OK, so I will be getting my stimulus check here pretty soon for 600 dollars. And yep, i plan on sinking it into a mod on my GT. So I basically have 3 choices.

Rotofab Intake

VMS tune, (which is limited to the FirstG8 coupon on what kind of time frame I have on that deal)

Or the Magnaflow Catback.

I plan on trying to make this my only mod for a while so i can try to save up money for a trip to Hawaii in September. So which one should I choose? Even though I have a time frame on when I can get the VMS tune for the discount, would it be wasted after I buy the exhaust and intake since it will need an adjustment after that anyway?
Advice anyone?

get the tune...and enjoy spending MY money and that of your other citizens who don't qualify for one

get the tune...and enjoy spending MY money and that of your other citizens who don't qualify for one

Gotta love it eh? The people who pay the most taxes, don't get a dime back...

Gotta love it eh? The people who pay the most taxes, don't get a dime back...

Yeah seriously!

I guess that's just one of the perils of being apart of the middle-class. What would this great country become if we were all poverty stricken and given $600 to spend? :slap:

I think I'd rather have peace of mind knowing I have a roof over my head and can put food on the family table every day!!!
Some people won't be able to do that with a measly $600 dollars. Besides what can you do with $600 bucks... open up a liquor store or something? :slap:

The Bush administration is quite possibly the most incompetent administration of modern American history!!!

Sorry for the rant HardEight!

My advice is go with the Magnaflow first since it's probably the biggest ticket mod of your choices. Save the tune for last to dial in your bolt-ons.

I want to do headers & the Magnaflow catback together, therefore I'm driving down to Vector Motorsports this Saturday morning and spending my $600 stimulus cash (plus more) on the VMS tune & Roto Fab CAI.

I can't wait..... :)

The Bush administration is quite possibly the most incompetent administration of modern American history!!!
you think it came from the right side of the aisle?

however, he didn't veto it, i suppose. :slap:

Yeah seriously!

I guess that's just one of the perils of being apart of the middle-class. What would this great country become if we were all poverty stricken and given $600 to spend? :slap:

Here's the funny thing. With combined income, I'm TECHNICALLY considered below average in Massachusetts. *I* make good money, but the better half does not. She filed seperate this year, she got the $600. I'm not so lucky. Either way, whatever. Just another type of welfare I pay for.

I got my stimulus check with my paycheck yesterday. SO, I went out and had the windows tinted on the G8. :P WA will only let us do 35%, but I still think it looks good. :)

Besides what can you do with $600 bucks... open up a liquor store or something? :slap:

the point of the package is for people to go out and spend it to spur the economy, not to better the average persons life...they just left it up to the taxpayers themselves to determine which businesses will benefit from the stimulus...

Yeah seriously!

I guess that's just one of the perils of being apart of the middle-class. What would this great country become if we were all poverty stricken and given $600 to spend? :slap:

I think I'd rather have peace of mind knowing I have a roof over my head and can put food on the family table every day!!!
Some people won't be able to do that with a measly $600 dollars. Besides what can you do with $600 bucks... open up a liquor store or something? :slap:

The Bush administration is quite possibly the most incompetent administration of modern American history!!!

Guess you are too young to remember Jimmy Carter...not even close.

the point of the package is for people to go out and spend it to spur the economy, not to better the average persons life...they just left it up to the taxpayers themselves to determine which businesses will benefit from the stimulus...

Well, here's the thing though. Those who DO NOT get the stimulus, tend to spend their money a little more liberally, as their cost of living versus income ratio is much better. So, a tax break for those of us paying for this "welfare", would probably be more effective, as opposed to giving it to people who are just going to spend it on gas/food, which they can barely afford now. Essentially, the stimulus check is going into the pockets of the oil companies, who most of us that DO NOT get the check, are invested in anyway.

Bravo to the government though, for doing something completely useless.

[QUOTE=LS2GTO;44222]Yeah seriously!

Besides what can you do with $600 bucks... open up a liquor store or something? :slap:

QUOTE]

Spend it on cheap Chinese goods like most Americans will do.:banghead:

Don't want high unemployment in Sichuan province, you know.

