New here altogether

[07MONSTERBUILD]

First time owning a grand prix here. 07 Pontiac grand prix just a base model nothing special, but not for long. Im trying to weigh either doing the top end swap and having a decent little daily or going a bit of sleeper status on the highway with doing a turbo build. Who here has done a aggressive turbo build? If I go turbo ill be looking to swap engine and trans to ls4. Anybody have suggestions? Id like to be able to pick your brain and get yalls personal opinions.

[Scottydoggs]

more researching on your part.

Ls swap stuff not gonna happen either.

[SgtMarshal]

I don't think you can do a top swap because of the tuning issue. I could be wrong, but I know the last year grand prix can't be top swapped, and possibly the 07 model as well. we have a member that is in progress of doing an LS4 swap as we speak, and has paired it to a 4T80 transmission, because the 4T65E will not be reliable at the power levels an aggressive LS4 turbo build will make. Look up Furches Performance, he is the shop owner doing the swap.

[07MONSTERBUILD]

A part of me wants to go aggressive with it, and anything can be done. Just got to be creative and know what you are doing. IF I really wanted to figure it out I do have a 4bt cummins motor in my garage. Hows bout a diesel grand prix? haha

[Scottydoggs]

07 needs a 04 or 05 pcm to tune it. iirc.

[SgtMarshal]

I think you would have better luck with an LS4 build, I highly doubt a 4bt cummins would fit in the engine bay, and not to mention its a rear wheel drive engine, so you would have to convert the whole car to rear wheel drive. the LS4 build is going to be a lot of work, and the 4bt will be significantly more than an LS4.

[chrsmi1]

Your best bet would be trading that base model for an 04/05 comp g or a gxp. Start from the best models and go up from there, don't start at the bottom and try to make it up a mountain.....
You ain't drake...

[Scottydoggs]

A part of me wants to go aggressive with it, and anything can be done. Just got to be creative and know what you are doing. IF I really wanted to figure it out I do have a 4bt cummins motor in my garage. Hows bout a diesel grand prix? haha

just how deep are your pockets? and more importantly, whats your wrenching level? fab work? can you weld, make brackets? re wire the car to swap to a v8 and make it work......see where im going?

if you go turbo, you "WILL" need a built tranny. stock one wont last a week.

top swap much more manageable for the tranny.

[chrsmi1]

Is it just me, or is it like every week that someone posts here about a monster build they want to do??

Do whatever you want OP. And if you go major we will help however we can. But the sweet spot for these cars is somewhere between. 280-320 whp. Anymore and sh1t starts failing like it's a yugo. That level gets you a fun dd that surprises a lot of new cars. Even new muscle ones.

[07MONSTERBUILD]

well I have my little shop at the house, I do know how to fabricate, I do know how to weld, I understand mechanics pretty well, but you can learn something new everyday. On a side note the 4bt is going in my cheorkee, she is a work in progress as well. On a serious side Id like to think I'm a good grease monkey, Ive done a few custom builds. Starting easy with a 78 crew cab square body, 70 Datsun 521 pick up on bags laid up to doors. Have a built 72 plymoth duster that has been gone thru 3 major transformations.
She sits now a street/strip car. The only reason I want to go aggressive is because everyone around here knows the duster and I need something new to get at a few races. If she does go aggressive the only original thing left of the car will be the body. I really want to push more than my duster and its gonna take more than an ls4.

[Scottydoggs]

depending on your bank account you may pull it off. sounds like you've been wrenching on everything you own so far.

turbo and a tranny is the easy way tho if your looking for 500 hp.

but like chrimsi1 said, a top swap will also put a smile on your face. stock tranny holds up to 300 hp if you dont drive it like it owes you money daily. aka beat the snot out of it.

[07MONSTERBUILD]

The more I think about it I think she will be mild and somewhat tame. I want to be able to hop in the car and go when needed. plus itll be cheaper for now haha. I bought this car for dirt cheap, only had 129xx on the odo got her for 800 bucks. Missing bumper cover and had a problem staying running. Turns out it was only the mass air flow sensor, she ws just dirty. cleaned it up no more long cranks to get her started and keeps running. She is a good running motor sounds pretty healthy.

[Scottydoggs]

find a gtp or regal gs or super charged bonnie at a junk yard, pull the heads and lim, blower, blalancer and extra pulleys off it. you also need headers to run a top swap. speed daddy headers are the cheapest, best header your gonna find.

or find a running used l67 and drop that in there. those are not so easy to find these days tho.

gaskets, fluids and bolts are about 200 to re assemble it. most of these engines leak oil, its either the rear cover or the pan. its worth it to re gasket the whole engine. what i did. bone dry now.

you'll need a tune for it, overkill is good with the 04 up cars. hes got that all figured out it seems. hes a vendor here. sells canned tunes.

my car cam with a supercharger and i blew it up, so im running a n/a block now, its a bottom swap in my case, but still a top swap in the end.

its stronger then a stock l67 for sure. add a ic and you can drop pulley size easy, cam will help too. and still keep you at or around 300 hp. with a cam and ic. trans wont hate you to much.

if you have e85 where you live, thats just free HP. lots of guys run that, then you can ditch the whole ic set up idea and still drop pulleys if you have corn. e85 you need larger injectors and bigger fuel pump and pump re wire. still cheaper then a ic set up.