"painless" LS2 mods?

[deevergote]

I got the one Straight Success found. I haven't heard back from the member here about the one his mechanic friend was selling, but that's probably for the best anyway. That was an 05, and I really did prefer to have an 06 (which is what I got). The condition of the two cars was about the same... mileage, minor cosmetic damage (scratches and such), interior condition.

I'm definitely going to have to replace the front shocks, I think. Fortunately, the rear ones are the expensive ones, so I may be able to get the fronts for $100 each or less! There are two options from GM... FE4 and FG2. FG2 are the performance upgrades. I'm going for the cheaper and softer FE4. I have a Honda for sharp handling... I don't need to upgrade the suspension on my 2 ton boat! Replacing bushings is a smart idea, though. I'll have to see what wears, and what benefits from being replaced. The front suspension design is similar to the CB7's, surprisingly... minus the driven front axle, of course.

I'm looking for a dry-flow drop-in filter, if I can find one. I'm staying away from anything oiled, like K&N, since they can cause issues.
I'll have to research plugs and wires to see what's best. I'm hoping that minor upgrades may yield "minor" gains... which will likely be greater than they would be on the small displacement engines I'm used to, simply because of the engine's size. If a simple upgrade gives, say, 3hp on an F22A1... perhaps it'll give more like 10hp on a 6.0L V8!

[owequitit]

Modding already? Keep it stock for at least the first month and then figure out your plan. It's not worth throwing a bunch of money at it to start without a plan. I know this is just a feeler, but do register on a few LSx/CTS websites first.

Honestly, I would take the money you had planned on using for mods and start doing all the routine maintenance stuff first. Change all the fluids with the proper ones (GM stuff for anything that GM stuff is better for, trans/diff/etc), do a quick once over on all the suspension bushings, etc) and figure out if anything else needs to be done, then when you have some money leftover and it starts to "feel" slow, start making it faster.

Register on Autopia before you even think about washing it and read up on the two bucket method of washing. You'll ruin the paint any other way...trust me on this one.

Congrats again.

That would definitely be a nice ride. I'd only be concerned about repairs, though. A 10 year old 5 series will be expensive, and anything M will be even more expensive. If you get something like that, be prepared to fix what breaks. Research, research, research! Cost of ownership is high with an old BMW. That's one reason I chose the Cadillac over anything German, because American is cheaper. Plus, variants of my engine and transmission can be found in numerous cheaper cars, and much of the body/suspension/chassis will be found on cheaper CTS models, which date back over 10 years and are a dime a dozen. Aside from the fact that I truly like the car for what it is, that was a BIG factor in my decision. For a luxury sport car of this caliber, the CTS-V is probably the cheapest in terms of cost of ownership. Still not cheap if anything V exclusive breaks (like those cool but odd 6 lug wheels...) then that'll cost a fortune, but that's it.

I got the one Straight Success found. I haven't heard back from the member here about the one his mechanic friend was selling, but that's probably for the best anyway. That was an 05, and I really did prefer to have an 06 (which is what I got). The condition of the two cars was about the same... mileage, minor cosmetic damage (scratches and such), interior condition.

I'm definitely going to have to replace the front shocks, I think. Fortunately, the rear ones are the expensive ones, so I may be able to get the fronts for $100 each or less! There are two options from GM... FE4 and FG2. FG2 are the performance upgrades. I'm going for the cheaper and softer FE4. I have a Honda for sharp handling... I don't need to upgrade the suspension on my 2 ton boat! Replacing bushings is a smart idea, though. I'll have to see what wears, and what benefits from being replaced. The front suspension design is similar to the CB7's, surprisingly... minus the driven front axle, of course.

I'm looking for a dry-flow drop-in filter, if I can find one. I'm staying away from anything oiled, like K&N, since they can cause issues.
I'll have to research plugs and wires to see what's best. I'm hoping that minor upgrades may yield "minor" gains... which will likely be greater than they would be on the small displacement engines I'm used to, simply because of the engine's size. If a simple upgrade gives, say, 3hp on an F22A1... perhaps it'll give more like 10hp on a 6.0L V8!

I agree with drive it first. You will surely start to see the areas you want to address with it, and will give you time to figure out what needs attention in stock form.

As for K&N, that is just a bunch of hearsay IMO. We have used them for years in our airplanes, and I have had them in every car I have owned, including the MAF equipped Si. The only people who have trouble with them are the ones that over oil them on servicing.

[deevergote]

True, but if there's a dry-flow option available that offers similar performance (airflow and filtration), then I'd prefer to go that route.

Honestly, yeah... after driving it, I don't really need more power than what I have! I'll address worn things such as suspension and motor mounts before I even think of adding more power. This engine has so much power that I can let the clutch out in 2nd gear from a dead stop, and the car just goes. No throttle. That would stall any 4 cylinder I've ever owned!
I'll probably just stick to restoration and maintenance, and that'll keep me plenty happy. If I continue truly loving what the car offers, maybe I'll just end up upgrading to a 2nd gen (more refined, more power, and I think better styling... in a way.)

