# Is the Cruze 1.4 LT none turbo worth doing mods?



## mattsCruze (Dec 9, 2012)

Hi my name is matt. I own a Chevy Cruze 1.4 LT it isnt much but was wondering if some people could answer questions. I sadly dont know a ton about motor work but i know enough to do major n small repairs. I really wanna know if the cruze is worth tuning and doing performance upgrades? Can it be quick as lets say a mazda 3 speed or 350Z or a genisus? Is it possible to make it into something fast? I dont know what to do with it. Its not the turbo verson so id obviously wanna add a turbo to it but dont know what one to get or size or if i have to do internal motor upgrades? like stronger pistons n rods n tranny shift kits to be able to handle more torque n power? I needa add 150+ hp. How can i make this possible? Any help will be highly appreciated and if you wanna contact me at my email or text me personaly XXX-XXX-XXXX. I dont know where to begin with performace or what to do. Deff looking to move fast in it asap =D


----------



## smoove87 (Jul 9, 2012)

If you have the 1.4 then you have a turbo. The best mod is an aftermarket tune. Check with the vendors on the forum. They are running sales until Christmas.

Sent from my PC36100 using AutoGuide.Com Free App


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm going to be blunt - if you're trying to add 150 HP to the Cruze you bought the wrong car. On the other hand if you're just trying to get to 150+ HP switch to Premium gas and get the Trifecta Tune.


----------



## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

you want 150 hp and you have no turbo,go buy a nitrous kit and hope you dont blow your motor


----------



## mattsCruze (Dec 9, 2012)

I have tge 1.8 LS not the 1.4. My bad lol.


----------



## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

mattsCruze said:


> I have tge 1.8 LS not the 1.4. My bad lol.


ya buy nitrous,you can do a few things to help driveablity ie trifecta tune,exhaust,air intake resontor delete,spark plug regap,port your intake mainifold.Bad news racing is planning on a turbo kit but my 2 cents is its not worth it unless they make a actual performance oriented cruze,other than that i would look into the mods i just listed,they will improve the 1.8ls performance alot more than stock and i forgot a drop in filter will make a diffrence.hope that helped ya out man


----------



## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Matt. 

First I'd check you paid the right amount for the car you're driving. If your documents say LT but you're actually driving an LS, I'd be pretty upset. You might have a turbo and not know it, they're small. 

Here's the 1.8, notice the intake in the back








And here's the 1.4 with the intake in the front.


----------



## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

Mick said:


> Welcome to the forum Matt.
> 
> First I'd check you paid the right amount for the car you're driving. If your documents say LT but you're actually driving an LS, I'd be pretty upset. You might have a turbo and not know it, they're small.
> 
> ...


oo ya 2.4t when did they make that into a cruze haha


----------



## VictoryRed08 (Feb 16, 2011)

Honestly, if you want to be Speed3 or 350z fast, you're going to have to spend a lot of money. Money on a turbo or perhaps an engine swap (here's a link to a turbo thread). The best part? Since you don't currently have the mechanical aptitude to create such a setup, you'll need to find a shop to do it for you (no problems), but with a foreign setup in the car you're most likely looking at years of unreliability...

Bottom line, buy a fast car to start with, not an economy car.

That said, try making some minor mods in your that will improve performance a bit and make the car more fun to drive along the way (while learning a thing or two along the way). Start with an intake, exhaust and maybe a Trifecta tune (I'm not sure as to the benefits of this tune of the 1.8L though).


----------



## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> oo ya 2.4t when did they make that into a cruze haha


----------



## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Let's clear up what engine is under the hood for starters. If it's the LT/LTZ/Eco, it has the 1.4 turbo Ecotec. If it's the LS, it has the 1.8 naturally aspirated Ecotec. 

Next, adding 150 hp is pretty darned impractical. Well, unless you have a large fortune and want to make it into a small fortune. The easiest way to add 150 hp to a Cruze is to sell it and get a Verano Turbo. Same platform, much nicer digs inside, and 260 hp under the hood. 

