Bleatings and Salivations

[jdwyat]

Greetings...

Joe here from AL..

I've owned my '04 Grand Prix GTP for coming up on 3 years now.
Daily driver, and I've toyed with the notion of modding, and tweaking the car since purchase.

I'll start by saying I've read the thread:
http://www.grandprixforums.net/f81/s...car-17482.html

Great info. Definitely know where to start now.

I'm sitting at 70k miles now, and I've started ordering parts to do the engine tune-up / prep before I start changing parts....

I'm still anxious on the SC pulley swap... still debating it.

I wanna thank the peeps for the site, it's full of great info, and I look forward to reading more posts, and hopefully creating a few in the near future.

Thumbs up, and salutations.

-Joe

[JarenSTi]

welcome.

woah, someone actually... tried... without asking questions

[matt5112]

One word: headers.

[jdwyat]

One word: headers.

Where to buy? and is there a brand you recommend?

Thanks for the greetings! I've been trolling threads for a couple days now. Great site, great peeps, and tons of great info!

For now, I'm waiting on the new 180 thermostat, Mass air flow sensor, and deciding on the air intake... I read somewhere here someone recommending the fender well type.
Brave as I am.. I lack the creativity others might have.. so I'm not doing the hardware store, and instead looking to buy a kit.

Looking for recommendations there...
Was also looking at the magnaflow exhaust system.
Currently "check engine" light is on (either bad sensor or fouled cat)

Thus.. headers, air Intake, MAF sensor, and Cat will be my first set of "mods"....

I'll do "another" tune-up then changing out the wires, plugs, and draining nearly all the fluids.

I'm shooting for safe and gradual increases as it's my daily drive...

Looking forward to chattin w/ ya'll and thanks for the greetings and heads up!

-Joe

[bronzemist02]

Welcome! Do you have any pics?

[jdwyat]

welcome.

woah, someone actually... tried... without asking questions

Haven't tried anything yet... LoL

I guess I should mention I'm a 34 yr old dad... so slow and steady is the way I go.. except on the highway I suppose.

However, I'm wondering if I should buy a really cheap "get to work car" now. The more I read here, the more I want to do.

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

get speedy daddys headers off ebay and just make your own intake and I would not do the fender wall intake. If i were you and where doing the mods I would just stick a filter right on the end on TB.

And dont spend money on the WHOLE exhaust. THe stock cat-back flows plenty fine so just get a set of mufflers welded on to save yourself like 200-300 bucks.

[gtpinsc]

welcome... i gave u ur first thanks lol... for reading that thread

[matt5112]

Get speed daddy headers from ebay.

$220 to your door, they seal, and they're stainless.

180* T-stat wont help much unless you plan on going past a 3.4 pulley at some point.

Put a filter on your MAF sensor. Its been dyno'd, best solution out there for a blown GP.

[gtpinsc]

i heard theyre 205 shipped now

[matt5112]

even better!

and you're not on 20's anymore...

[jdwyat]

welcome... i gave u ur first thanks lol... for reading that thread

ooh, thanks

Get speed daddy headers from ebay.

$220 to your door, they seal, and they're stainless.

180* T-stat wont help much unless you plan on going past a 3.4 pulley at some point.

Put a filter on your MAF sensor. Its been dyno'd, best solution out there for a blown GP.

I will seriously look for those headers.
Great suggestion.. . still debating on the pulley change.
Already ordered the Thermostat.. couldn't hurt. Call me overly cautious but I don't see an overactive thermostat as a bad thing.. LoL
Please add details to the filter? For the mass air flow sensor?

i heard theyre 205 shipped now

even better!

and you're not on 20's anymore...

Huh? and yes. agreed. Even better!

i heard theyre 205 shipped now

get speedy daddys headers off ebay and just make your own intake and I would not do the fender wall intake. If i were you and where doing the mods I would just stick a filter right on the end on TB.

And dont spend money on the WHOLE exhaust. THe stock cat-back flows plenty fine so just get a set of mufflers welded on to save yourself like 200-300 bucks.

Great advice!
I think I'll follow that.
Much more inexpensive just replacing the Cat..
I have a check engine light already and want it to disappear. Diagnostics show my fuel mixture rich, etc..
Looks like a bad cat already.. could be a bad O2 sensor. plan is to do a resend on the sensor, and my mechanic found a magnaflow cat for 150 bucks.

I'll look for the headers, and do the install for them and the cat at the same time.
Also, looking at the suggestions thus far, along with what I've read..

Just going to sum up and wait for feedback.
I've already flushed the coolant, added a stock Thermostat. Going to replace it w/ a 180 while we go in and replace the Lower Intake Manifold Gaskets w/ a metal one.. (still looking for that). replacing coolant elbows then as well.

Also, going to replace the Transmission filter and fluid as well as the fuel filter and supercharger oil. (I'll do the oil change then as well and yes I use synthetic)
Already changed out the belts.

I think that sums it up...

looking at a Jet MAF sensor for 290.. and a K&N FIPK Air Intake for around 350..
after doing all the "pre-stuff" w/ headers and cat.. I'll have to save up for the MAFS and Air Intake.

Thanks again everyone and I'm sorry if I missed any responses.. kiinda got lost in all the cut and pastes..
Looking forward to the response and advice. I'll try to get some pics posted for the "before".

[matt5112]

buy a 3" filter and stick it on your MAF housing.

Done.

[jdwyat]

buy a 3" filter and stick it on your MAF housing.

Done.

Well.. there's a novel idea ! I like the sound of cheap!

Just questioning here. I hafta ask....

My understanding of the idea is to get cooler air into the tube w/ less resistance... I've noticed the engine cavity is a pretty hot place already.

I really don't want to lose the factory hood. I like the idea of a "sleeper" look.

So.. my question is. Will just sticking the K&N Filter to the end of the MAFS .. won't that pull in hotter air?

I was under the impression the idea was to pull air from an area of the car with a lower ambient temperature... Educate me please. I'm still learning...

Also, Ebay.. no speed daddy headers for GP's. < insert sad face >

[matt5112]

You have a heaton blower.

It makes intake air temps irrelevant.

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

hot air or cold it does not matter. there are .5 hp difference so just stick the filter on the maf houseing. we are just telling you to do it becasue it works and save you your money

[jdwyat]

You have a heaton blower.

It makes intake air temps irrelevant.

hot air or cold it does not matter. there are .5 hp difference so just stick the filter on the maf houseing. we are just telling you to do it becasue it works and save you your money

Sounds good to me.

and on that note, I'm gonna put my head on a pillow and dream of how many mustangs I'll send to the glue factory..
Thanks all!

[matt5112]

np, enjoy.

[jdwyat]

Continued this post and started discussion here:
http://www.grandprixforums.net/begin...tml#post407605