Well, I should mention I owned a '76 CJ...but as of Wednesday I took possession of my new toy - '08 Sahara Unlimited. After a weekend in Mexico over the New Years, I can see where Jeep ownership becomes more of a lifestyle than a means for transportation.
Here's the deal - I realize there are a ton of mods available; however, as a daily driver, I will keep the exterior in true Sahara fashion. Regarding the performance, two things are important to me, horsepower and fuel economy. It took some highway driving to realize the 4 speed was built for lower speeds, so I see the need in sprucing it up a bit.
To you experienced Jeeper's out there, please rank the following in order of MUST Haves for horsepower and fuel economy:

a. Cold air intake
b. Performance Chip
c. Exhaust System

Also, any brand recommendations, I have read reviews but would like to hear first hand.
Thanks for any advice. What a great feeling it was to hit the dunes on the beach in 4low for some slow crawl. I look forward to more!

Cheers

 

Welcome to the Forum. IMO you should get these in the following order:

1-Programmer (Superchips)
2-Exhaust System
3-CAI.

I have a Magnaflow that was relocated under the JK next to the evap canister. It has a mellow tone (not too loud or soft). Others have taken the cost effective route and used a Flowmaster series 40 and had the muffler shop relocate the muffler. As for the CAI, you may get some members that will caution you to invest in a snorkle instead, but if you dont do any heavy water fording you should be ok...There are a lot of CAIs out there, but the popular ones I have seen are the Banks, AEM, S&B, AFE & K&N....I am running the S&B, I chose that because it has a sealed cover and almost resembles the factory box...You wont notice a dramatic gain in the intake, but I chose that for the re-usability of the filter....