If you had to do it all over again...

[johnbell2]

Here's a question I have.

Let's say you had a budget of $5k to work with and a stock G8 GT. What performance mods (drive train and suspension) would you put on it and in what order? Bonus points: account for reasonable labor costs.

Interested to see the responses on this one, I like all the different approaches.

[GRRRR8]

Vararam($420 installed), ecm/tcm tune(4-500 depending on how you do it), headers($2000 installed)Pedders Street II ($2200 installed)

[-Ray-]

Sounds good to me Charlie.

[99-LS1-SS]

Now, if you had $6500 I'd say get a supercharger but what Charlie said it probably the best all around path.

[johnbell2]

Well at first I thought dump it all in a 'charger also but I like a total solution... if it has more power I'd want to be able to put it to the ground and still use it in something other than a straight line. I think Charlie read my mind and knows I'm less of a track guy and more daily driver / street. I love putting the fear of God into Beemer yuppie chariots just because there's so damn many of them, they all think they're hot sh*t and none of them knows how to drive worth a damn. Straights or curves, they get to see 'Pontiac' on the back and watch it get smaller in the distance :spank:

When the next chunk of money came along I'd probably opt for a brake upgrade before anything else but the stock brakes on the G8 GT are pretty darn good.

Thanks Charlie, I think you nailed it so far. As far as brands go, I'm with you on the Vararam. Did that cost include an HSRK? Tune I dunno, that's "religious war" territory so I'll stay away from that (although a session with Chuck CoW's magic fingers on EFI Live would be highly desirable - not in price range). Would love to see what the pros can get away with in a 87 octane tune, just because. Headers I'm convinced would be ARH 1-3/4" w/ cats. Keeping stock exhaust after that is fine with me, I'd be in it every day and I do have to deal with stop-n-go traffic.

Would *love* a full Pedders Street II work up. No question.

Anyway, just trying to think through the "master plan" for when I get my baby back from the collision guys. At first I just wanted to run it stock and milk the 36k mile warranty but with an accident on its record I've decided the gloves are going to come off.

[johnbell2]

Yeah... brakes or cam... yah I take that back, probably cam. Maybe a low lift DOD cam. Again, daily drive w/ stop-n-go so I don't want to get all crazy with lope and idle and I do want DOD.

What would be a good parts+labor quote on the above?

[GRRRR8]

Forgot HSRK. You want to get 1 for sure.

[wreckwriter]

Unless you can self install the Pedders stuff alone will blow your whole budget.

[Devilish34]

Any install you can do on your own will probably save you 1/3 of your mod money.

[johnbell2]

I reckon the Vararam+HSRK, ARH Headers and tune (if I went w/ something like VMS or similar) I could do myself for sure. The Pedders, not so much.

So wreckwriter says Pedders Street II + labor alone will bust my budget, Charlie says ~$2200 US installed. On Pedders USA the Street II kit w/ OE height is quoted at $1460 + S&H. If $2200 includes labor then holy cow, sign me up.

How many hours of labor is that, Charlie?

[GRRRR8]

I was figuring 7-8 hours max or 600 labor. All the different bushings are what kills you on labor. The Street II is subframe, diff, and caster. Its only 12-1400to install a whole Track II.

[johnbell2]

Thank you everyone (especially Charlie!) for giving this serious thought! I'm signed on to some of the other Boards That Won't Be Named but honestly I only come here (or maybe hit the EFI Live board once in a blue moon). Great information and certainly appreciated.

What's interesting to me is no love for a torque converter upgrade (at least, no one has mentioned it yet). I imagine that and the cam swap option would chew into a $5k budget quickly due to labor? That or perceived bang/buck for a G8 GT starting out stock? From what I've been able to tell you either go FI straight up (as mentioned earlier) or you parcel out a combo of things that work well together (Charlie's approach). The FI doesn't leave budget room for twisty turns so here we are.

Any comments on the Pedders OE height Touring Kit vs. Street II? The Touring kit is cheaper by about $500 I noticed. That may leave room for some other goodies if it's "good enough". Maybe some BMR kit (sub frames) or is that overkill for the power mods proposed?

[johnbell2]

Whoops never mind the Street II has sub frames. Missed that.

[GeorgeInNePa]

Vararam($420 installed), ecm/tcm tune(4-500 depending on how you do it), headers($2000 installed)Pedders Street II ($2200 installed)

Do the work yourself and add a converter to that.

[GeorgeInNePa]

Thank you everyone (especially Charlie!) for giving this serious thought! I'm signed on to some of the other Boards That Won't Be Named but honestly I only come here (or maybe hit the EFI Live board once in a blue moon). Great information and certainly appreciated.

What's interesting to me is no love for a torque converter upgrade (at least, no one has mentioned it yet). I imagine that and the cam swap option would chew into a $5k budget quickly due to labor? That or perceived bang/buck for a G8 GT starting out stock? From what I've been able to tell you either go FI straight up (as mentioned earlier) or you parcel out a combo of things that work well together (Charlie's approach). The FI doesn't leave budget room for twisty turns so here we are.

Any comments on the Pedders OE height Touring Kit vs. Street II? The Touring kit is cheaper by about $500 I noticed. That may leave room for some other goodies if it's "good enough". Maybe some BMR kit (sub frames) or is that overkill for the power mods proposed?

I seem to be the only one who is totally in love with his converter.

;)

It's a wholesome kind of love...



lol

[steve b.]

i would buy a used supercharger all the hp you would need