Shaving off milliseconds - 0-60MPH Test

Alrighty, some of you guys have been waiting for this. I know I have. It's been pretty much a year since I've last done a 0-60 run. A fast re-cap:

Bone Stock - 5.44 Seconds
With Injen CAI - 5.42 Seconds
Injen CAI, Corsa Catback, and Trifecta Tune - 5.22 Seconds

However, most would argue the Dashhawk is not accurate. You are probably jealous >=D. Okay, let's be real here, let's say the Dashhawk isn't accurate, but you can still see the improvements. Each and every mod has shaved off an X number of milliseconds. Beyond that, they are pretty accurate milliseconds I would honestly say.

Someone have a horse power calculator? There are websites out there that calculate your car's overall weight, with the speed and time you made a 1/4 mile or 0-60MPH, and give you the result of your RWHP, or BHP. Someone find it, and post in the comments or on facebook please =D. I would like an estimate of the HP without having to pay for the dyno right now lol.

Anyway, lets talk technical stuff right now. My first bone stock run was driven on June 25th, 2010, at around 61 degrees, if my mind serves me correctly. Where as this newest run was ran on April 24th, 2011 in the morning at 55 degrees. If my knowledge is correct, then the colder air is denser, giving more air molecules per cylinder, which means higher octane needed, and could result in more power. HOWEVER, on June 25th I was running 94 octane, and April 24th I was only running 87 octane. I'm too cheap to fill high octane right now, especially with the gas prices so high lol.

Therefore, we are lead to conclude more power could have been had for this newest run. Let's list out the other factors here. I DON'T have any after market headers at this moment and I still have both pairs of cats, so I already have crappier airflow than some of the other guys. I am running stock 1LT 18" wheels and BFGoodrich all season tires, meaning crappy grip. I weigh around 140 lbs right now, 5 lbs heavier than last year. Don't overlook each pound, with our car's Power to Weight Ratio, every 16 lbs you shed, you gain an equivalent of 1 HP. My goal before I go forced induction? 5 seconds flat, so another 0.2 seconds shaved off.

My options? Weight loss, both my car and I - lol, more power, more grip, lower center of gravity. This is where the next couple of months/years will come into play. I am currently doing research on wheels right now. TSW Nurburing are rotary forged wheels, meaning they are light and cheap in price! With some new rubbers, and hopefully no bigger than the current wheel diameter, we will gain the speed needed from three angles: Better grip, lighter unsprung weight, and a better final drive ratio!

HOPEFULLY, that is enough to shave off those milliseconds. If not, I am planning on buying RX's new Throttle Body, and perhaps some Doug Thorley Headers. However, wheels come first, then suspension.

This is pretty nerdy, and pretty exciting. I can't wait to see this car change even more.

I am planning on racing this car. Drag, AutoX, and Track Days

A summary of 2010

Most of the time, I'm sure that I'm just writing into the void, since this blog only started out as a way for me to keep track of what I do to my car. Since the beginning of the blog, I have gotten more views, both on my youtube account and my blog. This lead me to believe, "Hey! People actually read my stuff."

Therefore, I thank those of you who actually read my blog posts from time to time. I'd like to think my DIYs or product reviews actually help you guys.

Okay, well, onto the purpose of this post. For those who know me in person, or who have been reading the blog from the start, I brought my Camaro home on April 6th, 2010. This is a significant day for me, not only was it the day I brought back this beautiful car, it was also the day I started to care and learn about cars. I don't know what to say, without this Camaro, I may have never learned how to change my own oil, remove a car bumper, install an intake system, paint my own engine cover, or create my first circuit.

The number of mods I have gotten done, the amount of time and money I have spent, and the blood and sweat that I literally went through to get my car to where it is today, is just mind blowing to me. If you asked me about cars a year ago, I wouldn't even be able to tell you how much torque my engine puts out at the fly wheel. But now I'm servicing my own car? Haha, crazy eh?

Well, if you wondered how much I have done/spent since April 6th, 2010, here is your answer:

--COSMETIC/MISC MODS--
4 Gauge Auxiliary Pack - $370 (Thanks Gene @ GM Parts House USA)
Floor Mats - $110
Splash Guards - $145
Car Cover - $255
Racing Pedals - $80
Billet Door Plates - $80
Door Sills - $190
Tail Light Blackouts - $30 (Thanks Reggie @ The Camaro Decal Store)
Sequential Tail Lights - $100 (Thanks Web Electric)
HOD Headlights/LED fog lights/Red Footwell Lights/Interior Conversion kit - $215 (Thanks Darren @ Whiplash Auto)
Stillen Front Splitter - $150 (Thanks Josh @ Stillen)
Engine Cover/Fuse Box paint - $50

--PERFORMANCE MODS--
Injen Cold Air Intake - $320
Corsa Catback Exhaust - $1150 (Thanks Ivan @ Southwest Speed)

To the people I thanked above, you guys know who you are, you've done a great deal for helping me in my project. The guys I have mentioned are awesome guys, either they gave me huge discounts, or gave me free gifts as a token of their appreciation. All have provided excellent customer service, no bias, just facts.

