was past here, and made the purchase. I've had my 06 for a year now.

A lot has been said here about the gains, both negative and positive.
I'm happy to say that my first impressions are very positive.

A bunch more power from midrange on up. Breaks the tires loose from about 4000 up. Mine is a G85 car, so with a bit of a corner, that is a plus. Straight line, way quicker than stock.
Based all on seat of the pants feel, but trust me, I have a very calibrated seat of the pants. Been a hotrodder for 30 years, and my baseline these days is a nine second street driven Nova. Just look at my .sig.

The car even idles smoother than it did, as has been mentioned here before.
I wish they would include a stage 2 emblem....I get so much crap on the road from every sort of sport compact......cracks me up. I'm 51, and they think I want to race.......

Anyway, I'm pleased.

I don't have a garage over the winter, but come spring, I'd like to add the GMPP extrude honed manifold...might tweak it a bit......a better rear section to the stock exhaust with possibly a Magnaflow muff, and I'd love to lower the car 1+ inches. Next would be bigger brakes. Maybe BAER will step up. And of course a good torque brace to stop the wheel hop. Maybe GM will have parts by then.

I might autocross the car this weekend....but will not likely drag race it anytime soon. One broken trans on the street (due to severe wheel hop) is enough.

I'm rambling, but for any naysayers, the Stage 2 is a nice addition. GM should simply sell the car this way.

Ron

 

Awesome. I have had the parts sitting in my room for a little over a week now. I can't wait to put it in. I just need to find a pulley puller.

 

I bought mine with the stage 2 on it and didn't even know it until we were about to put on a smaller pulley and noticed the difference. The car was used with 630 miles. I had taken a couple of my buddys along for a ride and they both thought it was pretty quick. Now I have a 2.79 pulley and love it. Looking for a good tune, but nice to know I bought mine with the stage 2.

 

i love the stage 2, no complaints

 

I'm pleased with my purchase of Stage 2 as well. Had it on for over 2 months now and I have no regrets.

 

stage 2 is awesome, i have complimented it witha zzp 2.85 pulley, and random boltons
runs hard, no complaints.

 

stage 2 is my friend

 

What are you guys paying for the stage 2 including labor from the dealership?

 

love stage2 cant complain on that one just added 2.79 pulley and wow watch it kick .... i paid 550 for kit and 200 for install with tax it was around 783 and some change

 

Just a suggestion for the original poster,

Your future modd lineup looks pretty strong, but let me make a recomendation or two.

1) Don't really worry about upgrading the brakes, this car has brakes that rival some of the fastest cars around. But if you absolutely have to, just change out the pads.

2) Let me highly recommend the GMPP exhausts. Not only are they one of the best deals, they sound and look extremely good. No need to do custom exhaust unless you just enjoy doing that sort of thing (as many hot rodders do)

Goodluck! I hope your enjoying your stage 2 as much as I am enjoying mine!

 

gmpp exhaust is kick ass!..;P
the exhaust manifold actually works too

 

dont know how everybody loves GMPP exhaust, its smaller the stock pipe...

 

and yer point is?
gains are gains...

 

i know i know, but with higher boost later, and other mods, that exhaust has to be 2.5 maybe 2.75. GMPP exhaust is only good on stock or lil mods cobalts

 

ill let u know wat i put down on saturday on the dyno and well see if you still feel the same

 

Yes! I want to see the dyno with the GMPP exhaust with your following other mods. Can't wait! Will help me get my butt in gear and buy some things =D

 

this will also an untuned result aswell..
using hpt for tuning the following week then goin to redyno, check out the canadian forums on the gains made on a stock ss, then with an injen and plugs i belive....





244 hp with injen intake and plugs....

 

I made my own stage 2....

Stage 1- $370.00
Intense MPS w/2.9"- $99.00
Intense tensioner- $19.99
GM stage 1 install- $80.00
TTL.- $568.99

The performance is decent, car is much quicker than stock, or with the 3.1" on the stock setup. Giving it full throttle in first from a dead stop, or even moving, results in burning the tires off of it. Needless to say I do most full throttle runs in 2nd now...

 

I disagree and heres why,

The piping may be smaller diameter, but the two mufflers/resonators (whatever you call'em) are much higher flow. And considering the number of people who beleive that the stock exhaust is not restrictive until around 290+ hp, then i beleive the GMPP exhausts are very capable of higher numbers.

Granted, a high flow cat and headers would probably be necessary before to long.

Its just that nobody seems to be hitting numbers anywhere near 300 whp, so i beleive the GMPP exhaust systems will be the last exhaust system you need to put on your cobalt as long as your only doing bolt-ons.

 

Has anyone actually taken the front resonator off and measured the inside diameter?
I thought I read here some time ago that it's 2.5" straight through.

The rear section of the exh obviously necks down to 2.25". The stock muffler looks to be restrictive, but has anywone measured one on a flow bench?

If the stock resonator is indeed straight through, and if the rear section of the exh were replaced with 2.5" and a good high flow muffler, I would think the setup would perform very well. And the larger size would support up to 300hp.

Of course, unless someone did just this, and compared dyno results with the GMPP setup, you would never know which is better.

I plan to mod the stock system because I can do my own exhaust work, and it will be a lot cheaper than the GMPP setup.

Ron

 

^^ he talking about GMPP exhaust is 2.25,... stock is 2.5 neck to 2.25 at axle threw muffler so you are correct on all that other info

 

My Stage 2 will be in tomorrow and I can't wait. It seems like almost everyone here is very happy with it. I wish I could get it installed for only $200 though. I called three dealerships in the Phoenix, AZ area and all wanted between $491 to $520 just to install it. They say it calls for approx. 4 hours of labor. My friend is going to install it (he works at a Chevy dealership) for $300 under the table. Still seems high to me, but much better than $500.

 

Now.. get a 2.8" sc pulley on there and wow.

-Rich

 

I got my installed last week at my dealer and i asked the parts department and they told me it was straight $220 for labor and thats what i paid and i got the 2.8 pulley with the manifold and xtc downpipe along with the gmpp manifold and i am now hitting 16 lbs of boost it rocks defeintly worth it i really think this is like the best mod to have on this car greatly improves the whole aspect of the car all together!!!!

 

Stage 2 is great. Now since my warranty is about out with 33000 miles on the car I went ahead and put on a 2.6 pulley and 60lb injectors with a hp tune and all I can say is wow!!!
I loved my stage 2.