Dyno testing was done on 3/14/2001 when a few SPC members gathered for some work on the SPC Project car (you can see my event writeup HERE).

At this time, my 92 SC was 100% stock.  Max horsepower was 100 and torque was 102 ft. lbs.  This was a bit less than many other stock dual-cams I've seen, but with 140,000 miles on the clock, the difference was understandable.

Click HERE for a larger view of the chart.
  

I had a set of Accel Thundersport 300 wires in blue left over from my '94 SC2, and installed them on the '92.  With 140k on the clock, the wires on the '92 had seen better days.  If you'd like to know my thoughts on the Accel wires, check out the modifications section for my 1994 SC2.

11/2001 - Removed the Accel wires, and replaced them with a set of Magnecor wires.  I picked these up used for a great deal (part # 140017), and I think the red will look nice in the engine compartment with the color scheme I have in mind.  I believe this is the 4th different type of plug wires I've used on a Saturn.  How do they compare to all the rest?  I see Magnecor brand wires on cars at the track most often, and they have a great reputation for quality and for helping the ignition system perform at its best.  But, since plug wires are plug wires, no performance gains are expected.  For some interesting reading, check out Magnecor's website and be sure to read the section titled "Claims of Horsepower Gain".

8/2002 - Replaced the Magnecor wires with some dark gray SPS wires, with the thought that they'd better match the engine compartment color scheme.  The job has started to powdercoat a variety of engine parts yellow, and these wires will look better with that color.

2/2004 -  Bought a set of Accel wires in yellow off eBay for an outstanding deal.  I've used Accel wires in the past on several occasions with no problems.  They're a good buy for the money and for their specifications.  These wires just happened to be yellow, and match the yellow powdercoating of my engine parts perfectly.  Looks like these are keepers.
  

  
Added 8/2001

Pic courtesy SPS (thanks!).
  

I was very lucky to find a set of these used, as they've been extremely hard to get a hold of in recent years.  The Carrera setup offers adjustable ride height, uses standard-sized race springs, and has replaceable shock inserts.  And most importantly, they allow spring rate to be matched & optimized to the damping characteristics of the shock inserts.

As everything comes together, I'll be replacing the Carrera shock inserts with rebound-adjustable Koni units, and the springs (currently 250/225 in lbs) will be swapped to some with a higher rate.  For more details on all the pieces and developments in the suspension area as time goes by, check out my suspension page HERE.

11/2001: Bought one new Koni adjustable strut insert to use for test fitting, as the Koni inserts will be replacing the Carrera inserts.  Realized that the front housings were too short to hold the Koni inserts.  They were off to the machine shop to get lengthened.

5/2002 - Blasted and powdercoated the housings.  You can see photos on my suspension and powdercoating pages.

8/2002 - Installed some stiffer Carrera springs on the housings.

9/2002 - All the assembly and test-fitting is done.  The setup is installed on the car for the final time.
  

 
Injen Intake

While I've heard that the colored anodized versions of this intake are a few lbs lighter, the chrome model is virtually identical in weight, design, and construction to the Hotshot intake.  And since I've seen Saturns on the dyno average a 7 hp gain from just an intake alone, it's a worthwhile addition to any car.  Plus it sounds and looks great too.  See my writeup on the Hotshot intake that I have on my '94 with more detail HERE, and a photo of the two intakes side-by-side can be seen HERE.

NOTE: On first generation Saturns, this intake rests on the top of the EGR valve and the constant vibration may cause the EGR valve's mounting nuts to work loose.

  

Added 8/2001

Update: Powdercoated the intake.  You can see photos on my powdercoating page.
  

  
Added 8/2001

Pic courtesy SPS (thanks!).
  

I've had a set of these on my '94 for quite some time.  Being twice as stiff as the stock units, these SPS pieces do a good job at reducing engine motion.   This should help prolong the life of the top (torque-axis) mount - one of the weak points I've found these cars to have (pic of an old torn-up mount HERE). 

One mount resides under the factory airbox & battery tray, and the other is under the crank pulley way on the bottom of the engine on the passenger side.  Installation was quite easy, especially if the time is taken to unbolt the torque-axis mount in order to jack up the engine for more clearance to remove the bottom mount.

2/2003 - These were removed and replaced with Twistec mounts.
  

 
Brembo Brake Rotors?

When paging through the Summit Racing catalog, I came across the Brembo rotors page and once again, failed to see any listing for Saturn.  But since it did say, "call for other applications" - I picked up the phone and did.  Using harsh brake pads on the track tends to use up rotors pretty quickly, so I usually end up replacing them once a year anyway.  Summit did have the rotors listed as a special order item at a pretty low price, and since they don't charge for shipping based on weight, I thought I'd order up a set.

 

Added 10/2001

Update: After some hard track miles, I can say that these perform and wear just like any other rotors I've used (cheap, or expensive).
  

  

  

Added 11/2001

Since bleeding my brakes in preparation for track events is a necessity, these Speedbleeder screws make the job much easier.  These screws incorporate a one-way valve and an effective thread-sealing material to allow one person to bleed the brakes quickly and easily (where manual bleeding is usually a 2-person job).  I have these installed on my 94 SC2, and I just had to have them on this car as well.  You can find info on these at Russell's site, and at SpeedBleeder, and they can be ordered from Summit Racing.

If you'd like more info on bleeding brakes, SPS has a very good tech article HERE and you can also take a look at some brake fluid info (& some helpful links) HERE.

10/2002 - One of the speedbleeder screws started leaking and allowing air to be sucked in when the brake pedal is let go during the bleeding process.  It looks like after about 10 bleedings, the sealant on the threads has broken down and worn away.  I may have to consider picking up a pressure bleeder in the future.

With my efforts to reduce weight, rotating mass, and parasitic drag by removing the air conditioning compressor and power steering pump, I thought I'd address the alternator as well.   Boers' pulley is made from aluminum and is very lightweight, and its circumference is about 20% greater than the stock pulley (stock pulley is on the right in the photo).  This reduces the speed that the alternator spins and should slightly reduce the amount of engine effort required to turn it.  The alternator will also likely be a bit more reliable and last a little longer since it's not turning quite as fast - a good bonus since the motor will spend quite a bit of time on the track in the upper-RPM range.

  
Added 12/2001

Click HERE for larger pic.