If you have the 1.4 and want to make more power, there's no cheap way to do it. The cheapest is a tune. Anything after that, start hoping you hit the lottery since it's going to cost bookoo bucks. With what you can spend on a Cruze's 1.4T to make 200 whp, you could have just purchased the Verano Turbo, had 60 more ponies to start, and still have enough left over for a tank of gas or five. And once that Verano Turbo gets a tune for 300 hp, you're still in the weeds. 

Cruzes aren't quick cars. They'll get out of their own way plenty fine, and that's about it. Oh, they'll also get very good to excellent fuel economy.


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

1.4 L Turbo does pretty well in passing in 3rd gear, red lined at around 85 mph.

Nothing like getting behind an idiot on a hilly Wisconsin two lane road where that driver in head of you constantly varies their speed from 35-50 mph. When you can pass, suddenly a lots of oncoming traffic. When after miles of this, finally can pass, you find yourself doing 65 mph and still not passing, so have to gun it. Shoots up to 80 mph very quickly.

But then you set your cruise at 60 mph, and find this idiot riding your butt. Driven lots of vehicles a lot slower than the Cruze where you can't even pass at all. And none of those got 40+ mpg. Cruze is a good car the way it is.


----------



## Jnoobs (Nov 22, 2012)

Solution: however expensive, do a motor swap with the LNF motor, throw on an intake, use the k04 turbo upgrade, a FMIC, and a basic tune. That will give you around 350 hp and about 400 torque. But again, a very expensive upgrade. 


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com Free App


----------



## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Easy, first step is to return your car and purchase a 2013 Malibu and get a trifecta tune. According to a recent member's post he's now making 295hp which is about 150+hp like you wanted.

I'm not sure if you wanted a high perf car and decided to build up a Cruze or you got the Cruze and were disappointed in the power. Either way, you failed in the research department.

I'd suggest you enjoy the car. Spend $2k on parts and enjoy it, it's a lot funner than you think. Just because it says 138hp doesn't mean it's a lame duck. You can reasonably get the car to 200hp and I bet you'll be super happy with it as long as you aren't out on saturday nights trying to race for pinks.


----------



## iCruze2 (Dec 16, 2011)

Lolz


----------



## larry0071 (Dec 1, 2012)

Honestly, I am thinking about selling my 2012 Camaro, it only has 2,500 miles on it and is 426HP stock. I'm thinking $38,000 for it, I paid $44,000 les than a year ago. This may be the car that you really want. With bolt on parts, you can easily be in the 700HP area.

Let me know if your interested. 


Sent from some really trashy mobile app that isn't Tapatalk.


----------



## iCruze2 (Dec 16, 2011)

larry0071 said:


> Honestly, I am thinking about selling my 2012 Camaro, it only has 2,500 miles on it and is 426HP stock. I'm thinking $38,000 for it, I paid $44,000 les than a year ago. This may be the car that you really want. With bolt on parts, you can easily be in the 700HP area.
> 
> Let me know if your interested.
> 
> ...


Is it a 2SS/RS?


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Horsepower race actually started in 1928 when Henry Ford introduced the new four cylinder Model A Ford. Shortly after, Chevrolet came out with a sightly faster six. This led Henry to keep his crew burning the midnight oil to learn how to cast a single block for a V-8 engine as before the V-8 block had to be made in pieces.

With higher end cars, the Lincoln came out with a V-12 with Cadillac following with a V-16 and its been that way. During our gas crunch, we have more 500 HP vehicles than ever with power you can't even legally use on our roads.

In the 50's were trying to get one horsepower per cubic inch of displacement, little Cruze is not doing too bad in developing 1.6 HP per cube. Can purchase a vehicle that goes over 200 mph, but won't be driving that for long, after about ten minutes or so, will drain a 24 gallon tank.

None of our transportation to and from work or school, former is to put bread on the table, latter until a kid is 18 years of age is the law for school is tax deductible.

I am in far more in favor of a high mpg race than any kind of a HP race.


----------



## larry0071 (Dec 1, 2012)

iCruze2 said:


> Is it a 2SS/RS?


Yes, 2SS/RS Transformer 3 Edition.








Sent from some really trashy mobile app that isn't Tapatalk.


----------



## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

larry0071 said:


> Honestly, I am thinking about selling my 2012 Camaro, it only has 2,500 miles on it and is 426HP stock. I'm thinking $38,000 for it, I paid $44,000 les than a year ago. This may be the car that you really want. With bolt on parts, you can easily be in the 700HP area.
> 
> Let me know if your interested.


Lol at 700hp with bolt-ons. 

I guess you're including a cam and blower as "bolt-ons". 


Bottom line if you want to go fast for cheap the best car by far is the '13 mustang GT. You can grab a base model in the high 20s, 420hp and a few hundred lbs lighter than the Camaro. Add the track pkg and it's a great all around car for a little over 30K.


----------



## Patman (May 7, 2011)

mattsCruze said:


> I have the 1.8 LS not the 1.4. My bad lol.


I have the 1.8 also and the Trifecta Tune woke the car up! Best $300 to spend on the car. Another thing you may want to consider is an AEM dryflow air filter. I have the same and it seems to do well. I use the filter instead of a Cold Air Intake or Short Ram Intake
and requires no mechanical aptitude to install. Just change a filter. But as obermd said: if you're trying to add 150 HP to the Cruze you bought the wrong car. the tune and the filter with Premium gas will improve things!


----------



## larry0071 (Dec 1, 2012)

Hoon said:


> Lol at 700hp with bolt-ons.
> 
> I guess you're including a cam and blower as "bolt-ons".
> 
> ...


Yes, I consider a charger a bolt on. It's a one day affair that can be done in your home garage. I've helped do a couple, it's tedious, but not bad.

I'm looking for a 2014 Shelby GT500 next.

Sent from some really trashy mobile app that isn't Tapatalk.


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

If in the USA, and with the EPA, any modications require your vehicle has to be recertified to be assure it meets the current EPA emission requirements.

While not strictly enforced, could be a $25,000 fine if caught doing these modifications.

Another consideration in doing modifications, especially in terms of increase the vehicles performance is reporting these modifications to your insurance company. If you don't, they can deny any claims. Even if you are involved with an accident not your fault and file a claim against the opposing insurance company.

Know your laws, no excuse if they are broken before even considering these modifications.


----------



## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

FYI: Centrifugal supercharge IS a bolt-on. Root/twin screw not so much. 

You can easily pickup 100hp from a centrifugal (minus the ~10% to drive it). With exhaust, super charger, intake and a tune, yes I could see getting into the 600hp range easily. I'd say at worst you'd have to buy a set of heads.

Then again, wtf do i know.


----------



## larry0071 (Dec 1, 2012)

I'm considering cam, cnc heads, and a roots style blower.

Sent from some really trashy mobile app that isn't Tapatalk.


----------



## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

larry0071 said:


> I'm considering cam, cnc heads, and a roots style blower.
> 
> Sent from some really trashy mobile app that isn't Tapatalk.


Where do you plan to get all this stuff..?


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

How about this?

K&N 69-4521TS 
69 Series Typhoon Kits > Performance Intake Kit 

List Price: $ 438.90 
*Your Price: $* *285.29* 
You Save 35.0%

For the air intake.

And this:

Magnaflow Dual Exhaust Chevrolet Cruze 1.4/1.8L Engines 
Price $800.39 
List Price: $890.47 
You Save: $90.08 (10%) 

For the exhaust:


Magnaflow Dual Exhaust Chevrolet Cruze 1.4/1.8L Engines 
Price $800.39 
List Price: $890.47 
You Save: $90.08 (10%) 

Who cares about the middle!


----------