[owequitit]

True, but if there's a dry-flow option available that offers similar performance (airflow and filtration), then I'd prefer to go that route.

Honestly, yeah... after driving it, I don't really need more power than what I have! I'll address worn things such as suspension and motor mounts before I even think of adding more power. This engine has so much power that I can let the clutch out in 2nd gear from a dead stop, and the car just goes. No throttle. That would stall any 4 cylinder I've ever owned!
I'll probably just stick to restoration and maintenance, and that'll keep me plenty happy. If I continue truly loving what the car offers, maybe I'll just end up upgrading to a 2nd gen (more refined, more power, and I think better styling... in a way.)

But that is the thing. there is no such thing as a free lunch... Since you are limited by surface area, you are either going to lose flow or filtration. The K&N's are a good compromise IMO, because while a bit more of a pain, the oil helps with filtration, which allows the media to flow slightly better. The main reason for the onslaught of "dry-flow" filters is that they couldn't seem to get around the K&N patent issue. Like I said, we have them on our airplanes, and there is no tucked away intake/airbox. They are mounted right in the front of the exterior of the cowling where they suck in pretty much anything there is to suck in, and we don't have trouble. Same thing with the dusty AZ desert and my cars. They typically go 20-40K between services, and my oil doesn't get contaminated in any shorter timeframe than it did with the stock paper filter. IMO, if you were going to stick with a dry media filter, then you may as well just stick with stock. Even a K&N isn't going to do anything for a stock engine typically, but at least they don't cost as much to maintain.

[Nurega]

Two things I can immediately recommend based on my ex-roommate's CTS-V:

1) 1-4 skip-shift "feature" bypass. The annoying GM 1-4 skip-shift is often the first thing Corvette owners bypass upon purchase. I don't recall what bypass my roommate installed on his car, but he said the cost was well worth the end result. For the record, I did quick search on eBay and found prices in the $25 range.

2) Kooks Headers and high-flow catalytic converters. He legitimately passed smog after installing these two items, and the the LS2 had a newfound, beastly sound upon startup and any hard blip of the throttle. The car remained fairly quiet with anything less than moderate acceleration.

He also did install an exhaust cutout that was actuated via a dash button, but you've made it very apparent that you're not into that sort of hooliganism .

[deevergote]

That's true about the K&N filter, I suppose. I haven't located a drop-in dry-flow filter for the car anyway, so I may just go the K&N route. They're only about $40, which is twice the cost of a disposable filter... so as soon as I use the K&N for the time it would take to replace a regular filter twice, it's paid for! I don't expect much in the way of gains with any "painless" mod... but a few small upgrades that give 2hp here and 3hp there with little sacrifice can add up. I don't know ANYTHING about the LS2, and for all I know, much of my knowledge of small-displacement Honda engines might not translate.
For example, ignition upgrades on our cars do pretty much nothing until the stock power is damn near tripled. But would an ignition upgrade do something good on the LS2? Better spark plugs, wires, performance coils...


I actually kinda like the skip shift feature! It's the thing that kept the CTS-V from being slapped with a gas guzzler tax. Therefore, if I can get better fuel economy with the feature installed, I might as well leave it. I'm not planning on launching the car anyway. Most of the hard accelerations I've done have been from 2nd gear, at which point, the skip shift feature isn't an issue.

I wish I knew someone around here with headers installed (I still feel like I'm doing something wrong by saying "headers" ) If it didn't change the sound that much, I'd probably consider it down the line. I really don't want it to be any louder, as I want to maintain what little "luxury" there is (and there really is little... this thing looks like a Cadillac, but it feels and sounds like a Corvette...)
The stock sound is already pretty beastly. I went out with my friend and his girlfriend last night, and every time I started the car, the girlfriend went "vrooommm!!!"

[owequitit]

That's true about the K&N filter, I suppose. I haven't located a drop-in dry-flow filter for the car anyway, so I may just go the K&N route. They're only about $40, which is twice the cost of a disposable filter... so as soon as I use the K&N for the time it would take to replace a regular filter twice, it's paid for! I don't expect much in the way of gains with any "painless" mod... but a few small upgrades that give 2hp here and 3hp there with little sacrifice can add up. I don't know ANYTHING about the LS2, and for all I know, much of my knowledge of small-displacement Honda engines might not translate.
For example, ignition upgrades on our cars do pretty much nothing until the stock power is damn near tripled. But would an ignition upgrade do something good on the LS2? Better spark plugs, wires, performance coils...


I actually kinda like the skip shift feature! It's the thing that kept the CTS-V from being slapped with a gas guzzler tax. Therefore, if I can get better fuel economy with the feature installed, I might as well leave it. I'm not planning on launching the car anyway. Most of the hard accelerations I've done have been from 2nd gear, at which point, the skip shift feature isn't an issue.

