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Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Old Feb 24, 2009 | 12:00 AM
  #1 (permalink)  
coolb944's Avatar
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From: Redondo Beach, CA
Default Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Hi all,

So my question is this. What is the easiest, cheapest way to get noticeable power gains for the n/a Crossfire's 3.2L without any crazy mechanical work or need for alteration to the transmission? I have an '04 alabaster coupe.

Also, does anyone know how much power the transmission can take before the internals need to be beefed up?

Finally, is there a full exhaust system out there for the Crossfire. I'm talking headers, catalytics, and muffler?

Thanks, and let the discussion begin.
 
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Old Feb 24, 2009 | 07:50 AM
  #2 (permalink)  
tom2112's Avatar
She can ride with me ;)
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Sharon, PA
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Check out the TVT250 kit, sold by, you guessed it: TVT Design. He's a member of our forum and attends a lot of east coast meets. Here's his site: www.tvtdesign.com

Search a bit here in the forum and you'll see a lot of positive comments about the TVT250 kit.

Another excellent addition is a NeedsWings cold air intake. Rob (from NeedsWings) is a good guy and has been developing performance parts since back in the Neon days. www.needswings.com

Another option is an ECU tune. There are a few vendors for these, LET (www.letmotorsports.com) and InMotion (www.inmotionusa.com) are probably the most popular. I don't know what kind of gains an NA Crossfire can expect from a tune.

Past that, there are not a lot of perfomance parts for the NA Crossfires. A lot of the aftermarket performance stuff is SRT-6 only and focused on the supercharger.

As for the transmission: that depends on which tranny you have. If yours is a manual transmission, I don't know. But if it is an automatic, I believe it is the same tranny as in the SRT-6. There's a few guys here in the forums running pretty hot cars (10.x and 11.x second quarter miles) with no mods to the transmission at all. It's a very stout tranny.

If you're looking to add serious power to the NA Crossfire, there is a user here "ChuckNorris" that developed a supercharger for the NA. But he halted that project and has since started a turbo project. I believe his plan is to make a turbo kit for NA owners to buy. But that is likely several months away, if it works.
 
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Old Feb 24, 2009 | 09:20 AM
  #3 (permalink)  
smithy's Avatar
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Posts: 30
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From: Caerleon, Wales
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

First, get a Sprint Booster - it transforms the car from feeling like a grand tourer into a motorised roller skate. Cheap and cheerful, too.

If you do decide to fit one, my advice is to forget the "use a magnet on the washer" ideas - I found this totally impossible. Instead, undo the two crosspoint screws holding the black under-dash cover nearest to the pedal box, wiggle the cover off, and then it is easy to gain access to the throttle sensor cable plug.
 
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Old Feb 24, 2009 | 10:44 AM
  #4 (permalink)  
Paul Bosslet's Avatar
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 263
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From: Saint Charles, Mo.
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

The auto on the SRT is a beefed up version of the N/A auto to handle the extra torque.
 
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Old Feb 24, 2009 | 02:20 PM
  #5 (permalink)  
maclovinX's Avatar
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 137
Likes: 2
From: Cincinnati, OH
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Will a Sprint Booster work on a manual NA? It seems like every time I read about the Sprint Boosters it is related to the automatics. I have seen manual Sprint boosters for sale on ebay, but I wasn't to sure I would get much out of one.
Also, where do you recommend purchasing a Sprint booster?

Thanks!

06 Alabaster Roadster
 
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Old Feb 24, 2009 | 04:56 PM
  #6 (permalink)  
TVT_DESIGN
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by maclovinX
Will a Sprint Booster work on a manual NA? It seems like every time I read about the Sprint Boosters it is related to the automatics. I have seen manual Sprint boosters for sale on ebay, but I wasn't to sure I would get much out of one.
Also, where do you recommend purchasing a Sprint booster?

Thanks!

06 Alabaster Roadster
A manual SB will work for the manual but tends to make the throttle very touchy. Many manual owners opt for the auto version.

PM me if interested as we have these for sale.
 
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Old Feb 25, 2009 | 02:56 AM
  #7 (permalink)  
Skyshadow's Avatar
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 624
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From: OKC, OK
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by tom2112
Check out the TVT250 kit, sold by, you guessed it: TVT Design. He's a member of our forum and attends a lot of east coast meets. Here's his site: www.tvtdesign.com

Search a bit here in the forum and you'll see a lot of positive comments about the TVT250 kit.

Another excellent addition is a NeedsWings cold air intake. Rob (from NeedsWings) is a good guy and has been developing performance parts since back in the Neon days. www.needswings.com

Another option is an ECU tune. There are a few vendors for these, LET (www.letmotorsports.com) and InMotion (www.inmotionusa.com) are probably the most popular. I don't know what kind of gains an NA Crossfire can expect from a tune.

Past that, there are not a lot of perfomance parts for the NA Crossfires. A lot of the aftermarket performance stuff is SRT-6 only and focused on the supercharger.

As for the transmission: that depends on which tranny you have. If yours is a manual transmission, I don't know. But if it is an automatic, I believe it is the same tranny as in the SRT-6. There's a few guys here in the forums running pretty hot cars (10.x and 11.x second quarter miles) with no mods to the transmission at all. It's a very stout tranny.

