Looking for some boost for bumblebee

[xformer1]

So here is what I am looking to drop into 2012 Bumblebee:
1) Straight pipes
2) New Headers
3) CA Intake
4) New Camshaft

The engine is the 400hp Auto w/TAPshift. Im looking to get above 500hp with a mean sound without having to drop a supercharger. Any ideas?

Also, it needs to be repainted to fix the chips in the paint as well as the rims need to be redipped. The big one as far as aesthetics go is the "carbon fiber" decals that came with the Transformer ed. got stained from a bad wax job my son did. Would I be better off dropping the $1000 to get new ones or see if I can have something similar painted on like a solid stripe with the transformer language decal.

I have roughly around $5.7k to spend in the spring. Im just looking for ideas and opinions. Thanks

[rebelyell22]

Your engine has 400hp. That is at the flywheel. Are you wanting 500whp or bhp?

[xformer1]

Fixed. Thanks. Im thinking bhp would be better.

[2Carats]

Tune...

[xformer1]

Assume I have no idea what that means. I am looking for parts ideas and opinions on what to do about the paint.

[ntmad8tr]

Cold Air inductions CAI, Kooks 1 7/8" Long Tube Headers with high flow cats, and then for a cam...lots of people like their Nightfury cam and have it tuned for the mods. I would say that would get you close.

[xformer1]

I was reading that Stainless works make great exhaust too. Was thinking the Air Raid CAI, unless Cold Air is a better product. Im easy, just want to make sure this bastard screams with power behind it. What about the paint? Do you think it would be better to try and paint the decals on ( for the transformer its its a 2 tone half woven look with a flat black rim) or just drop the $1000 to get new ones?

[Mr_Draco]

A quality set of 1 7/8 long tube headers with hi-flo cats, a cat back exhaust, CAI brand intake, and a tune will get you close to 500 bhp, this setup has shown gains between 60-75 hp, but will also eat up more than half your budget.

After this you're going to have to decide what's more important, being above 500 bhp or the looks of the car as I highly doubt you'll be able to do both.

[christianchevell]

I would recommend going to Maryland speed for stainless power headers which are made stainless works and going with the high flow cats also for a little over $700 they are about the quality of more expensive brands but made overseas. You will want to ditch all the resonators on your exhaust and go with some cat back system, and you would like to probably go with a cam you do not have to do the ls3 conversion on? The thing is half your lifters due to having the vvt and afm are different and getting the right hardened pushrods length which I believe is 7.40 for the l99 is crucial...I use 7.375 in my ls3. You are going to need a front end gasket set, and decide if you want to do a oil pump and timing chain change also which will bump the price by over $500 from having to buy them and having the installer drop the pan ... which most shops will not want to squeeze into trying to align the pumps tube. You are also going to need a dyno/h.p. tune to eliminate the annoying torque management along with the trans shifting much better and custom mapping of the fuel curve and turning off of the CEL which will show up from the headers o2 sensor being so far away...etc etc A good tuner can also take care of the throttle delay. A good tuner will have delt with many ls engines and have a depository of past tuning sessions from all the different engines and what worked best on that engine with a cam hopefully very close to what you pick of they pick....... Also you can deal with the AFM in the tune and I recommend the CAI intake for looks and function and its easily installed yourself if you can make just a small hole in the front bumpers backing which it comes with instructions for to install the optional scoop and washer bottle relocate, this requires a dremel or a small air tool etc with a cut off wheel. As it really does help to get more air into the box.... Now for advice on a good cam everyone has their own advice..... I went TSP, but know that on here others have done VVT cams without doing the ls3 conversion and a good post in the engine section about wanting a good cam should give you some good advice over time if you bump it occasionally ...... Your vinyl decals you can install yourself easy enough but should try using some black magic on them first as they are just vinyl and being plastic as in all petroleum products are able to be cleaned and revitalized just like any plastic........
Also you going to need a three bolt cam so most likely you will need a three bolt cam sprocket for about $26, and the bolts to go with it along with a new harmonic balancer bolt as the one gets ruined changing out the balancer to install the cam as do the belts to the engine...... Oh yes and you will need fluids and a oil change at least with filter, I used driven racing br30 oil to have a 30 minute break in done on my cam then drained and refilled with driven ls30 after another br30 break in of 3-500 miles.... Because I worry about my cars engine and am a old motorhead. Sure others will say hey you do not have to break a cam in the lifters have rollers..... And to them yah good luck with that..... if Nascars joe gibbs racing team is loosing 1 in 10 cams on the engine dyno compared to 1 in 40 by changing to break in oil for their ls3 engines and this is the best info and best product I could find anywhere made specifically for our engines.... well any other oil can kiss my grits.... ( I used to install all my own flat tappet cams with much less lift and a ton less spring pressure than we have on our engines especially with a performance cam and always had to do a break in as its mandatory or the cams eat to death in your face if you do not do it right) so hey in other words I would check into driven and read some of their tech articles ...heres one..... http://www.drivenracingoil.com/news/...-break-in-too/

Sure others on here have trashed me for supporting there product, but they are the same bozos who most likely end up posting how they just circle tracked their car for hours and the engine after years of using non race oil finally grenaded or ate the cam and they love their Mobil one in their Honda car and swear by it. This oil is also supported by various vendors on here and I have seen it use a few times on T.V. shows by places like oh...Fast and Louds Gas Monkey Garage, ( after they destroyed a fresh rebuild on a 68 Shelby due to thinking some zddp additive plus regular oil would cut the mustard...and yes the mechanic who did that eventually was let go due to messing with a rolls Royce along with another one). Oh and I guess people like the mechanics working with Chip Foose or Counts Customs etc etc would not use the wrong product on t.v....etc anyway , its your Investment.... If you do not want to do a break in and have a mild enough cam it may last a long time, the posts on here from people having trouble due to eating a cam and blaming it on comp cams surface hardening or what ever are all the rage as this is the internet.

Well I am just rambling on, good luck and I would suspect with the work you have to do.....that doing the exhaust, headers, CAi, dyno tune, and cam with a new oil pump for insurance and a nice c5r timing chain will run you about the change you expect to come up with, and me myself///// I have a car port and would not rent or buy the special tools and such to do the job myself and pray...I usually have over 300 hrs of vacation time I never get to take except to keep the balance down so I do not loose it over 320 and have more sick time than I will ever use unless I die a long agonizing death and spent the time online to find the best tuner in my area which I went the next state over for and paid sales tax for to make sure the job is done friggin right, and I am happy as Snot with the results and flogging it daily as its my driver and I have 500 h.p. to the wheels...and thinking the Pirellis have to go about 20k as its hard not to at least chirp them with a take off in the at least 1500 rom range to avoid cam surge and my idle is now 900 rpm as your will be....and you might want to think about at the same time...getting a better around 3000 rpm stall converter you will need it, and why not change to a good harmonic balancer to insure goo bearing and timing chain life like a Fluidampr? I have the 25% underdrive myself and yes the instructions tell you to get the wrong sized belt compared to the length they tell you ...just go by the lengths...and yes its just a 25% to the electrical which matters 0% especially since the idle is now at 900 rpm up hundreds from the stock idle....would not want to underdrive the a/c myself and I have electric power steering.

OMG gotta go , good luck look at the time........lol heres the facebook page of my tuner, my car being tuned is "Marks Camaro" with its video clips way down the page....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wongs...g/115667950915 And I am rapidly approaching 5000 on my cam and love it gets lots of attention with its lope and BTW...its illegal to not have mufflers in 50 states and you may want them...lol

[jc615]

Get a nice vvt cam and stall