Let the Modding Begin! // Cruze Build Episode 2

In this episode, Tim puts the ZZP Chevy Cruze back on the dyno with a newly installed Z04 turbo kit. After comparing numbers to the stock dyno, we install 60# injectors to see how much more power we can squeeze out of the Z04. #zzp #zzperformance #gofastnotbroke
ZZP is located in Wyoming, MI. We are the world’s largest supplier of aftermarket performance parts for 3800, Sonic/Cruze, Ecotec, and ATS platforms, providing industry-leading customer service and support.
Our staff of professionals has experienced knowledge in all the vehicle platforms we represent. ZZPerformance is dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. We provide you with highly specific technical information, that can’t be found anywhere else.
Interested in modding your car? Check out our parts at zzperformance.com
Questions about modding? Email us at [e-mail]

[@CotyBasa-Oahustate808]

ZZP: Building cars that people can actually afford

[@iamnobody3793]

If you want a car to mod that is affordable and can actually get more than 200hp without spending a crazy amount of money would be an LS swapped 3rd gen f body.

[@onlymemphis8100]

@@iamnobody3793 good luck finding one

[@iamnobody3793]

@@onlymemphis8100 3rd gens are easy and cheap to find just have to do the ls swap yourself.

[@RandoManFPV]

@@iamnobody3793 got my cruze for 2k$ and 95kmiles, I'm rolling with it 🤙

[@cocainecowboy1717]

It’s a Cruze 🤦‍♂️

[@mattgallegos10]

I'd love to see what you guys can do with the Malibu!!! I really love the 2013 styling of the Malibu I just wish it had more performance mods!!!

[@RelaxingFactsYT]

very happy to see a fellow mi car lover

[@UncleRico371]

I remember working at a Chevy dealership when the Cruze came out, we got a super nice blue pearl colored one loaded to the brim with options and then GM did what they do best and slapped and RS badges on em, charged you money for it yet nothing performance changed….LAME!! Wished they’d come back to more of their roots like when they released the SS/SC cobalts and SS/TC cobalts. The C8 is great but ain’t no one breaking that ECU any time soon. Knowing AL and they guys we are see a 500 HP Cruze and then I’m buying one to beat the shit out of 😁😂

[@drewmarkham91]

I just got a Cruze and can't wait to mod it

[@austin_love89]

Everyone complaining it didn't break 200hp and that's not why you buy a Trax, Sonic, or a Cruze, etc. People chasing numbers too damn much, the actual driving mechanics of this car is gonna be night and day. If everyone was just chasing numbers we'd all be driving mid 2000s Chargers, Mustangs, and Camaros (price per hp). Some people want to take what's economic and get an enthusiast feel out of it. Guarantee if you hopped behind the wheel of the car the way it drives, when the boost comes on and how much, etc make this a damn fun car to drive.

[@gbrunner24]

We've always stood behind modding the car that you already have, and modding the underdog cars. Not everyone can afford a Corvette or Camaro, so why not make your current car more fun to drive, right?

[@austin_love89]

@@gbrunner24 I couldn't tell you how badly I wished there were affordable turbo cars when I started driving. You guys will easily be why thousands of young enthusiasts will be able to start their passion for modding cars. I don't own a chevy product (I got a Fiat 500 Abarth and a Mk5 GTI), but thoroughly respect and love watching what you guys do. And the platforms from Chevy that use the 1.4t engine are cheap and plentiful. It would be ridiculous if you did not touch that engine for modification when it is so accessible.

[@foxxifi6521]

absolute facts, the experience of driving turbo cars is truly something else, from all the turbo noises, to the feeling of hitting boost, it’s super satisfying and is a constant reminder of how fun these cars are to drive

[@paulcherry1520]

Well said brother that’s what I was thinking !! I can afford a Camaro but for everyday driving nah , back and forth to work nope ,but everyday driving to work I love my Cruze , fun economical car who doesn’t want make to funnier to drive and smile well doin it

[@foxxifi6521]

This is very exciting to watch, as a cruze owner myself im very happy to see you guys pushing the limits of this platform! p.s. I have bought so many mods from you guys for my cruze and the results are amazing, thank you for gifting us with such quality parts!

[@foxxifi6521]

currently running the ZZP Intercooler kit, the V3 Turbo, 42# bosch injectors, ZZP coilpack, ZZP catback exhaust, ZZP cold air intake on a 2011 Cruze 1LT auto. I daily drive it and enjoy the ever living sh*t out of this car.

