austinseanchris

So I just bought a 1996 LT-4 and was thinking about doing a few simple mods but thought I'd get some feedback first. I'm looking to do a few simple "bolt-on" mods vs going inside the motor or changing major components. I have a 78 as well that of course has no computer but have heard a lot of people talking about the OBDII being very very annoying when it comes to throwing codes. So the few mods I was thinking about was the SLP Cold Ait Intake System, the Jet Performance ECU Chip and the Mass Air Flow system. Does anyone have any experience with any of these parts? If so, have they thrown codes in the past or are they a pain in the A$$ to install? This car is completely different all the way around from my 78...the technology is far more advanced. Does anyone have any other recomendations for simple bolt on mods that wouldnt cause any problems and not to hard to install? I'm trying to keep this car a tip-top shape dependable car with a little more performance than factory without dumping thousands into it. I still love my 78 a lot more than this one but wouldn't mind having a few more cahuna's behind it! Thanks for the help in advance.

aklim

When you buy a suit, what do you think works best?

1. Any suit fitting an average person of your race and age?
2. A suit with some ht, wt measurements?
3. A suit with a tailor that makes adjustments with you in it?

#1 is just about any of those tunes in a can
#2 is the mail order chip
#3 is dyno tuning.

STL94LT1

There is no removeable chip in your PCM, it will need to be reflashed if changes are made, and don't change the MAF.

austinseanchris

So, what are these ECU Jet Performance chips they are selling for $300 or so? And what are the reasonings behind not changing the MAF sensor? Thanks...

austinseanchris

I'm lost...?

STL94LT1

There is little or no gains to be made even on most modified LTx cars by changing the MAF, and it can be a tuning nightmare. Earlier LT1's (92/93) used removeable chips. Starting in 1994 the PCM's needed to be reprogrammed to make changes to the tune.

aklim

When you buy those "tunes in a can", what do you have? A tune for a car of a certain year and certain mods. What if your mods change? What if I had bigger injectors or a blower? What if the cam was different? What if the intake was not the same as what the guy who set it up used? For my car, what I get is a chip that doesn't know what I have in it and hopes it is about right for a car that is the same year as what I have.

There are tuners that can write a program for a car when you give them certain specs. Those are estimates

There are tuners that can write a program for a car by tweaking it till it maxes out.

pappy.72

Get a basic tune up/fluid changes and then some exhaust, long tube headers, gears, intake cutaway mod, short throw shifter (I recommend Hurst) and then dyno tune.

STL94LT1

A Hurst shifter and 4.10 gears would be my first two mods.

austinseanchris

Well, the shifter is definately an option but 4.10 gears? I put 3.70 gears in the 78 and its almost annoying. Going down the interstate is a nightmare...it sounds and feels like I'm going 130mph but in actuality, I'm only rolling about 65, lol. I cant imagine a 4.10...my top speed would probably be about 55mph and tach-ing about 6000 rpms, lol. But then again, that's an older car and not sure if they'll compare or not since this is 18 years newer? But I still think it'd have to be pretty wild. Oh yea, not to mention, this is just gonna be a cruiser, not a hot rod like the 78.

austinseanchris

Not familiar with an intake cutaway mod?

aklim

4.10 is a little steep for the street, don;t you think? I tried it and preferred my 3.73s. Went from 3.73 to 4.10 and was glad when it broke so I could go back to 3.73. MPG SUCKED

pappy.72

Something like this.

Weav's Vet

No hijack intended but why is that Mike?

STL94LT1

Your 96 has two overdrives which makes a world of difference. At 70 mph in sixth gear you'll only be turning ~1800 rpms, and there will be very little if any loss in fuel mileage.

STL94LT1

Our stock MAF's will support all be the most radical engines, and tuning can be a real PITA with an aftermarket version.

STL94LT1

In an auto car, it's way too much gear for the street. In our ZF6 cars the sixth gear cuts the 4.10's in half, and makes running sixth on the highway enjoyable instead of too much overdrive.

austinseanchris

But the SLP cold air intake would replace this...Which one do you think would be better?

austinseanchris

Yea, now that I think about it...I only have 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 78 and that makes sense having 6 gears...Your right...thats having 3 more gears than mine...How big of a difference did you see...I'm sure it was night and day?

STL94LT1

The 4.10's really made the car fun, and with ~375 rwhp it still gets 26-28 highway mpg's.