elite1

My Story --

I am very new to car performance...recently, in Jan, I bought my first car -- a 2007 Chevy Cobalt LS 2.2L. Recently, I have added a K&N air filter and Silverstar front headlamps as my only mods. I am on a tight budget(under 300$) and I was wondering..what should I do? I really want to boost my horsepower and get a performance look for my vehicle! Help me out!

KillerBee

If you got the k&n air filter thats cool ever thought of the cold air intake or muffler replacement

rycobaltls22

Ehh, that's gonna be a little tough to do considering the budget, but I mean, you should go with the full K&N intake, either that or a catback exhaust. I know I saw the DC Sports one somewhere for like $200, and they have how-to's to install them yourself.

elite1

Thanks for the info...I will upload my "ride" soon...is there a way that you can install foglights on a LS?

halfj99

you can install foglights on anything if you want

for the $300 id get this
tsuedo cat back
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TSUDO...em320136424677

and a used LSJ exhaust manifold

elite1

Hmm...how do you go about installing a new exhaust?...btw -- nice exhaust half

ironkoijak

cat back exhaust is real easy. the hardest part is cutting off your old exhaust because you can't get it out without cutting it. after you cut it, all you have to do is bolt your new one to the stock downpipe, then clamp the other pieces together (i have a GMPP). very easy takes about 30-45 minutes.

Moza13-

for 2.2s not much u can do performance wise, id go suspension b4 id go the horsepower route if i was you, lower that biatch and get a sway bar, all in all about 350 bucks if u do installs yourself

ironkoijak

haha up your budget about 15x and buy the garret alpha kit, that will give you a nice boost

elite1

what is the advantage of sway/strut bar? less engine rumble? or..?

Red06LS

PMed.

ironkoijak

it just helps a lot with handling. it makes the car more firm by basically connecting the left and right side to eachother better, so theres less body roll while cornering. the strut bar helps a lot on the 2.2, i havn't gotten a rear sway yet but i will eventually. if youre worried about engine rumble stay away from urethane transmission inserts.. lol. those are cheap and will help get rid of wheel hop but will shake the hell out of your car.

SlateFox

strut bar or springs

razorhead89

do springs void ur warranty???...thanks

ironkoijak

your suspension warranty will be voided but they wont affect your drivetrain, remember the dealership has prove that the mod you did caused a part to break. soo... when your struts blow from riding around 2 inches lower than theyre supposed to, the dealerships not gonna cover it.

xspyder85x

find a member on there that is selling their ss/sc exhaust manifold. you should be able to get it for around $40. its a big improvement over your stock option. bolts right up too. thats what i did.

denn454

iTrader: (1)

my advice. lower the can to make it tolerable to look at. tint the windows, you'll be glad you did for lots of reasons (no darker than 15% in my opinion) Maybe do some rims and tires.

call it good and save your money.

you aren't going to get much more out of the engine, its a cheap economy car, accept that. If you want a fast car, get a fast car. there are plenty of options out there. supercharged cobalt ss, neon srt-4, civic si if you want to stick with a similar car. look at a 99-02 camaro z28 or trans am, you can pick one up for under 15,000 thats still in good shape. gmc syclones and typhoons can be found for a little over $10,000. buick grand nationals, mitsubishi 300gt vr-4's, early 80's vettes even, hell, get a miata. there are TONS of fast cars out there that you can pick up for cheap if you want a fast car. save up and get one.

if you want to do something to your cobalt to put a smile on your face go for handeling mods. springs, struts, sway bars, brakes and tires; and you will have a car that it a ton of fun to drive. but its not going to be fast.

Dave104

Well since you bought a K&N i would hold off on a CAI or SRI, might as well get your moneys worth out of the K&N but an AEM CIA runs $190 new on eBay for future reference. If you have an Auto i would look into the B&M Shift Plus, runs $45 shipped (https://www.cobaltss.net/forums//sho...91#post631091). Tint would be nice if you feel like you're baking at red lights. You can paint your headlights for about $25 and a days worth of work, look at my "How To" if you're interested. A DC Sports Front Strut Bar runs $120 for improved handling. If you looking to spend all your money at once look into a muffler & exhaust tip or Eibach Sportlines. Just look through the "How To" section for ideas. There are multiply ways to create a unique Cobalt it just takes time and research, plus you have many drivers on here that know their stuff and are willing to help you out with any issues. Hope this helps, good luck

NJHK

There is plenty you can do but it's how much money you want to spend.

bridfi

alot of people say this........

people dont understand... supercharged 2.2 - has been done, turbo'd 2.2 - has been done.
re-tune, cancel SAI, get a vibrant header, megan exhaust, k&n short ram, upgrade those pistons, rings, rods, valvetrain, and slap a turbo or super on that mother

lots of money, yes

but there are tons of options

BUT this car IS meant for economy and if you want 400+ hp you can get a mustang or wait for the 09 camaro.

but if your stuck with a cobalt, or maybe theres just something about the cobalt that you like (my situation) then save your 300, get some more, get another job if you have to and you can reach 400 hp. dont forget brakes though. and springs and torque dampener, sway bars, and mounts.

these cars can be really fun to drive with the right amount of money.

even then, if you think about it, maybe for all this stuff you'll spend a total of $25k for a fast, fun, reliable car.

might want to beef up the unibody (maybe a roll cage) if you want to have some life insurance i doubt these cobalts are very strong in accidents

/ramble

umrdyldo

iTrader: (1)

He has a 2007 so the LSJ mani is the same as his. So that's not really an option.

Sw4y1313

I agree. Heres the thing, if your going to spend money on performance options for your car, why even care about a waranty. If your trying to make your car faster, your losing money anyways, but you know what? You have the car you want with the power you want.

Honestly i think spending money on bolt-ons is a waste for little to no performance gain. Either spend it on suspension/tires or go nitrous or FI. Buying a used M62 from a LSJ guy swapping to turbo i think is the best bang for the buck performance upgrade you could go with. ~$500-700 for the m62/intake mani, $400 for AEM FIC, $100 for injectors and harness, and depending on if you get the stock heat exchanger or go with aftermarket your looking at about $1500 bux. Thats for a 50+hp increase AT LEAST. If you look at bolt-ons, you spend $400 for exhaust, $250 for intake, $250 for header, $200 for downpipe and cat and your already at $1100. Thats all for what, a 10-15hp increase if your lucky?

bridfi

well put.

bolt ons are never a way to go if you want true power

their just for looks/show/sound differences

cougar2588

you have $300 to spend. i wish i woulda known more about cars when i first starting modding my car (about 6 months ago, i have learned a lot from this site and just reading online) and from what i have learned the first thing you wanna do with that $300 is go for handling/ride quality.

you can get a set of lowering springs OR
you can get front and rear strut bars OR
you can save up even more and get new wheels and tires.

OrngBalt

COUGAR!!!! for shame...


there are no rear strut bars. we dont have rear struts.

you can get front and rear sway bar, a front strut bar and a rear tie rod. lol.

if you just want to add some quick performance, go with the intake or a megan exhaust. both will cost you less than 300 and will give you a little performance boost.

just beware that very soon, you will want that 300 to be 3000