What so I do for mods to my car? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

merkerguitars · 06-15-2003, 10:00 PM

Well I own 1987 Cadillac Sedan Deville with a factory 4.1L V8 engine. Well the problem I have is that the engine only has 130hp stock. Well I put in a accel supercoil which I figured made my hp up to 145 and my highway gas mileage to about 26mpg. I was thinking about getting a accel high performance distributor module and fabrication some sort of custom intake from a 88-95 chevy pickup (since my vehicle is throttle body injected) and probably some good spark plugs and wires. Any other nice mods you guys recommend?

X_cody_X · 06-16-2003, 05:06 AM

DUDE! Cold air intake, big fat fart pipe and the biggest wing you can fit!!! DUH! You better get some graphics too and if you want to go real fast make sure you get some neon under that baby quick!

OK, done being a moron for now. I'd suggest a few little things like a K&N air filter, they help with mileage and power quite a bit for the price. Maybe a exhaust with better flow. I would go with the distributor and plug wires. If I could help a little more I would.

bubbagump · 06-16-2003, 07:22 AM

dang not exactly the best car to mod to go fast... and a 4.1liter v8 only putting out a 130hp i dont know but that seems wrong. lil civic engines put out more stock...

shakran · 06-16-2003, 08:11 AM

Actually only the new civic Si engines put out more stock. My civic puts out 108 stock. ('course, it's far from stock now!)

Actually, your car is great for a sleeper setup if you're willing to dump a wad of cash into it. Look into getting an LS1 engine in there. Some people have also run a Northstar twin motor setup - one up front, one in the rear.

Once you get a real engine in there, you can turbo/supercharge it, run NOS, etc. It'll cost you but if you're smart about it and don't put a bunch of rice crap on the outside, you will surprise a LOT of cars.

If you don't have a wad of money to put into it, you may as well forget it and get something more performance oriented in the first place.

merkerguitars · 06-16-2003, 08:53 AM

It's frontwheel drive car so putting a LS1 engine would be really expensive and a pain in the ass to retrofit. I've been thinking about putting a late model 3.8l 3800 supercharged engine with matching engine and transmission. I think that wouldnt' be a hard swap besides wiring the computer up. The engine has low hp because it's a shitty design (cast iron heads, aluminum block, aluminum intake) and it's a funky engine to take apart and the low hp comes from tons and tons of emission equipment on it.

DEI37 · 06-16-2003, 02:51 PM

Actually, if the motor made 130hp stock, then it's probably about 125 with the mileage and time, and then the "SuperCoil" probably made it 125.5hp. That coil made little to no difference in power. A swap you might want to consider is the ASG 5.0 V8 based on either the 4.5 or 4.9 Caddy V8. The engine has low hp because it was built in the '80s. Just because it's a iron head aluminum block doesn't mean anything horsepower wise. Plus, transmissions back then wouldn't take much torque. Not that today's will, but it was worse yet. A Northstar with the 4T80-E trans would be good, but would be a nightmare to wire. So would a L67. Use the 4.5 or 4.9, or the ASG 5.0.

merkerguitars · 06-16-2003, 03:03 PM

Yeah D137 my bad....about the engine design affecting hp. Is the ASG 5.0 a totally aftermarket engine? I'm not sure about the northstar...it would be nice but not sure about it bolting up. The engine is a brand new Jasper remanufactured engine...so it's has about 20k on it now....

DEI37 · 06-16-2003, 04:19 PM

From what I understand, the ASG 5.0 is a reman aftermarket setup. As mentioned they start with either the 4.5 or the 4.9...most likely the 4.9, I think, and go from there. You can check out their website...I forget what it is, but Google it, and I'm sure you'll come up with something. Their specialty is installing this 5.0 V8 in the front drive GM W-Chassis cars. The big downside is cost of course...the motor alone isn't cheap. But, paying someone to install/wire/tune a Northstar isn't pocket change either...and the motor alone is very pricey. Good luck.

merkerguitars · 06-16-2003, 10:05 PM

Yeah that 5.0 is expensive as hell......even if i installed it myself it still wouldn't be near as affordable as I would like....no matter how nice the car is I guess it's not worth hot rodding...for the money I can save I can buy a nice used musclecar

Snakeyes · 06-18-2003, 10:02 AM

I find it hard to believe that a 250 ci V8 only puts out 130 hp. Even if this is true, it has excellent potential!

K&N Air Filter!! This is a must. They'll give you a few extra horsepower and increase your economy.

Next, bore out the cylinders!. People forget that "There's no replacement for displacement". Boring your cylinder walls will always give a performance increase.

Then, go for new carbs and exhaust headers.

Don't listen to anyone that's just going to say "Cold air intake, NOS, Stage 4 Turbos! Everything I need to know about cars I learned from the Fast and the Furious!"

