Hey guys, which mod gives you the most hp in correlation with the amount you pay.

fyi. I don't even have a s2k yet but i plan to get one this memorial day weekend(crossing fingers). Or maybe the Z, depending on the test drive. I'm torn between the two cars.

 

custom exhaust system. have someone build you a 2.25"-2.5" catback exhaust with no resonator, and that is somewhat light and you'll gain a good amount of hp.

you have the remember that the stock exhaust system is very heavy, so when you go aftermarket (in most cases), you will gain hp and lose weight...and these two things help with the power/weight ratio....making you quicker.

the stock intake and exhaust manifold are pretty good, maybe just a bit on the heavy side.

 

From what i've read here on the board, aftermarket exhausts offer little HP gain, greatest benefit is weight.

but say exhaust $1000 = 10hp (generous) $100/hp

supercharger, $7k installed maybe (prob less)? = 100hp = $70/hp

 

Best power bang for the buck:

Aside from forced induction, Final drive gear, or header and ECU

Best performance driving bang for the buck:
upgraded suspension and/or driving school.

 

suspension is tricky, most end up making their cars handle worse than stock...you really have to do your homework in this area before doing anything.

 

How much of a gain do you get from ECU and how much is an ECU?

 

My advice is to use the search button. Since you're new (only 5 days old to S2Ki), you probably haven't had a good chance to really look around, but most of the questions you want to have answered at this point have already been answered on this board before.

I realize that it's easier just to re-post the same question, rather than digging for old info, but most people that have been around a while get tired of answering the same questions.

Having said all that:
For low-budget bang for the buck mods, I'd go with:
AEM Cold Air intake (probably 3-7hp peak, plus a nice bump around 3700 RPM)
or
VAFC (probably 5-8hp peak, and up to 12hp near redline)

The drawback of the VAFC is that you will also need to invest in some tuning time to optimize its gains, otherwise it's pretty much worthless.

My advice is to plan a roadmap of mods before you buy anything. That way you'll waste less money. If you're going to go turbo, you don't want to spend big bucks on a header (because it will later be replaced by a turbo manifold). If you're planning on adding ITBs, there's no point in buying a cold air intake. If you're planning on buying a full-blown ECU down the line, you may not want to spend money on a VAFC right now.

 

you can go with a VAFC or an EMS, they are the most common on this car. The VAFC (300 bucks) properly tuned will be about 5-8 to the wheels, an EMS (1400 thats a guess) will do a lot more but tuning is very expensive

 

The best bang for the buck H.P.increase is a used nitrous kit. You might be able to pick one up for about $400. You are gonna stay safe if you keep it at a 50 shot or less with colder spark plugs. Over 50 you might think about a better fuel pump and good tuning.

 

thanks for all the input guys, imma go check out some s2k's this weekend around so cal area. Wish me luck.