That was basically 2010 in a nutshell. I know the year is not quite over yet, I will continue to post from time to time, but it won't really be about mods. Some financial lifestyle changes are taking place in my life right now, so I don't really have the budget to continue modding this year. However, the modifications will carry on in 2011 for sure. If you're as curious as I am about what I'll be doing next, then be sure to stay tuned.

Can't trust anyone but yourself

Last week, I took my car to Mopac Performance and auto supplies to get my Corsa exhaust installed. Well, they installed my exhausts in an hour, but I wasn't able to watch the mechanic work on my car. The only thing I saw him doing before I left was him taking a saw to my car! After a week of driving, I started to hear slight rattling. The only thing that has changed since last week was the exhaust install, so I assumed it was because of a bad install.

I went out to my car this morning, and I went under the car to make sure everything was installed properly. Turned out, the mechanic didn't tighten all the nuts and bolts to the specified torque settings! Bastards! This is why I don't trust other people working on my car. I can't really hold him accountable, because he might possibly make some excuse. Regardless of how pissed off I was, I decided to fix things myself, AGAIN. I spent an hour under the car, tightening all clamps to 45 ft-lbs of torque.

The only reason why I even took my car to the shop, wass because I didn't have a lift, and I wasn't too positive on installing exhausts on jack stands. Man, if I had a lift or a shop to work at, I'd do this myself lol.

My personal advice to all you car lovers, if you love your car, you will work on the car yourself. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I've had my car at the shop a couple of times, and everytime I get the car back, something else is wrong. The thing is, if you work on the car yourself, you only have yourself to blame, and lets face it, it's easier to forgive yourself. When you have someone else screwing up your car, you'll spend so much time hating them and hating yourself for trusting them. In my opinion, not worth the stress... I want to live long and happy lol. Just remember, these "professionals" are just humans too, and nothing makes them any more qualified than you. I went to another shop called Drive Hard a couple weeks back. I went with my brother to get his intake installed on his 99 Honda Prelude. One look at the mechanics, and I realized, "What the F-bomb? They are just teenagers". They had to look at the instruction booklet just like you and I, and their install left the Prelude with a mis-attached bumper. I spotted the mistake right away, and I told them to fix it. They replied, "Huh? that's weird..."

Seriously? What are we paying you for?

Let me give you all the verdict on Mopac, or any other shops for that matter: Don't go, unless you absolutely need to. I'm sure you all have friends around you that know how to work on cars, gather them together, you guys would be just as qualified.

Corsa, blows me away!

It's a long debate on any car, "What is the best exhaust for my car?". Everyone has different tastes, and wants different things out of their products. In the area of exhausts, you can never really get a straight answer of which brand produces the best exhaust. There are a couple of things people consider when purchasing exhausts, or any modification, and they usually narrow down to three things: Price, sensory satisfaction (looks/sound), and power gains (if applicable).

Obviously I am not an oil tycoon, so I am only able to buy one exhaust system. Therefore, before I review any further on my selected exhaust, I can honestly say I will be biased on most parts. However, I will be as fair as I possibly can, and let you, the viewers, decide.

In an older post, I was complaining about the costs of mods, and that I had my eye set on an exhaust system that costed more than I had anticipated. Well, I went with that same exhaust I had complained about, the Corsa Performance Exhaust system.

Now, if I am to be fair in this review, I will do it here. The Corsa is by far the most expensive full catback exhaust system for the V6 currently available. Heck, I have even seen V8 systems that don't cost as much. Smart car modders may stay away from this system, mostly because they know the price isn't worth the gains. Corsa claims to free up airflow compared to the stock exhaust system, which also frees up to 6 ponies and 7 ft-lbs of torque. Realistically, modders know that the stated power gains won't really translate to much on the dyno. Then, why would anyone pay $1200 for this exhaust system? Two of the three categories I have mentioned earlier are already unsatisfactory, price and power gains. Would you really be willing to pay $1200 for just sound and looks then? Here's the funny thing, 'there's more to the Corsa than meets the eye'. (LOL I'm so lame)

Here is where I can be a bit more biased; I absolutely love the sound of this system. It has a deep enough tone, it's not deafening, it's rich enough, it doesn't sound too muffled nor hollow. Like I have said in the beginning, everyone has different tastes, and I respect that. Corsa has really put a lot of thought into their system, here is the link to their product description and features. One of the most annoying things after installing an AEM exhaust system is the droning that occurs when you are driving. With Corsa's Patented RSC™ Technology, that annoying drone has gone bye-bye. The full system is made from 304 stainless steel, which means when your car is a rust bucket, the exhausts won't be. The Corsa system also comes with a lifetime warranty, which helps me justify the cost of the system.

