Anyone ever went from a stock ISF straight to I/H/E/tune?
01-09-17, 04:34 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Anyone ever went from a stock ISF straight to I/H/E/tune?
Can't say if I've ever seen a thread or heard of anyone doing this. Want to know how much of a difference was felt/noticed? Feel like the $4k-8k (depending on what exhaust, what headers, and which intake you chose) was money well spent?
I already have a Joe Z exhaust (and throttle controller) and it made a noticeable difference mainly highway gears/speeds....More smooth/powerful than before. How much better will it get with headers/tune/intake?!
V.
I already have a Joe Z exhaust (and throttle controller) and it made a noticeable difference mainly highway gears/speeds....More smooth/powerful than before. How much better will it get with headers/tune/intake?!
V.
01-09-17, 08:57 PM
#5
If you mean by straight, as in installing the I/H/E at once, I'm honestly not sure anyone has done it all in say a 1-2 day process. Intake takes the least amount of time, with headers potentially taking up an entire business day and the exhaust maybe half of a day. Throttle controller, as I have been asked about this numerous times, is all perception. I don't believe there is a performance gain, but the feeling is that the car feels similar to Sport mode all the time. Most of us who have FBO and tune did the installs at various times, but I will say this....stock manifolds to PPE or Sikky (V1/V2) provided the most horsepower gain at the dyno. I tested my car on the same track before and after headers, and lap times were a few seconds better consistently. But combine FBO and tune, and you definitely have a maxed out IS F in terms of an NA application. I have yet to test my times against the tune, but I kept the car in the same condition with the parts before the header install, so I'm looking forward to seeing how lap times are this next go around.
01-09-17, 10:32 PM
#6
I actually did that over the course of a week. As you saw in a previous thread I got the SIKKY headers installed on my car. a few days prior to me travelling to Baltimore I had the RR tuned intake installed and got the exhaust/headers installed at SIKKY. The car easily feels twice as fast. Yes, I know it's not even close to being twice as fast but it sure feels like it! The main benefit is that it's so much smoother and WAY better sounding. Also no one's going to tailgate me because it's going to smell so bad from being behind me in traffic !! It's a win win scenario if you ask me .
The tune was the biggest surprise; it totally changed the way the car felt. At first I had a big WTF moment as it felt like a different car. There is no doubt in my mind that the tune is worth the money. You should definitely get the tune with new intake since intakes won't break the bank anyways. You can definitely argue why headers aren't worth the money because it'll cost you around $1500 - $2500 depending on which one you buy and another $800 for installation unless you do it yourself. Luckily for me Ohio doesn't do smog or emission checks yearly but if I lived in Cali, I would 100% go with headers with built-in high-flow cats which isn't cost efficient since the gain isn't as big. What I'm saying is that if I had to go that route... I straight up wouldn't even buy headers.
The tune was the biggest surprise; it totally changed the way the car felt. At first I had a big WTF moment as it felt like a different car. There is no doubt in my mind that the tune is worth the money. You should definitely get the tune with new intake since intakes won't break the bank anyways. You can definitely argue why headers aren't worth the money because it'll cost you around $1500 - $2500 depending on which one you buy and another $800 for installation unless you do it yourself. Luckily for me Ohio doesn't do smog or emission checks yearly but if I lived in Cali, I would 100% go with headers with built-in high-flow cats which isn't cost efficient since the gain isn't as big. What I'm saying is that if I had to go that route... I straight up wouldn't even buy headers.
01-09-17, 10:37 PM
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
If you mean by straight, as in installing the I/H/E at once, I'm honestly not sure anyone has done it all in say a 1-2 day process. Intake takes the least amount of time, with headers potentially taking up an entire business day and the exhaust maybe half of a day. Throttle controller, as I have been asked about this numerous times, is all perception. I don't believe there is a performance gain, but the feeling is that the car feels similar to Sport mode all the time. Most of us who have FBO and tune did the installs at various times, but I will say this....stock manifolds to PPE or Sikky (V1/V2) provided the most horsepower gain at the dyno. I tested my car on the same track before and after headers, and lap times were a few seconds better consistently. But combine FBO and tune, and you definitely have a maxed out IS F in terms of an NA application. I have yet to test my times against the tune, but I kept the car in the same condition with the parts before the header install, so I'm looking forward to seeing how lap times are this next go around.
I have had my throttle controller for about 5 months now and it's one of my favorite mods (next to the Joe Z). It kicks down gears faster and more aggressively than sport mode. Almost like you're always in the right gear at all times. Love it!!
V.
Trending Topics
01-09-17, 10:59 PM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks for the reply Alizia!!
Doesn't the new Sikky headers have build in hi flow cats?
V.
Doesn't the new Sikky headers have build in hi flow cats?
V.
