Any recommendations for my first mod?

[Benito_Collins]

I own a fully loaded silver pearl base sky and am a complete and total noob when it comes to getting mods. Would anybody be willing to recommend to me what they think I should do first? Maybe something with the exhaust or something? I also have no idea how I would go about getting a mod installed so yea...I need that explained too. wow. I feel silly, but please, any help would be much appreciated.

[kwayne]

MORE POWER

[xmicro_Redline]

Mods are like clothing, it is such a personal choice. You need to decide what about the car you would like to see improved the most then research it.

- Engine not powerful enough - Swap out exhaust and install Cold Air intake, Maybe a Turbo Kit
- Wish Stereo was louder - upgrade amp and speakers
- Want a NAV system - Swap out Head Unit
- Wish your SKY looked different than others - New Rims, Paint, Stripes, Etc
- Wish Breaks were Better - swap breaks out for a nice set of larger Bembro's

There are endless things to do to a car, especially in today's market.

Spend money wisely and be creative!!!

[Benito_Collins]

Is it even possible for me to get a dual exhaust? And if it is, do I order the parts online and then take them to an auto place to get them installed or do i just go straight to an auto place and tell them what i want and they will get the parts and install em?

[wt2ga]

Mike,

Drive it for a Month and stay active here for that Month and you will know what you really want , not what we think you would like....

[cerberus]

Originally Posted by wt2ga

Mike,

Drive it for a Month and stay active here for that Month and you will know what you really want , not what we think you would like....

Excellent advice Bill. Learn the car a bit and get a feel for what it is and isn't from your own perspective and go from there.

[JohnD]

A couple of things are cheap and fun that you can do yourself and will fix some from-the-factory oversights...

• Li'l Chromies Door Lock Stems http://www.kappasphere.com
• Stubby Antenna to replace the large whip http://www.carcessory.com

I'd start with those. They take mere moments to do, cost less than fifty bucks, and you will have your first mods under your belt and be driving a "Custom SKY."

Some other projects take more work, like Painted Calipers, but are still cheap to do and fun. Some projects are easy to do, but cost a little more - like doing a Cold Air Intake to get rid of the plastic junk under the hood and give your car a nice growl as an added bonus. These would be a logical next step.

Other mods cost hundreds, or thousands:

• New Rims and Tires
• New Exhaust System
• Turbo Kit
• HID / Lighting Kit

What you need to do is to decide if you want to concentrate on appearance or performance. If performance, how much do you want to gain, and how much reliability are you willing to sacrifice as you continue to tweak it.

My recommendation to everybody is to set a target of where you want to go, then make sure that all your mods fit that overall design and vision that you have for the car. It's not about getting them all done right away, it's about enjoying the process as you work your way towards your ultimate goal.

[Robotech]

Originally Posted by JohnD

My recommendation to everybody is to set a target of where you want to go, then make sure that all your mods fit that overall design and vision that you have for the car. It's not about getting them all done right away, it's about enjoying the process as you work your way towards your ultimate goal.

How far do you want to go? That's the ultimate question and John is dead on about pointing that out. That picture is my "other" car and trust me, I've taken it VERY far. But that project started with a plan. Simply put, I wanted that car to be able to go down the 1/4 mile (at LACR no less...Palmdale, CA) in less than 12.99 seconds in full street trim...meaning exactly how it is driven everyday. No slicks. No race gas. No weight reduction. No upping the boost for the track only.

Once I had that goal in mind I then set out in researching how I was going to get there. Once I figured that out, I came up with a modding plan. What were my major modifications that I was going to need to do to get there? After I figured those out, what modifications were I going to need to make in order to get those bigger modifications to work? Then there were the modifications required to maintain some reliability.

For instance, I knew I was going to have to change out the stock super charger with something bigger and more efficiant. Well you can't just strap on a bigger blower and call it a day. A larger blower needs to get more air into it to work right...and with more air comes more fuel so larger injectors and an upgraded fuel pump were in order. Also, when you compress a lot of air it gets hot and that's bad so you need an intercooler to bring those temps back down. Of course now that the engine is producing more power the stock trans will not be able to handle it so to keep from breaking the stock trans it had to be built to handle this large increase over the stock power levels.

So once you figure out all the modifications you'll need you have to come up with a modification "time line". Which one's first? Which one's next? How much will you need to budget for each "phase" of the project? Ect.

Going back to my example, I could't put the new super charger on without first having the new injectors and reprogramming the PCM for those injectors. If I didn't do that the engine would go KABOOM!

Which it did anyway...twice. Which brings me to my next warning...expect things to break when you start modifying. Simple mods, like a low boost turbo kit, exhaust or an intake, are not all that risky. Your chance for breaking something is limited to what happens during the install really. However, you start going bigger turbos pumping out a lot of boost now there are other things to worry about. The more modifications you throw at the car the more likely it is to break. That's just the nature of the game.

Now, it sounds to me like you're not wanting to go hog wild. Anything up to and including the current turbo kits shouldn't affect reliability all that much so you're good there. If you're wanting to get into the more crazy stuff then you worry about breakage.

So, again, where do you want to go? What are you looking for? That's your first question. Before anwering that, I would drive the car for a while and see where you'd like to improve. Then read these forums...a lot...maybe even look over at the Solstice board as well since they have a lot of good performance discussions over there.

[Thumb Trigger]

Originally Posted by xmicro_Redline

- Wish Breaks were Better - swap breaks out for a nice set of larger Bembro's

Any idea where I could find a nice Brembo brake kit for the sky? I haven't been able to really find any brake kits except one from Gravana, but I wouldn't mind getting larger discs and calipers as I will be using 20" rims and I want to fill the space.