Besides, where do you think we borrowed the money from for the stimulus checks in the first place:wink2:

Guess you are too young to remember Jimmy Carter...not even close.

I remember. 14-15% mortgage rates

Well, here's the thing though. Those who DO NOT get the stimulus, tend to spend their money a little more liberally, as their cost of living versus income ratio is much better. So, a tax break for those of us paying for this "welfare", would probably be more effective, as opposed to giving it to people who are just going to spend it on gas/food, which they can barely afford now. Essentially, the stimulus check is going into the pockets of the oil companies, who most of us that DO NOT get the check, are invested in anyway.

Bravo to the government though, for doing something completely useless.
Wait, what?! Rich people knowing how to spend their money? balderdash! I think the government knows how to spend it MUCH better than they and, in fact, rich people should be taxed disproportionately more, because the only way they could've come about so much money is by screwing the little man, cheating business partners, and raping the environment! :drink:


but i think entirely free enterprise would be chaos as much (if not more) than pure communism, so there's no perfect solution :whine:

i would do the exhaust so people KNOW you have a V8. The intake and tune wont do much for the sound, so I would go exhaust

Wait, what?! Rich people knowing how to spend their money? balderdash! I think the government knows how to spend it MUCH better than they and, in fact, rich people should be taxed disproportionately more, because the only way they could've come about so much money is by screwing the little man, cheating business partners, and raping the environment! :drink:


I'm not talking about people who make $1 million a year. I'm talking about the middle class. You know, the people who earn an honest living as professionals... The people who didn't take out interest only 2 year ARMs, the people who don't buy cars that equate to 200% their yearly earnings, the people who are generally smart with their money, but have a huge amount taken by uncle sam to support the lazy/incompetent.

Yea I am 23 and get raped on taxes. And I dont get a stimulus check cause my parents claimed me on their taxes. Not anymore, but unless they do it again, nothing for me :(

Taxes are a joke cause you pay in sooooooooooooo much and end of year get barely anything back. Yet our country is still in debt out the ass.

Some guy won the lottery recently. He won $45 million. He chose the lump sum and walked away with...................$13 million. Now, thats still a lot of money, but that still sucks. Got to love the American way lol. Work your ass off, we take your money, and give you 1% of that back. Enjoy it :) lol

Yea I am 23 and get raped on taxes. And I dont get a stimulus check cause my parents claimed me on their taxes. Not anymore, but unless they do it again, nothing for me :(

Taxes are a joke cause you pay in sooooooooooooo much and end of year get barely anything back. Yet our country is still in debt out the ass.

Some guy won the lottery recently. He won $45 million. He chose the lump sum and walked away with...................$13 million. Now, thats still a lot of money, but that still sucks. Got to love the American way lol. Work your ass off, we take your money, and give you 1% of that back. Enjoy it :) lol

Wait a minute. I agree there is a giant 'Tax Bite' taken from income but that $45mil is an annuity figure calculated over 20 - 25 years so it's not like you lose $32mil to taxes!

not it doesnt all go to taxes, but that guy took the lump sum and lost out on all that money instead of taking it all and getting it over a bunch of years

a measly $600 dollars. Besides what can you do with $600 bucks... open up a liquor !!!

You can always send yours back! I'm sure they'll be glad to accept it...



(I'll bet you won't)

not it doesnt all go to taxes, but that guy took the lump sum and lost out on all that money instead of taking it all and getting it over a bunch of years

Taking 1/2 in the lump sum, plus the tax hit (same at that amount, all at once, or once a year over 20 yaers), is the smart way to do it. Safe investing, over that 20 year period, will net a boat load more then if he let them pay it out.

Math > You

Guess you are too young to remember Jimmy Carter...not even close.
I do... Oh boy...

Taking 1/2 in the lump sum, plus the tax hit (same at that amount, all at once, or once a year over 20 yaers), is the smart way to do it. Safe investing, over that 20 year period, will net a boat load more then if he let them pay it out.
Yeah, mild investment should get you ahead of where you'd be in the 20-30 years, especially when you consider inflation. Also, you can pay cash for an enormous house rather than financing it saving a lot. The biggest problem with the cash-at-once is that people didn't work their way up the ladder and don't know how to manage the money and usually end up back in the poor house.

