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Kevin's 2010 Malibu LT

66K views 187 replies 32 participants last post by  nutcrunch 
#1 · (Edited)
Kevin's Malibu - "WYT SAND"​


The Ride:
2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT "LT+Z"
Summit White / Cocoa-Cashmere
2.4L 145cu.in. LE5 I4/A6
169HP @ 6400RPM --- 143WHP (DashCommand)
160TQ @ 4500RPM --- 135WTQ (DashCommand)

Build Date: 06/01/2010


The Mods:
K&N Drop-In Air Filter - Check!
17" 2LT Alloy Wheels - Check!
Rain-X Repel Wipers - Check!
LTZ Front Grilles - Check!
Custom "Malibu" Floormats - Check!
iPhone Vent Mount - Check!
Leather Steering Wheel - Check!
Leather Shift Knob - Check!
Chrome Door Handles - Check!
LTZ Dual Exhaust - Check!
Leather Headrest - Check!
White Interior LEDs in Maps and Dome - Check!
Pioneer AVH-P3400BH Radio - Check!
Retrofit Projector Headlights with HIDs and Halos - Check!
PLX Kiwi 2 Wifi + Dash Command - Check!

Aqua Interior Ambient Light - In The Future
Michelin Defender Tires - In The Future
OEM LTZ Tail Lights - In The Future
OEM Fog Lights - In The Future
Upgraded Speakers - In The Future
iKey Push-Button Start System - Unknown/Undecided





Current Look:












My favorite shots:







HDR Shots:



 
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#71 ·
Thanks Mali!! I will definitely be looking into these.

That means, I'm looking at the LTZ Exhaust (possibly buying from someone here) and these Projectors from Mali.

Updated the front page. I'd love to have these on the 'Bu!
 
#72 ·
The chrome handles are such a subtle yet drastic difference. They look great!
 
#73 ·
Man I think you should still do the Dynomax 17739 exhaust! Go on eBay and get 2 nice, large stainless tips (cost me $40), muffler from Advance Auto and have a shop do the labor for $100. You'll spend $185 on a custom, aftermarket exhaust that looks a lot nicer than the LTZ (depending on the tips you get) and it sounds a lot more toned and mellow and as long as you dont touch anything else in the system it will sound great!
 
#74 ·
Alrighty, so the 3.6 exhaust is going on come Monday or Tuesday. I know there were cheaper ways that might possibly add a decent sound, but 1. I'm too nervous about custom non-stock exhausts because all the ones I've heard on four cylinders are just not my cup of tea and 2. I like to retain "stock" on my daily drivers just to make sure they are fully warrantied by the dealership I work with.

Also, on the mod note, this will likely be the last mod I can do for a while. My courses took away $750 more than they were supposed to, so that kind of tanks my modding abilities. If and when I do build up some more money though, Mali's projector headlights are next on the list. I -might- do some interior lights, but it would be very minor (as in, it would have to be around $20), but it would also have to be dim and ambient (I don't want bright, I want ambient like the stock ambient lighting, which is very hard to mimic). That likely won't happen since it would be very hard to get a color and ambiance that is like the stock ambient lighting, but we'll see. I'm not worried about this, this is more of an "if I see something for super cheap that would still look nice" kind of thing.

Thanks everyone for checking out my 'Bu!
 
#75 ·
Snow

You should see about putting some of your pictures and data in your garage. It's a fairly new feature in the bar up top. Once you do the Garage link should appear in your avatar so others can go check it out.

Uhm, that sig looks kinda familiar. Where have I seen it before? ;)
 
#76 ·
I looked at the garage feature and added my Malibu and also my Mustang :)

And yea, I saw the signature style on this really cool guy's sig and figured I'd take some styling cues for mine :p
 
#77 ·
I like your garage, and that Fire Red car inside it is HOT!
 
#78 ·
It's my '97 Mustang Convertible :p It's the V6, but it's got the true dual catback, bbk intake, getting the bbk headers and pulleys for it, lowered, so it's doing well!

I also have an '85 Firebird (also the V6) and my family is the original owner(s). Got a stainless steel catback, intake (forget what kind), tuned injectors, that's about it, but original engine and transmission!! Currently it's my Grandpa's. We switch it around every couple of years or so for fun.

