Aleckor

Do any of you out there mod your LS auto? (Just got my car two days ago!)

I was thinking about dropping some spare cash into some of the more popular mods that you guys are always talking about, but I was curious to see if it was worth it or not. I mean, it's not even a standard. It's not like I'll be a very competitive "racer" anyways. It might be "more fun" to drive, but driving is already fun as hell. The Cobalt is like a dream come true to me. Should I just wait a year until my credit is better and upgrade to the SS/SC then mod from there?

If you're auto, or you know a list of good auto mods, please list them. Thanks.
-Aleckor

The_Blur

Everything works the same in an auto as a manual so I'm not sure what you're asking.

repoman

hey man if you plan on trading in a year I wouldn't do anything to it. But if your not going to trade I would spend a little money on your pride and joy.

On a side note you could take all the extra money you have and put in the savings and put towards your SS/SC

slowbalt19

just ask NJHK about modding autos

Aleckor

It's an automatic, so I don't really have control over the shifting anyways. To me that seems kind of bland and pointless as far as any kind of "racing" goes which I probably don't have time or money to get into right now anyways. So with no disrespect to autos intended, I wouldn't really feel like I was racing even if I modded it because it's an auto. Unless it really makes a huge noticeable difference, which is basically what I'm asking.

Does it make a big enough difference in an auto (where you can't control when to shift) to be worth mods? I don't really know what I'm asking. I guess I'm just excited about my new car and want to make it better, without buying pointless or useless things for it.

I guess my question is really more along the lines of, which mods would you start with and what are the most useful for an auto?
-Aleckor

slowbalt19

just ask njhk, i dont think it would be a waste, plus simple bolt ons u could remove for a trade in. i would start with CAI/ Catback

repoman

Since there is no tuning out yet I would say that an intake and full exhaust would be my first step. And when tuning is out you will have more options

NJHK

lol thanks.

First thing...worth is all in the eye of the beholder. Some might even say it's not worth modifying any cobalt, it's all personal preference.

Like said, you can do anything to a automatic just like can do anything to a manual vehicle. The only difference between the two is how they provide power to the wheels. The engine aspects are the same. The reason some manuals compared to automatics as far as being "faster" is because of drivetrain loss and gearing (possibly). Typically, stock automatic transmissions are going to be slower because of how much more of a process it goes through...simply said, they are more complex.

But as far as doing the job, they can.

As far as strength, they are stronger...don't get it twisted from what some people might say.

Overall, it depends on what the heck you're trying to accomplish. Are you serious about this? Is this your only vehicle? How much money are you trying to dump into this?

I could go on and on with questions but these are some that you can ask yourself and might even talk you out of just waiting to you are more settled to dump money into a vehicle because it is a hobby that doesn't give any type of rewards back besides sentemental (sp?) value. You will never get your money back for the amount of money you dump into a vehicle.

To me, it sounds like you are new to modifying cars and it would be more of a useful thing to just get a faster car when the time is right but DON'T trade in your car if it's going to put you in even more of a hole financialy. If you have to wait 4 years to start modifying and you'll be in a better financial standpoint...trust me...wait. Pay off your car asap then think about it then.

Hope this helps.

There are some piggybacks that are working effectively.

rick1217

Exactly what NJHK said, I do like manuals too, I think they are way funner to drive, but autos do have lots of advantages over a manual, but they do also have some disadvantages. Most Drag cars are autos aswell....

NJHK

Yeah.

It's kind of hard to shift a 9 & 8 second car lol

STi_WRX02

Hey....that's why they call it 'Autooooomagic'hahahhah... you can bust some crazy ****. As some have said. A lot of fast drag cars are auto. Some crazy Supras are automagic. There's an Automagic 96? Toyota Camry thats in my area thats boosted to bout 400+whp!!!. My buddy with a 05 Legacy GT is going for surgery any day now for install of custom fmic, rotated GT30R, tranny cooler etc! Manual is more fun but it doesn't make it any more reliable than auto or vice versa. Excess HP thru auto or manual box will cause problems so its really up to the person. Some ppl are lazy bastards...like my boy with the Legacy haha but like he says...who gives a ****...just add more boost!

show off

i agree with njhk, in due time there will be tunning out for our cars though.

biniecki

Yea GM also mods autos. They have an auto cobalt that is pushing 535HP that they built in 04 or 05. Here is the complete story on that.

http://media.gm.com/events/autoshows...t%20sport.html

avro206

you almost sound ashamed or embarrased that you have an auto, don't be.