[Benito_Collins]

actually ive had my sky since september. i just never got around to joining the forums until recently.

what i want is better acceleration because quite frankly..it sucks. a bit more power in general. I also want a better exhaust sound...its ok now but it could be better. I dont want that ricer sound though. those mufflers are just obnoxious.

[wt2ga]

Originally Posted by Benito_Collins

actually ive had my sky since september. i just never got around to joining the forums until recently.

what i want is better acceleration because quite frankly..it sucks. a bit more power in general. I also want a better exhaust sound...its ok now but it could be better. I dont want that ricer sound though. those mufflers are just obnoxious.

He will make you an offer you can't refuse

[Roadie Rob]

Originally Posted by Benito_Collins

actually ive had my sky since september. i just never got around to joining the forums until recently.

what i want is better acceleration because quite frankly..it sucks. a bit more power in general. I also want a better exhaust sound...its ok now but it could be better. I dont want that ricer sound though. those mufflers are just obnoxious.

If I had to do only one mod on a regular Sky, it would be a single, cat-back exhaust system from Magnaflow or Kappasphere. You would have a very small power increase but far improved sound.

Of course once you start down that path...do not be surprised if the flood gates begin to open.

I started on this forum with zero car knowledge (most members probably still agree) but through asking questions, reading posts (like Robotech among others), I have learned a lot.

I put on my own exhaust, my own CAI, and a few other radio upgrades now in different cars.

Just remember, every master mechanic once knew nothing about cars. The best ones are the ones that keep learning and asking questions.

Good luck!!!

And by the way....our Skys share the same birthdate (9/1/06 was a great Friday...!)

[Benito_Collins]

so i cant get a dual exhaust system?

[Roadie Rob]

You can, however you will need to either cut out the other "panel" on the drivers side to match the current exhaust opening OR invest in a new rear fascia through the factory, RKSport, or Saturn Motorports (who now carries one in a dual cat-back kit).

For a single, look at $400-$500 installed.

For a dual (cut), around $700-$900 installed.

For a dual (new rear panel), probably in the $1,500 range installed.

[MRSSKY]

I did a lot of after mkt mods on my TURBO p.t.cruiser, k&n air filter, dual borla exhaust, micro-chip....so yes speaking about more power this little tangerine 2004 p.t. was fast, very fast....so fast that I had flames airbrushed on both sides of her body......up graded the stereo, upgraded the speakers......spend alot of $$$

after the trade in for the Dakota truck....never got the money I put in... But I kinda expected that, but enjoyed it for the 30,000 miles I own it!!
Decided not to do after mkt on my Sky, well almost......installed a louder horn, and waiting for warmerr weather to install my side mirror chrome thingy's.................from kappasphere!

[SilverRedLineSky]

Originally Posted by Benito_Collins

so i cant get a dual exhaust system?

Many Redline owners are changing out their stock dual exhuast for after market, you can get the take off exhuast for around $2 to $3 hundred plus shipping, buy the RL back dual outlet panel $? and get installed. Save some $ get the look.

[RPIpower]

I would recommend a good exhaust system and some tuning. All the ones that are available are good. Stick with the stock intake. I have not EVER dynoed an aftermarket intake for the Sky that has made power. Everyone one of them loses power. The stock plastic pieces dont hold in heat. That coupled with the sealed and pressurized box allows for consistant power without heatsoaking. What happens is people dyno the cars with the front clam or hood open so that the new intakes can suck in cooler air. When driving around for a while, the engine compartment gets hot as does the new shiny aluminum or steel intake. We monitored Marks, Dons and Steves car and intake temps climb pretty high. Exhaust and some tuning should help a lot. As far as getting a stock RL exhaust hoping to get more power, save your money. The 2.4 stock exhaust is better flowing than the RL exhaust. They share the same piping and same muffler. The RL exhaust has an extra resonator in the midpipe section and the mufflers splits into two exits instead of the 2.4's single exit. Remember the RL makes more power because of boost.

[Graysky]

Originally Posted by RPIpower

I would recommend a good exhaust system and some tuning. All the ones that are available are good. Stick with the stock intake. I have not EVER dynoed an aftermarket intake for the Sky that has made power. Everyone one of them loses power. The stock plastic pieces dont hold in heat. That coupled with the sealed and pressurized box allows for consistant power without heatsoaking. What happens is people dyno the cars with the front clam or hood open so that the new intakes can suck in cooler air. When driving around for a while, the engine compartment gets hot as does the new shiny aluminum or steel intake. We monitored Marks, Dons and Steves car and intake temps climb pretty high. Exhaust and some tuning should help a lot. As far as getting a stock RL exhaust hoping to get more power, save your money. The 2.4 stock exhaust is better flowing than the RL exhaust. They share the same piping and same muffler. The RL exhaust has an extra resonator in the midpipe section and the mufflers splits into two exits instead of the 2.4's single exit. Remember the RL makes more power because of boost.

As I have the Redline are you saying don't bother with the aftermarket CAI (when it becomes available)?

[CdnSkyGuy]

Sounded to me like they had tested it on the 2.4

I am not sure if results would be the same for Redline or not.

[V8 SKY]

I can personally say that you should send it to Mallett!

http://www.mallettcars.com/sky-conversion.htm
Mallett Sky #004 is Home!
First Drive in Mallett SKY #004

This thing is a totally different car now. In addition to the LS2 V8 engine, the new suspension is fantastic. Even better handling, and a bit less "thunky" than before.