I would get the Vector tune. You'll have immediate results. Then when you have funds for your other mods, re-tune is free.

Yeah, mild investment should get you ahead of where you'd be in the 20-30 years, especially when you consider inflation. Also, you can pay cash for an enormous house rather than financing it saving a lot. The biggest problem with the cash-at-once is that people didn't work their way up the ladder and don't know how to manage the money and usually end up back in the poor house.

Most people who play the lottery are stupid (the odds are WAY against you), so its not surprising that when they win, they blow all the money and end up poor again.

whats a vms tune?
can the dealer do this?

You can always send yours back! I'm sure they'll be glad to accept it...



(I'll bet you won't)

Unlike you...I make too much money to get $600 stimulus money. By the way you should be thanking me for you getting yours. :bootyshake::rolleyes:

This has gone way off topic!

whats a vms tune?
can the dealer do this?

Check the side bar. Site sponsors have their links to their web sites there. Look for Vector Motorsports.

Unlike you...I make too much money to get $600 stimulus money. By the way you should be thanking me for you getting yours. :bootyshake::rolleyes:

This has gone way off topic!

First *I* heard that I'm getting one.

Wow, didn't mean to start a political discussion. Just wanted some opinions. But anyway, I decided to go with the tune. Since like G8RAY said, the upgrades are free when i get my intake and exhaust down the road. Its on its way and I am excited.

yeah, the middle class isn't getting a check...jeez don't you have to make 75K single or 150K couple to not get the full amount? then over that you just get less? don't know about you all but i'd call 150K household income UPPER middle class at the lowest...on average i bet the vast majority of the middle class will be getting a check...

"Economists rarely use the term [Middle Class] and will typically use the term "middle income" instead to mean the 20 percent of households whose incomes are in the middle.....

The most commonly cited figures from the Census data are from all households mixed together. Median income among all U.S. households in 2006 was $48,201. The middle 20 percent ranged from about $38,000 to $60,000."

so why would the middle class not see a check again?

yeah, the middle class isn't getting a check...jeez don't you have to make 75K single or 150K couple to not get the full amount? then over that you just get less? don't know about you all but i'd call 150K household income UPPER middle class at the lowest...on average i bet the vast majority of the middle class will be getting a check...

"Economists rarely use the term [Middle Class] and will typically use the term "middle income" instead to mean the 20 percent of households whose incomes are in the middle.....

The most commonly cited figures from the Census data are from all households mixed together. Median income among all U.S. households in 2006 was $48,201. The middle 20 percent ranged from about $38,000 to $60,000."

so why would the middle class not see a check again?

Middle class is a lifestyle, not a number. In the NJ NYC suburbs, if your family isn't making $100k, you are not middle class. Heck, in my town houses start at nearly $500K for a teeny old house. Same house in the PA coal country towns would cost $25K. Middle class is a medium sized house, 100 x100 ft yard, a vacation trip for a week, full 401K contribution and 2 G8s ( or similar) in the driveway. Can't do it on less than $100K, even $150k is tight.

Sorry but my neighbors are two teachers...they make $150K. That is not rich, that is middle class.

I'd define middle class as the population excluding the top 20% and the bottom 20%, not the middle 20%.

could you just imagine if we had a fair tax???? what would we do if the rich didn't support the poor???? and you don't get rich by stepping on the little man like someone said, but i guess to that person it is fair to penalize someone who tried and succeded and reward the H.S dropout.

i guess i'm just used to the lower cost of living here in bumpkinville...my house is nice, nothing extravagant, built it 1.5 years ago for 164K, 1/5 acre yard...our household income is about 80K, and i still can't afford 2 G8's in the driveway...we have an 02 GP and 02 Explorer, and that is about all I can spare ever since our son was born...if i didn't have the kid i could get a G8 EASY...

our house in NJ is $400,000. 4 bedroom, 1 bath, 2 car garage, big yard and a pool. I can get same exact house in NC for about $150,000. Just shows how expensive NJ is too live.

our house in NJ is $400,000. 4 bedroom, 1 bath, 2 car garage, big yard and a pool. I can get same exact house in NC for about $150,000. Just shows how expensive NJ is too live.

