Go time!

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 10:36 AM

Monday the TBSS goes down for a while for Gerald to do some magic. The following is happening while he has it:

Circle D 3200 RPM stall torque converter
Gerald is building trans
PaceSetter (yeah I know, but they're pretty nice for the $) COATED LT headers and catless Y-pipe.
NGK TR6 plugs with PCMforless custom wires with heat socks
And JP is going to tune her for me.
Hopefully will have my 4" intake with LS7 MAF sensor in by then as well.

Anything else fairly cheap you guys think I should tackle while the trans is out?

slowgreen99 · 06-06-2011, 10:38 AM

a plate system

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 10:38 AM

Don't bash the pacesetters, they look nice. Welds are good and clean, nice clean bends.....not bad for the $ at all.

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowgreen99

a plate system

I'm already close to maxxing out my $$'s for this round of modding. It is coming soon enough! I'm doing my homework on this mod before I pull the trigger. Never had the N2O on any vehicle I've owned. Hell, never driven with N2O, much less designed / hooked up a system. I will research first. But it's coming soon.

slowgreen99 · 06-06-2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PapaBear

I'm already close to maxxing out my $$'s for this round of modding. It is coming soon enough! I'm doing my homework on this mod before I pull the trigger. Never had the N2O on any vehicle I've owned. Hell, never driven with N2O, much less designed / hooked up a system. I will research first. But it's coming soon.

Cool deal. Im not expert by any means, but it is a ton of fun. Very addicting.

ForceFed4g63 · 06-06-2011, 11:06 AM

I can only speak from personal experience, but Pacesetter is garbage. They're cheap for a reason, they look good until holes start popping up around the welds. I'll never run one of their products again.

1998ta__1991rs · 06-06-2011, 11:18 AM

ive installed probably 10 sets of pacesetters on fbodys and never had a single issue

1 Slow Z · 06-06-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1998ta__1991rs

ive installed probably 10 sets of pacesetters on fbodys and never had a single issue

What he said.

ForceFed4g63 · 06-06-2011, 11:35 AM

I wish I was that lucky with mine, every set I've had has had the same issues.

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 11:38 AM

Well, for $500 coated versus 1200$+ for Kooks or ARH or something next up the chain, if they pop a whole, I can buy a whole other set and still not be at what Kooks would cost me, so it is what it is. Dyno numbers are the same, and that leaves $$ for other mods, so I pulled the trigger. Finance department (read: wife) has a hold on my wallet, so even springing for this round of stuff was a huge chore.

But, I figured I'd get all these necessary mods out the way, b/c eventually I will work on the motor.

Anybody actually have any experience with JP and tuning? He sounds like he knows what he's doing, but for the money, I could get Alvin at PCMforless to mail me a tune that would be good enough for me to drive up there for a road tune. Including gas I would come out cheaper.........thoughts?

gldelox · 06-06-2011, 11:53 AM

Congrats on the modding Buddy!

Both Edward and I had Alvin mail us a tune, then we decided we wanted to get dyno tuned, so we went up there. His mail order tune was pretty much right on with the dyno tune. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my truck.

The mod bug has bitten me once again...harder this time...lol. Got an awesome deal on a TVS1900 and heads. Alvin is going to spec a cam for me and tune her when she's done. And of course, gotta get her tranny taken care of to handle it all.

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 12:03 PM

WOW.......very nice. I guess you decided against the Vette then huh?

I don't really ever wanna go FI, but I'm sure once the limits are reached with H/C/I, it's the only way to go....so we'll see.

And after talking with some other trusted friends, I think I'll have Alvin mail me a tune. Then eventually i'll take a trip up there for a road tune. He can't dyno tune me b/c I'm AWD, but I'm sure the road tune will be top notch anyway.

gldelox · 06-06-2011, 12:11 PM

You can't go wrong with Alvin.

Yep, changed my mind on the vette. I decided to keep the money pit TBSS project going. The del Sol is finished, so I had to think of something else to do that didn't include a car payment. May as well make what I've got bought and paid for faster. lol

bwelch · 06-06-2011, 12:54 PM

I dont think Alvin will be cheapier. JP only charges $275 for a tune. Its gonna take you two full tanks of 93 to go there and back. $120 in gas and $100 for a mail order tune. Then you figure in a whole day of your time and Whatever he charges you to dyno tune when you get there. I dont see it being cheapier.

JP does a good job. Bad BOB car is Hauling @ss. He just tune my old gto and it runs like a different car. It ran the same as my best ET in the car and it was 50 degrees hotter outside and they added about 300lbs back to the car.

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 01:18 PM

JP told me $375. And Alvin only charges $50 for mail order........

$375 seemed a little high when I talked to him, but that's what he said for sure.

Not to mention, I could make a weekend out of it if I drove up there. I need a day off anyway.

bwelch · 06-06-2011, 01:28 PM

I thought he charged $275 for a tune. My mistake. When I had my TBSS years ago alvin charged a $100 for a mail order deal.

PapaBear · 06-06-2011, 01:30 PM

No problem. Just trying to weigh my options first ya know. I mean, I would love to have someone local tune the truck, that would be very beneficial in the future seeing as though I can't leave this damn thing alone. BUT....Alvin and Kelly have been super to deal with, and even his mail order tunes have been spot-on so far.

bwelch · 06-06-2011, 01:35 PM

Alvin is a good tuner for sure.

jmd · 06-06-2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PapaBear

JP told me $375. And Alvin only charges $50 for mail order........