I wish I knew someone around here with headers installed (I still feel like I'm doing something wrong by saying "headers" ) If it didn't change the sound that much, I'd probably consider it down the line. I really don't want it to be any louder, as I want to maintain what little "luxury" there is (and there really is little... this thing looks like a Cadillac, but it feels and sounds like a Corvette...)
The stock sound is already pretty beastly. I went out with my friend and his girlfriend last night, and every time I started the car, the girlfriend went "vrooommm!!!"

I wouldn't expect the header to make much of a difference. IMO, Honda's and other NA, small displacement 4 bangers are the hardest to keep from getting unruly with mods, and if you do headers and keep the stock exhaust on those (especially with the cats intact) then even they stay pretty much under the radar. A couple of suggestions though. IMO, I would think the headers are probably more important than the catback, even though I know the LSx will respond well to catback exhaust. Also, if you do end up getting headers and high flow cats, I would probably suggest spending extra money on the Random Tech cats as they are more money, but always seem to sound quieter and work better than the Magnaflow ones. I would think that with just headers, you should still be "quiet." Of course, you can always put more dynamat or something on the floors/tunnel to help with any additional noise, if you wanted to go that far.

[deevergote]

That's true. I hadn't thought about adding more soundproofing! It's already a 2 ton car, so a little extra weight won't matter (again, Honda mindset... coming from a car culture where guys strip soundproofing material out to shed weight!)

I've always heard that with these big pushrod V8s, you can fart on them and make another 100hp.
If I do upgrade the cats, I'm definitely getting the best I can buy. I've heard far too many stories on here about high flow cats being raspy and falling apart (Magnaflow often gets a bad rep in the Honda world for that.)
I probably won't do the exhaust, as I'd like to maintain as much of the stock sound level as possible. Plus, I know I avoided any V that had an exhaust upgrade while I was shopping, simply because I didn't want a "modified" car (same goes for anything that was lowered.) For that reason, I guess I'll be hanging onto all stock parts for when I sell it! If I actually DO do any real upgrades, that is.

[Straight Success]

I would say do a brake upgrade. It enhances performance, but only deceleration. Good brakes are good. Better brakes are even better.

I would recommend, since you are looking into replace suspension components, maybe a Hotchkis suspension upgrade.

[deevergote]

Nah, I want to retain a soft suspension (as soft as possible.) I won't even be installing the factory upgrade FG2 shocks. I'm just installing the FE4 "granny shocks".
The brakes are actually HUGE. There's not much to upgrade there, unless I double the output of the engine. The amazing braking is one thing that people have praised this car for.

This car won't be doing any racing or canyon carving. The power is mainly used for my own enjoyment on the highway and straight roads. It puts a smile on my face to stomp the gas and get thrown back in my seat like I'm on the Gravitron (without the nauseating spinning!) I figured if there are some easy, inexpensive, consequence-free things that I could do to eek out a little extra power, why not?

[92accordDx]

glad to see you stepped up to a v8 finally congrats on the new car you need to start with longtubes x pipe and intake and a cam. that should get you to around 400 wheel

[FuriousJDMLBM]

I would say do a brake upgrade. It enhances performance, but only deceleration. Good brakes are good. Better brakes are even better.

I would recommend, since you are looking into replace suspension components, maybe a Hotchkis suspension upgrade.

If he can lock the wheels and/or engage ABS and it's not a track driven car, there is absolutely 0 reason to upgrade brakes. Changing a brake pad to change the initial bite feeling is one thing, but you cannot improve the performance of your brakes if you can lock them up. Replacing the tires with a stickier compound is a far better option.

If the car is to be tracked, then yes, an upgrade to reduce brake fade is a reasonable upgrade.

[deevergote]

The CTS-V's stock brakes are actually quite remarkable. Cadillac did a good job matching the brakes to the weight and power of the car.

glad to see you stepped up to a v8 finally congrats on the new car you need to start with longtubes x pipe and intake and a cam. that should get you to around 400 wheel

I just drove past a Mustang today and looked to see if it was you!

I still have the CB... and the Fit... and the 3rd gen. Wanna buy a 4 cylinder?


The V8 is nice, though. I think I'll leave it as-is. 400hp is actually more than I'll ever need, especially since I don't think I'll ever race it. I already check every parking lot I'm in to see if anyone is more powerful... the only cars I see that are more powerful are new Vettes and Camaros!

[Soufkackicustom]

I finally got a chance to work on a V. My buddy brought in his supercharged xlr for exhaust and intake. When I put it on the lift, it looks just like a corvette. I have got to find a great shop to tune it though. But the exhaust and intake made a world of difference.

[deevergote]

It's funny, the XLR basically IS a Corvette, with a Cadillac engine. My V is the opposite... a Cadillac with a Corvette engine!
I actually considered the XLR-V, but I couldn't find one for what I wanted to spend. Plus, automatic only kinda sucks... and it'd be using Cadillac-only engine parts with that supercharged engine (and used cars with forced induction are often a wreck...), plus, any other parts would likely be Corvette parts, and pricey.

Gorgeous cars, though.