[@cormaro13]

Just dont see the point in modding something with that little power, it's sub200, which v6s from the factory n/a come with that, that dude in blue, did a video over one of these, they looked cool but definitely didn't see the performance as worth it, 5k + for sub 200 hp zone, no thanks, be better on a camaro platform lol

[@gbrunner24]

@@cormaro13 There's always another platform or another engine that's better than whatever someone might have. Not everyone can afford a second car or afford a Camaro or Corvette. Some people just want to modify what they have, no shame in that. Also, we've already gone into the 10s in the quarter in our Sonic that shares the same engine, they're quite a bit more potent than you think.

[@foxxifi6521]

@@gbrunner24 thank you for this absolutely goated response. i saw the engine tear down vid of the sonic and it was exciting to see how minimal damage it had after pushing 600hp what you guys did to that little sonic is insanely impressive! I got my cruze 3 years ago with 89k miles for only $4k and i’ve been daily driving it since. i got the car before i was into cars and after i started working for a dealership my coworker told me that i could get a tune for my car to make it a little more spicy lmao, and that’s when i just went nuts with the mods, and i absolutely enjoy every second of that little car. it is officially a full bolt on sleeper, i get excited to drive my car every single day thanks to the mods that you guys at zzp make, and continue to make. Hands down ZZP is the best performance company i’ve ever dealt with, the customer service is always super helpful, and the parts are always top tier quality.

[@jjunderwood4095]

@@cormaro13 who wants a v6 camaro anyhow? Lol more exciting to see one of these little compact 4 cyl rippin around any day. Plus it's about the build, not always about the power gains. I personally would prefer a 4 dr cobalt ss if I were to ever do another build but my 2dr 2.4 was pushing 300whp no problem and it was fun as hell.

[@cmattdabrat]

Looking good! Impressive gains.

[@georgethoman82]

Just ordered some zzp parts im gonna adapt a eatons m90 to my cruze cant wait for the rest of my parts to show up.

[@usecom1]

Chevy could have done so much with this platform

[@foxxifi6521]

nah who needs chevy to upgrade this platform when u got zzp lmao

[@gbrunner24]

It would have been awesome if they did a proper "hot" version with a 2.0 in the Cruze and Sonic, I'm convinced that they were planning on it but the project got canned. The Verano, which is the same chassis as the Cruze, came with a 2.0 turbo LHU and even a manual 6 speed F40. They easily could have made that the Cruze SS, would've been phenomenal.

[@paulcherry1520]

Buick regal had the same setup and they are like 260 hp

[@angeljavier5320]

Already told wifey I can’t wait to finish with my Eclipse to start some upgrades on her LTCruze lol Good thing is I have the approval from her to all of this 😂😂😂

[@zachskennedy4923]

I wish the z04 was ready for the cruze.... got the big wheel v3 sitting in the box still

[@Pudding175]

Are you guys filming in 4K now? I ask because this video has really good quality. Makes Tim look crisp in the video haha

[@gbrunner24]

We are! Gotta love that crispiness.

[@burningrubberperformance2425]

Can you guys finally do something with the ecotec 1.6 diesel LH7 since you’ve done all the rest

[@antador8200]

On 2012 cruze 1.8L with a 6spd trans whats a safe rpm to be shifting at its so sluggish shifting at 2,500 rpm

[@orion2250]

Wonder what the ultimate top speed will be tho

[@dylanhiatt4243]

I can't wait for the torque converter to come out. Also waiting for motor and trans mounts. Mine are about shoot so I'm just patiently waiting

[@gbrunner24]

We've got the rear trans mount available! Front should be coming soon.

[@dylanhiatt4243]

@@gbrunner24 I'm working on getting the rear

[@cormaro13]

I hope you're not building one of these lol definitely not worth it, u will barely touch 250 rwhp, u can get that and more from a v6 lol

[@scottybasham1020]

@@cormaro13 250 RWHP is astronomical in this car, since it’s front wheel drive 🤡

[@cormaro13]

@@scottybasham1020 says the clown that prob owns one lmao, so you're saying if it's on a dyno only the front tires spin ? , you're idiot

[@ryannewnham8826]

Would i need to re tweek the map with the with your 36lbs injectors as not much bigger ive im correct

[@dtbrown1978]

Nice, before the stock pull did you do an once over check typical parts that fail like pcv, boost leaks etc? Also with the automatic and torque curve being so high on the z04 I'd worry about drivability. The auto has a hard enough time with off the throttle response with the stock turbo. Is the change in torque curve going to sacrifice a lot of drivability with the automatic? Also no valve float above 5500 at 22 psi? Wow.

[@gbrunner24]

We actually bought the car with an engine that had a rod knock. Replaced with another higher mileage junkyard engine but went through everything to make sure it was good to go. Replaced valve cover with blown PCV, compression test, and it was good to go. Surprisingly this auto Cruze with the Z04 is pretty pleasant to drive, doesn't feel like a big laggy turd. With some tweaking of the TCM Tim has it running very well. We are working on a torque converter solution for track and launching because the stock one is bad even on a stock turbo. The lack of valve float is great, shows you just how much backpressure the stock turbo or a stock frame turbo has. After cams and valve springs we run Ashley's car out to nearly 8k on the Z04.

[@dtbrown1978]

@@gbrunner24 that's amazing to hear. Very happy guy guys are testing like this. Very controlled and removing variables. I moved to Colorado and at 5500+ feet my car is a total turd now even fully tuned with almost every supporting mod but on stock turbo. I'm all about drivability and decided to buy a slightly upgraded stock turbo with a larger Billet wheel to improve initial torque off the line. This of course was before the z04 was released. But love seeing you push these engines as there's surprisingly still a good consumer market for the aftermarket on them.

[@SimbaUchihaa]

Drivability is something I enjoy in a car too, it's no fun using too much energy and focus to just cruise around town, no pun intended

[@damianiverson3139]

Please do a diesel cruze next!

[@neginfluence04]

is there an upgrade wastegate for the z04 turbo?

[@juandcastillo4868]

Is this turbo kit compatible with a 09 cobalt LS?

[@funkyjunky6574]

Bro, could you recommend a turbo for my 1.6l petrol turbo cruze

[@ryannewnham8826]

Does fitting new in injectors need a tweek to lower the duty cycle or does it do it it self thanks ryan

[@ZZPerformanceChannel]

You will need a PCM tune or PCM update when installing larger injectors. The flow rate, offset, and other parameters need to be adjusted for the vehicle to run properly.

[@pollo-caotico8283]

would love to see yall do this with the 2016-1018 chevy cruse td 6 speed and 9 speed

[@cocainecowboy1717]

check out Bad News Racing then

[@pollo-caotico8283]

@@cocainecowboy1717 only reason i asked, is im building my 2018 cruze out and mines a TD.

[@cocainecowboy1717]

@@pollo-caotico8283 my bad, i didn’t see the ‘td’. there are no tuners for the 2nd gen diesels, you’re better off finding a local diesel tuner and asking them.

[@pollo-caotico8283]

@@cocainecowboy1717 yeah thats what i was thinking too, im trying to do a 1 of a kind build myself, hardly ever see the TD touched always the gas version.

[@X0Luii]

why don’t y’all ship new bolts with a midpip kit now i have to find new bolts and wait longer to install

[@bryanCLXT]

Got a 18' Trax awd that I'm planning on getting silly with

[@cormaro13]

I hope not lol no matter how much u throw at that, it'll still be slow lol, wait for something better

[@foxxifi6521]

don’t listen to that cormaro dude, he’s just your classic internet clown 🤡 dude just doesn’t get it smh. Get silly with that mf trax homie, i think you’ll find that these engines have decent potential. I own a FBO gen 1 cruze and i certainly see those comments all the time “wHy DoNt YoU jUsT gEt a v8, tHeY mAKe mOrE pOwEr” lik don’t get me wrong v8’s make hella power but like what’s the fun in just buying an already powerful car? i personally think it’s way cooler to build an underpowered car into a powerful one, it’s just way more fun and very rewarding. plus it’s amazing to see all the looks you get when you gap people in a chevy cruze lmfao

[@cormaro13]

@@foxxifi6521 first off, my camaro wasn't a v8, second it was a fbo, e85, brembo upgrade, suspension upgrade v6, if u like sub 250 hp go for it, I was at 320 to the wheels with that setup, without throwing any force induction at it yet

[@foxxifi6521]

@@cormaro13 have you seen the 600hp drag chevy sonic with the 1.4l engine? that’s the potential of this platform, and it was still reliable after all those modifications. once again it’s not at all about who’s got the bigger engine at all, there is a replacement for displacement contrary to popular belief, and that’s called forced induction. so i’m not sure why you’re still trying to discourage people from modding their cruzes/sonics/trax etc, at the end of the day you’re still not proving anything by doing that. you’re just a loser who can’t get over the fact that 4 cylinders can indeed be hella powerful. have you seen the toyota gr corolla, it’s a 1.6l 3 cylinder that makes 300hp, which is literally 100 horsepower per cylinder, whereas your v6 only makes about 53hp per cylinder, that 600hp sonic makes about 150hp per cylinder. so uh, i don’t wanna hear this nonsense about 4 cylinders being “slow”

[@cormaro13]

@@foxxifi6521 u do realize that 600hp one was with forged internals and lots of work right, no one saids its slow, it's just going to take a good amount of money to make it reliable while running that high of boost, plus the 3 cylinder corolla, have u seen the selves and heads on those, they were meant to throw more boost at lol, im just saying the capabilities of 4 cylinder only gets so far til u have to throw forged internals and build the Trans early on vs having fun with a stock car like a v6 turbo running that on low boost and then getting tuned and downpipes, then that's v8 numbers, and yea I'm a loser for being realistic about cars and not wanting to spend 10k plus to be in 300hp zone for a cruze/Trax or since

[@rkelley8475]

Lol reminds me of a 90s geo metro . Ya you can build it and people did but why would you.. just to keep up with a stock Honda anything 😂

[@Blu3Bandit]

I know its a competitor part, if that's how y'all look at it, but I am extremely curious how well this turbo does with the racer-x manifold.

[@gbrunner24]

Trifecta did some great test with it on the stock turbo, but I'd definitely be interested in seeing how it would work for peak power on this or the Xona drag car

[@boo2547]

So this turbo can also go on a stock 2013 Chevy Cruze lt 1.4 turbo? What will it need to go

[@chrystalbrawley7907]

yes

[@lgsdbaconarmy4453]

Can you do the 2017 Chevy Sonic LS??!

[@lgsdbaconarmy4453]

I can’t find any good builds for one

[@ilpazzo9407]

How different other than body is the 1st and 2nd gen?

[@gbrunner24]

Considerable. The underpinnings are very similar but the drivetrains are totally different. The 2nd gen uses a 1.4 direct injected engine, nothing powertrain swaps over. We are just starting to mess around with the 2nd gen, currently working on a downpipe and intake.

[@ilpazzo9407]

@@gbrunner24 fantastic! Can't wait to see c what you guys come up with!

[@timkeyskeys462]

What turbo did you use for this?

[@ZZPerformanceChannel]

This episode in particular was on the stock turbo. We then upgraded the car to our Z04 turbo kit later on in the series.

[@torqueandbeanssauce]

Is the epa the reason I can't see the tune video? Lol

[@ZZPerformanceChannel]

Lol, you should be able to watch it. Try the link here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGOlmIJont6YiJI

[@BigTreeLander]

i just wish your downpipe didn't cause a CEL to appear

[@WhiteGrapeSwisher]

Lol except everything is sold out on your website

[@InspireNThrive206]

For $2200 roughly for the turbo and injectors....still not making 200hp or torque...

[@ZZPerformanceChannel]

Obviously it's a low-powered car to start with, but most people would say a 60+ WHP gain from a turbo and injectors is pretty substantial.

[@GTkyle]

They also didn't install the intercooler yet... I'm sure it would be over 200 with that change. I'm sure charge air temp was through the roof.

[@alexanderkim7241]

Sadly, ZZP got nothing for malibu 1.5

[@ktmboyzridin]

Should try the bnr gtx 250 turbo way better

[@RaiJK3]

That intro is VERY LOUD. My ears!

[@BigZeus]

So more turbo lag, less driveability(most power in very high rpms), over $2k, sub 200hp. Not impressed. Even your V3 is a better deal than this.

[@gbrunner24]

We're going through this series in kind of a "backwards" manner compared to most customers will do, but we also wanted to showcase the gains step by step where possible. The V3 is a great turbo, and on an auto car would likely be my choice for a daily. However, as the series continues you'll see that with all the other bolt ons (that a customer would likely have by the time they purchase a Z04) these silly little engines can make some solid power. All depends on what a customer wants and how they want the car to drive. I wouldn't say that higher rpm power is worse drivability, some prefer that over a big torque spike out the gate.

[@GTkyle]

As the owner of a V3 on an auto car I can vouche that the lag is only noticeable when stabbing the throttle from a stop, and even then it's brief. There is zero detriment to drivability. Torque spikes get you wheel spin on front wheel drive, which is pointless. The car freight trains on the highway compared to stock. It really is no contest. Had the z04 been available a year and a half ago when I bought the V3, I'd have probably gone that route.

[@kouriedonahoo1940]

For future reference don't make viewers attempt to squint at a shitty line graph. I get laying the graphs up to see the changes but after each change show the before and final number in a damn text box. I almost feel like this was a save face move because it didn't even break 200hp

[@ZZPerformanceChannel]

We figured the shots of the graph along with Tim reading the numbers out loud were pretty self-explanatory, but we can certainly add graphics in future videos. Our goal is to show what the Cruze is capable of with some basic mods and tuning. We're not shooting for the moon quite yet.

[@briankinzer4175]

Ok and just those 2 mods run you like $2500 for what 50hp lol that’s a waste of you’re money plus to get more power = more tuning = even more money invested for mild gains absolutely not worth the money they charge at zzp go check there prices 😂