Ways to increase horsepower on stock 1996 Bonneville SSEI

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- Booomer
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jul 29, 2003 5:58 PM

I have a stock 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi (120K miles). I LOVE THIS CAR! I would like some suggestions on projects I can undertake to improve performance beyond what the car is already capable of.

Short of new engine, what kinds of things work, and ballpark, how much do they cost? What else (e.g. beef up suspension?) is recommended when boosting performance?

Exhaust Computer chip Tornado / SpiralMax (I have read mostly bad reports on these)

TIA! I look forward to reading suggestions and the projects that will come as a result! John

- A
- Andrew Paule
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jul 29, 2003 6:37 PM

Hi Boomer:

Intake - get a cold air intake - mac makes good ones ($125 - 160) exhaust - your pick - I like borla ( $600+) , others at $300 + (I run a magnaflow on one of my mustangs - great exhaust) computer chip - $250 suspension upgrade - $600 for springs and struts brakes - depends on wheel size - baer makes great stuff bushings - check out energy suspension sway bar - upgrade - maybe $150 strut tower brace - $100 - 200 frame ties - $200 + welding

you can install all of these yourself.

Intake, Exhaust, chip - maybe 20-25hp

or go the nitrous route - ~$600 + install (you can do it, I have, but you need tools and skill) - can get 75 - 120 hp easy, only use it sparingly though - hard on stock parts. Zex is a good choice

Andrew

Booomer wrote:

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- saeengineer
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jul 29, 2003 11:27 PM

Also check out

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- B
- Booomer
  
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posted
20 years ago

Wed, Jul 30, 2003 4:50 AM

SAE:

Just registered for the site. Thanks! John

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- Harry Smith
  
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posted
20 years ago

Wed, Jul 30, 2003 7:59 AM

The SSEi is the version with the supercharged 3.8, correct? Great engine. I'm sure you know that the same basic engine is still being used in the Pontaic Grandprix GTP, Regal GS, and an evergrowing list of cars.

From what I have heard and read, the single biggest performance improvement you can make with these engines is a pulley swap. You replace the pulley on the supercharger with a smaller one, making the supercharger turn faster which raises the boost. This by itself will give a big boost, maybe 30 hp (just pulled that number out of my ass).

Anyway, this is a very simple mod that a lot of people do. Google for it, you'll find a million results.

Harry