Wife is unconvinced on CGS intake.
08-02-2006, 03:53 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 05-01-2006
Location: New London, CT USA
Posts: 2,507
Wife is unconvinced on CGS intake.
We have it on our HHR and I like it when it is quiet. I did not get it for any throaty sound, just for better aspiration. The Imco muffler is in the back waiting to be installed.
Anyway, Sally thinks it is too noisy as is, so I'm not sure changing the muffler too would be a good thing at this time. Will the midrange HP go up a bit and will we get better MPG with both the intake AND exhaust breathing better? I think so, from my experience with other cars, but I dunno about more noise. We really do not want any. Stock, the car is reasonably balanced between sound dampening, decent ride and handling.
I guess at this juncture I may put the stock setup back on.
I'm not real impressed with the sound either, it sounds like someone screaming into a Maxwell house cofee can
to me. Perhaps I need the muffler on to for all to work/sound well.
Just pondering aloud. What are your experiences? Have many of you done one mod and not the other, or which one first? and what were the results?
My main performance plan was/is to change the intake and muffler for a better breathing machine with (hopefully ) better MPG and horsepower. The I was going for a custom eprom tune that Ludicriss' company offers. I figure no one has done that yet, and custom tunes are common these days.
I don't figure on doing more than that on the engine, after all it is a simple Four banger.
A turbo will come in a coule of years, but I do not see that type of performance in our future. We need a family car that is reasonable on gas. A performance engine that takes only premium does not fit our bill. Been there. Not again for a while......Got to see where gas prices are headed. Performance may be a thing of the past for many of us
Anyway, Sally thinks it is too noisy as is, so I'm not sure changing the muffler too would be a good thing at this time. Will the midrange HP go up a bit and will we get better MPG with both the intake AND exhaust breathing better? I think so, from my experience with other cars, but I dunno about more noise. We really do not want any. Stock, the car is reasonably balanced between sound dampening, decent ride and handling.
I guess at this juncture I may put the stock setup back on.
I'm not real impressed with the sound either, it sounds like someone screaming into a Maxwell house cofee can
to me. Perhaps I need the muffler on to for all to work/sound well. Just pondering aloud. What are your experiences? Have many of you done one mod and not the other, or which one first? and what were the results?
My main performance plan was/is to change the intake and muffler for a better breathing machine with (hopefully ) better MPG and horsepower. The I was going for a custom eprom tune that Ludicriss' company offers. I figure no one has done that yet, and custom tunes are common these days.
I don't figure on doing more than that on the engine, after all it is a simple Four banger.
A turbo will come in a coule of years, but I do not see that type of performance in our future. We need a family car that is reasonable on gas. A performance engine that takes only premium does not fit our bill. Been there. Not again for a while......Got to see where gas prices are headed. Performance may be a thing of the past for many of us
08-02-2006, 08:37 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-19-2006
Location: Arvada CO
Posts: 5,065
Ok...maybe I can help here a little since I'm a female and can relate to where Sally is coming from.
I've never done mods to a car...no less a new one, so at first I was very skeptical about changing anything that came from the factory. You must also keep in mind that my boyfriend has been even more skeptical than me when it came to changing things on my car. So...I not only had to convince myself that I was making a good decision, I also wanted to show him that I had not totally lost my marbles.
Well...once I heard all the hoopla about the IMCO T924, I figured what the hell and put it on and I haven't regretted that decision one bit. In fact, I noticed the change in performance and the nice sound and am pleased that I did it. I also did notice an increase in gas mileage...about 2mpg.
Then...there's been all the hoopla about the CGS. Again, I was skeptical about that as well and didn't do that until about 2 weeks ago. The final decision that I wanted to do that was made after I rode in CJ's 2.2L with the CGS...and I definitely felt the difference riding in that as well. Once again...boyfriend thinks I've gone crazy again...but once it was installed and he drove it...I got the thumbs up for yet another great mod to the car. Since it's new on the car, I can't really say much about how it affects gas mileage...but if it goes down, it's because I'm driving it differently than I did before the CGS because I'm so happy with its increased performance.
As far as noise...yes it's a little louder from the outside...but I don't really notice it much from the cabin with the windows rolled up. The HHR seems to me to be pretty well insulated from outside noise in my opinion.
Good luck with whatever decision the two of you make. It's a matter of preference and only the two of you can decide what is best for you. Just thought you would like to have a female point of view.
I've never done mods to a car...no less a new one, so at first I was very skeptical about changing anything that came from the factory. You must also keep in mind that my boyfriend has been even more skeptical than me when it came to changing things on my car. So...I not only had to convince myself that I was making a good decision, I also wanted to show him that I had not totally lost my marbles.
Well...once I heard all the hoopla about the IMCO T924, I figured what the hell and put it on and I haven't regretted that decision one bit. In fact, I noticed the change in performance and the nice sound and am pleased that I did it. I also did notice an increase in gas mileage...about 2mpg.
Then...there's been all the hoopla about the CGS. Again, I was skeptical about that as well and didn't do that until about 2 weeks ago. The final decision that I wanted to do that was made after I rode in CJ's 2.2L with the CGS...and I definitely felt the difference riding in that as well. Once again...boyfriend thinks I've gone crazy again...but once it was installed and he drove it...I got the thumbs up for yet another great mod to the car. Since it's new on the car, I can't really say much about how it affects gas mileage...but if it goes down, it's because I'm driving it differently than I did before the CGS because I'm so happy with its increased performance.
As far as noise...yes it's a little louder from the outside...but I don't really notice it much from the cabin with the windows rolled up. The HHR seems to me to be pretty well insulated from outside noise in my opinion.
Good luck with whatever decision the two of you make. It's a matter of preference and only the two of you can decide what is best for you. Just thought you would like to have a female point of view.
08-02-2006, 08:41 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-14-2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 5,359
My 
:
I live by the motto: "A happy wife means a happy life."
Do (or don't do!), whatever it takes to acheive that goal.
But basically, the intake & muffler together are an unbeatable combo.
And I've had several different exhausts on my HHR!
:I live by the motto: "A happy wife means a happy life."
Do (or don't do!), whatever it takes to acheive that goal.
But basically, the intake & muffler together are an unbeatable combo.
And I've had several different exhausts on my HHR!
Something to keep in mind though is, what's cheap for some isn't cheap for all!!