If you have that, go for a B&M shifter (if you have a standard). Kinda expensive, but totally worth the cash - best Short throw shifter (STS) out there.
If your cat is old and potentially plugged you could also get a high flow cat (eg. Magnaflow or Catco).
If you have an auto tranny, you can do the IAT mod (although I'm not necessarily recommending it - but is essentially a free mod). If you don't know about it, do a quick search - there is tons of info on this site about it.
A good toned muffler is always nice, but you won't notice any hp gains.
If your mechanically inclined pull the manifold off and do some hand porting. I had to put new valve cover gaskets on mine and while the manifold was off I thought why not do a little cleanup. I basically smoothed out all the rough casting and blended the INtake port after the throttle body. It is pretty convoluted and rough in there. I then took off the little U elbow on the passenger side smoothed it and cleaned up all the runners into the heads as fars as I could go into them. I used a Dremel with the pin tip extension, flap wheel 60 grit and a little bit of a grinding acorn. Finished it all off with hand sand paper like 220. I thought this will probabaly net 0 but I was pleasantly surprised I could feel a little seat of the pants increase and for about 5.00 for a flap wheel. Of course you need to buy a Dremel about 60.00 but could hand do it all for about 5.00 in sand paper but more work. It was at least as good as a CAI. The ebay CAI and the underdrive pulleys will coat you a total of about 100.00. Cheap catback that works well and sounds good. Have muffler shop take out the mid body resinator put on a Dynomax @35.00 or a Summit turbo @15.00 and buy a Stainless tip from Advance Auto for like 20.00. Total for this on my car with the Dynomax was around 95.00. It will give you a good increase.
Hand port - 5.00 with Dremel 65.00
Summit Turbo & Tip installed - 75.00
Ebay CAI - 36.00
Underdrive Pulley - 55.00
Over for about 3 trips to Mickey D's
93 LS- KLZE, Underdrive pulley, SS Autochrome Headers, CAI, R-R Poly mount inserts, Probinator ECU mod, Test Pipe, Dodge Stratus R/T 17"wheels.
Toy: 64 VW bug, Building a 2017cc Stroker motor. Should be low 14 second car.
If your mechanically inclined pull the manifold off and do some hand porting. I had to put new valve cover gaskets on mine and while the manifold was off I thought why not do a little cleanup. I basically smoothed out all the rough casting and blended the INtake port after the throttle body. It is pretty convoluted and rough in there. I then took off the little U elbow on the passenger side smoothed it and cleaned up all the runners into the heads as fars as I could go into them. I used a Dremel with the pin tip extension, flap wheel 60 grit and a little bit of a grinding acorn. Finished it all off with hand sand paper like 220. I thought this will probabaly net 0 but I was pleasantly surprised I could feel a little seat of the pants increase and for about 5.00 for a flap wheel. Of course you need to buy a Dremel about 60.00 but could hand do it all for about 5.00 in sand paper but more work. It was at least as good as a CAI. The ebay CAI and the underdrive pulleys will coat you a total of about 100.00. Cheap catback that works well and sounds good. Have muffler shop take out the mid body resinator put on a Dynomax @35.00 or a Summit turbo @15.00 and buy a Stainless tip from Advance Auto for like 20.00. Total for this on my car with the Dynomax was around 95.00. It will give you a good increase.
Hand port - 5.00 with Dremel 65.00
Summit Turbo & Tip installed - 75.00
Ebay CAI - 36.00
Underdrive Pulley - 55.00
Over for about 3 trips to Mickey D's
anyone have any input about this? is there any danger or potential problems from "hand porting" i have an extra IM and wouldnt mind trying this out.
Chuck,
I have read many threads where they say you can upset the velocity and this and that and lose power. All I can tell you is the only danger would be that you get beat by the guy that does it. Yes this is not CNC work but the old timers and I guess I can include myself in that now 49 years old have been doing this for years. Where in hell do you think Port and polishing came from. They eyeballed it long before all this Flowbench and CNC stuff. I can tell you that a good fluff and buff works. If you hog it out that can maybe do harm. Every time I have done a light P&P on Heads and manifolds it has given me gains. Yeah I do not have a flow bench and I might give up maybe 10-15% to a computerized CNC machine but I am still ahead of doing nothing and it is almost free.
Don't be Skeered! Go for it. If you look in to a port and you see casting flash and uneven floors and walls and you clean that up it will reward you. You will be surprised by how much of this is in behind the throttle body area. In the 50's and 60's the old Nascar Moonshiners did it and it worked then so why not today.
By the way I am also into old aircooled VWs. Building one for my sons highschool rig. Doing a stroker motor and have P&P'd and open the chambers up according to a well known VW online site DIY Tech article. They have put a very mild Super Beetle in to the low 15's with it. They say that it is worth 20hp the little 4 banger. My N/A 2017cc stroker should be at around 135 hp or over twice stock hp by 15.
Last edited by jarnold; 6-8-06 at 16:05..
93 LS- KLZE, Underdrive pulley, SS Autochrome Headers, CAI, R-R Poly mount inserts, Probinator ECU mod, Test Pipe, Dodge Stratus R/T 17"wheels.
Toy: 64 VW bug, Building a 2017cc Stroker motor. Should be low 14 second car.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
bringing cynicism and realism to mx6.com
