Thread: Idea's on how to make my car sound better for cheap?

Honestly leave it stock. I have magnaflow mufflers. While I like them they also have terrible drone at certain rpm's. Mainly 1500rpm to 1800. Terrible.

If you want just a little bit more throatyness you could replace the resonator with a glasspack. But do like a 24 or 32" I'd leave the mufflers alone if your on a budget.

A good muffler for non drone and good WOT noise is Dynamax VT. But they are pricey.

There is no cheap way of making the 3800 sound nice. The sound problem is with the engine, not the exhaust. It will sound like poop unless you cam it.

Better than stock, but still poop: modded 02' Grand Prix GT with Magnaflow mufflers - YouTube

Only way to make the 3800 sound nice: GTP Big cam warm idle - YouTube

Hmm ok maybe I'll just leave it stock. One more question, I'm reading the how to safely mod your 3800 thread right now. But my car has 161k on it, 150k when I bought it. Is that to much to start modding, and adding HP? The guy I got it from was some old guy who took care of the car he had it all written down. It is on its 3rd tranny though, all replaced by him, which is weird to me. Also is a 3.4 pulley setup even a noticeable gain in power? Because I don't plan on going any lower.

161k isn't too much to start modding. Just make sure you take care of all the maintenance items listen in that thread before you mod.

And with the transmissions, they are weak and break parts often. He either sucked at rebuilding them or put all used transmissions in and didn't treat it any better.

Link in signature.

Read, research, get at it broham.

This was my car with Flowmasters, catless headers, factory resonator, 3" piping, and an XP cam: GTP Exhaust - YouTube

This was my next setup with catless headers, a long glasspack for a resonator, then a bullet style proflo muffler before the "Y" with 3" piping to 4" tips and a much larger cam and ported heads: GTP Big Cam Idle/Rev - YouTube

Then before that out the back, I had it dumped without the proflo muffler: Big Cam GTP Idle & Rev - YouTube

It was fun-ish. Still sounded like crap because it's a FWD, 90* V6, 3800.

Originally Posted by dirtbikeryzz

Hmm ok maybe I'll just leave it stock. One more question, I'm reading the how to safely mod your 3800 thread right now. But my car has 161k on it, 150k when I bought it. Is that to much to start modding, and adding HP? The guy I got it from was some old guy who took care of the car he had it all written down. It is on its 3rd tranny though, all replaced by him, which is weird to me. Also is a 3.4 pulley setup even a noticeable gain in power? Because I don't plan on going any lower.

No amount of mileage is to high to mod. I started modding mine with 190 ish on it. A 3.4 is a noticable gain. I noticed a lot with just headers.

From what I've read overkills pcm's for 3800 are way better. He's slow at returning emails and takes a little time to ship but their supposed to be the best

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Originally Posted by dirtbikeryzz

I can just buy one of these PCM's instead of tuning the stock one right?

Yes, ZZP, Intense Racing, DHP. You name it.

Ebay

And be prepared to modify the cheap headers in some way shape or form.

Its been debated and debated about open cone intakes. Take a look under where the throttle body is. It's a exhaust crossover. Heats the air in the throttle body no matter the intake system you go with. Its been proven on a dyno that open cone vs cai there isn't hardly a difference.

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earplugs, that will make it sound better, and they are CHEAP!

97 03 04 08 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP 3 8L Exhaust Header | eBay

or

SS Exhaust Manifold Header Extractor Grand Prix GTP Regal Impala 3 8L V6 Wrap | eBay

If I read the mod thread right, one of the above purchases should cover everything under the exhaust section.