perf mini-mods project done

[tomt]

I've been thinking about doing this for a year or so, and finally did it...

I just finished putting on a new Dansk euro premuff, installing a K&N filter and a SteveW chip. The car definitely has more grunt through the power band, and even sounds better. Steve's instructions were great, and dealing with him was a pleasure.

If you haven't seen one of the premuffs, they're pretty slick looking (see below).

I went back and forth on the K&N, as the opinions seem to be pretty mixed, but though the filter + the billett velocity stack seemed like a pretty good idea. The stack has a cone shaped hole so all that air doesn't hit a brick wall heading for the AFM (it's the purple thing at the bottom of the filter in the picture below).

I got the stack and filter from Broadfoot Racing in case anyone is wondering. They're pretty bad and answering the phone, so you'll have to be persistent. Other than the Super SteveW chip, everything else came from our host.

It's pretty clear that the stock cat hadn't been off the car since 85, and I had to cut all the nuts off. What a drag... I tried soaking PB Blaster for a couple of days, and then went at it with the torch. No good.

The Dremel got the job done, but would not have been possible without the flexible shaft due to all the funky angles. Even then I had to slice off a couple of the nuts like cutting an apple (parallel to the bolt). I went through about 50 cutting wheels in the process... not very expensive, but time consuming the keep changing them. In case you're trying this, only work with the heavy duty cutting wheels -- they stand up to the torque a little better.

Last year I put in some SRDs and 5 points, along with a strut brace, harness bar (targa version), and strut bar to go along with the Koni's

The car feels, sounds and drives tight...

Next comes the diet... AC delete, and glass front and back bumbers. This is a pretty fun addiction!
Rgds,
TT

[Mike Feinstein]

Tom,

Invest $75 in a couple of dyno pulls. I went your same route. Europremuff, Broadfoot cone, sport muffler, Steve W chip, etc. No gain. I then sold the cone and replaced it with an Autothority MAF and chip looking for some real gain ($1700). Dyno'd the car last weekend and got 195 at the wheels, three pulls in a row. That's about the same as bone stock!

Car runs great but I am now convinced that there is nothing you can simply bolt on to a 3.2 (aside from a turbo or supercharger....and that's not exactly bolt-on) that will yield even minimal power gains on this motor.

Go to a dyno before you waste more money on speed mods. The seats and bars (we must have identical taste...SRD's, harness bar, strut brace, etc.) will hold you in at the track, but won't get you out of a tight turn any faster.

Why didn't I start with a 993????

[tomt]

I wasn't expecting a performance miracle, just a few modest ponies -- I think (hope?) I got that anyhow. At least several others seem to have the same experience that I've had. I probably won't dyno for results, especially since I didn't dyno before.

Maybe you've got something else going on w/ your car?? I agree on the track results... I'm still adjusting the nut behind the wheel!
Rgds,
TT

[Mike Feinstein]

TT:

Didn't mean to knock your enthusiasm. Just disappointed in the rampant false claims of dramatic hp gains from tweaks...some are expensive. Nothing else going on with my engine....strong and tight with no issues. Just a normal 3.2. The upgrades that have yielded fabulous results were all suspension related. Larger tbars, shocks, bushings, corner balance and aligment will all yield lasting results far in excess of their cost in my opinion.

I'm to a point now where I'm willing to spend big $$ ($10k+) to improve hp and still I'm coming up empty. Supercharging looks cool but I understand that I'll never pass GA emissions. Varioram 3.6 swap sounds good but OBD1 (Euro) is all that is practical and again...won't pass emissions. Doing a 3.4 would pass emissions but would eat up my budget and only add 20-30hp. A 964 engine swap would work but also yields marginal improvement if it is to pass emissions. What to do?

So, I'd invest in the suspension before I'd spend alot more money on engine mods.....just my 2 cents.

[Jeff Alton]

Mike, did you dyno your car before you added the parts? Maybe you could post scans of the before and after runs.

Jeff

[Noel]

Replacing an old cat with a pre-muffler often produces more power, but this is due to the previous cat being old and partially clogged.

Noel