I have a 97 camaro z28 and i want to put some more hp under the hood. What are the first few things I should do, my initial thoughts are lt headers and intake. I would like to know what some of you guys think?

 

That's a great start right there...

Cold Air / Catback / Headers

 

$money$ works best
Headers, gears, cam
Then heads and a whistle... thats what I wanted to do.

Or build a bottle motor, thats what I think I did.

 

If you are just wanting to get some more power, long tube headers(if you can in your state) a good cat back, cai and a tune. That should take care of you for a little while. Now if your wanting to pull wheelies, you might want some suspension, and motor building and/or blower/turbo/nitrous. Oh dont forget a 12 bolt/9" and stickies

 

Your on the right track. Intake, and LT headers are the places to start.

 

get a 100 shot...

 

Nitrous isnt for amateurs!! lol

 

Maybe over-night some parts from Japan..?

 

CAI, headers, catback, and a mail-order tune will really wake the car up.

 

if its an A4 I would go with gears and a stall, that really cuts some time off your 1/4 mile... otherwise what everyone else said CAI, LT's with offroad y pipe, and a tune

 

Absolutely!

Cold air intake with a good air filter
Throttle body airfoil
3" Catback
Mail-order PCM tune
Aluminum driveshaft

are all great inexpensive (<$150) ways to add nice HP numbers.
And quite easy to install (or have installed)

1.6:1 roller rockers are good for some more HP
An electric water pump frees up some decent HP and is a pretty easy install.
Expect to spend a little more on either of those ($250 + install)

Headers are a little more involved, but deliver some serious HP gains.
Gears will certainly make your car accelerate faster.
A high-stall torque converter (for an automatic) will cut 1/4 mile times.
Expect to drop $500-1000 for any one of those (including install).

Nitrous is great for HP on demand, if you feel so inclined.
Research that one before diving in.

There are many paths to high-hp cars, and they all cost money
As you continue your buildup, be sure to formulate a long-term strategy.
The last thing you want is to have invested $3000 in an engine that won't work with your future plans.

And keep an eye on the classified section for good deals on used parts.
Every so often, a great deal pops up. Just be sure you know what you are buying and
check their feedback ratings first.

Use the search feature on the board to find other mod ideas or howto's
There are a lot of people here who've been in (or are in) the same position you are.