using stock cat, i read an article

AEM cold air
Greddy evo2 exhaust
Greddy header

they gained almost exactly 12 horsepower (thats peak, but everywhere was above the original curve)
i don't remember the torque numbers

im with forty, for an engine that old (its not that old, but...) i would save the money you would use for the bolt ons for a swap that would have more power, and a whole new life.

 

im with the others....do what u want but if i did anything it would probably be a swap

 

You just noticed? ive had it a few weeks now

 

Dynos can be used to lie easily, so know your source.

Also, I will end up turboing, but it's not for everybody. Just realize that bolt ons aren't going to return what you put in if you buy the name-brands. Best bang for the buck is usually a Ebay header, Ebay intake with K&N filter, some resonator and muffler (know what you're getting there, don't want to sound ricey), and custom local exhaust shop exhaust (cheaper than online cat-backs). Anything other than that and you're probably just throwing money away. Beyond bolt ons you really have to start learning about cars, or shell out A LOT of money to have other people build everything for you. Almost everything you could need to know can be found here on the internet though. Just so you know.

 

i see what youre saying, and bang for the buck youre mostly right. but if you figure with cheap parts you can get 10hp for 400, so $40/hp, and 15 for 1200 for top of the line IHE (just sample numbers for illistration) at $80/hp, then bang for the buck argument goes hands down to the cheap parts, but then where does that leave you? 5hp down, and looking at either tearing into the motor, or going after some more expensive upgrades, like IM or ignition, which wont give hardly any gains without a bit of headwork and a cam package. you really dont have much option on cheaping out on a cam package, so if thats the next step (it would be for me), then you drop another say, $500 on that, youre going to gain about 10-12hp from it with the cheap ebay IHE, and 14-16 with it on the higher performing, more expensive IHE. now:

400
+500
900/20hp=

$45/hp
or

1200
+500
1700/30hp=

~$56/hp

then you know what usually happens? you take off the cheap parts you bought initially to put on high-end parts to gain that extra power you originally decided to forgo. or you break one or two of the cheap ones first, then get the nice stuff. for example, I went through 2 cheap short shifters that lasted less than 2 years between them (one only lasted a week or two) then i saved up and bought my Skunk2 one, and ive had it over 4 years now with no problems. and for what i paid for the first two, it cost me half of what the S2 one did.

and on another note, a cheap intake/knock-off exhaust (like Megan or Tsudo) is one thing, but dont bother on the header. usually youll lose power with a cheap one. even the expensive ones dont post huge gains, and a header is all about R&D to get it right, a cheap one is made good enough to bolt on (if youre lucky) and thats as far as the R&D goes on most of them.

 

Depends, if you know what to look for you can get away with a cheap header. Most are just copies of DC Sports 4-2-1 design. So long as the welds are good, and the design accurately copied, R+D has already been taken care of by DC Sports. Really, I was just trying to stop the OP or anyone else from spending $300 on a DC Sports header, $500 on a Greddy exhaust, and $200+ on an AEM V2. Though these are quality parts, the same performance can be had for half the price.

I hear what you're saying about buying good parts that you can use later once you continue into the hobby. And we're on the same page about "tearing into the motor," as I meant that when I said "beyond bolt ons you'll need to do a lot of learning about cars." However, we both know that neither of us would be keeping a DC sports header or a AEM V2 at this point, nor a lot of other bolt on products that get a lot of exposure.

 

FOur doors arent meant to be quick anyhow.... Get a turbo! lol jk
Listen to Remmy and Forty04 they know there ****