WarWagon · 06-18-2003, 09:12 PM

I say leave well enough alone. Sure, the hp is low but the torque is probably roughly double that. Caddy's and most other luxo sedans use cams with short durations and wide LSA's so they run smooth. Yea, a Honda can make comparable power, but the Caddy's probably making that about 3500 rpms lower. HP doesnt get those barges moving. If you want to put money into performance, just buy another car. You can probably buy a cheap econocoupe for less than you can a motor swap. Worst case scenario, hit the motor with a 50 or 75 shot and enjoy pimpin that Caddy.

merkerguitars · 06-18-2003, 09:22 PM

Yeah I don't think i'll go all out...granted no matter how nice the car is...it's just not worth it. I think i'll buy a older fox body mustang. Something I can mod the hell out of and it won't break the bank.

ElwoodBlues · 06-18-2003, 09:31 PM

I own an 87 Eldorado, same engine. I am having a fuckload of problems getting that thing to pass emissions, first I had to replace the O2 sensor the the catalytic converter and its still failing. And the mileage is horrible, I'm averaging 11.8 MPG right now. What was it you used to get 26 MPG? and where can i find this?

merkerguitars · 06-18-2003, 09:45 PM

Elwood.....The tricky thing with these engine is they have lots of vacuum lines...one little vacuum leak makes it run like shit (it may sound like it runs good but the gas mileage is terrible) And that mileage is on the highway doing about 72mph and being easy on the gas over a 30 mile stretch. On normal driving I get about 22mpg on average 398 miles on 17.8 gallons of gas. Double check your airfilter and all other emissions equipment.Here is the coil I put in my car

Atomic Pinkie · 06-19-2003, 12:27 AM

"Actually only the new civic Si engines put out more stock. My civic puts out 108 stock. ('course, it's far from stock now!)

Actually, your car is great for a sleeper setup if you're willing to dump a wad of cash into it. Look into getting an LS1 engine in there. Some people have also run a Northstar twin motor setup - one up front, one in the rear.

Once you get a real engine in there, you can turbo/supercharge it, run NOS, etc. It'll cost you but if you're smart about it and don't put a bunch of rice crap on the outside, you will surprise a LOT of cars.

If you don't have a wad of money to put into it, you may as well forget it and get something more performance oriented in the first place. "

I lvove how everyone contradicted his statements, good job guys, saved another car from the rice monster!

06-15-2003, 10:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	What so I do for mods to my car? Well I own 1987 Cadillac Sedan Deville with a factory 4.1L V8 engine. Well the problem I have is that the engine only has 130hp stock. Well I put in a accel supercoil which I figured made my hp up to 145 and my highway gas mileage to about 26mpg. I was thinking about getting a accel high performance distributor module and fabrication some sort of custom intake from a 88-95 chevy pickup (since my vehicle is throttle body injected) and probably some good spark plugs and wires. Any other nice mods you guys recommend? __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985 Last edited by merkerguitars; 06-15-2003 at 10:02 PM..

06-16-2003, 07:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
bubbagump Tilted	dang not exactly the best car to mod to go fast... and a 4.1liter v8 only putting out a 130hp i dont know but that seems wrong. lil civic engines put out more stock... __________________ s3x p1z

06-16-2003, 08:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	It's frontwheel drive car so putting a LS1 engine would be really expensive and a pain in the ass to retrofit. I've been thinking about putting a late model 3.8l 3800 supercharged engine with matching engine and transmission. I think that wouldnt' be a hard swap besides wiring the computer up. The engine has low hp because it's a shitty design (cast iron heads, aluminum block, aluminum intake) and it's a funky engine to take apart and the low hp comes from tons and tons of emission equipment on it. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985 Last edited by merkerguitars; 06-16-2003 at 09:02 AM..

06-16-2003, 02:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	Actually, if the motor made 130hp stock, then it's probably about 125 with the mileage and time, and then the "SuperCoil" probably made it 125.5hp. That coil made little to no difference in power. A swap you might want to consider is the ASG 5.0 V8 based on either the 4.5 or 4.9 Caddy V8. The engine has low hp because it was built in the '80s. Just because it's a iron head aluminum block doesn't mean anything horsepower wise. Plus, transmissions back then wouldn't take much torque. Not that today's will, but it was worse yet. A Northstar with the 4T80-E trans would be good, but would be a nightmare to wire. So would a L67. Use the 4.5 or 4.9, or the ASG 5.0. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

06-16-2003, 03:03 PM	#7 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Yeah D137 my bad....about the engine design affecting hp. Is the ASG 5.0 a totally aftermarket engine? I'm not sure about the northstar...it would be nice but not sure about it bolting up. The engine is a brand new Jasper remanufactured engine...so it's has about 20k on it now.... __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985 Last edited by merkerguitars; 06-16-2003 at 03:29 PM..

06-16-2003, 05:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
X_cody_X Tilted Location: Brandon, FL	DUDE! Cold air intake, big fat fart pipe and the biggest wing you can fit!!! DUH! You better get some graphics too and if you want to go real fast make sure you get some neon under that baby quick! OK, done being a moron for now. I'd suggest a few little things like a K&N air filter, they help with mileage and power quite a bit for the price. Maybe a exhaust with better flow. I would go with the distributor and plug wires. If I could help a little more I would.

