Just got my 1994 Bonneville SSEi a month ago. It is cherry red and it has all the stock options except onstar.

I love it to absolute death. It really surprises me at how much power this car has, i wouldn't have expected it.

I am really new to the whole car world, I am a all right driver but I can most certainly improve.

So while cruising around the internet I found this place. Looks like I found my new home for a while. I would really like to learn how to drive my car better, and how to mod it. Especially with the settings for performance ride/ touring same with shift. (Also my performance ride AND touring ride lights are both on currently and i can't select one or the other??)

Also looking to mod the car up a bit. Anyone have any specific suggests for exhaust, intake, styling, or pretty much anything else for a starter?

Any tips would be great cause basically I am a

Nice to meet you all by the way.

Welcome...check up in the "TECHINFO" ...lists places to start...check it out...

Good to have you here! Ditto on the Techinfo. Lot'* of good info up there that we put together for people just joining. It'll get you up to speed pretty quickly.

Onstar wasn't available in 94, so you probably have EVERY option. Make you feel better?

LOL ok just got back from perusing the Tech-Info. Couldn't find anything on the performance and touring being on at the same time though.

I have to say though you guys have a LOT of information, I mean WOW! Great job.

So what "early" mods do you recommend for my car? Keep in mind the budget is a little low right now, just finished adding a sound system:

2 12inch subs, bass amp, and cd player.

Did you read that 'first mods' article? Stick to the early part of it like glue. First is a 180° thermostat. NOW before anytyhing else. Come spring time, add a tranny cooler to the front of your stock cooler for more insurance against heat.

Any time in between or after the cooler, intake and exhaust are the big 2. Best bang for your buck to get the beast breathing better. There'* an article on Intakes up in Techinfo, too and another one on air density that'* related. You should read all these. It'll help a ton.

Ok thanks again. I gotta get going now but i will be back to read up more later.

O and can i get a quick and dry explanation on how Torque is a major player here. I know it has a LOT to do with the Bonne Vs. say a Civic but can i get a little info?

Hmmmm....Ok, I'll attempt this.

Take a one pound wieght and tie it to a string. swing it around your head as fast as you can. The speed you develop on the wieght itself is the horsepower. But while you're doing this, the weight is lagging behind your effort, right?

Now take that same weight and attach it to a steel rod with a pivot on your end. Spin that sucker up. The ability to resist slowing down if the wind were blowing against your wieght is the torque.

Pretty simple explanation, but basically, horsepower is easy to come by. But under LOAD, or against opposing forces like wind, weight of the car, road/tire drag, etc, horsepower is useless without torque.

The torque is what opposes all these opposing forces.

The good news about the Bonneville is that it develops it'* torque AND horsepower at a relatively low rpm, so you don't have to rev the hell out of the motor to get into the power band. It'* pulling right off the line. Ricers typically have to rev way up into their rpm band to make any power.

Did that help?

Physics lesson all over again. Good explanation WIll!!

I was trying to explain the benefits of torque to a Civic owner who pushes 280HP out of their SIR, no torque tho.

Go Bonnevilles!!

I'm feeling that "need for speed" every time I get in the car and start off. It has that feel that says "hey bud, punch it, i'll give you your money'* worth."....

I keep having to remind myself to stay below 60 on the long stretch of (30 mph speed limit) road that runs through my neighborhood.

Thanks for the explanation, that helps alot.

So let me clarify, basically because Bonne'* have good torque we can gun it from lower RPMs and start off with more power. So the "short and sweet" races we would do best in?

And the long hauls, too. Trust me, the Bonneville has an incredible appetite for speed runs as well. You're not limited to the short runs. That torque stays the same, nice and flat on the SSEi, through all the gears. When you're in performance shift mode, it shifts right before the redline, right smack it the peak of all that torque. You get that pull after EVERY shift. You can take a smaller car with more horsepower, because you have the torque to back you up.

Horsepower is highly overrated, but you're not lacking in that department either. You must have a good balance of hp AND torque, and you want it to peak at as low an rpm as possible.

Go look at kill stories and see what kinds of cars we're taking.