yeah, Boston area sucks as well. Well, it USED to suck. With the new "adjustment", I'm going to buy a bigger house next year.

im just biting my time to save up enough to move to NC. I hate this state. High taxes, high insurance, high housing costs. My parents paid $9,500 in property tax last year.

our house in NJ is $400,000. 4 bedroom, 1 bath, 2 car garage, big yard and a pool. I can get same exact house in NC for about $150,000. Just shows how expensive NJ is too live.

shoot thats a good deal. 2bdrm 1bth on 6900sqft lot w/ 2 car garage in socal $437500.00

im just biting my time to save up enough to move to NC. I hate this state. High taxes, high insurance, high housing costs. My parents paid $9,500 in property tax last year.

Pay is less in NC. Its almost always equal out.

Pay is less in NC. Its almost always equal out.

so pay is almost 3x higher in NJ than NC? doubtful...i don't think i would make 180K in the big city....

so pay is almost 3x higher in NJ than NC? doubtful...i don't think i would make 180K in the big city....

In some circumstances, yes. Because I work near Boston, I wouldn't benefit much in terms of pay grade increase going to NYC or Cali, but if I were say, in Maine (doing the same job) and moved to one of those places, yeah... 3x isn't out of the question.

NC's cost of living isn't that low. I lived there for a year. I made more money, but it didn't matter cause it went right back out the window with the price of everything else. Especially gas. That's one of the main reasons I decided to move back home, I could make less, but still be just as well off. Plus it all depends on what type of neighborhood you want to live in. I lived in Memphis for a while too, and according to most statistics, the cost of living is much lower in Memphis than it was in North Carolina, but, that is only if you are willing to wear a bullet proof vest 24/7 in your house. Housing in areas that were safe knew they had an advantage and they charged the hell out of you for that "luxury of safety". I'm not saying NC isn't better than NJ but it isn't anything that special when taking the entire nation into comparison.

And since I am on a roll here, it seems like I got a lot of flack for my original post simply because I am getting a stimulus check. I wasn't the one who decided what incomes to provide them to. I was just in the bracket lucky enough to get it. I don't make a whole lot of money, but for where I live its pretty damn OK. Plenty to get by on. Enough to where I am happy. Around here, the only people who got into the range of making enough to not get a check were people like doctors and lawyers. But around here that is fine. I don't by any means consider myself "lower class" and honestly I take offense to that type of remark. I have an education, and I work everyday 8-5 using that degree and I do my own business on the side. I OWN (0 payment a month) a small 2 bedroom 2 bath house 4 miles from my place of employment. So obviously my cost of living is extremely lower than most people out there who make 200 k a year and are sinking it right back into a ridiculous mortgage payment on a house that is more than they needed in the first place.

(I design houses, so trust me, I can tell when someone has too much house.)

Now, I don't go around putting these people down. These are the choices that made them happy and that is all any of us can expect to get out of life, a little bit of temporary happiness. Implying that someone is lower class because they got a stimulus check doesn't make you decisions or theirs any more valid.

So maybe the government did screw up and cut out a larger portion of the population than they should have, maybe middle class is larger than most of the statistics show. Or maybe, they actually had enough smarts to see how fast the value of the dollar is dropping in the world market and decided to stay somewhat conservative in their choices. Lets face it, Uncle Sam isn't known to be too thrifty, so maybe they put some thought into this and weren't just trying to be cheap. Maybe they were trying to balance out the nation a bit. If it does what its intended to do, I'm not saying if it will or not, it might drive the value of a dollar down in the impoverished areas of the country and drive it up in the places where 150 thousand a year is just middle class. Because in all honesty, that type of difference is a screw up anyway, I don't think the US should have that drastic of a cost of living index anywhere inside of it. Real estate will always be based on location and prices will adjust accordingly, so that is out understandable. But when the average price of a haircut in NY is over 50 bucks and the average here is 15, something is severely messed up. But maybe thats just my crazy ass wishful thinking that everything will end up in better shape than we are currently headed for.

Excuse the rant, just had to get it out.
Whew I feel better now.

It is Friday isn't it?:drink: