hey guys,
just recently bought my cobalt LT... didn't have enough money for the ss, but now i want to pump some money into this model. i just gave it a an oil change after the first 1700 miles, replaced with full synthetic. everything is stock right now, it's a 2 door LT maroon, put some tints on i think it looks pretty good. But, now i feel it's time to make some real changes.

first thing i want to do is add a turbocharger, along with a exhaust, naturally. what are the best brands? i have a 2.2L 4-cylinder automatic engine. anything else I need to know? i'm starting from square one guys, i don't have much knowledge of cars and now i feel it's time to step up to the plate.

-chris

 

search is your best friend.

anyways to answer your question, 05-06's have a different ecu and all they got is a canned tune for manual transmissions only. 07's have no tuning until hp tuners gets the patch out for our different ecu.

be weary with our cars tho, dont just buy a turbo, invest in the kit (garret/hahn) for 3500, otherwise you could have a blown engine and end up paying more then that for repairs.

so right now your basically a sitting duck, no tuning.

 

You can't afford an SS/SC, but you're willing to pay to upgrade to a turbo? You'll need more than just the turbo itself.

 

alright, let me put it this way... what advice would you guys have for me, being the owner of a 2007 LT in order to improve horse power, handling, and performance?

 

Just do the basics, intake, exhaust, maybe a strut bar and some springs. crate engine depot also has a 2.4 intake manifold swap, but i hear its only good if you are drag racing.

What do you want from this car is what you need to ask yourself?

 

i just want a little more horse power really.. i'm not drag racing, its an automatic lol, i want to feel a little more power when i press my foot down on the pedal cuz i was used to drive around in a grand marquis wth a v8

 

Well an intake and exhaust really open up this engine so i say start there, a turbo may be a little much.

 

Try searching for what pother people have done.

But, I have 2 suggestions that will make you car feel like it has more pep.

The B&M shift kit gives you much harder shifts and makes the car feel faster. But I don't know if they make them for the 2.2's

And, if you really want a slam in the sack, try nitrous, its easy, cheap, and as reliable as a turbo if you do it right.

 

alright thanks for your input guys, i don't think i have any need for nitrous but i'm definitely going to look into what others have to say about their LT model

 

turbo's gonna cost you around 3-4k just for the kit. No installation and tuning. Figure between 4-700 or so for that depending on what kit you buy and what kind of tuning comes with that kit. Depends on what you can get quoted for the install as well. Plus there's no tuning for our automatics. It's not totally needed, but without it the turbo's gonna put alot of stress on your tranny and possibly cause it to fail prematurely.

I'd suggest just sticking to the basic bolt-ons for now. Cold air intake, header, downpipe, exhaust, rims, struts, etc.

As for the 2.4 intake manifold, there's proof that you gain some peak hp with it but you lose alot of tq also. There hasn't been any track times or otherwise proof that it actually makes the car faster. Just makes it scream a little more up top. Some will swear by it and some will say nay so it's pretty much up to you and what you want.

Until we get some more serious tuning for the 2.2s, I'd just stick to your basic bolt-ons.

 

Another reason nitrous is perfect for 2.2's

 

Okay... Can anyone help me picking out a cold air intake and exhaust system? I'm exploiting your guys' expertise in this field hahaha.... also, I'm curious to see what is your guys' favorite looking rims for these cobalts. I am wondering where would be the best place to pick out parts (cold air intake, exhaust, struts) for the cobalt, I don't need help installing them, I've got that part covered by a few friends.

 

get the GMPP intake and exhaust from CED. I think GM has the best stuff, and CED has it for the cheapest.

 

http://www.autoanything.com/air-inta...0A2613009.aspx

That's the intake I found for my cobalt, but I am skeptical about ordering it from this website. They don't have any of those on eBay, and I couldn't find parts on GMPP made by CEP... does this intake look alright? I'm not too sure where exactly I should order the parts from... any suggestions?

 

try these:

https://www.cobaltss.net/vendorindex.php

 

http://www.autoanything.com/exhausts...0A2553250.aspx

how does that exhaust look

 

I would use the vendors on this site. They have the best prices and sometimes give a discount to ss.net members. Also they do group buys and announce sales as well.

An intake, and exhaust will get you a little bit more outta your car. If you want to take it a step further, go with some Stage 1 cams or some higher compression pistons for a nice power increase.

 

http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbob...R_471171_9.htm

Is this type of turbo too big for a 2.2 LS??

 

Couldn't he just use the smt7 piggyback for tuning?