01-10-17, 12:32 AM
#10
I actually did that over the course of a week. As you saw in a previous thread I got the SIKKY headers installed on my car. a few days prior to me travelling to Baltimore I had the RR tuned intake installed and got the exhaust/headers installed at SIKKY. The car easily feels twice as fast. Yes, I know it's not even close to being twice as fast but it sure feels like it! The main benefit is that it's so much smoother and WAY better sounding. Also no one's going to tailgate me because it's going to smell so bad from being behind me in traffic !! It's a win win scenario if you ask me .
The tune was the biggest surprise; it totally changed the way the car felt. At first I had a big WTF moment as it felt like a different car. There is no doubt in my mind that the tune is worth the money. You should definitely get the tune with new intake since intakes won't break the bank anyways. You can definitely argue why headers aren't worth the money because it'll cost you around $1500 - $2500 depending on which one you buy and another $800 for installation unless you do it yourself. Luckily for me Ohio doesn't do smog or emission checks yearly but if I lived in Cali, I would 100% go with headers with built-in high-flow cats which isn't cost efficient since the gain isn't as big. What I'm saying is that if I had to go that route... I straight up wouldn't even buy headers.
The tune was the biggest surprise; it totally changed the way the car felt. At first I had a big WTF moment as it felt like a different car. There is no doubt in my mind that the tune is worth the money. You should definitely get the tune with new intake since intakes won't break the bank anyways. You can definitely argue why headers aren't worth the money because it'll cost you around $1500 - $2500 depending on which one you buy and another $800 for installation unless you do it yourself. Luckily for me Ohio doesn't do smog or emission checks yearly but if I lived in Cali, I would 100% go with headers with built-in high-flow cats which isn't cost efficient since the gain isn't as big. What I'm saying is that if I had to go that route... I straight up wouldn't even buy headers.
With me and many of the locals in So Cal, the jump from stock manifolds to aftermarket headers provided a greater response (butt dyno) than FBO pre to post tune.Not having the headers and keeping the stock manifolds is the safest route for those who are worried about emission testing or the envornment, but it is a very constricted setup from the factory. Combining all the elements together, and we have one extremely potent vehicle both on the roads and at the track. California's smog testing is done via OBDII port now, and I've been reading that anyone with FBO and tune should pass. I purchased the intake and exhaust and had them installed at the same time, waited a bit longer to install headers since I wasn't sure who to turn to for a proper installation, and was one of the early adopters of the tune. The power feels more available at the low end with the higher end of the powerband readily available at a moment's call. What I wish I had done was dyno after each performance item was installed. Nevertheless, however one wants to go about modding for performance, there isn't a wrong way to approach things. We do have a few select aftermarket companies who have invested heavily in providing great products for IS F owners to pick and choose from, and at the end of that day, that is always great.
01-10-17, 06:16 AM
#11
I went straight to I/H/E and I don't know how a stock ISF feels like. Reason being some of the mods were done when I purchased the car as second owner.
Only missing tune now but I can hold off until I have another DD. I'm averaging 15.68 mpg daily
Only missing tune now but I can hold off until I have another DD. I'm averaging 15.68 mpg daily
01-10-17, 09:20 AM
#12
When I was looking for the car, I test drove a couple of stock ones ,and then I drove one modified BEAUTIFULLY from a seriously good shop that deals with high-end cars, (EngineeringAutomotive, in Toronto near highway 7). The dude I got it from was a nice guy, particularly wealthy and didn't spare any expense, they had to do a lot of custom work to make it fit nice and snug and to make it sound great as usual. In the end, I drove this car and I saw exactly how much gains you can truly get from a properly done entire exhaust system, even without the tune (this was a year ago). Big big big difference, in many areas, the torque amount, the torque curve felt slightly more linear and stronger as you kept going up, and the power at the top is where you pay for it all because you truly make an insane amount of power near the last 500 rpms. Overall, I think it is worth it by a longshot and it is one of the few cars sport V8s that benefits this much from just I/H/E. I think it's obvious, but I got that car because once you drive the IS-F with that raw and beautiful powerful exhaust, it is seriously hard to go back to being just stock.
01-10-17, 12:56 PM
#13
01-10-17, 01:01 PM
#14
When I was looking for the car, I test drove a couple of stock ones ,and then I drove one modified BEAUTIFULLY from a seriously good shop that deals with high-end cars, (EngineeringAutomotive, in Toronto near highway 7). The dude I got it from was a nice guy, particularly wealthy and didn't spare any expense, they had to do a lot of custom work to make it fit nice and snug and to make it sound great as usual. In the end, I drove this car and I saw exactly how much gains you can truly get from a properly done entire exhaust system, even without the tune (this was a year ago). Big big big difference, in many areas, the torque amount, the torque curve felt slightly more linear and stronger as you kept going up, and the power at the top is where you pay for it all because you truly make an insane amount of power near the last 500 rpms. Overall, I think it is worth it by a longshot and it is one of the few cars sport V8s that benefits this much from just I/H/E. I think it's obvious, but I got that car because once you drive the IS-F with that raw and beautiful powerful exhaust, it is seriously hard to go back to being just stock.