[T0ast]

Hello y'all. It's been a couple of months since my introduction here (T0ast's 11 CTS-V Wagon). I won't go full crazy twin turbo or whatever but I do wanna keep this thread to post updates to what I did to my car. Since my introduction some things have changed slightly (including my wallet being way lighter).

This is what I said I will do in my first post and I'll add in red what I have now installed:

Stage 1 (550ish rwhp):
Ported TB -> Ported LS7 TB
Airbox Mod (Open Airbox with K&N) -> Airaid
Reinforced HX Brick -> material ready, just need to weld it
Bigger HX
ID850 or bigger -> ID1050x
2.4 or 2.5 Upper

• Underhood ice tank
• 3/4 inch hoses
• E85 kit
• NGK TR7IX

Stage 2 (600+ rwhp):
8.6 or 9.1 Lower -> 8.6 (not installed yet)
LS9 Cam + Springs

I did all the tuning myself and the car runs really good without any problems. I have already bought a 8.6 lower pulley but I will switch to that one as soon as I will do a cam, but I don't know how soon that will be.
I also installed a flexfuel sensor to run E85 and man am I happy right now. Just read thrugh the other thread where you are worried about gas hitting 5$/gal but here in Switzerland we're currently at over 9$/gal (Average of 2021 was 6.7ish) and E85 is 5.2$/gal. Only downside is there's only one station somewhat close to me that sells E85.
As soon as spring hits I will get a bigger HX and install the colder spark plugs. A catch can is installed aswell inside the airaid housing.
In November I ordered BBE high flow cats aswell but they keep pushing the order back. Current shipping date is in June.


Now for the optics of the car I blacked out the chrome parts of the headlights and replaced the amber reflectors with a black dummy. I replaced the washed out front emblem I had with a new black one. I'm currently running the stock wheels with winter tires and 8mm spacers in the front and 10mm spacers in the rear. I am planning on lowering the car but at the moment I rather spend that money on performance/cooling mods.

 

[loweredd]

Very cool!!

 

[T0ast]

We had some Sahara dust blowing into Switzerland a couple days ago. Took the chance to take a cool pic of my wagon with my summer wheels back on.

 

[MrSurly]

Sweet ride!

 

[gunnermjoyce]

Gorgeous

 

[T0ast]

Yesterday I installed highflow cats from Streetdrivenperfromance. It does sound a lot better under load now and it's screaming at WOT. Idle is not very noticeably louder. I do get a pinging sound now that I have read comes from the crimped sections. I will adress that some time in summer. Oil change was done at the same time and I replaced the spark plugs with the colder one.

Also I found a brand new set of roof rails for the wagon for a very good price. I love the look. Does anyone know what system the rail in the roof rack uses? I am looking for something to mount my snowboard in winter when I go boarding.

Lastly while having the car on the lift I found a shot bushing in the rear. I have heard the rear clunking for the past weeks and I'm sure that's the cause for that. Anyone know where I can find a good replacement for that? I don't even know how that part is called in english to look for it.

 

[loweredd]

Rear lower shock bushing. Not sure what brands you might have over there that are easy to get.......

 

[T0ast]

Thank you. I have ordered the bushing. Usually ebay is the easiest option to order things from the US or even the rest of Europe.

 

[T0ast]

I have been quite busy the past weeks. But I was able to work some on my car. I painted the brake calipers yellow as they are supposed to be on my car. And I added the black splitter at the front.

I have also cut 1/2 a coil in the front to lower it a bit. I did find the Eibach bumpstops in there so the car used to be lowered at one point. Fortunately I never had any squeking or anything since all the other parts that need to go were gone already. I also decided to finally polish and wax the car to get rid of some blemishes that I have made. Turns out if you crash your fpv drone into your car it it will scratch it. lol

Also as it turns out, I can't go any lower with that front splitter or I won't be able to enter the parking garage at my workplace anymore. haha

 

[MrSurly]

I have been quite busy the past weeks. But I was able to work some on my car. I painted the brake calipers yellow as they are supposed to be on my car. And I added the black splitter at the front.
View attachment 159296

I have also cut 1/2 a coil in the front to lower it a bit. I did find the Eibach bumpstops in there so the car used to be lowered at one point. Fortunately I never had any squeking or anything since all the other parts that need to go were gone already. I also decided to finally polish and wax the car to get rid of some blemishes that I have made. Turns out if you crash your fpv drone into your car it it will scratch it. lol
View attachment 159299

Also as it turns out, I can't go any lower with that front splitter or I won't be able to enter the parking garage at my workplace anymore. haha
View attachment 159302

A clear cut reason to telecommute.

