$1300 and a slow 98 GT Conv....Advice?

soctty7676

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Apr 4, 2005
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Ok, I have been wanting to do the PI head conversion on my car since the day I bought it. I have finally saved up the money and am now doubting if this is what I should do right now.

'98 GT Conv 87,000 miles
I have put on a Flowmaster cat-back system and K&N filter removing the silencer.

I am just not sure what my next mod should be...head swap, nitrous, handheld tuner, etc....

If I go ahead with the headswap, do I HAVE to have a tune right away, or can it wait? Does the parkway kit come with a tune? Can I just buy a handheld tuner and download a tune to put in for the headswap?

Thanks!
 
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From what I understand, you don't have to have a tune right away (some will even argue it's need when just doing the PI head/cam/intake swap). The car will run rough at first, but evens out as you drive it and the computer re-learns.

The parkway kit does not come w/ a tune/tuner. It is exactly what is listed on their website. No instructions either, so you will need to address that. If you go the parkway route, speak to Joe and tell him Miles sent ya (I need some good PR there) and ask them to ensure the shipping boxes have appropriate bubble wrap or styrofoam (see my thread from a few days ago).

If you're looking at a tune afterwards, I would say ordering a tuner, like the XCal 2 and having a tune made for you / shop do a tune is a good route, but not required.

My next mod after the headswap is the XCal2 and a tune from Steeda.ca

Good luck
 
If all I had was $1,300 I would definitely go for the PI swap. Once done you will run with the stock 99+s. After that get some subframes so you aren't always having the body shop adjusting your doors and windows. Subs were my first mod but I only had $400. Go for the PI swap now before you change your mind. I decided on a SC so I won't be doing the PI swap. I can spend that money on cams and other upgraded engine components.
 
I would install the PI cams and PI intake, that will run you less than $300 then gears and a 100 shot to eat the remaining 1k just pray you don't have a backfire and you will be smokin'

Dwayne
 
hey, since your heads are out, add a little bit of money now and go with stage 2 cams, taking off the heads is a long and complicated install, so make sure u do everything at once, so u dont need to remove ur heads AGAIN, especially true when u r paying a shop to remove them, u r looking at 700-1000 bucks for labour
 
Ha, you guys are a bad influence! Money-wise anyways...

Well, you have confirmed my thoughts. I just need to go with the PI swap, then build from there.

Thanks for the advice. I will order the swap kit and I am taking a week's vacation next month and will try to do this myself.

Thanks!
 
I honestly believe that for $1300 you would be better off just installing the PI cams and intake, that is where most of the power gain is in the swap. Now I said MOST not all but a good 80% that will run $300 or less leaving you with a cool grand to invest in gears and a 100 shot to really wake things up.
Dwayne
 
PI swap the whole thing. Heads, cams & intake. You will be putting down more power then, than a stock 99+ GT. the non-pi cars have better compression with the pi-swap and you will definately feel the difference.

Do it....do it :nice: