Not blessed with a GT/GXP

[Terry102]

Hello, been surfing through the forums for quite awhile, and i've got a few questions that have yet to be answered. I have now owned 2 Grand Prix's, one i wrecked, and the 2003 i bought wrecked for $50...Both of which are SE's. I work at an automotive garage and have full access to a machine shop equipped with CnC lathes/mills, so any visual mod suggestion will be appreciated, and not impossible.
OK, enough with the somewhat introduction...
-Will the dual exit exhaust Y-pipe off of the 3.8 bolt right up to the 3.1 exhaust? (So sick of looking at a single PoS tailpipe, lol)
-And...with headlights, could you pop the lense off, and paint the background of the light? or should i just buy covers? (keep in mind i have 2 sets of headlight housings)

Now i know most of you will tell me to just buy new lights, and bend your own exhaust, but...im a broke college kid, so I'm trying to make my SE look better and keeping my wallet fatter...

Thanks,
DT

[JarenSTi]

welcome

u could alway tint your taillights. not too much... headlight covers will look cool too but lessen your visibility at night.

definitly do a debadge on an SE...

[Terry102]

Debadge is already top priority, the rear tails have the typical grand prix lense separation...would the tinting hide that, im assuming it would...i think im going to experiment with my extra set of headlight assemblies, Dont know what quite yet, but i'll post when i do so...

DT

[blueguy]

Honestly...I'd drive it.

If it was a GT or GTP I'd say ok...do this...but an SE is just that...ESPECIALLY with the 3.1. The only thing I'd ever do to that car is tint the windows and keep it maintained...then save your money...nothing you do exhaust or performance wise is really going to help a 3100...they are pretty much gutless; proven...I ran down a 3400 Monte Carlo with a CAI in my automatic 2.2 Cobalt.

If you are however DEAD SET in doing a few things to it...find one in your color and get a GT/GTP front bumper/side skirts/rear bumper and the factory dual exhaust...it won't however just bolt up as if I remember right the SE's 3100's DP location is different. As for the headlights you can bake them...take them apart, clean them as in wesanding...polish...seal up...re-install. OR...but the hundred buck EBay black housings/corners and just toss them on.

Taillight tint is good...and it does cover up the de-lamination...but your going to need to buff, polish and clearcoat VHT good before it looks better than a crappy flat finish...and VHT finish is ewwww 95% of the time since most people don't do it right.

Other than that...good luck...

if you need any help there is a 3.1 section here and you can find people who know your motor in and out...

here: Milzy Motorsports - American Muscle, Reborn

or...

here: 60DegreeV6.com - Site News

Again, good luck...

Nick

[Terry102]

Im not dead set on anything just yet, just trying to make my car look a little better. I know taht the 3.1's are gutless and all, but i tell ya, it started this morning @ -45 degrees, and i've been dealing with the 3.1 since i was 17 so i know the motor pretty good and have no intentions to do much to it. My boss has told me about an upcomming exhaust job that hes doing on a GT and im just trying to make up my mind to keep the y-pipe or have him junk it...I'm at school, otherwise i'd already know whether it'd bolt up or not.

[kjohnson]

You may be able to make an "adapter" to make the other exaust fit. It couldn't be that hard to do if your just going to for the look and to get it done cheap.

[klj5022]

You may be able to make an "adapter" to make the other exaust fit. It couldn't be that hard to do if your just going to for the look and to get it done cheap.

I agree if you got the shop at your disposal go for it. I swear if i had a shop to use i would be way more modded by now

[Terry102]

Well, on friday i went to the garage, to change my oil...well up here in new york we get snow, and the DOT lays salt on the road...and the salt gets on our cars and corrodes the hell outa them. i got to looking at the flange for where the new resonator and ypipe would connect, and found that it is damn near gone. With that, i have decided that when i get my taxes back, im buying the U-Bend delete pipe, new resonator and ypipe assembly and 2 raptor mufflers from flowtech.

As far as visual comes, im going with 2 x 4" exhaust tips, buying the GT rear bumper (and possibly the side skirts, havent decided yet). New Rocker panels are in line, and a new paint job after car is fully debadged.

I know alot of you think im nuts for doing this to an SE, but the way i look at it is i can learn to paint, and place body panels before i get my GXP.

And besides a good looking car is always nice when your 21

Dustin

[Terry102]

You may be able to make an "adapter" to make the other exaust fit. It couldn't be that hard to do if your just going to for the look and to get it done cheap.

I went to the walker exhaust book at work, and if i take the Y-pipe off of a 2002, it will bolt right up to the stock flange on the cat. The 2002 3.8 single outlet uses the same resonator and tailpipe assembly number as the 3.1