Cheapest HP Gain 06 SS
 

I just got a 2006 Monte SS and want to do about $500-$600 of mods to it. I would like some recommendations on the best mods to do for the money between cold air intake, performance chip programmer, exhaust, or any other good mods to gain the most HP. I was thinking the cold air intake and performance chip, but there are so many different kinds with mixed reviews so I would like to know what brands to get also.

Thanks

Well if I personally had $600 to spend right now on my 2006 MC SS, I'd buy a K&N intake, Hamburger throttle body spacer (HAM-3264), do some exhaust work (personally going with a pair of Summit mufflers (undecided on what kind) with Magnaflow stainless steal tips), and flip the front motor mount (free mod that reduces engine movement, allowing the car to jump a bit quicker).

If you want to look into making your car handle better look at the front and rear stabilizer bars sold by Done Rome. http://drcustomparts.com/HomePage.htm

I don't know a lot about tuning so I have no recommendation for you.

For a TON more information on performance on this platform try LS1Tech.com and look under the FWD LS4 cars section.

P.S. Welcome.

I say spend $625 and get the Magnaflow catback exhaust kit. I'm not certain how much power I gained (sure feels faster), but the sound alone is worth any increase in power. Plus, the 4" stainless steel tips under the rear bumper don't look too shabby either ;)

Please, take it from someone who has spent literally tens of thousands of dollars over the past 20 years trying to "get more power" out of the many performance cars I've owned....You will never be satisfied once you start "modding" a car. You will always "need" some other part to go faster, each time spending more money - it is an endless circle. You can't win.

The 2006 Monte Carlo SS is "fast" enough as it is. You're not going to run 12's without some expensive mods, so leave the engine alone and just make the car "sound" faster. Say it with me......Magnaflow :D

In my opinion, go with the k&n or equivalent intake system, add some performance mufflers (flowmaster, hooker aerochambers, etc.) and tips. That will about eat up your 5-600 bucks and will improve the breathing and exhaling end of things. Or you could delete the mufflers and replace the resonator with a classic chambered muffler (cheaper route and still sounds good).

I've heard pretty much every exhaust setup available for our cars, and while the magnaflow is stainless, mandrel-bent, will last a little longer, etc., it's a lot more expensive and quiter than every other muffler setup I've heard. Plus, there will be little difference in hp gain between the different setups. I guess it depends on how obnoxious you want it to sound vs quality. For what it's worth I had a magnaflow catback for my camaro and it was awesome quality but the sound was just to tame for my taste. The hooker, slp, and few others sounded more agressive.

Forgot to mention tuners. Diablo I think runs about $350-400 or so and is pretty user friendly. HP tuner software isn't much more and there are tons more parameters you can play with, but you kinda need to know what you're doing. It's fairly comlplex from what I have gathered from their website and other forums. A lot of people have been adding performance roller rockers, valve springs, and porting tb's and intakes. Not sure how mechanically inclined you are, but these mods are relatively cheap if you can do the work yourself. happy modding!

No need to steal the tips, you can just buy them online :p

I think I will start with the K&N Intake and performance mufflers like Flowmaster 40's. I don't know much about exhaust, should I still do the U-Bend delete? Also, I think the tips that are on there now look fine. Do I gain anything but looks with different tips? Does it sound better?

06-07 doesn't have the horrible U-Bend like we do.

It's fun to steal! Har Har...

No gains from tips. Just looks. I've heard a few people say you can get a different tone from a different tip, but I can't see how that is possible. I think you have a good start if you begin with those mods. Let us know how things work out for your.

Sorry to thread jack a little here but, you can actual get a different tone witha different tip. I used to think the same thing then my dad got exhaust for his challenger with the stock tips and you could here the extra flow hitting the lip of the tip, then he go bigger tips with no rolled lip and it sounded completly different.


crashadp
But as for what to get i would say intake and a programmer for your car which i would think would put you right at or around 600 bucks