what is the best cheap mod that i can do to my SS
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 03-18-2011
Posts: 560
From: Florida
what is the best cheap mod that i can do to my SS
im looking to make a little more power but i dont really want to spend the money on a intake that i have to get tuned and whatnot so what is a good mod that i can do for cheap? thanks Mike
Senior Member
Joined: 03-29-2009
Posts: 1,097
From: Quebec City
Senior Member
Joined: 06-21-2008
Posts: 433
From: Lancaster, Ca.
I'm thinking on the stage 1 kit myself.
But, I'm sitting on the fence right now on whether I want to spend that kind of money or not. GM Parts Direct has the best price that I can find for the kit. However, there is still the additional price for the ECM flash and labor cost for the local dealer. I haven't been really checking too hard, but my dealer is quoting 'on their web-site' $810 installed. I'm planning on a cross-country trip in June. I have heard that the upgrade improves gas mileage some. But I'm leery on any problems that may pop-up on the road. The kit still comes with those crimp-on wire splices that everyone is complaining about as the major culprit for all the problems (with chaffing and vibration and moisture around the splices). But then this baby still has 260 HP and the gas mileage during summer weather with the cruise-control on is about 30 mpg, as long as I can keep it below 70 mph. During winter weather I only get @ 26-27 mpg, so much for the cold air intake theory, at least for gas mileage.
A real cheap mod would be the vinyl inlays for the 'SS' emblems, unless you want to remove all the badges and emblems and such.
A real cheap mod would be the vinyl inlays for the 'SS' emblems, unless you want to remove all the badges and emblems and such.
Senior Member
Joined: 07-15-2009
Posts: 2,070
From: Waterbury CT
Best bang for the buck mod IMHO is either A) the GMTU or B) a tune if you don't care about your warranty, as others have stated here.
Later
Allex
EDIT: another mod that is beneficial (most times not so cheap though) is a set of lightweight rims. That frees up the motor to not spin so much unsprung weight, and gives you better acceleration.
Later
Allex
EDIT: another mod that is beneficial (most times not so cheap though) is a set of lightweight rims. That frees up the motor to not spin so much unsprung weight, and gives you better acceleration.
Last edited by asanti; May 21, 2011 at 09:58 AM. Reason: added info on lite weight rims
Senior Member
Joined: 11-08-2009
Posts: 220
From: Los Angeles, Dallas, New York
Just my opinion, but . . .
If your planning a cross country trip soon, I wouldn't do anything.
The GM upgrade is good, though you absolutely must have someone install it correctly. There are some good dealers that can do this like the ChevyMgr on this site, but if done wrong, crimps wrong, tmap hitting etc. etc. it will strand you or put you in limp mode.
You don't want to be going up a mountain in limp mode.
The trifecta tune is good, I've put it on my HHR and my Impala SS with mixed results. On the HHR it added some power and drivability though it needs some fine tuning.
On the Impala SS it made it come alive, but I had overheating twice. This may not relate to the tune, but I took the trifecta out, took the impala to the dealer on the overheating and had then keep it for two days and try everything, they tested the heck out of it and without the tune had no overheating, but I know if I put the tune back in it will overheat.
Now this isn't a reflection on trifecta or Vince because I've been too busy to contact him and log the car and I will, but once again, before I drove across country I'd make sure I had time to really test out any change to these cars because they (all modern cars) are so very ,very sensitive to changes.
You see it on this forum all the time, some guy changes the air filter and has tons of problems, someone else swears by the same filter and goes 40,000 miles without issue.
I'd make sure before you did any changes you find a great dealer and secondly have time to test and with the HHR SS there are so few of them, few dealers have any great experience working or modifying them.
I have a good hot rod shop down the street from me. Any old school stuff like exhaust, suspension, body, even engine swaps he can fabricate and do, but on my HHR motor he can't touch it. He just doesn't have the expertise to really do anything reliable to these sensitive, computer driven motors.
Also remember these cars started life as economy cars, so there are some cheap parts like shifters, piping, connectors, etc. and it doesn't take much to break something.
1. Good dealer service dept. 2. Test for a month.
IMO
If your planning a cross country trip soon, I wouldn't do anything.
The GM upgrade is good, though you absolutely must have someone install it correctly. There are some good dealers that can do this like the ChevyMgr on this site, but if done wrong, crimps wrong, tmap hitting etc. etc. it will strand you or put you in limp mode.
You don't want to be going up a mountain in limp mode.
The trifecta tune is good, I've put it on my HHR and my Impala SS with mixed results. On the HHR it added some power and drivability though it needs some fine tuning.
On the Impala SS it made it come alive, but I had overheating twice. This may not relate to the tune, but I took the trifecta out, took the impala to the dealer on the overheating and had then keep it for two days and try everything, they tested the heck out of it and without the tune had no overheating, but I know if I put the tune back in it will overheat.
Now this isn't a reflection on trifecta or Vince because I've been too busy to contact him and log the car and I will, but once again, before I drove across country I'd make sure I had time to really test out any change to these cars because they (all modern cars) are so very ,very sensitive to changes.
You see it on this forum all the time, some guy changes the air filter and has tons of problems, someone else swears by the same filter and goes 40,000 miles without issue.
I'd make sure before you did any changes you find a great dealer and secondly have time to test and with the HHR SS there are so few of them, few dealers have any great experience working or modifying them.
I have a good hot rod shop down the street from me. Any old school stuff like exhaust, suspension, body, even engine swaps he can fabricate and do, but on my HHR motor he can't touch it. He just doesn't have the expertise to really do anything reliable to these sensitive, computer driven motors.
Also remember these cars started life as economy cars, so there are some cheap parts like shifters, piping, connectors, etc. and it doesn't take much to break something.
1. Good dealer service dept. 2. Test for a month.
IMO
Senior Member
Joined: 11-15-2008
Posts: 1,599
From: Newburgh, NY
Intake is going to cost any way you look at it if you're strapped for cash. For a general, cheap, effective chassis mod, TTR Sway Bar is probably the best bang for the buck. Under 200 bucks. Installs in less than 10 min. It'll make the car more fun to drive and won't cost the $$ that a tune would run.
http://www.turbotechracing.com/produ...idproduct=5148
http://www.turbotechracing.com/produ...idproduct=5148
