i'm thinking about buying a gst but just had some questions first. My only real goal with this car will be to make it run consistant 13's. And i want it to be fairly reliable(if thats possible) in the process. I have a little more than 3K to play with. Pitch me some ideas!

being a traction limited fwd myself i would invest in some traction grabbers ie(limited slip, lightweight wheels, good street clutch, and some soft tires) but first i would due the basics(mbc,turbo timer, 650s, safc, walbro 190 and an afpr if funds are abundent)

Consistent 13s are easy. You could do it cheap, or expensive, it's your call. A used 14b, good exhaust, mbc, and a maf-t will set you back less than a grand, and get you to the 14.1 to 13.8 range. Wheels and tires make not much difference in traction, so stockers will save you on money.

I personally would go with a 6-bolt swap, Evo3 16g, fmic, good exhaust, 550's, Walbro 190, and an AFC. MBC, decent clutch, etc. You could probably find all that for under 3k, if you wrench yourself, if you have the work done, I'd do th esame thing minus the 6-bolt swap. Car would be good for the 12s on race gas and a good tune.

i recomend good shocks tires and stiff motor mounts. Go with kyb agx shocks or something to that nature that has stiff and soft settings. I also recomend khumo exsta supra tires they are a all around good tire. As for motor mounts you could either go polly urathane or some good ole fashion window weld. This and some few other things should take care of your traction problems

I agree with Spy about the AWD. Few things compare to the traction and handling gained by that upgrade. I've had both, and wouldn't go FWD unless I needed VERY high top speeds. I've hit 130 in the AWD, and that's plenty fast enough for me.

Goat, AWD is great, but out on the road, the odds are not in your favor. For winning at the track, AWD helps tremendously, but a roll out on the street is a whole different game. On the way to Cordova, Spy and I ran nearly dead even, his 20g/FMIC AWD to my 14b/SMIC FWD. Mod for mod, a FWD will always pull an AWD.

You can modify things to get traction and still have a liveable car, but you can't lose the weight and drivetrain loss of an AWD. I am in the process of getting an AWD to drive daily, it will be my third, but I know it will never pull like the 'ol FWD.

I see them as equals, just with different talents.

I understand toatlly. That's what I was trying to say with my "top speed" comment. The advantages I was referring to were more daily driver issues like rain and snow. And we ALL know how much fun the AWD is in the snow

I'm not putting down the FWD at all as a viable competitor -if not superior- for speed, but I just find the AWD more suitable for the weather here. Kapoosh, either way you go, you'll get a really fun, quick car. Good luck.

OH, and to actually answer what you were asking, Kapoosh, i would use that 3k for a turbo-back exhaust, 550 injectors, maf-t setup, FPR, hi-flow fuel pump (?), boost guage, manual boost controller, and maybe even the EvoII16g. That will take you to a happy place.

I could be leaving things out, but I'm too tired, and have too much of a buzz to care.

Boy, I'd love to have had 3K for mods when starting out with my car. I guess here's the things I'd recommend in pretty much that order (mostly with prices too). Of course labor would cost more, and some of the stuff would be pretty labor intensive like the turbo.

3" turbo back exhaust $800 new
boost gauge and MBC $100 new
14b turbo $150
gm 3" sensor and maft $250 new
intercooler pipes ~$200 new
motor mount inserts $???
equal length half shafts $???
walbro or supra tt fuel pump and afpr $250
2g pocketlogger and palm device for tuning $150

Okay, I'll just stop there becuase that's more than enough to get 13's IMHO and with everything bought new you're still at less than 2K. However, if you're wanting to spend the full 3K I'd dump the rest into a quality suspension, tires, and a wild night on the town to celebrate your new fast car. I just think that the straight line performance is where you wanted it at that point and the rest of the money could be more effectively spent accentuating some of the cars other assets.

Guys, feel free to jump in here and modify this list with more accurate prices or even alternate suggestions, but I definately don't think injectors, super-aggressive tuning, or anything else would be needed to get solid 13 second passes. Sure, 12's and he'd need injectors and an evo3 16G with serious grip tires.

Buying new parts wouldn't even be necessary. That's why we've got the trader. www.dsmtrader.com I've also got a hacked 2G MAS setup for about half of what it would cost you new. 2G MAS

Don't tell me I have to run through my mathematical proof of why effective drivetrain loss decreases as whp increases...again.

Back on topic. I think Miami's list is a great place to start. Three things I would add to it would be a stiff suspension, an LSD, and some sticky tires. They will make a world of difference in the traction department.

if i had enough cash for a 99gst plus $3k extra....i'd forget the idea of the 99. i'd get a 1st gen AWD and mod the heck out of it. Kou's got about 15 1st gens in thier backyard...of course they're missing odd 'n end parts due to Dr. Travis Frankenstien's method of hacking and creating parts.

I like the 2g body style ALOT better. And i figure the newer, lower miles the bettter.

and the 3K is just for straight line performance. I have another batch of money set aside for tires, suspension, ect....

I know what the sticky tires and suspension will cost me, just wasnt sure how fast you can make the car with 3K

well, in that case I'd add the following

550cc injectors $300
evo3 16g $500
1g throttle body $50
port the throttle body elbow, exhaust manifold and 02 housing $150 or free
-8 AN fuel line from the filter and rewire the fuel pump <$100

All my estimates on prices are pretty high for safety. Buying used could at times save you up to 50%. At this point I'd also throw in a clutch (like and act 2100) and definately get nates suggestion of an LSD, but those are drivetrain mods

I'd think that this setup would get you high 12's no question.

and who in peoria is recomended to do work on dsm's?

what are your arms broken??

dsms=super easy to work on. and there are plenty of people here who would be willing to lend a hand or two to help you out. not to mention. that cuts your spending in about half.

If you really don't want to do it yourself Slopny in Creve Couer has alot of DSM experience. 699-slow

Not always true with the 2g's... crankwalk can eat up your mod budget in a hurry. I agree though, they do look better. There is something about the 1g's that I still love though.

i'm coming from an audi and a lexus, not exactly good cars to learn how to do work on!

care to explain what crankwalk is? Never heard it before.

The best crankwalk explanation you're gonna find:

http://www.magnusmotorsports.com/crankwalktheory.htm

I completely understand. but you gotta learn sometime! and this is a perfect opportunity if you pick up a dsm.

Nate: I agree completely. However, at the power levels he is looking at, there would be a considerable difference. We're talking about 250-300whp.

Wellll, I don't know. He's saying he has a $3K budget for straight line power alone and seemingly a completely separate budget for suspension and drivetrain mods. That's enough smash to make over 400 at the wheels even on an awd if he spends it wisely. I'm certainly not saying his poor 7-bolt will last that long at those power levels though...