Added 7/27/2002  

Click HERE for a comparison picture.

Composite Power Steering Pulley

Newer Saturns (97 and up possibly?) come with a composite power steering pulley, which is a lot lighter than the steel one which was used in previous years.  Removing rotating mass is always a good thing, and this is a cheap upgrade (available at your Saturn parts department) considering aftermarket companies always charge much more for most lightweight pullies.

The pulley is press-fit over the pump shaft, which I thought was kind of odd.  This job requires a GM power steering pulley removal/installation tool which is available at most auto parts stores.  If you don't want to purchase one, AutoZone loans tools for no charge.  Don't even attempt to install the pulley without the tool.

8/4/2002:  Dyno testing was done during the 2002 SPC Rally.  Modifications to the car included all items listed prior to this date (you can follow my chronological list HERE): HS Intake w/ conical filter, HS header, Borla cat-back exhaust, Random Technology catalytic converter, Centerforce dual-friction clutch, Vitek plug wires, Quaife limited-slip differential, and most recently, a composite power steering pulley.

Max horsepower was 120.6.
  

  

Click HERE for a larger view.
  

  Added 7/2006
  

Kumho Ecsta 711 Tires (205/50-16)

After 5 years and around 38,000 miles, the Toyo tires that I had on the car previously (read about them HERE) were at the end of their useful life.  The Kumho 711 had a lot of great things said about them in Tire Rack's user opinions, and they were significantly cheaper than the Toyos I'd previously purchased also.  I decided to give them a try.

After several thousand miles, I can say that these tires are outstanding for the money.  They're about a third of the price of the Toyos, and I'm not able to notice any performance difference between the two on dry pavement.  In the wet, these tires aren't quite as good, but they are still very good overall.
  
  

Until now, I've had a set of GTS tail light covers that I attached (with Velcro) for shows and audio competitions - you can see them HERE.  I've always been hesitant to drive on the street with them in place because WI state troopers would definitely write me up for them.  Unfortunately, the red tail lights and red trunk lid reflector panels don't look very good on an aqua-colored car.

So, the '94's rear end received the same treatment that the '92 did.  The vertical trunk trim panel was replaced with one from a SC1 (which is lighter and does not have the dummy reflector panels).  The rear lenses were then spray tinted, which is a long, time-consuming process if you're looking for excellent results.  You can read about the details involved in the writeup on my '92 HERE. 

For a larger photo of the thumbnails on the right, click here:  #1, #2.
 

  

  


Added 11/2006  
    

  Added 7/2006
  

Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 Snow Tires (185/60-15)

I'd previously had a set of Blizzak WS-15 tires on the car during the winter months.  Because of their outstanding performance and longevity, I chose to stick with Bridgestone again for the next set.

After one good snowfall, I can say that these tires don't seem quite as good as the WS-15 model that they're supposed to replace.  Packed snow traction during both accelerating and stopping is outstanding.  Deep snow traction (> 6") is OK but not quite as good as it should be.  I'll post more here as I get more miles on them.
  
  

Up to this point, I had a Hotshot header on my '94 (see the writeup HERE).  After it cracked repeatedly and completely rusted through, I decided to go the route I did on my '92.  This is a real tubular stainless steel header that came stock on '91 & '92 model year Saturns.  Compared to other aftermarket headers that are available, the finish and build quality on the OEM is outstanding.  Plus, it places the oxygen sensor so that it gets its reading off of all four cylinders making it more accurate than the Hotshot, which reads from only two.

I traded some parts to a fellow Saturn owner for this header (thanks Jeff!).  Even though it is well broken in with more than 100k miles on it, it will easily last at least another 100k due to how well it is constructed.  And, other owners have reported that it provides similar gains in horsepower and torque to the Hotshot piece.

The primary was abrasive blasted and powdercoated hi-temp silver prior to installation.  Click any of the thumbnail photos below for a larger version.
    

Full OEM header
  

OEM header primary
prior to blasting
  

OEM header primary
after blasting
  

OEM header primary
after powdercoating