For exhaust...
I ran 2.5 inch pipe from the front to the rear and had them create an Xpipe just behind the transmission, with some 2.5 inch center/center Magnaflows.
This is the third exhaust that I put on the car.
First was True Duals with no Crossover and some 40 series flowmasters.
1. the true dual without an X/H/Crossover pipe made the car slow down.
2. the 40 series flowmasters rotted out internally in no time flat.
3. without some form of Xpipe or crossover the car sounded like and I quote "a hayhauling pickup truck".. it was raspy and made alot of needless racket.. not to mention DRONE which was hideous.
The second system I had on the car had an H pipe, with flowmasters which again.. rotted out in no time flat.
But.. with the H pipe my car picked up the lost ET from the "true dual system"..and it sounded ALOT better
Which is why I eventually ditched the system and had a new 2.5 inch system w a X pipe and the magnaflow mufflers...
Sounds great, runs great...
3rd time was the charm!!!!
AS for intakes...or Cold Air kits...
I "had" a C&L mass air meter from Lincoln Motorsports, against all the tuners advice I spent this money when I should have spent it elsewhere.
Save your money on the CIA crap... apply it to either your suspension or in a tuning solution such as the SCT proracer package.
The problem I had with the C&L was...at WOT the maf voltage would "top out" at 2 volts!!!
the maf transfer function goes from 0-5 volts, so at WOT my PCM was "thinking" my car was at "half throttle" which made the shift schedule and the torque convertor lock up schedule "goofy".
I went around and around and AROUND trying to figure out what the problem was.. until I datalogged the maf.. and found out the C&L meter was "lying to the PCM".
On a stock mark 8 there is ALOT of extra fuel in the stock calibration.
The C&L leans out the mixture by lying to the PCM...and the car runs on the fuel table in the "1/2 throttle range" and the PCM never goes to the WOT part of the program.
On a bone stock Mark 8 this would be acceptable but not "optimum".
Once you get into the tuning aspect, the Air Meter lying to the PCM is a bad thing......
The stock mark 8 maf is more than adequate for a N/A application.
No need to put a Larger Air meter on it..until you get into a "blown application".
Remember when dealing with computers.. the old adage G.I.G.O. {garbage in, garbage out} meaning that if you give your computer garbage information it's going to give you BACK garbage.
Just say NO to Aftermarket Cold air kits and for SURE the C&L Air meter that is being sold by Lincoln Motorsports.. for a much higher price than you could buy it from Lee Bender at C&L directly.
I loathe "rebadged" performance items.. and in this case.. Lincoln Motorsports didn't even bother to "rebadge" it... as it plainly says C&L on the meter itself.
the number 1 best mod you can do to this car is Gears, 4.10's or 4.30's.
After that the most bang for the buck mod you can do is the SCT PRORACER PACKAGE...
These two mods alone will take your 15.30 car down to a low 14 second ride... and possibly into the 13's under good conditions at a near sea level dragstrip.
hope this helps
