We managed to finish up the Werks Stage 1 install on my '06 LE5 over the weekend.
Holy. Freakin. Crap.
When I floor it at 2k RPM in second gear, the car happily spins the tires. I no longer have to down shift to pass or get on the highway. I haven't made it to the dyno yet, but my seat-of-pants meter says that it's significantly faster than my 06 G35 coupe (305hp six-speed).
And, let's face it, the turbo and blow-off valve just sound cool.
A note on gauges:
While I was at it, I installed a PLX multi-gauge in the left center AC pod, connected to AFR and boost senders in the engine bay. I put the PLX red sensor modules above and behind the ECU on the "shelf" by zip tying them to some conveniently placed metal (brake?) lines. The O2 sensor cable is then zip tied to the hood release cable that runs above/behind the engine, then down to the sensor. (Be careful not to let the cables touch the exhaust - it does, in fact, get pretty hot next to the turbo.) I haven't run the vacuum line for the boost gauge yet, but I imagine that it tees in with the line from the valve cover to the blow-off valve. (I'm still investigating that one. Advice is appreciated.)
Overall, I'd give the whole job a difficulty rating of 6.f/10, where 1 is changing brake pads without getting fluid everywhere (flat head screwdrivers and C clamps are your friends), and 11 is a V8 swap.
Here's the final product:
The increased power is amazing - much closer to what I would expect from this type of car. If you are holding back on a forced induction modification due to any concerns about performance / bang for your buck, stop waiting and do it already. I managed to pick up the never-installed kit for $2k off of eBay. Even at full price ($4000-$5000 typically), it would be well worth it.
Holy. Freakin. Crap.
When I floor it at 2k RPM in second gear, the car happily spins the tires. I no longer have to down shift to pass or get on the highway. I haven't made it to the dyno yet, but my seat-of-pants meter says that it's significantly faster than my 06 G35 coupe (305hp six-speed).
And, let's face it, the turbo and blow-off valve just sound cool.
A note on gauges:
While I was at it, I installed a PLX multi-gauge in the left center AC pod, connected to AFR and boost senders in the engine bay. I put the PLX red sensor modules above and behind the ECU on the "shelf" by zip tying them to some conveniently placed metal (brake?) lines. The O2 sensor cable is then zip tied to the hood release cable that runs above/behind the engine, then down to the sensor. (Be careful not to let the cables touch the exhaust - it does, in fact, get pretty hot next to the turbo.) I haven't run the vacuum line for the boost gauge yet, but I imagine that it tees in with the line from the valve cover to the blow-off valve. (I'm still investigating that one. Advice is appreciated.)
Overall, I'd give the whole job a difficulty rating of 6.f/10, where 1 is changing brake pads without getting fluid everywhere (flat head screwdrivers and C clamps are your friends), and 11 is a V8 swap.
Here's the final product:
The increased power is amazing - much closer to what I would expect from this type of car. If you are holding back on a forced induction modification due to any concerns about performance / bang for your buck, stop waiting and do it already. I managed to pick up the never-installed kit for $2k off of eBay. Even at full price ($4000-$5000 typically), it would be well worth it.