Any Ideas for Speed ?

GregCavi · 08-27-04, 09:58

Hey guys

I own a 99 chevy cavalier ... yes i know girl car ..

.. well it is auto and i want to know if there are any upgrades that can be done to increase my hp and speed.
Here is the catch.. it cant be expensive.. i think my budget would be about 200 bucks ... any ideas?

Jngrbrdman · 08-27-04, 10:15

The only thing you could do for speed with that budget would maybe be a used ZEX kit. Nitrous is the only way to get cheap speed when you are looking at not being able to spend a couple thousand to build it right. I would imagine that a board directed more specifically to the Cavalier would probably help more. Autopia really isn't the best place for that question.

You have some things working against you. Being an auto isn't ideal for building speed. Being a cavalier is another thing that isn't really in your favor. Cheap speed isn't really what that car was made for. If you want a race car then you need to sell the cavalier and buy a car that is a better foundation for building a race car. You are starting out with 115 HP and that isn't a lot. Sell it and get something with more. Even a base civic is going to have more than that. An automatic cavalier just isn't a race car.

ncal · 08-27-04, 10:42

I'm not trying to come across as arrogant or rude but you've got the wrong vehicle. Cheap and speed are foreign concepts to me, you have to pay for the power unfortunately. Honestly, the lack of power of the cav, auto tranny, and your budget really makes pursuing a faster car not really worth it. My recommendation is either be happy with your cav and save the money on something more worthwhile. Or you could always sell it for something like an older vw, civic, f body, etc.

Scottwax · 08-27-04, 10:51

I have to agree with the others. It really isn't a car that can be made quick for only $200. I do think there is a supercharger kit, cold air intake, exhaust and some other stuff but they aren't cheap.

I'm in the same boat with my 626. Pretty good stock V6 but not much in the way of performance parts. Cold air, exhaust, thermobarrier intake gaskets, stuff like that. I could maybe boost the 170 hp to 185 hp but it would cost at least $1000. Just not really worth it with this car.

If you want something quicker, save some money and trade your Cavalier in on a late 90's Maxima. 190 hp and low mileage ones are going for $10,000 or so.

1 Clean WS6 · 08-28-04, 08:39

Check out www.rksport.com

They have everything from exhaust and air intakes to superchargers and head/cam packages for the Cavalier.

P.S. You're gonna need a bigger budget.

hondaguy2582 · 08-28-04, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by ncal
I'm not trying to come across as arrogant or rude but you've got the wrong vehicle. Cheap and speed are foreign concepts to me, you have to pay for the power unfortunately. Honestly, the lack of power of the cav, auto tranny, and your budget really makes pursuing a faster car not really worth it. My recommendation is either be happy with your cav and save the money on something more worthwhile. Or you could always sell it for something like an older vw, civic, f body, etc.

Couldn't have said it better myself!!!!!!

Lowejackson · 08-28-04, 01:08

Another route might be to upgrade the suspension or brakes. Better suspension allows the car to grip the road better during braking/acceleration or cornering. Sometimes just by replacing the old rubber sections of the suspension can also give a great improvement to the feel of the car

Improving the brakes on anything is always a good idea

If anyone wants to sell you cheap bolt on power, ask them to prove it with a dyno

ncal · 08-28-04, 11:44

I'd also advise that you be careful when reading a manufacturer's 'proven results'. Even though a dyno provides all the data it can be easily tweaked to yield better results. Often a manufacturer will test their product on a vehicle coupled with a number of other mods. For instance, to demonstrate huge gains with a cold air intake the vehicle will also have a chip, exhaust, etc. Bottom line is, do your homework when looking for any performance increase, ESPECIALLY if its cheap.

4DSC · 08-29-04, 01:22

I agree with Lowejackson. Suspension upgrades like bigger anti-roll bars and strut tower braces are pretty cheap, and will make the car more fun to drive. If you ever need new tires just replacing them with better rubber can help too.

It's usually quite expensive to get significantly more horsepower out of a car, and fuel consumption, noise, and sometimes "drivability" suffers.

zilla · 08-29-04, 02:46

Cheap. Fast. Reliable.

Choose 2.

like others have said, try some suspension upgrades, or maybe some poly motor mounts, or a CAI, exhaust of headers. Not sure about the j-body engine, but maybe you could find some underdrive or lightened pullies.

or better yet, take the $200 and buy a PC and all of the goodies that go with it