thanks for that vital input... ill have to get a few myself. btw, wonder where i can get the skittles graphic made into a sticker???


but if you plan on self-tuning yoll need a wideband a/f gauge for sure!!! but if you dont want to worry about tuning, the mopar stage kits are the way to go. they are pretty much plug and play. S1 is VERY simple. S2 is relatively easy but i understand the toys can be a bit trying to hook up. then just supporting mods. exhaust, larger fmic, hot/cold pipes, ... and ohhhh, please tell me you have an occ, this is a picture of about 6k worth of gook that otherwise would have been in my i/c, tb, intake manifold, etc:

 

i installed the occ this past weekend. but ur tellin me that with a w/g and mbc, if i turn my boost up to 18psi i wont have any power gains and could potentialy be harmful to my motor?

 

lookit.....i got my cold side pipe with a bov already attached to it. i need some install instructions. does anyone know where i can find these inst. or does anyone have any good tips 4 me? im gonna start the install either tomorrow or saturday so any help would be great. thanks

 

if you are running too much boost without the proper support, yes it can be harmful or just a waste. once you maximize your current fuel system, you wont be able to push in enough fuel to match how much air you are forcing into your motor. this will cause you to run lean, which is a bad thing. a pound or two more holding probably wont hurt, but i would honestly wait to get my S2 to change to a S2 gwa.
ill be honest, im not into actually spending a lot of time and money tuning. thats the benefit of stage kits. but if you start going aftermarket wga, turbos, boost controllers, etc... then you need to start worrying about keeping it tuned. if you have the dedication you can get much more out of your car. but if you know you wont keep on top of it i would discourage biting off more than your willing to chew. i used to think it would be awsome to have one of those 450whp srts, until i realized how much upkeep they can be. so ill eventually settle for a S2 or S3 w/ supporting mods.

 

Pepaint, to answer your question, yes I know what the fwhp of your 05 should be. It should be 230-240 fwhp. The factory rating of 230 hp was, I believe supposed to be engine crank hp (bhp) (brake horsepower) and that is usually a net rating meaning what isleft after all the power robbing accessories are accounted for on the engine only and do not include the drivetrain. Now if the factory was advertising 230 bhp, (crank), you would end up with around 200 fwhp on the dyno after the trans sucked up its share. I had my 04 dynoed (rated same as 05) at 242 fwhp stock. This means the engine is really putting out somewhere around 275 hp at the crank, again, stock. If you use synthetic fluids and keep boost lines tight and air filters clean, you should be similar.
Darn threadjackers!

 

"The Cobalt firmly grabs you and whisks you along your way instantly. It does so with authority and poise, but while slipping relatively unnoticed through traffic, never being violent, or dare I say it, frightening. When you ask the SRT-4 to take you somewhere fast, it punches you in the face, throws you over its shoulder, and runs, screaming, so quickly that its tires can barely keep up."

 

that was deep! that one really touched close to home...thank you