Ok i am relatively new to this board.

I dont have alot of money to spend yet... gotta wedding coming up, and moving soon....

what can i do to make my truck more fun, but still be legal in california.

I know it sucks but california will rape you on modifications. So im looking for modifications that will still be reliable, make it fun, and be able to possibly get more power for towing. (just a few sea doos) and be legal in california. And the worst part they have to be obtainable on an anorexic wallet....

please any help would be awesome

 

Turn around and run before it's too late. Stay and you're doomed to perpetual empty pockets and cursed to constant modding to feel satisfied.

There is no one thing, but rather many things that yo can do but they all cost $$. Nitrous is the best bang for the buck. A Turb or Supercharger will run you $$$$. Start with CAI, Exhaust, Headers, Cam. TUNE TUNE TUNE

 

I Wish in some ways that i could run, but unfortunately i was born with bowties in my blood.... i was raised around old hot rodders, and old speed shops. I am doomed to a life of never being satified.... I am one of the many that no matter how good it is, it will never be "done"

trust me i have had many projects under my belt so i have long been bitten by the tuning/ modifying bug.

Unfortunately i am soon to be married, and that is quite an expense, along with moving into my own place.

but i am itching to make this thing better, and funds are definitely less than ideal.

thank you for your help trever. I just need to figure out what would be most cost efficient and still be legal, and a gain i can actually feel.


i just need to buy hptuners... that should keep me busy for awhile, but it has a pretty hefty price tag

 

i just started modding my 2003 ECSB 4.8 .. .. i'd definitely recommend doing headers (pacesetters ~$500 w/ ORY), exhaust (i used hooker arochamber muffler $60), and cold air induction (i used volant ~$350) first.. then do a tune (mail order tune is best unless you do it yourself)... that will satisfy you until you can get some more $$ for other mods.. like stall, gears, eaton, UDP, efan, cam, etc... my .02

 

Do a search and you'll find alot of info..... Being that you have a 4.8 and your in California, skip the headers and invest in a good set of gears 3.73 or higher and a good quality tune or HP Tuners as you mentioned to start. Then for the fun factor invest in a mild stall, ex: TB stall which will help down low where the 4.8 lacks most. Save your money and avoid the typical CAI and exhaust to start out with, those can be added later as supporting mods but alone won't give you the gains you are after.

 

Thanks guys.... i just gotta do something...... stock is just so....... i dunno even know how to say it..... boring!! thats the only way i can think of describing it right now..... i already have 3.73 from factory

 

idk how far you'd want to go with this...

but if you want a good dd and casual track truck... a mild cam, a 2600-2800 stall, headers & full exhaust (gutted cats/no cats etc), intake, dyno tune (or mail order, whichever, dyno would be better, obviously), sounds like you have the rear end taken care of... maybe a few tranny mods to keep it togetther... like billet servos, shift kit, tranny cooler... do all the free mods (search on this forum for "free mods" should give you a lot of info)

good luck

 

LOL!!! You know it brother. It's all of this and more.

Tune will get you good bang for the buck.

 

stick a trailblazer torque converter in it, and some 4.10 gears and have you set for a week and then you will by the cam and then two weeks later your like damn i almost beet that car, i gotta get nitrous, so ya get the nitrous and kick that cars ***.., its a never ending battle..i found this site over a year ago and since then ive had a hard time just keeping my paycheck the whole week..usually spent on gas and nitrous and new parts..

 

Since you are in Sunny California I assume you want to stay smog-legal. This rules out a few things (lumpy cams, gutted cats, long-tube headers, maybe nitrous?) and requires care when using HPTuners. However, there are still a lot of things you can do. Personally, I would recommend saving up and getting a Magnacharger Radix blower. It's CARB certified for California, gives a very satisfying amount of extra power, and creates more power at low rpm, where the 4.8 needs it most. Yes, it's expensive, but as far as HP/$, it really can't be beat, especially if you have to stay within California's smog laws.