Stock exhaust tips are 3" in diameter.

Stock exhaust tips are short and skinny

Corsa delivers polished 4" tips!

Nice and Shiny!

A couple of more good things about AEM exhaust systems, they weigh much less than stock exhausts. The whole Corsa system weighs around 70 lbs, while the stock system weighs around 90 lbs, 20 lbs lighter! You really can't go wrong with an AEM exhaust, sounds great, more airflow, weight reducing; your car should be a lot quicker at the drag strip.

Look at those huge mufflers that come with the stock system. I have heard each muffler weights 24 lbs each! Also, the mufflers are so big that if you bend down a little bit, you can see them under the car. A lot of people even go through the trouble of spray painting the mufflers black.

No, that black stuff under the muffler isn't my attempt to paint them. Apparently there are 2 holes under the mufflers to drain any water that may get into the exhaust tips. The black is from the soot leaking out with the water!


The last thing I will say about the Corsa is that it seems like a very smart exhaust system. It is very quiet when you want it to be, and very loud when you push the car a bit harder. On the day after the install, I took the highway back home. I had to merge into the highway, but the car directly infront of me was going too slow to merge in time, so I hit the gas, and passed him. I felt like a ninja, because when I accelerated, my car became a beast on wheels, and heads were turning to see what was causing the roaring! Sneaky! I didn't even mean to be that loud, I just wanted to over take a guy. Needless to say, I was shocked at how loud the exhausts became. Also because of Corsa's dual insulated mufflers, it actually has a break-in period, so when the mufflers breaks in, it will be even LOUDER! Hoorah!

Pulled the trigger, and then some

Well, my Corsa exhaust came in today, it costed me quite a bit of dough, but hopefully it will be worth it. Right now, I am deciding whether or not I'll be installing the exhausts myself, or getting a shop to do it. I'm dealing with a lot on my plate right now, so the exhausts won't be installed till a couple of weeks later. Special thanks to Ivan at Southwest Speed for the awesome deal and free shipping! More on the exhausts later...

Coming up soon is the finished engine cover mod, which I'll be posting about in the next couple of days.

Cars aren't a smart hobby choice

I found out today that the exhaust system that I have been saving up for is a lot more expensive than I had originally thought. Seriously, when you love cars this much, it's really hard to say no to a couple of goodies. As always, you shouldn't break the bank investing in anything, whether it's a house, cars, or relationships lol. I'm not saying don't spend money on those things, but just know the limit, and make sure you always have a rainy day fund. Before I get into further details, here is a track that I always like listening to while I'm driving. I thought I might share it, most of you have probably heard it, it was in the Transformers movie soundtrack. The song was also played during the pursuit scene with Barricade (Saleen Mustang) and Bumble Bee (2nd Gen Camaro) in the first movie.


As I was saying, I have been saving up for a couple months for a complete cat-back exhaust system. I have jumped from exhaust to exhaust for a long time now, debating which one I had wanted. Either the system has cabin droning, doesn't sound nice enough, the quality wasn't great, or no power gains. Not like I expect too much gains from an exhaust system, but I would like the peace of mind that the air flow is significantly increased. Basically, I am looking for three things in an exhaust system: sound, power gains, and price. Well after months of searching, I came to the conclusion that Corsa was an ideal product. The price was the only issue, too much for me right now, and it hardly seems worth it for an exhaust system.

Then again, true car enthusiasts wouldn't really hold back because of pricing. You see people with outrageous wheels, they look gorgeous, but it serves no other function than just to be gorgeous, they still function as regular wheels. I guess all car mods also hold a double-entendre: social status, and the actual function of the mod.

I'm still aiming for the exhausts though, hopefully I will have them installed soon. Just wanted to point out, even for me, I was shocked at how much I'm spending on my car lol. Just remember, don't break the bank just to prove yourself. One of my friends recently told me about his co-workers. They all drive very nice cars, and they say that they regret buying an expensive car, and wished they had used the money for school.

What do you think?