| 2006 Chevy Silverado left Side
Value is subjective, and when it comes to personalizing or modifying your truck, it often seems that performance comes up short of expectations, especially when the out-of-wallet investment has been considered. In other words, the value isn't always great.
Of course, each person's experience is different. We recently spent a couple of days in the garage with an '06 Chevy Silverado and a bed full of performance and appearance parts from SLP Performance Parts Inc., which brightened our outlook on the return of investment through bolt-on upgrades.
| The project began with exterior enhancements, specifically the grille. The stock grille was removed from the front end after it was simply pulled free with a healthy tug. It was not bolted on, but was rather held in by clips.
The appearance items included SLP's "RSX" items, such as stainless grille inserts, body side stripes, and a non-functional hoodscoop. They were monkey-simple to install and any enthusiast could perform the upgrades in an hour or two-after having the scoop professionally painted. All of the parts are available individually, too. And to round-out the updated look, we also found a set of take-off factory 20-inch wheels and tires, which really enhanced the look of the truck for comparatively little cash.
On the performance end of the project, we installed one of SLP's PerformancePac kits, which upped the at-engine output of the Silverado's 5.3-liter engine to 350 hp; the factory rating was 295. We also received chassis dyno numbers on the conversion, which confirmed the claims: stock output of the 5.3L truck was 242 hp and 274 lb-ft of torque at the wheels; with the PerformancePac, rear-wheel output jumped to 291 hp and 322 lb-ft.
The PerformancePac, one of several different SLP packages for various GM truck engines, included: a cold-air induction box, gorgeous stainless and ceramic-coated headers, a after-cat exhaust system with polished tips, a DiabloSport II handheld tuner with an SLP-specific custom tune, and most importantly, a set of 1.85-ratio replacement rocker arms. The higher-ratio rockers effectively gave the engine the equivalent of more camshaft lift with legal emissions, too. In fact, all of the parts in SLP's PerformancePac kits carry the all-important California Air Resources Board (CARB) EO number.
| Installing the scoop first required taking careful measurements to ensure symmetrical placement. A grease pencil was a great tool to mark the scoop's final position as the marks were easily rubbed off after installation. Measurements included ensuring equal distances between the sides of the hood, and also the front-to-back measurements of each corner of the scoop.
We performed the appearance items ourselves and sent the truck to Stenod Performance, a Detroit-area tuning and fabrication shop for the mechanical stuff. Check out www.stenodperformance.com for more information, or call the company at (248) 307-0056. We were floored when only two wrench turners were able to install the whole package of headers, exhaust, rocker arms and cold-air box, all in less than a day. The parts went on easily and it sure helped to have a lift and impact tools. Setting the tune required a simple plug-in procedure and following the instructions supplied in the manual.
Stenod Performance's ability to complete the job in a day minimized labor costs and made the performance upgrades more like an "outpatient" procedure. The speed of the operation, so to speak, was a testament to the precise fitment of the parts; they simply fit as the instructions indicated. In our experience, that doesn't happen very often.
SLP's PerformancePac prices vary, but the 350 hp package for our 5.3-liter '06 Silverado listed for a little less than $2,800. The appearance items ran another few hundred bucks, as did the take-off wheels and tires-which didn't come from SLP Performance. So, for about $3,500, we transformed our bright-red Chevy from a standard, boring fleet refugee to a tailored street machine. Those headers and dual-outlet exhaust gave the Silverado a more appropriate rumble, too.
SLP reminded us that all of the parts- except for the exhaust system-carry a 3-year, or 36,000-mile warranty. The stainless-intensive exhaust has a lifetime warranty. We also asked about similar PerformancePac kits for the all-new GM pickups and SLP told us they were due soon.
Of course, a session with easy, works-as-promised parts got our juices flowing. The truck looks great with the new wheels, hood-scoop grille, and stripes. Still, it'd look even better lowered a couple of inches and we're going to pop off those body-side moldings as soon as possible.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED TIME SPENT WORKING 9 HOURS DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY MODERATE TOOLS NEEDEDMETRIC SOCKETS, WRENCHES, SCREWDRIVER AND A GREASE PENCIL
PARTS USED SLP PERFORMANCEPAC 350 HP PN 28102A $2,672.60 KIT CONSISTS OF: SLP COLD-AIR INDUCTION PACKAGE PN 21051 $299.95 SLP HANDHELD CUSTOM TUNED DIABLO SPORT II PN 27001T $489.20 SLP HEADERS 1-5/8-INCH PN 30152 $699.95 SLP POWERFLO EXHAUST SYSTEM PN 31050 $699.95 SLP ROCKER-ARM PACKAGE (1.85 RATIO) PN 50185 $624.95 SLP 350HP PERFORMANCEPAC BADGE PN 010034350 $30.85 (EACH.) SLP APPEARANCE PACKAGE PN 12000B $449.95 KIT CONSISTS OF: SLP STICK-ON HOODSCOOP PN 10005 $139.95 SLP BLACK {{{RSX}}} STRIPE KIT PN 10001 $139.95 SLP FRONT POLISHED GRILLE $229.95 TOTAL COST: $3,122.55 (with a $210 multi-package discount)
