When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have $4k - $5k to spend on performance upgrades for my C-5. What upgrades should I get and who should do the work? Within 500 miles of Nashville, TN?
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Do you have any mods yet?
For sure, exhaust and intake to start with.
Dragon's Breath in Knoxville has a very good reputation. Also, Peformance Garage is another good shop here in Smyrna. I will probably let them put my headers on once I get them.
From: Time is a great teacher. Unfortunately, it kills all its pupils.
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by Richard Francis
I have $4k - $5k to spend on performance upgrades for my C-5. What upgrades should I get and who should do the work? Within 500 miles of Nashville, TN?
This is a very broad open-ended question with all kinds of variables that must be supplied by you.
What do you have now? Stock? Slightly modded? What mods, if any?
What are your intentions with the car? DD? Strip only car? Track only car? All around?
What kind of performance are you lookig to get out of the car? Do you want a beast or something more than stock but with perfect street mannerisms?
If it were me, I would do intake, cam (and required upgrades), LT's & cat backs. Of course, that'd be a bit more than 5k. But that's just me and my opinion. What do you want?
If you have an A4, I'd highly recommend a 3.42 or 3.73 rear end diff. My A4 had the stock 2.73 initally and after changing to a 3.42 it TOTALLY changed the car's character and made if much more fun to drive. Diff is about 1K and about 500 for install/tuning.
The air box is a fairly cheap mod in which case you could go Blackwing or Varaam.
Thanks for the reply. It is stock with no mods. It is primarily a daily driver and I'm looking for more performance. Maybe 50-70 more HP. I'm thinking intake, headers cam and exhaust.
Problem is I don't want a loud exhaust. Any suggestions?
Thanks
For your first series of mods, it's all about the "air"...
Blackwing (or varam or halltech), modified MAF, ported throttle body, headers, hi-flo cats, and exhaust.
Then you are ready for your first "tune".
Then you can go back and do more "engine" mods if that doesn't get you what you want. I believe you can do all of the above, stay within your budget, and get the horsepower increase you desire.
I had Dragon's Breath do the work on my 11.9 sec/quarter mile 97 Coupe with "air" mods, edit, transmission (cooler, torque converter, shift kit), and gears. No head, cam or other engine work other than new rockers.
He also put on headers and B&B Bullets on my pace car last week (and changed out the oil pressure sensor that had gone bad).
Wow! I agree with all the above mods. The enhancements mentioned above will give your C5 a new personality. Be sure to post us some pics for us to drool over when you are done. Enjoy.
Here are a few pictures and a list of mods we did.
DBP stage 1.5 heads, comp cam 220/269 226/269, Kooks lt & 3X3 X pipe high flow cats, ported throttle body, haltech ssm intake, throttle body bypass, DBP stage 2 clutch, DBP oil catch system, MSD wires, NGK TR55 plugs, 160 deg thermo & LS1 Edit.
stock dyno #'s were 303 RWHP 285 RWTQ
after mods #'s were 411 RWHP 384 RWTQ