Thread: how to make my v6 faster

Safely Modding your 3800 thread, read it.

You don't.

Your year only 4T60e vacuum trans will die if you add more power.

And I know your new, but you coulda tried reading on here first.

If you want more speed, you need to spend money.

I'll agree with FFDP, the vacuum controlled trannies in 1997's don't hold up to squat. If you wanna roll the dice and risk tearing it up by adding more power, then go ahead. Like they say, "money is only money right?" After all, it'd be your money not mine.

Either way, I will be nice and give you the link for the Safely Modding Your 3800 Thread.
http://www.grandprixforums.net/safel...car-17482.html

I think you had better leave it alone for now, but either way the above linked thread does contain a lot of good information and is worth a read-through.

get a topswap, Heads, Blower, LIM, pullies. and WEEEEEEE

Annnnd then get ready to put a new transmission in your '97 because I'd highly doubt that it will take that added abuse for very long.

The transmissions in 98+ cars are better, and quite a few people on here have minor mods on their cars with no major problems. As I'm sure you know though the more you ask out of the car, any car in fact, the more likely it is to break/quit working properly.

Making it look cool is going to be harder than making it faster.

In my opinion visual mods are the best mods. But yes, first priority should go to the engine/transmission and making sure that they are fixed up and running good. My personal car is visual only, I'd rather not take the risk (or spend the money) trying to make a 14 year old car faster than what it was originally.

Its a 15 year old grocery getter...Technically 16 as of September/October.

Why not just drive it and save your money for something better?

GXPs are nice, and have a fair amount of power from the factory. The LS4s they put in them do have issues with water pumps going bad prematurely. If you buy used, this may have already been taken care of.

Since you're not planning on buying one right away, take your time to do more research and find out if it's really what you want. If you decide it is, start reading about modifications you would want for it. You'll find a lot of good GXP info on LS1tech.

Originally Posted by 98L36

In my opinion visual mods are the best mods. But yes, first priority should go to the engine/transmission and making sure that they are fixed up and running good. My personal car is visual only, I'd rather not take the risk (or spend the money) trying to make a 14 year old car faster than what it was originally.

What's your excuse then?




To the OP, Visual "mods" on these cars....Forget em. It's the literal definition of polishing a turd.

Get a 98-00 GTP (as in factory supercharged) and start from there. Anything else unless you're an expert with these cars is one step forward two steps back.

errbody is being such a debbie downer.
true, a gtp will be easier to mod. but at the same time...you will wind up having to replace the trans in those as well. because they still suck.
you only have a 4t60 if you have a GT or an SE. if you have a gtp, well guess what, you have the 4t65 for a trans.
so OP there are a few options you can take. you can find a junkyard trans 4t65 for cheap, put it in your car, and then do a headers and a top swap and a tune, or if you already have a gtp you can get headers/intake/drop to a smaller pulley.
but remember, whenever you do ANY pulley dropping/serious mods, you will NEED a tune.