2000 AWD Xploder from Turbo back to NA

After getting an estimate on how much it would run me to fix up my Xploder with all new exhaust, cold side piping, and a bunch of other stuff done up the "right" way... I've decided to convert my Xploder back to NA form so that I can actually ENJOY the truck before I die of old age.

Anyways... To start it off I ordered up a MAC cold air intake (I do not have the stock intake) and sold my FMS headers on ebay.

I plan on buying a set of torque monster headers in the next week or so but am still up in the air on how I should run my exhaust from a performance "speed" perspective. I do not plan on doing much, if any, off road driving, so am looking for a setup that improves take off and speed for spirited pavement driving that sounds good.

I already have the spare tire removed (and will be keeping it off, I have free towing anyways lol)... What would an optimal setup be with the above in mind and no worry of a spare tire being in the way? True duals (straight pipe off of each header, thru separate mufflers, and out the sides), or a dual exhaust both going into a 2 in 2 out "H" pipe style muffler and then out the sides? Or something else? In all cases I won't be running any cats.

I also plan to re-tune my car since currently it is tuned for the turbo setup which obviously will no longer apply once I rip everything out.

Thank you for any input!

 

[CDW6212R]

They do go to the floor very close to the "B" pillar trim, near the back of that trim. I'm guessing you are looking for the thread insert in the floor for each front belt along the side.

Here's two pictures that may help. To find them I'd go under the truck and locate each, and push an awl or thin screw driver up through them and the rug. What is circled in yellow below is the thread insert I think you want, that's just behind the driver's seat.

 

[willzilla]

Yeah, that helps a little. What I'm looking for is what is around the seat belt for the front seats where the belt bolts to the floor by the edge of the car. I have my belt in place but can't remember if some kind of plastic piece snaps over it? lol.

 

[willzilla]

Found this.. this is helpful, Removing Interior Get To Trans Access Plate

 

[CDW6212R]

Yeah, there is no cover over the end of the seat belt at the floor. I store a small 12v Milwaukee battery next to my right belt, there, for my air pump.

 

[willzilla]

Awesome, thanks for the info. Got the driver seat in and hooked up and the trim in. Unfortunately someone bumped my work bench and knocked my radio off the table and broke off the top piece, lol... I guess it was just fiber glassed on top. I tried to sand it down as best I could where it broke off but it's pretty ugly, lol. May still keep eye open for a new radio bezel piece to swap to if I can nab one at a decent price. Overall the carpet fit is pretty good but not quite factory as I was free style trimming which I'll say is not optimal, lol.

 

[willzilla]

The mangled bezel, lol...

And interior progress so far...

 

[CDW6212R]

Good progress. That looks a bunch cleaner than mine, my tan interior 98 I have been delivering with since 2019. I need to detail it like that, clean the rugs, seats, and the rest if the interior.

 

[willzilla]

Good progress. That looks a bunch cleaner than mine, my tan interior 98 I have been delivering with since 2019. I need to detail it like that, clean the rugs, seats, and the rest if the interior.

Yeah, still messy as I have remains of chopping up carpet scattered all over, lol. I finished fitting up the back seat and getting it installed on the driver side. Still need to go to passenger side and trim and fit front seat and back.

Any idea what, if anything, is supposed to cover the rear seat feet and also the side bolt with the seat belt bolt? Anything? I have some black pieces and am not sure what is what, or, how they fit to whatever they go to, lol.

While at it I tested the new radio and verified I was getting backup camera feed to the radio and I was.. though I need to figure which wire to hook to on the harness to use as the backup trigger wire and also a way to jumper the parking brake signal so I can just run the radio in any gear for video or whatever, lol.

Also.. tested some audio and.. only the front speakers were working for some reason. Unsure why, need to investigate, but I'm running with a Crutchfield custom harness sooooo, something isn't right :-/

Wires look like this (pulled out so messy, but it's a nice wiring harness)...

