Best way to add HP to my 03 LS
 

I have an 03 Monte ls. Everything in it is stock 180hp. My power goals are from 350 to 400hp so I can destroy my moms mustang lol. My plan so far is to swap my 3400 for the 3800 supercharged but after that no clue. I'm also having trouble finding one in semi good condition. I would like to know if that's the best move and what I should do after that to meet my power goals.

Well swapping the 3400 to the 3800 is certainly the first step..

Just search for l67 upgrades after that.. There is a write up from a member "bumpin96monte" thats pretty useful. Cant find it ATM but the info is really easy to find.. Theres a ton of stuff to do to these engines..

First thing that people are going to wanna know is your budget then they can tell you pretty much your best route of action so to speak.

Welcome BTW.. Lets see some more pictures of your car.. What is that, a razzi kit?

Thank youuu and right now I have about 2000$ to put in it but as time goes by I'll have more to put in. And yes it's a razzi kit https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/monteca...9294993326.jpg

Where do you live?

Junkyards are plentiful with w-bodies. Get ANY junkyard 3800 Series 2 and boost it and you'll have 300HP easy.

I live in east Tennessee I've gotten parts for it from pull a part in the past but no luck on the series 2

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/monteca...b961ebc548.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/monteca...b6697d14c0.jpg
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A few things:
-400 crank hp or wheel hp? Many car people talk in terms of wheel horsepower as that is easy to measure, but its a big difference between the two.
-If you're having trouble finding an L67, just get an L36. There are a zillion out there, I'm sure you can find something within a couple hours drive. Add a turbo, and some supporting mods and you'll have your power goal.
-Realistically $2000 isn't enough IMO for 400 hp, even at the crank. It's possible to squeak by if you just did the engine swap and bought used parts, but then you've got no money for tires to put the power down or a trans build to keep it alive long term.
-Another budget friendly option would be weight mods. You can drop a notable amount of weight for free with just labor time by gutting the car. Less weight would mean you'd need less power and the trans would live longer too

I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to mechanical things. Whp I suppose I plan on saving up to get this all done 2000 is what I have now. The L36 is the non supercharged 3800 right? Also will I have to change my trans either way?

Oh, I assumed you'd do the swap yourself. If you have to pay someone to do it, you'll easily spend your $2k just on the engine swap alone.

Just so you're aware, 400 wheel horsepower is among the best of the best M90 supercharged cars. That will take a ton if money to get there. I'd definitely suggest just going turbo from the start.

​​​​​​To be honest, this is a good point to stop and think long and hard about your long term plans. To get 400 whp, a built trans, tires, and an engine swap and especially if you pay for labor or go the supercharged route - You're going to be talking $10k++. It'll be far more than the cars worth, and not too far off from just buying a performance car.

Correct, naturally aspirated series 2. They came in practically every midsized GM FWD car from the late 90s on, and should be plentiful in just about any normal junkyard.

Yeah, unfortunately. At 350-400 whp, you're going to need a fully built trans, especially if you plan to do digs with it on sticky tires. Might be able to skimp a bit if you just roll race, especially if you gut your car to get the weight down - but the trans is really the Achilles heel of these cars.

[QUOTE=bumpin96monte;713377]Oh, I assumed you'd do the swap yourself. If you have to pay someone to do it, you'll easily spend your $2k just on the engine swap alone.

No I'm 19 this is my first car I plan on doing a lot to it in the future you're saying the best way would be the series 2 then turbocharge it