About to buy a trans am
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
About to buy a trans am Ok this is my first post on this forum. I have been car less since april because my camaro got stolen. I had a 79 and put about 10000 in the car. It was a horrible night when it got stolen especially since I heard the thief crank it up and drive up. I just put a 2500 transmission in it. Anyways, I have a few questions because I am used to working on old school non emissions vehicles. I have read the stickiest and faqs. First I need to fix a rear main seal leak. This should not be too difficult. Im guessing felpro is a good brand for seals because I normally use them. The car has an exhaust leak on the driver side where the manifold hooks up with the cat. I want to put some lt headers on it but of course I have to worry about emissions. If I put longtubes on there im not worried about a visual so much, but I am worried about the AIR components pulling a code. The cats can be moved back at an exhaust shop I'm sure. I have been racking my brain over the monsoon system. I believe I will just bypass the amp and run some components to the front and sail panels. Im going with an alpine head unit so I was thinking about using their amp that bumps up the the head units output to 45 rms. Also this a mainly street driven car. When I put a stall on my camaro I only got about a 2400 stall. Im thinking about going ahead and changing out the torque converter when I change out the seal. Im thinking about 2800-3000 stall would be ok. I live dangerously close to summit racing in mcdonough ga so parts are easy to come by. any tips for a ls1 newbie are appreciated. Thanks.
Helps to know more about the car like is it a A4 or M6? year, mileage? if auto throw a 3000-3500 stall in it get lt's a ls6 intake if it doesnt have one already and a tune. then think about some suspension upgrades. Most importantly what are your plans for the car?? DD, track car, weekend monster etc...
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
Saying converter I assume its an auto 
Im running a Felpro rear main with no problems. As for the headers, they are prone to crack where the emissions fittings are welded to the primaries. I prefer a non-emissions header and then you can do a mail order tune to delete your emissions in the computer. You could get them to throw your trans tune in while they are at it. Check out Frost for mail order tunes. Good luck 
Im running a Felpro rear main with no problems. As for the headers, they are prone to crack where the emissions fittings are welded to the primaries. I prefer a non-emissions header and then you can do a mail order tune to delete your emissions in the computer. You could get them to throw your trans tune in while they are at it. Check out Frost for mail order tunes. Good luck Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Sorry for lack of info. 1999 trans am. a4. no ram air hood. 3.23 gears. 145,000 miles. Intended for a dd but like to be able to put some rice down if needed. the only mods done to the car are lid, k&n filter, and flowmaster. want to toss the flowmaster for borla. any good places to get ls6 intake? $400 seems to be the median price im seeing. I didnt even know mail order tunes existed. The only emissions equipment that is attached to the manifold is the AIR right? What about egr?
Id knock out what needs to be done first, then move on to performance parts.
Headers & Y-Pipe (Stock exhaust is leaking)
Frost Mail Order Tune (Delete cats & rear 02s so you pass emissions)
Rear Mail Seal (Stock gasket is leaking)
3000-3200 Stall Converter (Performance part that can be done w/ rear mail seal install)
New Plugs/Wires (Most likely the car currently has alot of miles on them)
And then from there you can upgrade other parts such as an LS6 Intake, ported throttle body, underdrive pulley, etc etc.
Headers & Y-Pipe (Stock exhaust is leaking)
Frost Mail Order Tune (Delete cats & rear 02s so you pass emissions)
Rear Mail Seal (Stock gasket is leaking)
3000-3200 Stall Converter (Performance part that can be done w/ rear mail seal install)
New Plugs/Wires (Most likely the car currently has alot of miles on them)
And then from there you can upgrade other parts such as an LS6 Intake, ported throttle body, underdrive pulley, etc etc.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 62
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I called a local speed shop and they quoted me a ridiculous price for a header install. they said 3-500 for the header install. then 300 for the rest of the exhaust work. sounds like too much. i have been reading the threads and i believe i could potentially do the work. is it necessary to have ceramic coated headers? i had a bad experience with my camaro and just painted headers burning **** up.
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Its better to have the ceramic coated headers, they keep under the hood temp down. If you go with the painted one just try to make sure you move everything out it's way. Has for the install its a piece of cake, you may need a saw or a grinder to cut a little bit of the frame off. Sometime yea do some time yea don't. I have done two LT install first time i didnt next time i did so it depends on your car, and 300 sounds about right for larbor to install LTs good luck dude.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 514
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The Monsoon amp really isn't all that bad for a lower powered amp. Start with just the HU and speakers and see how you like it first before you go to all the trouble of rewiring a new amp in.
As for cats with long tubes, I'd say get the TSP catted-Y if you can afford it.
Circle D makes an affordable 3k stall TC from a modified OEM trailblazer TC that many seem to like.
As for cats with long tubes, I'd say get the TSP catted-Y if you can afford it.
Circle D makes an affordable 3k stall TC from a modified OEM trailblazer TC that many seem to like.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
ya i have done a lot of thinking and i will just build the sound system one step at a time. as for the headers.....i am going to do that in pieces too. first put on the headers....then spend money for tune/pcm edit. once i get it registered i dont have to worry about emissions for a little bit.