 

[willzilla]

Seems the guy who had the truck before me put in a small 8" sub in the rear hatch speaker area and runs it off the factory amp.. Not sure how to tie that back in as I don't see how from the old wiring harness mess how that ties in to the factory amp, lol... I have a ground wire that is connected to nothing bolted by the rear seat that I don't think was ever used and also a black wire with what looks like 5 or 6 pin connector that seems to come from the factory amp to nothing... Haha.

 

[willzilla]

Ahh, missed the Crutchfield wiring diagram they sent me.. Has some more details, maybe applies, will need to comb over it tomorrow lol

 

[CDW6212R]

You have the rear seat side mount bolted over the rug. That rug has a small thin part which lays over that side rear bolt and bracket. The front mounting arms don't have any covers, but there should be a rubber cover for the exposed stud threads of each one.

 

[CDW6212R]

Which radio did the truck have stock? If it was the Mach and changer, for sure the rear speaker wires go through the console. So you have to connect the console to get signals to the rear speakers in many of these. My 99 I left out the console, so I bypassed the rear speaker wires at the main console connector.

 

[CDW6212R]

The amp wiring can be weird also, the Mach radio has no bass going to any door speakers, it only goes to the rear amp/woofer. The Premium had no sub, so it has full range signals going to the door speakers.

So it means there are different versions for the radio dash wires.

 

[willzilla]

Which radio did the truck have stock? If it was the Mach and changer, for sure the rear speaker wires go through the console. So you have to connect the console to get signals to the rear speakers in many of these. My 99 I left out the console, so I bypassed the rear speaker wires at the main console connector.

Unsure.. Car came with aftermarket radio, no idea what was stock. But I believe I was told it runs an aftermarket 8" sub off factory amp.

 

[willzilla]

You have the rear seat side mount bolted over the rug. That rug has a small thin part which lays over that side rear bolt and bracket. The front mounting arms don't have any covers, but there should be a rubber cover for the exposed stud threads of each one.

Hmm... Guess I'd need to see a photo or something to see what you mean for this, lol.

 

[CDW6212R]

Hmm... Guess I'd need to see a photo or something to see what you mean for this, lol.

Look at your last picture, the bottom one. See the big grey connector, the rear speaker wires go through that. They go into the console, and then back out, and then to the rear door speakers. That's for the rear radio head phone jack controls. So plug that connector up, and see if you have rear speaker function then.

 

[CDW6212R]

Look at the original radio wire connectors in the dash behind the radio. If it had a changer, there will be a small almost square connector with about six wires in it. I'm not familiar with what the Premium radio had for radio connectors. I have only dealt with the Mach truck wiring, with just one aftermarket deck in my 99. I bypassed the amp wiring in that one, I may have removed that harness. The OEM amp wiring is a harness which plugs in at the right kick panel, and leads back to the quarter panel.

 

[willzilla]

Ok, awesome.. Totally forgot about the big ass plug, haha.. Didn't know that speakers run through it, oops Thank you! Will def button that up once I begin putting the console together.

 

[XploderPhil]

This is what I used to bypass the parking brake, not sure if it will work on yours

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L6Z1WYA/?tag=serious-20

The interior is really looking good, maybe you want to start driving it every day and let your daughter have that Chevy

 

[willzilla]

This is what I used to bypass the parking brake, not sure if it will work on yours

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L6Z1WYA/?tag=serious-20

The interior is really looking good, maybe you want to start driving it every day and let your daughter have that Chevy

Haha, thank you!

I'm not sure, I'm liking the ZL1 a lot, lol.. even though mpg is pretty horrific, haha.. I guess I'm lucky both of my jobs are remote 100% so that helps keeping my driving down to what I want instead of what I must do Plus, I have my 19 Nissan NV3500 I drive some when I need to haul the kids around instead of trying to pack them in.. But, plan is to get the oldest maybe an old Focus or something and have her drive the Xploder some until then, and I'll drive it as well on occasion.

I'll have to check out that wire.. Also read somewhere you can just hook the parking wire to a ground to defeat it? Hmmm, haha.

2021 Camaro ZL1 a/10 Cold Start w/Stock Exhaust

Cold start of my 2021 Camaro ZL1 a/10 with the NPP exhaust set to track mode.

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