Piston Slap: LS4-FTW, or Much Ado "Abboud" Nothing?

Duncan writes:

Sajeev,

OK, I’ll bite on your request for more queries. Here’s a couple:

  1. I recently purchased a 2015 Genesis Coupe. I’ve swapped out the stock air intake for the R2C if, for no other reason, than to get rid of the sound tube pumping noise into the car. (At least there wasn’t an accompanying audio soundtrack. Looking at you, BMW.) The car rips at the top end (yeah, I know, for a V6… I know my place on the food chain), but I was wondering what you would recommend to boost low-end torque. I’m not looking for a supercharger-grade improvement; just a bit more off the line.
  2. My parents have offered to give me their 2002 Buick Regal GS Joseph Abboud Edition (low miles, driven to church on Sunday). It’s tempting to take it on as a project car. Assuming I acquire their sleeper and have $3,000 to spend on performance improvements, what should I do first… and second? Do you even try to address the handling, or do you just shrug it off and go for moar powah?

Keep up the good work!

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Piston Slap: Son, You're Gonna Drive Me to Drinkin'

Justin writes:

Sajeev,

Last October I was able to purchase a car I had been swooning over for about 15 years: A ’98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC. It has about 108000 miles and is my daily driver. During the summer months I generally prefer to ride a motorcycle, so I need to do something with this car. Selling it is out of the question, as it only has a few cosmetic blemishes (that will soon be tended to), so it will require some…more.

My question is, what do I go with first; Supercharger or 5-6 speed?

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Piston Slap: The Gassy Dart, the Bosch-eating Magnum

TTAC reader sportsuburbanGT writes:

Hi Sajeev,

Have a couple of questions: I have a 72 Dodge Dart that I am performing a 318 to 340 swap. It’s taken longer than I planned (lack of time), I backed the car in the garage 2 years ago and now I am planning on firing it up in this April. The question is the gas: I had about a half tank when I backed it in, and I put some Stabil in the tank, but I took the cap off to try a new cap and the tank smelled really awful. I replaced the fuel filter, but should I drain the tank and refill with fresh gas, put some fresh gas in the tank to mix up what is in there, or pull the tank have it boiled out and refill. I was driving the car up until March 2009, and I put that last half tank in there in March 2009. I am in Long Island, NY so we have that crap gas till April.

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  • MaintenanceCosts This is refreshing. Excess car storage which brainless local zoning rules forced the builders of this mall to include, but which normally sits empty, is actually being used for car storage!
  • MaintenanceCosts Nice car if you can get it properly sorted, but the level of safety tech doesn't seem quite enough for a young driver on today's brodozer-infested highways.
  • VoGhost OK. But if Subaru really wants this to sell, they'd make it as a PHEV with enough American content to get buyers $7,500 back on their federal taxes. Otherwise, this really doesn't stand out in a world of RAV4s and CR-Vs.
  • VoGhost Tesla has an average of 28 days of inventory, less than half industry average.
  • FreedMike Ah, Chesterfield Mall...my old teenage stomping grounds. Bummer what happened to it, that's for sure. But that's what happens when the city council approves not one, but two "premium" outlet malls right down the road to be built. That killed this mall dead.And in case anyone's interested...yes, Teslas and other EVs are very popular in that neighborhood.