So I'm considering getting a better header and since im tight on money replacing my muffler for a better flow overall.

I have a couple questions, what is a good header to get for the LN2? I know pacesetter makes them and I know there are some other brands on ebay and what not. Are they all pretty much the same in performance? Also since I also want to make my exhaust flow better in some way would just a new higher flowing muffler do that? Or would I need a whole new cat back? whats the advantage.

I just want to do some simple performance mods that aren't ridiculously expensive and make my sunfire more fun to drive around in, oh and I have to beat my friends Saturn SL2 at the strip. lol

Any pointers and places to get some of these parts would be awesome, love the .org ...thanks guys.

A header alone will not help.


Do the entire exhaust, 2 1/4.

Spray it, easy win

Get the header of your choice. OBX has an inexpensive stainless steel header, but they radiate alot of heat and turn blue/purple in color. PaceSetter has a painted and an Armor (Ceramic) Coated header. The Painted hear will rust if you don't strip the paint off, clean it thoroughly and repaint it with VHT(now Dupli-Color) Flame Proof High Heat Coating (follow direction and cure as directed!!!!). The Armor coated header is your best bet.

Do a full 21/4" exhaust from the header down pipe back. You can get the pipes from OEM or Hypsy/Team Vision Racing and Atomic Motorsports or get the mandrel bends and cut and weld them yourself, or your best bet, have a local exhaust shop bend it. You could leave the cat off and use the mechanical O2 or get a 21/4" high flow cat with an O2 sensor bung. Use the longest resonator or glasspack (with a perforated core) that will fit underneath and a good performance muffler (Dynomax Super Turbos are good and inexpensive) and a tip or turn down. This is a basic good performing exhaust system that isn't obnoxiously loud.

Go to the salvage yard and get a throttle body from a GM 2.3L Quad -Four motor from the early to mid '90s. They are 56mm instead of the stock 2200s 52mm. There are a number of posts on this conversion, just use the search feature.

Find someone in your area the has H.P. Tuners and knows how to tune a motor, preferably with a dyno.

You'll get some minor gains from these mods, but the major problem with the head and cam profile. These motors requires some internal work to get any performance out of them (increased compression, cam regrind and a ported & polished head.)

dang madjack, you covered it bud. thanks for all the info, and I didn't know that about the headers. thats very good to know.

right now with my speaker box out I have ran an 11.3 best on the 1/8..thats what our dragstrip locally is, my friends saturn sl2 runs a 11.1, he cut the muffler off of it too, it sounds like ass.

Doing headers and exhaust would I be able to pick up +.200? I'll look for the TB as well, I wonder what a yard would charge for one if they have one.

Drag it to death wrote:Spray it, easy win

a good kit to get? and cheap?