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New GP owner, problems within the first week of owning it haha

N

nitroheadz28

New member
I bought this 2 weeks ago to replace my Fiero, 99 Grand Prix SE with 234,XXX on it.

-M90 setup off a GTP, original tranny- engine supposedly has 60k on it now.
-TOG headers, 3" downpipe, full 3" catback with flowmaster super 44s and magnaflow tips
-42.5lb injectors
-ZZP 1.9 rockers/ tuned pcm/ 3.4" pulley/ fuel rail
-Fuel pump rewire
-SLP deck spoiler

Body is "ok", its got rust around the rocker panels. Some very rust patches around various spots, nothing crazy but its there. Also has a crack on the rear bumper on the drivers side, looking for people parting out black GPs to swap them with. Interior is on the dirty side, but with some cleaning it should be decent. Has leather rear seats with original cloth fronts. It sounds awesome for a 3800, almost all of the youtube clips I hear of swapped fieros and gtps- well they sound pretty bad. Nice deep tone, it drones a bit when cruising but I can deal. It pulls quite hard- tranny doesn't slip or show any signs of trouble, cool sleeper as it looks stock apart from the SLP spoiler- the only thing that gives it away is the exhaust.

















Payed $1500

Its been dumping oil, I jacked it up and initially it looked like the oil pan gasket- but there is so much oil that I'll have to check again, I was short on time and rushed initially going over the car. If I drive it, it uses a good 1/4 quart of oil per day. Either way it looks like it'll be a pain in the ass whether its the oil pan, or rear main seal- to swap out the gaskets.

Watcha think?
 


Why is everything on your motor covered in salt and rusting? Clean your engine brah! Not a bad looking ride other than that.

You can get a new filter for 15 bux.
 
The car is dam clean though man. Just get under the car with degreaser and cover your face, spray everything down, then hose it off. And just watch for the leak. If I were you I'd take the passenger tire off and check around the oil filter neck. Or the oil filter itself, maybe the last oil change someone didn't get the old filter seal off and it's leaking there... Food for thought. Welcome though. Enjoy your stay here :p
 
The car is actually an SE. I was doing some digging and it looks like most if not all SEs came with the 3.1 and the ugly granny looking bumpers? Looks like someone did a swap with the engine and bumpers- hey its dirt cheap on insurance.

It was a MA car and the guy put a ton of miles driving from there to NJ, I haven't had time to mess with the car so I'll be taking care of the issues when I can. Priority is the oil leak, and making an FWI since the air filter coupler broke off the last time I drove it :th_angry2:

Thanks 99pg, its not too bad. Thats the plan, I already checked around the filter and its not coming from there. I'll take it in for an inspection thurs/fri so I'll get it on a lift and take a better look.

I need to drain+ seal the head/ tail lights to get rid of condensation, and shoot a bit of night shade on the tails to complete the blacked out look.

I tried to get on clupgp as well but apparently their system is fudged and becoming a member is near impossible. Wanted to mostly have access to the classifieds to pick up goodies for it.
 


rynoman03 said:
Why is everything on your motor covered in salt and rusting? Clean your engine brah! Not a bad looking ride other than that.

You can get a new filter for 15 bux.
Click to expand...

Not sure if serious..........................................you do know that's NOT salt, right?

As far as your oil leak, just degrease the underside of the engine, then start the car and let it idle. If the leak is that serious, you should be able to pin point it within a few minutes.
 
Yep I'll take care of the oil leak as time allows. Btw- where can I find a lower gasket set? I've its close to the same price as just an oil pan gasket- but I haven't found it yet.

Thanks for the compliments guys, I think it looks pretty decent for what it is. This is just a cheap/ fun daily. It looked like there was a drop of coolant mixed into the puddle of oil on the ground, the PO told me he installed new gaskets when he did the top swap- but I think he knew there was an oil leak, and he lied to me about the ABS sensor being broken off on the pass front side, so I guess I'll just assume it needs gaskets. I'll know for sure when I do an oil change.

Meh accident or not I don't care, I didn't even bother running a carfax or anything when I bought it lol. Its just a $1500 car, but this one actually looks good and has about 270whp so I think thats a nice plus.

As far as mods, if anything I'll eventually get rid of the supercharger and throw a turbo/ intercooler in there. My concern is the tranny- which is original with over 230k on it. It works fine now, but I'm sure it'll start giving out with more abuse. It doesn't look like there are many options- can't bolt in the 4t65e-HD from the GTPs without a pcm change, and it looks like the only other option is buying a tranny from TEP. Or I could just keep buying stock trannies and replacing them as the give out :D
 


It rained all day today so no go on pinpointing my leak. 2 questions:

-Where can I find a lower end gasket kit?
-You guys think its possible to get rid of the chrome trim around the windows? I'd like to give the car a true murdered out look, plus chrome is an eyesore to me.

