As I have come to the conclusion my car is going to be a money pit, I decided I wont let it take all my money without at least some performance, althought I don't want to be a competition drag racer, I just want to put my foot down, and the car will go - where as now I feel it's sluggish. Although this still wont be at least getting started untill 07 I'd like to start my homework on what exactly needs to be done. Seeing now that I have 147kw (according to redbook) i figure that a 33% increase in power will give me enough for what I need, and the tourqe aruired in the process will be values as well. I'm ignorant to how the figures will work and what will give me a certain amount of power. Now there's the obvious exhaust, but i'm interested more in the engine and drivetrain. e.g. I still want to keep auto, because i'm lazy - so will my current transmission be able to handle 200kw? what modifications would neded to be done to kit that sort of power, and how much would it all cost? Of course i will at some stage get around to performance shops etc. to get all the fine details worked out, but i'd like to hear about other people experiences and $$$'s poured into it :)

Before my current engine build, I had 165kW at the wheels which, when you apply the magic fudge factor of hp at the wheels =~ kW at the flywheel), gave me around 220kW at the fly.

To get this I had:

- RPW Stage 1 cams
- Match ported / flowed and shaved cylinder heads from Street Torque
- RPW 'Race' extractors
- Malpassi FPR
- Haltech Interceptor ECU
- Street Torque modified inlet manifold w/ two factory throttle bodies, both running through the standard AFM.

Currently I have 210kW at the wheels, consisting of:

- Custom Tighe cams (easy Stage 4+ in RPW's numbers)
- Match ported / flowed and shaved cylinder heads from Street Torque
- ACL 10:1 pistons
- RPW 'Race' extractors
- Malpassi FPR
- Haltech E6X
- Street Torque modified inlet manifold w/ two factory throttle bodies, separate intake paths this time
- Xtreme heavy-duty clutch

Granted I could have saved money by not doing things in 3 stages, (this was offset slightly since I saved heaps because Dallas is a legend,) but even so, I've spent over $10K on the engine and drive train alone.

A supercharger is a cheaper option lol and since they do it to autos, I'm guessing there won't be problems (at least initially) with your transmission choice.

Very easy - Sprintex supercharger kit 7.5k plus install. reliable, and good power/torque increase, Even covered by warranty if car has donew only moderate kays. You can still keep your auto. If kept NA, you can still do it but your looking at full exhuast, Intake manifold/Throttle Body, Cams, Headwork, Greddy/Haltech ECU and fuelling upgrades to get the best out of it, Which would work out to be just as much if not more than the charger. Up to you what sort of way that you want to go

Have fun spending your Hard earned $$$

cthulhu, how do you find the upgrades you've made? worth it?

cthulhu, how do you find the upgrades you've made? worth it?

That depends on your criteria.

Compared to other cars, does it represent good bang for my buck? No way.

On the other hand, the car is immensely fun to drive and I certainly don't regret it at all.

The manner of the car is different now, and it has a few idiosyncrasies thanks to the fairly agressive cams; casual drivers might find it hard to get along with for crusing to the shops and back. While it will pull from idle in any gear, my in gear cruising speed is higher than it was before - don't expect to cruise in 3rd gear any slower than 50kph, for example, or it gets a little surgey. I've driven it for a week and already it doesn't bother me. I'm still getting used to the grippy clutch, though, and no tacho isn't making that easy ;)

Yeah i know the magna's you do need to spend more money on, but lets be honest, you still have a better all round car than the commodore or falcon anyway :D

anyone else had any experience?

Your pm box is full, Righty.. and no, I don't have msn, sorry :(

lol, get out of the dark ages :P msn is the key haha

Yeah i know the magna's you do need to spend more money on, but lets be honest, you still have a better all round car than the commodore or falcon anyway :D
There's actually not a huge difference between spending money on a Magna and a Commodore / Falcon. Yes, it's costlier but not like it's twice as much.


lol, get out of the dark ages :P msn is the key haha
Yeah, a key to your computer :bowrofl: