Decisions, decisions!
 

So I've owned my 2004 CTS V since 2010 and I've racked up the miles on the LS-6. (205000K miles) I've had zero issues with this engine.

Other than replacing the water pump shortly after I got it the only thing besides oil changes were the motor mounts literally breaking due to them being hydraulic. Just a fancy name for fluid filled in an attempt to make this car idle as smoothly as you would expect a Cadillac to idle. I went with Creative Steel poly mounts. problem solved.

It came to me with a Fidanza dual plate clutch with a 14 pound flywheel which forced you to drive it like a race car. It would wind up super fast but low end torque was sacrificed. And while it was a blast to drive I admit that the LS-7 clutch and flywheel is much more streetable and user friendly.

But now that my ride is approaching 20 years old the GM OEM parts catalog is shrinking. This car came with a Getrag independent rear end which was problematic on the early cars (like mine), and it was replaced with the upgraded axle under warranty at 59K miles. Again, I've had no trouble with it but you can no longer get replacement parts from GM in the event of a failure. And since so few of these cars were made, finding one in a wrecking yard is practically impossible.

Aftermarket options exist in the form of replacing the differential with a Ford 8.8 and that has proven to be good for up to 1000 hp. But the cost is in the neighborhood of $6-$9K!

I've been wanting to spend some money on the car and wanted to bump the power with a cam and headers but I'm afraid this will turn into a never ending circle of upgrades what with having to upgrade the whole package.

Some days I wish I had never let my 71 RS/Z/28 go. It was practically indestructible and parts like 12 bolt rear ends were plentiful.

Twin turbos have proven to bump power into the 1300-1700 hp range with these LS engines but the drivetrain of choice is usually a powerglide and a 9 inch Ford rearend. And while I have seen a CTS V with that combination, that guy had lots more money than me!

Oh well, I guess you just have to pay to play!

Yeah man, I hear that!

Once you change one variable in the equation, the others go out of balance and need to be tweaked as well. Bigger air intake means bigger exhaust, bigger injectors, and tuning to bring it all back together. Then more power means you start finding the weak link in the drivetrain chain a lot easier.

If this is a car that is more hobby than primary transportation, well, then you can afford to tinker with it and make mods as they strike your fancy and don't damage your financial status. You can afford to have it laid up for months on end, if need be.

Had I known what I know now concerning my C5Z, I would have attempted most of the mods myself, since it is pretty darn obvious that I couldn't have done worse than some of the people I paid to do that work for me. And I sure wouldn't have done some things the way they did them. But live and learn.

But your point about repair and replacement parts being readily available in the foreseeable future is certainly a concern. Electronic modules, especially. There are some things that just may become unavailable, no matter what, in the future on these cars that are 20+ years old. Was one thing with the older cars that didn't have all the electronics and relied more on mechanical operations, but unless there are people ramping up with after market replacements, it could be that when something breaks, even something as minor as some obscure sensor, the game is over for that car unless you do some MAJOR fabrication work to get around it. Believe me, this preys on my mind as well.

Well they only made 2461 CTS V's in 2004, which was the first year of production and it holds the title of being the fastest 4 door sedan in the world at the time. While that may be impressive it's not a garage queen so monetary value just isn't a factor.

I truly do enjoy driving it though but I know if I want to add power, as you stated, the balance will be askew. If it was a 70 Chevelle the answer would be much easier.

When we were teenagers it was nothing to do an engine swap. Putting a big block where a small block Chevy used to live was simple. Money was tight back then so we cut corners and did practically everything ourselves anyway.

But with these newer LS engines and anything with fuel injection you certainly have to know computers. Heck, even the trucks I drive now are controlled by computers. And they have to interface with the mandatory electronic log in device (ELD) to be DOT compliant.

Jeff Hagaman built a CTS V that was making over 1700 hp using a 427 LS block with twin turbos (I'm wondering how much hp you can get out of yours Rich!) and it held records for rolling 1/2 mile, standing 1/4 mile and top end but he had to back half the car with a pretty tricky 4 link. The car still had OnStar, power windows and a back seat! I don't have that kind of money though. Incidentally, Jeff got killed trying to set a record in 1/2 mile in his Nissan GT-R at over 200 mph in New Orleans.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...5&action=click

Yeah, jumping into the modding game can be pretty much a black hole for money, time, effort, and sometimes tears. But it is a powerful attraction, even knowing the danger, nonetheless.

But I think there are practical limits for any vehicle you want to drive on the street. Lord knows I have seen people who exceeded that limit, and then wound up selling the car because it became something they suddenly realized they really weren't happy with any longer. Or in some cases, they discovered that the car was actually frightening to drive on the street because they really couldn't control it under power.

One of these days I probably should break out the tuning software again. The C5Z doesn't like driving under 11 mph and wants to buck a little bit. So I probably have the calibrations on the throttle body a little off and the throttle plate is oscillating. But beyond that, I am happy with what I've got now. Just wish I had more reasons to take it out for a ride. Last year I only put 285 miles on it. I may not have even hit that for 2021.

Oh well. I guess if you keep the mods modest and reasonable, it will work out OK for you. I remember I wanted to put headers on the C5Z when I first got it because I hated the look of rusted stock exhaust manifolds. Then, of course, one thing led to another. :)