06-16-2003, 08:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	Actually only the new civic Si engines put out more stock. My civic puts out 108 stock. ('course, it's far from stock now!) Actually, your car is great for a sleeper setup if you're willing to dump a wad of cash into it. Look into getting an LS1 engine in there. Some people have also run a Northstar twin motor setup - one up front, one in the rear. Once you get a real engine in there, you can turbo/supercharge it, run NOS, etc. It'll cost you but if you're smart about it and don't put a bunch of rice crap on the outside, you will surprise a LOT of cars. If you don't have a wad of money to put into it, you may as well forget it and get something more performance oriented in the first place.

06-16-2003, 04:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	From what I understand, the ASG 5.0 is a reman aftermarket setup. As mentioned they start with either the 4.5 or the 4.9...most likely the 4.9, I think, and go from there. You can check out their website...I forget what it is, but Google it, and I'm sure you'll come up with something. Their specialty is installing this 5.0 V8 in the front drive GM W-Chassis cars. The big downside is cost of course...the motor alone isn't cheap. But, paying someone to install/wire/tune a Northstar isn't pocket change either...and the motor alone is very pricey. Good luck. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

06-16-2003, 10:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Yeah that 5.0 is expensive as hell......even if i installed it myself it still wouldn't be near as affordable as I would like....no matter how nice the car is I guess it's not worth hot rodding...for the money I can save I can buy a nice used musclecar __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-18-2003, 10:02 AM	#10 (permalink)
Snakeyes Loser Location: Toronto	I find it hard to believe that a 250 ci V8 only puts out 130 hp. Even if this is true, it has excellent potential! K&N Air Filter!! This is a must. They'll give you a few extra horsepower and increase your economy. Next, bore out the cylinders!. People forget that "There's no replacement for displacement". Boring your cylinder walls will always give a performance increase. Then, go for new carbs and exhaust headers. Don't listen to anyone that's just going to say "Cold air intake, NOS, Stage 4 Turbos! Everything I need to know about cars I learned from the Fast and the Furious!"

06-18-2003, 09:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
WarWagon Loser	I say leave well enough alone. Sure, the hp is low but the torque is probably roughly double that. Caddy's and most other luxo sedans use cams with short durations and wide LSA's so they run smooth. Yea, a Honda can make comparable power, but the Caddy's probably making that about 3500 rpms lower. HP doesnt get those barges moving. If you want to put money into performance, just buy another car. You can probably buy a cheap econocoupe for less than you can a motor swap. Worst case scenario, hit the motor with a 50 or 75 shot and enjoy pimpin that Caddy.

06-18-2003, 09:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Yeah I don't think i'll go all out...granted no matter how nice the car is...it's just not worth it. I think i'll buy a older fox body mustang. Something I can mod the hell out of and it won't break the bank. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-18-2003, 09:31 PM	#13 (permalink)
ElwoodBlues Psycho Location: Massachusetts	I own an 87 Eldorado, same engine. I am having a fuckload of problems getting that thing to pass emissions, first I had to replace the O2 sensor the the catalytic converter and its still failing. And the mileage is horrible, I'm averaging 11.8 MPG right now. What was it you used to get 26 MPG? and where can i find this? __________________ I think Pringles initial intention was to make tennis balls. But on the day that the rubber was supposed to show up, a big truckload of potatoes arrived. But Pringles is a laid back company. They said "Fuck it. Cut em up." -Mitch Hedberg, '68-'05 Bauer's the man.

06-18-2003, 09:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Elwood.....The tricky thing with these engine is they have lots of vacuum lines...one little vacuum leak makes it run like shit (it may sound like it runs good but the gas mileage is terrible) And that mileage is on the highway doing about 72mph and being easy on the gas over a 30 mile stretch. On normal driving I get about 22mpg on average 398 miles on 17.8 gallons of gas. Double check your airfilter and all other emissions equipment.Here is the coil I put in my car __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985 Last edited by merkerguitars; 06-18-2003 at 10:01 PM..

06-19-2003, 12:27 AM	#15 (permalink)
Atomic Pinkie Addict Location: Chicago	"Actually only the new civic Si engines put out more stock. My civic puts out 108 stock. ('course, it's far from stock now!) Actually, your car is great for a sleeper setup if you're willing to dump a wad of cash into it. Look into getting an LS1 engine in there. Some people have also run a Northstar twin motor setup - one up front, one in the rear. Once you get a real engine in there, you can turbo/supercharge it, run NOS, etc. It'll cost you but if you're smart about it and don't put a bunch of rice crap on the outside, you will surprise a LOT of cars. If you don't have a wad of money to put into it, you may as well forget it and get something more performance oriented in the first place. " I lvove how everyone contradicted his statements, good job guys, saved another car from the rice monster! __________________ Where dem bitches at?