 

[T0ast]

A clear cut reason to telecommute.

True, but also five times less a week driving the V

 

[gunnermjoyce]

Just get a sedan with no splitter for a DD.

 

[T0ast]

The lowered car fun continues.

I had some leftover carbon from another project so I decided to do carbon inserts for the front emblem.

And finally I was able to get rid of the crimped exhaust section on the drivers side. At the bend it probably cuts down to only half of the actual diameter from the rest of the exhaust:

 

[T0ast]

So next steps are in progress. I have received my new DW300c pumps and already cut out the floor to access the fuel pump assembly.

Before I drop in the actual pumps I wanna make sure I have everything software wise in order. I have been reading thru a bunch of posts but people seem to be making changes back and forth. Also it seems that everyone is running an aux pump as well and I'm not, so I'm not sure how that affects the tune. If someone could help me out and tell me what changes are necessary and what changes need to be dialed in depending on the car that would be great.

 

[MMMarley]

I use the Yakima FatCat EVO 6 to haul skis and snowboards on my wagon’s factory roof rails. Rock solid and pretty easy to take on/off.

 

[T0ast]

Update time! After slowly collecting all necessary parts, I have now installed a @Lt1z Stage 2 cam! I installed the full kit including the bronze trunnion upgrade. Additionally I changed the lower pulley to a 8.66 one while I was at it. I swapped out the intercooler for a bigger one and painted it black with the V logo. I upgraded the IC pump to a CWA-100 with ¾ inch hoses all around. I still have to do the IC brick reinforcements but the parts are ready for that.

I also changed out the exhaust gaskets from the high flow cats as I blew most of them out. I also found a broken manifold bolt on the rear driver side that I have now "fixed" with one of those clamps that bolt on to the heads. Sounds so much better now without the exhaust blowing out at every corner J but it is a tad bit too quiet still with stock mufflers. The modified stock mufflers I had are too loud on the other hand so I need to figure out a way to get the happy middle. I might play around with packing density and see if I can get to the point where I like it.

Tuning wise I am surprised how well I got the idle and how smooth everything runs on the first "blind" tune I prepared for it. I currently switched to MAF only as its easier to get it all started for now but I will work on VE as soon as I get some more time. Power wise it feels like in the same gear I have as much power as I had in a lower gear before. It makes driving so much nicer with higher torque all around.

Random order photo dump:

 

[kittyboy]

Update time! After slowly collecting all necessary parts, I have now installed a @Lt1z Stage 2 cam! I installed the full kit including the bronze trunnion upgrade. Additionally I changed the lower pulley to a 8.66 one while I was at it. I swapped out the intercooler for a bigger one and painted it black with the V logo. I upgraded the IC pump to a CWA-100 with ¾ inch hoses all around. I still have to do the IC brick reinforcements but the parts are ready for that.

I also changed out the exhaust gaskets from the high flow cats as I blew most of them out. I also found a broken manifold bolt on the rear driver side that I have now "fixed" with one of those clamps that bolt on to the heads. Sounds so much better now without the exhaust blowing out at every corner J but it is a tad bit too quiet still with stock mufflers. The modified stock mufflers I had are too loud on the other hand so I need to figure out a way to get the happy middle. I might play around with packing density and see if I can get to the point where I like it.

Tuning wise I am surprised how well I got the idle and how smooth everything runs on the first "blind" tune I prepared for it. I currently switched to MAF only as its easier to get it all started for now but I will work on VE as soon as I get some more time. Power wise it feels like in the same gear I have as much power as I had in a lower gear before. It makes driving so much nicer with higher torque all around.

Random order photo dump:
View attachment 165348
View attachment 165346
View attachment 165345
View attachment 165344
View attachment 165343

Looks like you're doing a kick-ass job, nice!

 

[Drake20]

Nice job T0ast


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[T0ast]

So curently I have:
Airaid Intake
90mm TB
2.55/8.66 Pulley Combo
ID1050x Injectors
DW300 pumps
Lt1z Stage 2 Cam
High Flow Cats
Various cooling mods

As it is with the mod bug I'm already thinking about the next mods to do.

I think my next best options to gain some power would be a ported blower and/or ported or aftermarked heads. But would ported or aftermarket heads/blower even be worth it with stock exhaust manifolds?

 

[gunnermjoyce]

Outstanding!