Hopefully this sucker passes inspection tomorrow, it smells like it runs a bit rich but I guess I'll find out soon enough from the sniffer =/

This trim FYI:

 
nitroheadz28 said:
-You guys think its possible to get rid of the chrome trim around the windows? I'd like to give the car a true murdered out look, plus chrome is an eyesore to me.



Click to expand...

Thats the only tell tale sign left, that it was born a SE. Someone spent more money making this a GTP than it woulda cost buying a GTP to begin with. But as for the chrome trim, you could vinyl it. But, that would be an unbelievable pain in the ass. It would be a million times easier to just mask it and paint it.
 
A LIM gasket set can be purchased through any auto parts store. What size S/C pulley is that? I seriously doubt it has 270hp.
 
KeithGTP03 said:
Thats the only tell tale sign left, that it was born a SE. Someone spent more money making this a GTP than it woulda cost buying a GTP to begin with. But as for the chrome trim, you could vinyl it. But, that would be an unbelievable pain in the ass. It would be a million times easier to just mask it and paint it.
Click to expand...

Haha yep, but its a fun sleeper! I didn't know that SEs came with 3.8s, I thought only GTs had them. If thats the case then thats probably what I'll do. Thanks!

I wasn't asking about an LIM gasket though :p, lower end gasket set like oil pan/ whatever else in one kit. Its a 3.4" pulley, I did some research and someone with the same setup was putting down 300 crank/ 270 wheel. Its a funky looking pulley, anyone know where its from?
 


Before you jump on LIM gaskets. take a look at the ones on the car. Pisses me off when it's suggested and the car is swapped. Which means that gaskets were likely done. If you look by teh top radiator hose at the engine. The LIM to head, if the gasket looks like aluminum, you are good and have no worries. Black.....think about doing it.
 
nitroheadz28 said:
Haha yep, but its a fun sleeper! I didn't know that SEs came with 3.8s, I thought only GTs had them. If thats the case then thats probably what I'll do. Thanks!

I wasn't asking about an LIM gasket though :p, lower end gasket set like oil pan/ whatever else in one kit. Its a 3.4" pulley, I did some research and someone with the same setup was putting down 300 crank/ 270 wheel. Its a funky looking pulley, anyone know where its from?
Click to expand...
Oil Pan gasket you should be able to get from the parts store. And there still no way in hell you have 270 wheel horsepower with no intercooler and just a 3.4 pulley. Take it to the dyno. I'm betting it's closer to 220-230. You can't say your car has x power because someone with a similar mods put that down. So far that's the funniest **** I have ever heard on this forum.
 
BillBoost37 said:
Before you jump on LIM gaskets. take a look at the ones on the car. Pisses me off when it's suggested and the car is swapped. Which means that gaskets were likely done. If you look by teh top radiator hose at the engine. The LIM to head, if the gasket looks like aluminum, you are good and have no worries. Black.....think about doing it.
Click to expand...

Bingo. I jacked it up and looked everywhere, the top end has new gaskets- as well having a new water pump+ gasket.

The oil sensor is tight and definitely not leaking, I'm convinced its the oil pan. The pan is wet pretty much everywhere, with most of the leaking coming from the corner where the oil filter is. It was kind of tight to really be able to tell if there was anything coming from the rear main seal, but I don't think a leak from that seal would also be evident on the opposite side of the oil pan.

Oil Pan gasket you should be able to get from the parts store. And there still no way in hell you have 270 wheel horsepower with no intercooler and just a 3.4 pulley. Take it to the dyno. I'm betting it's closer to 220-230. You can't say your car has x power because someone with a similar mods put that down. So far that's the funniest **** I have ever heard on this forum.
Click to expand...

Woah woah big boy, take a deep breath there... How do I have just a 3.4? Read the first post properly. Regardless, why do you care? I sure as hell don't- I'm satisfied with the size of my penis... Its just a rough figure- and if thats the funniest thing you've seen here, you have one weird sense of humor or this forum blows. (I bet its the first option :D)
 
The forum is cool.

Typically a rear main will seep oil onto the flex plate as well. The rear engine covers like to leak on these...buttttt like you said, it's on the opposite end of the motor. One suggestion I have is to look up the block when checking out the leak. The valve cover gaskets on these motors are pretty common leak points with mileage and or a gasket set from ZZP, who by chance makes the SSM90 kit that it appears your motor is wearing. :th_winking:

ZZP's kit doesn't contain valve cover grommets. The valve cover bolts have sleeves on them which keeps you from over torquing etc. If the rubber bolt grommets aren't changed with a gasket, there may not be adequate pressure on the gasket. Since that is the job of the grommet. As well..ZZP's valve cover gaskets don't fit well in our stock valve covers. They are a little short and pull/twist in the corners of our valve covers (at least on the SC'd motor covers)
 
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