Recently I purchased a '98 Sebring LX with the available 2.5L V6 engine. The stock horsepower is quoted between 150-160. I traded down from a thirsty Chevrolet V8 and I find myself missing the power of my old vehicle. What are some improvements I can make to my vehicle to improve my horsepower and torque output? I realize that the Sebring may not be commonly considered for such modifications and have found little help elsewhere online. Any personal experience on such projects would be much appreciated!

-Brandon

 

not really gonna happen my friend with out spending more then what U got the car for.

 

Well I got the car for $1600 so I'm not into it for very much.

 

I have a '96 sebring with the same motor... very hard to squeeze power out of these things without breaking the bank and staying legal

 

This is discouraging news...

 

Well let's just say I want to go ahead and make some changes, foolish as that may be, what would give me the best gain in horsepower for dollars spent?

 

The best way to go would possibly be intake and exhaust, which is hard to find if you want to stay SMOG approved. You could also possibly get the ECU re-mapped which would release some power that the manufacturer brought down to improve mileage, ride quality, etc. Other than that you would be getting into the really big bucks, like turbo, and turbo supporting mods, which would make the car never pass SMOG, depending on where you live, check your local laws, because i know out here in socal I have to take the pod filter off every time i go to get my smog checked. The Sebring isn't really a car designed for high performance, like your Chevy V8 was, if your looking for a car that can perform well and has good mileage, The Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer are good choices. I hope I covered what you need.

 

Air intake was the first thing I was looking at. I agree that a turbo would be impractical. As far as exhaust modifications Virginia law probably isn't as tight as as California, and if you know a mechanic willing to look the other way you can slide some things along on state certified inspections, especially in relation to emission standards. I appreciate the sound advice. I was hoping to find someone who had a little experience upgrading the Sebring but so far I haven't and I'm beginning to suspect the reason is that no one has! I realize the modifications I'm looking at seem a little impractical but I'm not looking for massive improvements, just want to get the most out of my engine. Don't we all?