lil305gta

I finally secure a 1999 TA this past weekend. How does this sound for the 1st rd of mods/maintenance....all synthetic fluid(engine,tranny,rear), fuel filter change, magnecore wires, msd coil, ngk plugs, spohn sfc's, and slp y pipe. I heard the LS1's have trouble with the belts, what is the fix for this? Let me know if there is anything else. Thanks!

teke184

well first off...congrats on the purchase.

second....as for mods...which one of the 8 coils are you planning to replace

no need to do anything to them actually, stock is more than sufficient.

and i wouldn't bother with the Ypipe....not worth the $$ for the minimal gains.

MUCH better off doing a lid for $100

lil305gta

I'm having the car shipped to me and I didn't know there were 8 coils!!!!!! WTF....lol. Well i'll scratch that msd coil and put the money towards something else. So the y-pipe is a waste also? What other first round mods would you recommend. How about a LM I or II or maybe a Magnaflow exhaust? Is the larger MAF worth the money?

teke184

you're on the right track with your list....

here is what i would do...

preventative maintenance....plugs, wires, fluids, filters

i like the taylor spiro-pro wires, less than $50 and they are good quality, and more than sufficient for stock or bolt on cars.

for real mods:
lid
catback
SFC

the loudmouth is a good choice if you can handle the sound, i had the magnaflow and was very happy.

if you have some extra money i would look into the SSRA....pretty much the best cai/ram air system around. much better than the SLP or FTRA units.

the maf is a waste as well, too questionable on the gains. some even see loses in power. and stock is sufficient for a pretty good amount of power.

if you wanted some smaller stuff to buy, look into suspension more. a good set of LCAs and a poly bushing for the torque arm will help stiffen up the rear suspension to prevent wheelhop and get better traction.

lil305gta

I like the Taylors also, i've been runnning them on my GTA since 2000. What do you think about the Magnacore wires? With that list of mods you recommeded is it enough to out run a 1994 Z28 with y pipe, cai, flowmaster exhaust gutted cat, and a hyper tech tune? Also do you think the Hyopertech Power programmers and similar items are worth the cost?

teke184

"is it enough to out run a 1994 Z28 with y pipe, cai, flowmaster exhaust gutted cat, and a hyper tech tune?"

x10

thats funny...

a well running...bone stock...ls1 would outrun that car most likely, assuming good driver.
an lt1, in good shape, would dyno maybe 275hp with those mods...the ls1 bone stock should be 290..possibly 300hp.


i've never used the magnacore, but for the most part all wires are the same, you dont need anything crazy thick or expensive on a mildly modded car. get what you want.

as for the programmers....for the most part a waste. they work good for gear changes, fan settings and things like that. but the "performance tune" is for the most part pointless.
for $250 you can get a custom mail order tune from www.madz28.com that will gain you a solid 10hp and better driveability

angel71rs

There is no need to replace tranny fluid if it's a 6 speed, you could even cause problems: http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread...threadid=13161

If it's an auto, definitely do tranny fluid/filter. I did the magnaflow on my car, looks good, sounds nice. It's only a little louder than stock at idle/part throttle, nice growl at WOT. I got it for 330 shipped:

http://www.geocities.com/angel71rs/M...?1118969789686

Definitely do the lid. Not just for the ~ 10 hp, but to clean up the front of the engine compartment. The stock silencer assembly is huge and ugly:

http://www.geocities.com/angel71rs/S...?1124219674680

Plugs, most definitely. I did mine at 50k and it was a noticeable improvement. I reused the stock plug wires, just ohmed them to make sure they were in good shape.

I haven't heard about belt problems on LS1s, but there have been issues with tensioners. Do a search for tensioner noises to get up on tthe problem; mine are quiet so I've left them alone. Autozone stocks them for cheap, already checked in case I ever do need to replace them.

Kataklysm

You think changing fluid in a M6 car is pointless? Thats rediculous. CHange all your fluids when you get the car. I'd use MSD wires, they work great, don't bother with the y pipe cause you'll end up getting headers and the y pipe will be useless. Never had any belt problems with mine nor have I heard anything about them.

Greed4Speed

There are many rear end builders that suggest running nothing but conventional lubes. I've also read several threads where the conventional trans fluids worked better.

305, is the car an auto or manual? If A4, get a converter ASAP. No other mod wakes up an A4 LS1 like a converter.

A tune up and fluid change is good to do. Change your brake and power steering fluids while you're at it too. Wouldn't hurt to use some seafoam or top engine cleaner prior to a plug change either.

First mods: Air lid, catback, and SFC's are a good start, and so are better brake pads. If its an M6, then !cags (skip shift delete) and a shifter are great early mods too.

angel71rs

Changing fluid in a T56 is not necessary, IMO. You change an engine's oil because it gets degraded by blowby contaminants and heat. You change an auto tranny's ATF because it gets degraded by heat and clutch facing material. What degrades a manual tranny's fluid? I've taken apart trannys, both gear lube & ATF types, and the fluid always looks fine. I check the fluid level on my manny trans cars ~ 10k/miles, if it's fine, I leave it alone. If you want to change your tranny fluid, have at it.

Anytime I buy a used car, I always change the stuff that needs to be changed. Diff lube, auto tranny ATF, Power steering, engine oil, and the brake fluid.

The Muncie in my 57 has the same lube I put in it ~ 20 years ago when I 1st popped it in there. After years of cruising, power shifts, etc, the fluid still looked fine last time I checked it.

99Blackt/a

Lid, catback, headers, then ls6 manifold, then heads cam so on so forth....definitely check your fluids, plugs,wires, and time is a great time for suspension mods as well, sfc's, lca's panhard rod, torque arm, qa1 coilovers but start with the lid,catback,headers first every other "power" mod will have to have them as a base

lil305gta

I appreciate all the replies. I've owned nothing but 3rd Gens the past 10 years so this is all new to me. I am excited about getting the car shipped asap. Is that LS6 intake worth the $400, will it be a nice gain or should I save it for better mods down the line?

teke184

it's a good mod, dyno proven 7-10hp on a bolt on car....more if you get into a cam or heads

lil305gta

So with all of the mods recommended for the 1st round, how close would I be to stock Z06 territory?

teke184

oh....that's tough.

better aerodynamics, lighter weight, good power...not to mention the early ZO6s had 385, later they got 405...which one do you want to run with?

SSRA, lid, LS6 intake, LT headers, catback, a dyno tune and TRACTION.....should put you in the rhelm of a ZO6...
assuming you can drive...