If you're looking to add serious power to the NA Crossfire, there is a user here "ChuckNorris" that developed a supercharger for the NA. But he halted that project and has since started a turbo project. I believe his plan is to make a turbo kit for NA owners to buy. But that is likely several months away, if it works.
Anyone know of a Cali based shop for ECU tuning? I'm a fan of TVT but they are way too far east for me.
 
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Old Feb 25, 2009 | 05:18 AM
  #8 (permalink)  
TVT_DESIGN
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Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by Skyshadow
Anyone know of a Cali based shop for ECU tuning? I'm a fan of TVT but they are way too far east for me.
obviously you didn't see our new home based tuning...
 
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Old Feb 25, 2009 | 05:49 AM
  #9 (permalink)  
Skyshadow's Avatar
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From: OKC, OK
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Home what who?! Please tell me...
Originally Posted by TVT_DESIGN
obviously you didn't see our new home based tuning...
 
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Old Feb 25, 2009 | 07:40 AM
  #10 (permalink)  
sonoronos's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 2
From: Fairfax, VA
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by coolb944
So my question is this. What is the easiest, cheapest way to get noticeable power gains for the n/a Crossfire's 3.2L without any crazy mechanical work or need for alteration to the transmission? I have an '04 alabaster coupe.
I would say the cheapest power gain would be to run wet Nitrous.
 
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Old Jun 20, 2009 | 01:29 AM
  #11 (permalink)  
zacknolden's Avatar
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by tom2112
Check out the TVT250 kit, sold by, you guessed it: TVT Design. He's a member of our forum and attends a lot of east coast meets. Here's his site:

Search a bit here in the forum and you'll see a lot of positive comments about the TVT250 kit.

Another excellent addition is a cold air intake. Rob (from NeedsWings) is a good guy and has been developing performance parts since back in the Neon days

Another option is an ECU tune. There are a few vendors for these, LET and InMotion are probably the most popular. I don't know what kind of gains an NA Crossfire can expect from a tune.

Past that, there are not a lot of perfomance parts for the NA Crossfires. A lot of the aftermarket performance stuff is SRT-6 only and focused on the supercharger.

If you're looking to add serious power to the NA Crossfire, there is a user here "ChuckNorris" that developed a supercharger for the NA. But he halted that project and has since started a turbo project. I believe his plan is to make a turbo kit for NA owners to buy. But that is likely several months away, if it works.
Great idea! I probably get a new set of cold air intakes this week. I wish my dealer have them now.
 
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Old Jun 21, 2009 | 09:19 AM
  #12 (permalink)  
oledoc2u's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: IN
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

and they just keep coming...more new faces with XF's to mod....welcome to modding....
 
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Old Jun 22, 2009 | 01:38 AM
  #13 (permalink)  
technojunky's Avatar
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 146
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Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

wait does a sprintbooster actually add performance? I didn't think it did... would it reduce lap times/quarter mile times?

what does it actually do?
 

Last edited by technojunky; Jun 22, 2009 at 01:41 AM.
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Old Jun 22, 2009 | 10:20 AM
  #14 (permalink)  
tom2112's Avatar
She can ride with me ;)
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 3
From: Sharon, PA
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by technojunky
wait does a sprintbooster actually add performance? I didn't think it did... would it reduce lap times/quarter mile times?

what does it actually do?
It doesn't add any performance at all. It remaps your drive-by-wire gas pedal. All it does is makes the car more enjoyable to drive. The car seems more responsive and the throttle lag disappears. Some folks don't like it and say the car is too twitchy with a sprint booster on.

Before you drop $300 on a sprint booster, attend a meet and drive someone's car who has one.
 
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Old Jun 23, 2009 | 05:24 PM
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technojunky's Avatar
Joined: Jan 2009
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Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

I wasn't planning on getting one myself. I was just checking that the sprint booster didnt actually add any performance. The guy asked for cheapest way to gain noticeable performance, and a sprint booster doesn't actually add performance...
 
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Old Jun 23, 2009 | 09:24 PM
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ZAHANMA's Avatar
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,535
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From: Houston in my blood, and under my tires...
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Originally Posted by technojunky
I wasn't planning on getting one myself. I was just checking that the sprint booster didnt actually add any performance. The guy asked for cheapest way to gain noticeable performance, and a sprint booster doesn't actually add performance...
Yeah, no performance added.

Your pedal goes from 0-5V depending on how far you have depressed it. Full throttle = 5V.

The sprint booster resets the 0V to 2.5V so that your pedal travel is only 2.5V-5V instead of 0-5V....

better throttle response, but no actual HP gain.
 
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Old Jul 9, 2009 | 07:49 PM
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dwightdmagee's Avatar
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From: homeless
Default Re: Easiest, cheapest way to gain noticeable performance

Before you do anything crazy, reset the throttle-by-wire response memory ... you'll be amazed at the immediate reward. Free.

Do a search for the simple procedure and other member comments.

Regards.
 

Last edited by dwightdmagee; Jul 9, 2009 at 08:45 PM.
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