I had a 2000 Corvette. Didn't get a chance to mod it before someone t-boned me :(

My Dad and I are also looking at co-buying an '03-'05 M-B SL500. It'll probably be 6-12 months before we can get the money to pick one up though, but that will be fun to tinker around with!


My Dad and Grandpa and I are really big car buffs :p
 
#79 ·
I like your family dynamics way better than mine! I guess you can't pick your relatives, but you CAN pick your friends.

And yer nose, but I won't mention that. ;)
 
#80 ·
Okay, miiiiight be able to swing the headlights. I've also found some aqua interior led lights and a nice switch, so I might do the driver and passenger side underdash parts. Still, going to have to wait sometime between now and the end of June, but these are my current two projects I want to do, the headlights much more so.
 
#81 ·
Alright, time for the last update for a long time. Unfortunately, due to complications with work, I will be unable to get the projector headlights done, which means this exhaust is the last update to my car.

I was lucky to get a Black Leather Headrest for free! My dealership has rewards for every purchase made and you get 5% back into a rewards account. I have just enough to get the headrest (~$75) and they're going to install it for free while it's in tomorrow.


So, here are some pictures. I will say that it looks amazing! I also DID notice a sound increase! However, as I state in the video, unless you drive the I4 Malibu everyday, you probably won't hear it. The video below also does NOT do it justice and it is a little deeper than what it sounds like. It's not loud enough for cars passing by to hear it (which is what I wanted), but it's noticeable enough for me to notice it and it makes me happy! I did notice a slight acceleration increase, but it seems to be more increase on the low-end and on the upper-end and not as much in the middle, if that makes sense. As for mpg increase, that remains to be seen, but since I've only had it on for a few hours and have been stepping on it for fun, it's obvious I wouldn't notice. I will say that the Inst. MPG on the DIC was reading approximately 2 (sometimes 1, sometimes 3) above what it's normally at. I know a lot of people swear the Inst on the DIC is nowhere near accurate, but accurate or not, an increase there is an increase in general to some extent. My guess is it will be a 1-2 increase once I start driving highway.


So, here are the pictures and video (video link to youtube at the bottom)!!











 
#82 ·
Looks really nice. Sounds nice, too.

Oops, hurry and chase 'em down - I just saw some ponies escaping! ;)

Sounds like you got a really good deal on factory stuff. Can't ask for better! Congratulations on the mod/upgrade. I hope your employment situation improves soon. But stay in school for sure. It's worth it.
 
#83 ·
The exhaust looks great!

Your next mod should be debadging; its free! I would definitely take of that dealer badge, and also the Malibu and LT if you want to.
 
#84 ·
Thanks!

I'm hanging up the mods for a while. I think the car looks great and I've already done quite a bit to it as is, so I'm thinking I'm done with mods for a while especially since now I can't afford them, at least for a while.

The exhaust really is nice! It sounds nice, but it's not loud to where other people hear and such, which I personally like and it is EXACTLY what I was hoping for... literally, exactly. I'm assuming the exhaust will 'open up'/'break in' a little more as time goes on since it's new and all that, but as it is it sounds great to me, just a little deeper than it was.
 
#86 ·
Yea, you can order them from any of the online gm catalog sites.

The part number is: 19212052

Just order that from your dealer or an online site like www.shopgmparts.com or www.gmpartsdirect.com

I have the guide on installing them in my signature if you'd like some pictures of them.
 
#87 ·
Been looking at your exhaust video. I was wondering if you could do a recording from inside the car. That is if there is any noticeable difference inside the car.
 
#91 ·
I can indeed, sorry I didn't see this post sooner. It might be a day or two. Found out today that I will not have a single day off from either work, obligations, or my thesis for the next three to four weeks, but I will certainly do it.

In terms of sound, you likely will not hear it on video. The sound comes from a couple of things, which makes it relatively nice for those of us not trying to turn the car into a ricer:

1. The sound is almost impossible to hear outside. You -can- if you know what it originally sounded like, but it is more like a mellow tone that is just a little lower than the stock.

2. The sound is not aggressive, it only really sounds out during the peak rpm range (for me, it seems to peak at ~3000 rpm). If you floor it 80-90% of the way, you will catch it and hear it. If you stomp on it 100%, you will simply hear the engine cry for the spanking.

