I want to increase the horsepower on my 2001 LS. I am looking in to purchasing a downpipe and some exhaust system. I want to add about 10 horsepower but i know nothing about downpipes or exhaust systems. Any suggestions or tips would be very much appreciated. I just need some explanations. I have heard that ZZ performance makes great downpipes but i need someone to lead me in the right direction.

 

Look for the sticky'd thread on 3800 mods, that should help a lot.

A downpipe will definitely help- go with a 2.5" if you plan to stay NA, 3" if you plan to boost it later. Catback won't really gain any noticeable power, so choose it based on what sound you like- not which one claims a bigger gain (even if that means you like the stock exhaust sound).

To be honest, you probably won't feel a 10 crank hp gain.

 

2001 LS... he's not running a 3800 series engine.

 

Let me help here... ;-)



Theres a few things you can do to your 3400. The biggest parts start with the basics... the u-bend delete. When you plan on doing your exhaust work, make sure they do the delete, it does nothing but choke your car. Theres a little past that, Pacesetter Headers, a well designed CAI (not a 19.99 ebay one), some exhaust work past that... but theres not TOO much for our cars. Luckly in the past few years some things have been designed, but they are pretty costly. Most are for Grand Am's (use the near same engine). Heres a website to start looking at some possibilities. http://www.milzymotorsports.com/

 

my bad, I thought the 00+ LS had the 3800 like they do in the impala's

 

00-03 SS, is the only with 3800. Then when the SS went supercharged I believe the sub-models had L36 options

 

LS 2000–2005 3.4 L LA1 V6 180 hp (134 kW) 205 ft·lbf (278 N·m)
SS 2000–2005 3.8 L L36 V6 200 hp (149 kW) 225 ft·lbf (305 N·m)
LT 2005 3.8 L L36 V6 200 hp (149 kW) 225 ft·lbf (305 N·m)
SS Supercharged 2004–2005 3.8 L L67 supercharged V6 240 hp (179 kW) 280 ft·lbf (380 N·m)

 

Kinda strange the LS would be the high trim level for the impala, but the base for the monte... Learn something new every day I guess.

 

The impala options were base and LS until 04 when they added the SS.
The Monte had the LS, and SS options until 04 when they added the S/C SS, and then in '05 the n/a SS became the LT and the s/c SS became just the SS.
Weird, but that's GM for ya.
I didn't realize until a couple of months ago that the Impala LS came with the 3.8L.
When I saw them around, I always assumed that they were the 3.4.

Maybe GM had originally intended to have the lineup names set up like the 04-05 impala lineup was?
Who knows.

-Riggs.