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Starting to modify

Americanmuscle13

Americanmuscle13

New member
I've got a 2003 GTP which is bone stock at the moment. The goal is to surprise a few mustangs and hit 13's. Nothing too crazy, as this is my daily driver. I've been searching through the forums and yes I've read the "safely modding your 3800" thread. I've been looking at picking up a set of headers as it seems that's the most common place to start after an intake. I've read with SSAC headers you have to clamp a high flow cat in if you want to use one. This results in a P0420 code evidently? It sounds like any basic tuner can shut the code off for me, but I get the impression that some companies are preferred over others. Which brings me to my next question... Who's the best place to get a PCM from? It sounds like I should do both of these at the same time, before even looking at anything else. Any suggestions guys? I've spent most of my time working on carbureted v8's, so this is a different world for me.
 


Get SSAC's, install them, and stop caring about the low cat efficiency code. All high flow cats will pop that code.

Don't order a PCM and get a street tune. Look around for someone local.
 
If you plan on getting into the 13's you have a list of mod's to go thru, best case is to get all of your parts at once, so you dont half to re-tune your pcm every time you add something. If you can do this, or know someone that can for you, great! but most of us dont. I have an INTENSE PCM, and I love it, made a huge difference on my performance, with only a few mods. stay away from ZZP pcm's, "most" ppl on here have had issues with an zzp pcm, but some have had great luck... to each there own. Good luck with the modding!
 
Like other's have said get a tune by someone with a tuner not a vendor that makes a tune to fit a wide variety of sc'd 3.8L's. I'm glad you've chosen to skip all the BS mods and go straight to headers!:th_thumbsup-wink:


If i had done that at the beginning of owning my car i would be way ahead!
 
I'm planning to get a 3.4" pulley setup (PLOG, 185Tstat, 3" DP, High flow CAT, CAI, PCM tune and cold plugs) which I think should put me in the 13s and leave it like that as my GTP is also a daily driver and I don't want to start worrying about blowing the transmission or other stuff.

I've always found the PCM part debatable as some companies have lots of experience tunning 3800s and a local tunner as good as that person may be, he will probably won't be specializing in 3800s. I've also seen a good deal of complaints about most mail in tunnes here and the problem I guess it would be having to mail your PCM back for warranty in case your mail in tune didn't work as expected.
 


If your getting complaints about ail order tunes then you are buying the wrong one. DHP all the way. Get one from 3800 Performance.com OR, you can send me your PCM and I can drop a DHP tune in it for half the price since I have a '03 also. Just let me know if you want to go that route.
 
I live out in the sticks, so it's going to be hard for me to find a shop to tune it for me. Most of the stuff out here is either dirt track or muscle cars. I'll have to check in the Minneapolis area see what I can find. Otherwise I've read mostly good things about intense and 3800performance, I'll have to look into that as well. I wouldn't mind sending it to someone,but my camaro is my only other vehicle and single digit gas mileage would be a little rough on the commute to work. So it's looking like headers, ecm, CAI, thermostat, colder plugs, and then pulley swap. Anything else I should be looking at? I should have enough cash by next week to start picking up parts. I'm not looking to do a cam or rockers, don't feel like pulling it apart that far. I've done enough cam swaps on my chevy. The Camaro is an '81 with a 78 front end on it. It's got a 388 small block with an automatic. Here's a better pic:

2lntm9v.jpg


Don't mind the stance, at the time I had just put new springs in and they hadn't settled yet.
 


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