3. The sound (believe it or not) seems to resonate a bit around the 800 rpm range and seems to be a little more noticeable when the gas tank is empty. Now, this may seem odd kind of like the debate over how to get a simple K&N drop-in to create a deep sound, but it is indeed there.


All of these things combine to create a more overall slightly deeper tone. I don't mean deep as in six cylinder or eight cylinder deep, I don't mean deep as in aggressive deep, I mean deep as in the tone/note seems to be down a couple of steps.


So, I will certainly repost some videos since the exhaust has now seen over 1000 miles, but just a forewarning, the chances of the video picking it up (at least the means that I have of taking video, my iPhone) is sort of a 50/50 shot.
 
#88 ·
Your car is looking great considering you started with a pretty basic model. I pretty much did the same thing as far as modding a 1LT but not nearly as much as you because my money has been tight as well. I would recommend debadging also it makes the back end look a lot cleaner and it only cost you a little of your time. Looks great though!
 
#89 ·
Sorry but my factory duals did nothing at all for the performance, its all in your head. And the sound is very minimal. I work with these cars daily and the only diff it makes was it looks sexier.. Im glad you are happy with yours too..
 
#90 ·
Which is why in the video I said it was likely more of a butt-dyno thing. However, they -are- wider pipes and they are dual-outlet, so somewhere in the system there should be a gain, even if it is 1hp. Personally, I notice the difference. Also, the sound is minimal in terms of what people outside the car can hear, but it is not minimal if you drive the car everyday.

I'm sure ya deal with 'em daily, but I drive almost a hundred miles each day.

I'm glad we both love our cars, but please don't minimize something and claim it as proven fact. Would love not to have ya rain on the parade, since there is so little on this particular setup, it is good to have opinions and notes, but it is not all in my (or anyone else's) head.
 
#92 ·
It's cool man. Take your time. It is whenever is convenient for you. I understand about the being busy part. I work 7 days a week between two jobs and I am a full time college student so I know the feeling.

I am hoping I will hear something in the video. If not oh well, I still thank you for the time spent doing it.

I don't want a loud ricer exhaust on mine. I am looking for a deeper tone or a mellow tone. If I want a loud exhaust then I'll get me a V8 american muscle car. (Wanting that ZL1 Camaro so bad) I might be able to notice the difference if I hear it in person. I've watched you current vids a few times to try to hear. Our cars are lower RPM vehicles so the rpm range sounds about right. So it resonates at idle? Speaking of the K&N filter (off topic I know) do you use one? I've been considering getting one, but most people on here do not recommend them due the oiling required for them. I may just get my car a tune to work with a CAI and fix a few things about the car. You might be surprised how good the iPhone camera is. All of my car videos are shot using it and it picks up a lot of stuff really well. I have the iPhone 4 so I don't know how the 3GS is since my previous phone was the iPhone 3G.
 
#93 ·
The white is sexy as hell. Its looking good. IMHO i'd loose the chrome handles and throw you on a rear lip style spoiler and BOOM.. PURE SEXINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But Kevin, thats just my opinion. I get jealous everytime I see a sexy white car.
 
#94 ·
Alrighty, here is a video I took today. Sort of had to shut it off after some time, didn't get to do a whole lot of runs or anything, but the video is essentially me driving and explaining where you would normally hear it. I do the usual outside part and rev it a little, but I also partially do that to show that you can't really hear it outside (and really can't on the phone, which actually makes it sound... odd on the phone, you'll know what I mean, it sounds like a completely different car, maybe it's the garage).

Also, the video is sideways. I do not know how to fix this, but it doesn't really matter, so I suggest not trying to look at the right angle.

Let me know if there's anything else you want me to get a video of or anything.

 
#95 ·
Thanks for taking the time to post this and the great information!
 
#96 ·
That sounds about the same as my V6, so it must do a pretty good job on either car! Nice job!

And ^^ +1 on the thanks for posting. :)
 
#97 ·
Below is a video tutorial for how to change the door handles. I figured some visual aids would be a good idea (if not also fun). Hope it helps!

 
#98 ·
The below video is what happens when you leave a very small opening on the airbox by not closing it completely. The opening I'm talking about is about the height of your fingernail, very small, and anything more than that is just not good for your car. Makes a very nice sound though, fun to listen to!

 
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