I am looking for thoughts on suggested upgrades. I have a 2000 convertible and was wondering what to do first. I am operating on a limited budget but am willing to take my time and get it right.

 

are you looking at upgrades for power or for looks?

 

Let it breathe! An exhaust should be first, air intake, tune.....

 

Performance exhaust and different intake.

 

You need to answer this question or you'll get vastly different ideas.

My favorite mod was my heated seats but I'd already decided to leave the engine/exhaust stock.

 

Yes, this is a wide open book with all kinds of possibilities and possible endings. There a lot of different systems and areas you can mod...

Performance:
engine, intake,cam, headers, ignition, total build etc and etc etc
exhaust, again headers, x-pipes, cat to rear
suspension, springs, sway bars, bushings, shocks and etc.
brakes, rotors, calipers
tires
rear end gears
and this is the short list.....

Cosmetics:
Interior, seats, consoles, carpets, all kinds of bling
exterior, paint, stripes, grilles, lights, blackouts, spoilers, and All kinds of front and rear bumper mods....again, this list could go on for a long time.

under the hood....covers, caps, hood seals , chrome, carbon fiber, smoothies, rail covers, paint...lordy, another long list.

wheels, tires, fixed headlights, cup holders, this could go on too.....

whew...okay...audio....another long list...

What was the question again?!!

It's all a matter of what you want your car to look like, or drive like and what kind of things you like to do with it....autocross, track, show, drag, cruise, off road...what?

I'm still pondering the mods and I've had my car a year. I think I've settled on my first mod....and it's just to personalize it. Involves tape and paint

So...it's your call.....mostly just be thankful you have such a great car!

 

Vararam, gears, tune

 

hood seal & water by-pass

 

Should have disclosed earlier but I am looking for performance improvements. I appreciate the suggestions so far. :o

 

I like the exhaust, cold air intake and tune idea...to start. From there you could move on to gears and/or Long Tube Headers, then manifold/CAM, etc

 

Oh, and before you do anything....get yourself a Window Valet

 

not much money and performance mods do not mix

my vote goes to an air intake - Vararam
New exhaust - Z06 TI's is a good start

or just get gears

 

You are willing to do it right and take your time, just save up and put a blower on and be done with it

 

 

A good place to start is with the wheels/tires. Going with a set of aftermarket rims can really make a huge difference in the looks of your car. Additionally, interior upgrades like new seat covers, console lid, steering wheel, etc. does wonders for the inside appearance.

If you want performance upgrades, look at a new air intake, cat back exhaust (not much gain there but the sound is awesome), or even long tube headers/high flow cats/x-pipe.

 

But, if you want bolt-ons, know what you are doing first.

If you want power for your $$$, skip the cat-backs and intakes. Headers are the best power wise.

Speed wise, gears, converter if its an a4, etc.

Cat-backs, throttle bodies, air bridges, MAF housings, etc. aren't really going to do anything. Cat-backs are great for sound, but they are not major power producers.

I speak from experience. Made the mistake of spending $$$ while I was still a performance and corvette noob. Don't nickle and dime yourself to death only to still have a 13 sec. car

 

Thanks for the feedback. I am thinking about going with the Honker, then the Powerflo exhaust, then the headers, then finishing up with the supercharger, and dyno tune. I am looking for a daily driver with about 400 to 450 rwhp. What do you think the above will produce? Am I in the ballpark? Will the above mentioned need an upgraded driveline? Is it worth the money to get the honker for a planned Maggie install a few months later? Will the Vararam mount to the Maggie like the honker?

 

And if you get the door seals and tail light seals, thats another 50hp.

 

Headers, hi-flo cats, x-pipe and cat back exhaust. If you have an automatic get 3.42 Z06 gears. Good luck with your mods!

 

With intake/exhaust/maggie/tune you'll be at least 450rwhp+. Since you are going with an S/C in the future, I'd stick with the stock 3.42 rear (if manual 6spd). There's lots of maggie threads in the FI section, I'm sure you can find someone with similar mods to get a feel for what yours will put out.

You don't "need" to upgrade the driveline as long as you stay on street tires. It all depends on how you drive as well. Any driveline upgrade you may need would include a hardened differential output shaft. You should look into a new clutch in the near future, or a better torque converter if an auto.

As far as I know, all the intakes out there mount to the maggie the same way.