3 reasons auto is better then standard.

1. Rush hour traffic is a breeze

2. driver error is elminated

3. it will never miss a shift

So ada few mods, you'll be making it quicker and more fun to drive.

IonNinja

unless I had some tranny work planned in those list of mods I wouldn't touch it...

factory slushbox is gonna make you a 16 sec. car at best with just bolt ons.

with that being said...if u like your car and you like car modding then it wouldn't be a waste of money to you personally.

D4u2s0t

i have a few small things, and it pepped the car up nicely... is a track superstar? hell no, but it is definitely more fun to drive than it was stock... just keep in mind that you didn't get a racecar, and if you're doing simple bolt ons, don't expect it to become one... if you understand that fact, you won't be disapointed... i feel my mods were well worth it, and there's a noticeable difference over stock

halfj99

auto's are great for bracket racing,makes it easy to dial in correctly

Halfcent

There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't modify your car based just on the transmission. You can do just as much if not more stuff to an auto as you can do to a manual.

Aleckor

Yeah I guess I kind of was/am a little embarassed to have an auto. I am glad to hear that it doesn't make you a complete lemon on the road. I am especially interested in hearing what all you auto guys have done to your rides.

I am serious about modding and this is my only vehicle but I have plenty of cash to dump into it without any expectations of returns. I want the most I can possibly get from my beautiful baby, and I'd love to be able to show off a little bit every now and again safely if you know what I mean.

Is the dealer the best way to go as far as aftermarket products that don't void the warranty? I can't do it myself, I don't have the time, the patience, or the knowledge.
-Aleckor

cyrix

I have the base balt auto. Your not alone and I felt the same way too.

So far I've got AEM CAI, Progress Rear Anti Sway bar, DC Sport Strut tower brace bar and Monday will have GMPP Extrude / Honed exaughst manifold with the touring cat back exaughst. I wish my first mod was the rear sway bar, it made a big improvment taking corners... my car used to take them like a boat

When tuning comes out I'll plan on going supercharged or maybe turbo, which ever one comes out first thats CARB legal. California emission sucks.

As for the dealer... I think if you buy the GMPP stuff and have them install it you'll for sure keep factory warrenty for those parts, someone correct me if i'm wrong. There are how-to's on doing most of the stuff here on the site, check 'em out sometime when you have free time and see if it something you might consider doing to save money on labor. You may stumble on some interesting stuff in the how-to section as well while your there.

NJHK

Dealers and aftermarket are totally different things for the most part. Some manufacturers try and get in on the "performance" or "tuner scene" with little parts you can buy (for example on your car) like a new air intake and a cat-back system. Those are very generic parts to get. You could get those and still have your warranty.

As far as modifying your only car for SERIOUS power, don't do it to your only vehicle...trust me. It's not fun when you have a issue with your turbocharger and you have it down for 3 weeks while it gets taken care of...well, that was my issue but it's just a example.

Before you buy any parts, first, learn. The worst way to modify is to modify without a goal or with any idea what you're getting into. I can recommend some good books for you to read to get a better idea of what you're getting into. It's best to understand how a engine works fully and how you're actually gaining power. With cars these days, it's not about what parts you install, it's about your fuel management. You could have a top knotch built engine with a great turbosetup...if you don't have anything to adjust the amount of fuel consumption, you might as well be stock.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me here or privately. Good luck.

braddddddd991

If you are goin to trade it in in a year i would just keep it stock and safe up for stuff for the ss/sc
if not go all out =]

celicacobalt

look out for my auto turbo coming up later this month, def worth it

averagewhiteboy

iTrader: (1)

There's only two disadvantages to owning an auto.

1. They sound pretty gay when you put an exhaust on them. So choose a quiet one.

2. Just plain not so fun to drive. Period.

Other than that, nothing is wrong with them. As a matter of fact, if you really want to go crazy, turbo's work better with auto I hear. They keep the boost up more effectively. Just a heads up...

NJHK

I'm sorry but that makes absolutely no sense.

A transmission has nothing to do with sound output from a engine. All it does is transfer power to the wheels.