$375 seemed a little high when I talked to him, but that's what he said for sure.

Not to mention, I could make a weekend out of it if I drove up there. I need a day off anyway.

same here. he started out with 275 then said 375 later. that is for a street tune i think. seems like a nice guy.

minytrker · 06-06-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PapaBear

JP told me $375. And Alvin only charges $50 for mail order........

$375 seemed a little high when I talked to him, but that's what he said for sure.

Not to mention, I could make a weekend out of it if I drove up there. I need a day off anyway.

I always heard his mail order tunes were $100 if he emailed it to you but that is just what I was told. There is a big difference between just loading a tune that you already have into a pcm or emailing a tune to someone VS actually tuning it in person. One takes 5 mins and the other takes several hours but is actually tuned for your exact vehicle and not tune a tune from another one with similar mods.
I am not saying Alvin is a bad tuner or bashing him, because he is very good but you can't compare a mail order tune price to someone doing it in person. You also have to consider the future, what if you change something or you always going to drive to NC or mail your pcm back and forth. I see people doing that with the dodge stuff here and there is no way I would have a tuner in another state on something I was always playing with. Either way you cant go wrong, JP or Alvin will both do great jobs.

06-06-2011, 10:36 AM	#1
PapaBear Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,809	Go time! Monday the TBSS goes down for a while for Gerald to do some magic. The following is happening while he has it: Circle D 3200 RPM stall torque converter Gerald is building trans PaceSetter (yeah I know, but they're pretty nice for the $) COATED LT headers and catless Y-pipe. NGK TR6 plugs with PCMforless custom wires with heat socks And JP is going to tune her for me. Hopefully will have my 4" intake with LS7 MAF sensor in by then as well. Anything else fairly cheap you guys think I should tackle while the trans is out?

06-06-2011, 10:38 AM	#2
slowgreen99 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Summerville Posts: 7,740	a plate system __________________ M.R.E. Bad Bob Motorsports

06-06-2011, 11:18 AM	#7
1998ta__1991rs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: West Ash Posts: 4,283	ive installed probably 10 sets of pacesetters on fbodys and never had a single issue __________________ Funny

06-06-2011, 12:54 PM	#14
bwelch Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3,774	I dont think Alvin will be cheapier. JP only charges $275 for a tune. Its gonna take you two full tanks of 93 to go there and back. $120 in gas and $100 for a mail order tune. Then you figure in a whole day of your time and Whatever he charges you to dyno tune when you get there. I dont see it being cheapier. JP does a good job. Bad BOB car is Hauling @ss. He just tune my old gto and it runs like a different car. It ran the same as my best ET in the car and it was 50 degrees hotter outside and they added about 300lbs back to the car. __________________

06-06-2011, 01:28 PM	#16
bwelch Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3,774	I thought he charged $275 for a tune. My mistake. When I had my TBSS years ago alvin charged a $100 for a mail order deal. __________________

06-06-2011, 11:06 AM	#6
ForceFed4g63 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Aiken Posts: 7,002	I can only speak from personal experience, but Pacesetter is garbage. They're cheap for a reason, they look good until holes start popping up around the welds. I'll never run one of their products again.

06-06-2011, 11:35 AM	#9
ForceFed4g63 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Aiken Posts: 7,002	I wish I was that lucky with mine, every set I've had has had the same issues.

06-06-2011, 11:38 AM	#10
PapaBear Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,809	Well, for $500 coated versus 1200$+ for Kooks or ARH or something next up the chain, if they pop a whole, I can buy a whole other set and still not be at what Kooks would cost me, so it is what it is. Dyno numbers are the same, and that leaves $$ for other mods, so I pulled the trigger. Finance department (read: wife) has a hold on my wallet, so even springing for this round of stuff was a huge chore. But, I figured I'd get all these necessary mods out the way, b/c eventually I will work on the motor. Anybody actually have any experience with JP and tuning? He sounds like he knows what he's doing, but for the money, I could get Alvin at PCMforless to mail me a tune that would be good enough for me to drive up there for a road tune. Including gas I would come out cheaper.........thoughts?

06-06-2011, 12:03 PM	#12
PapaBear Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,809	WOW.......very nice. I guess you decided against the Vette then huh? I don't really ever wanna go FI, but I'm sure once the limits are reached with H/C/I, it's the only way to go....so we'll see. And after talking with some other trusted friends, I think I'll have Alvin mail me a tune. Then eventually i'll take a trip up there for a road tune. He can't dyno tune me b/c I'm AWD, but I'm sure the road tune will be top notch anyway.

06-06-2011, 01:18 PM	#15
PapaBear Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,809	JP told me $375. And Alvin only charges $50 for mail order........ $375 seemed a little high when I talked to him, but that's what he said for sure. Not to mention, I could make a weekend out of it if I drove up there. I need a day off anyway.

06-06-2011, 01:30 PM	#17
PapaBear Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,809	No problem. Just trying to weigh my options first ya know. I mean, I would love to have someone local tune the truck, that would be very beneficial in the future seeing as though I can't leave this damn thing alone. BUT....Alvin and Kelly have been super to deal with, and even his mail order tunes have been spot-on so far.

06-06-2011, 01:35 PM	#18
bwelch Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3,774	Alvin is a good tuner for sure. __________________