Best Bang For Your Performance Parts Buck
When you get bit by the mod bug, the sky is the limit, but where do you start? Here are the top mods that will make the biggest bang and baddest gain for your hard earned cash.
1. Turbo Kit
By far, and only if you have the coin to do it, a turbo kit is the best upgrade you can do for your S2K. A good turbo kit will boost your hp by roughly 80 and just about 75 ft-lb of sweet torque. That will get you flying by the seat of your pants. You of course, will need to really tweak and tune your engine to make proper use of all this power.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
2. Removing Your Cat
If you live in a state that does not have pollution or emissions check, removing the catalytic converter is probably the cheapest mod you can do. It will cost you nothing and you can get a few bucks recycling it. The gains aren't that great, maybe 2-5 HP, but for no cost, it might be worth it.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
3. Test Pipe
When you remove your catalytic converter, you'll probably want to spend a little to add a test pipe or high flow cats. If you aren't tracking your S2K, you'll need to make sure that a test pipe is legal in your state. In most cases, they are not, but forum members mention that most officers do not check for them, and if your pipes aren't too loud, who's going to know? If you do decide to gamble, this is a great way to get a few more horses in the stable for about $100.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
4. Headers
Adding some high performance headers is a relatively inexpensive upgrade that will let you pick up about 10-12 more HP. If you add to that a CAI and exhaust, you might be able to see up to about 20 hp gain, but of course, you'll spend a decent amount on that. By themselves, a CAI and exhaust upgrade will give you only single digit increases in hp. You are better off either headers alone or drop the bills on the entire package.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
5. Front Lower Arm Bar
Made of lightweight aluminum, this $250 enhancement won't give you any HP gains, but it will strengthen the front subframe, improving your performance during braking and cornering. Ground clearance is not affected and this can be installed with the I.S. Design Front Diffuser.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
6. High Performance Racing Coilovers
Get a hold of some high performance racing coilovers. These babies will set you back a good deal, but money does buy happiness. Don't settle for some cheap ones either. You'll likely not feel a difference between them and the OEM's. A really good set of racing coilovers from established companies such TF Works cost well over a grand, but the difference in the ride is amazing. Coupled with a front lower arm bar, and you'll be having more fun on the boulevard than you thought possible.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
7. Clutch Kit
After you have upgraded your S2K with all these high performance parts, the last thing you want is to be stranded with a burned out OEM clutch. While this won't add to your power, for around $600, a high performance clutch kit from a performance parts company like TF Works will ensure many happy miles of all that power under your hood.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
8. Gear Set
Gearing is almost at the top of every S2k owner's wish list. The 4.44 or 4.57 have been tremendously popular upgrades to this car. Enthusiast and UK Moderator MB explains that "the more you head towards a 4.7 or higher, the more likely you are to run out of revs at the exit of a corner in the lower gears, and that really isn't ideal at all." In fact, the the more you change your gear in a manual, the more acceleration/momentum you will lose. "1/2/3 are geared quite well I think," writes MB. "I'd like to do something with 4/5/6 to shorten them and max out at 150 ish, and really that means custom gears." One option for 1000 hp rating would be the 1st to 6th H/C Dog Gear Set by PPG. For more information on gear ratios, check out this thread on the forum.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.
9. Super Charger
There is an age old debate in regards to installing a turbo kit or a super charger on the S2K. While the jury is still out, there are things to consider. The SC is much cheaper than the turbo, and the 100+ hp gains are only felt at the higher rpm range. This means that if you are on the super slab daily, the SC is probably your better option, though, your gas mileage will suffer. The turbo is screaming fast, sounds awesome and has great gas mileage if you aren't running in boost all the time. It is also freakishly hot compared to a SC as the engine stores a ton of power just waiting to explode. If you like to knock the doors off everyone else on the boulevard, the Turbo by TTS Performance or XXX is your best bet.
>>Join the conversation about other performance mods right here in the S2Ki.com Forum.