jedimaster71472

OK, so I'm a Pontiac guy- I have an 00 GTP, 85 T/a and a 97 Formula- this car will be my fifth Pontiac and third Grand PRix

Long story short:

So, I wasn't in need of a car, but read an article and saw a Motorweek video and found the idea of the LS4 in a front driver with larger front tires and Stabilitrak to be interesting.


Just for fun, I searched and found a one owner (a lady) with 55xxx miles for 9 grand.

There were a few small issues, which were fixed to my satisfaction, so I made the deal.

Here's a few pix:














The car is totally stock, with meticulous service records. I understand a transmission cooler is a good idea, so that's on the list of things to research.

I'd also like a CAI, not sure which brand to go with, they all seem to be about the same.

Maybe headers, but that would be "some day".

I'd definitely like firmer shifts and a tune to optimize the car, which I understand is something from DiabloSport.

The stereo is fine but I really want something with Apply CarPlay, so I'm looking at that on Crutchfield to put it into my plan.

Might put red overlays on the GXP badges, they need a little something to stand out a bit.

Anyhow, it's nice to have this car- it makes the most amazing sound and the mileage is way better than I expected. Fast, affordable and just a fun car all around.

Love this GXP

ZGXP101

Nice car! What a great find, gotta love those. Super clean looking and a perfect blank canvass for whatever your aims are with it. I envy your mileage, I picked mine up with 89k, which is still relatively low, but that was almost 3 years ago lol. Thankfully, I've been able to keep her going and then some now @ 126k and counting with no major issues at all. (Knock on wood!)

Yes, everyone here with experience working with these cars will recommend a trans cooler asap. I eventually got one but it came a little later, that was because it was cooler here in MI at the time when I got my car, and my trans didn't get very hot anyway (DIC reading, mind you). There is also talk on whether or not to go with inline or a stand-alone set-up. The factors that determine people's decisions on this vary, but typically you'll see more temp reduction in a stand-alone cooler. I personally have a TEP stand-alone package, the smaller of the 2 offered, and I havent seen temps higher than 175-180 on the DIC even on hotter days.

From my personal experience, I suggest keeping a close eye on your trans fluid, visual inspection and smell. This is a strong indicator of whats going on inside. My car had a trans replacement before I got it, but I'm not sure at what mileage. What I am certain of is the fluid condition has been stout since I've had the car, and I check it weekly. Granted, I did do a pan drop/filter/shift kit a year and a half ago. You mention wanting firmer shifts, a shift kit would help there without needing a tune to increase line pressure, and they're relatively easy to do/inexpensive. Mine is a Trans-Go kit, but there are other options.

Of course, I still plan to get a tune as soon as I can viably do so, mainly for disabling DOD, which has been problematic in my case. Diablosport is an option for this, yes (i2, trinity, etc.), however you'll see many people refer to HP tuners and how it will get you more gains than canned tunes. This is true to a certain extent, but you also can get custom tunes for diablosport devices. It all depends on your goals. Me personally, I'd probably opt for diablosport, because it is cheaper, and the most important aspect of getting a tune, for me, is disabling the DOD /AFM.

All of that being said, even with all we do to limit probability of transmission failure, it is a fact that these cars we're built with flaws that can only be solved for good by correcting the issues GM left alone. I work with 3 others that have GXP's, all 3 less miles than me, 2 having major failures recently. One is an 08', seized engine/slipping and over-heating trans, other is an 06', this one lost all gears. Needless to say, there is no absolute way to predict when it will grenade, all we can do is take what we have and try to make it last. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Like I said, just keep an eye on behavior/fluid condition; also familiarize yourself with Triple Edge Performance, and the symptoms of trans failure.

As far as the other things you mentioned, CAI's and opinions on whats best vary, I personally have the Cold Air Inductions system. Had I done more research at the time, I would have opted for a fender-well intake, but I havent had any issues with mine, and if nothing else, it adds a nice tone to the engine note. However, I admit that cosmetics was a huge driving force in my decision, it does look good in the engine bay. I may switch over at some point, but currently I see no need to. Keeping up on cleanliness of the filter/MAF is also a must, especially if you opt for an oiled filter.

Headers/anything exhaust, again, you'll see that opinions vary on whether or not its needed unless you're going all out, but people all have different tastes, and different outcomes in mind for their builds, so there is no standard to go off of. It mainly depends on the money you want to spend, and what you really want to see out of the car. Personally, if I could go ***** deep into this car and do it all up, I would, but I have other priorities. If at some point you decide to put some work into the exhaust, defiantly look into your options as far as brands. OBX, Doug Thorley, Etc. The ZZP 3" downpipe is something I'd recommend looking into as well, I've read that a lot of people have desirable results using those.

My entire stereo system is aftermarket and I have done a lot of modification to get my setup the way it is now, and it continues to change. I outlined it in a previous post awhile back, but if you have any questions about your install when the time comes, feel free to ask. Your sources for info are endless, but I just thought I'd offer.

Sorry about the novel, I found myself with some free time at work lol, but its always good to see new owners come about, I remember when I first got mine and the joy I had, although you get used to it quick, it still gives me joy to drive, especially with how much I've personalized and modified it to my liking. Its a great car, an ideal daily in my opinion. I look forward to my time driving it. Again, I know I'm just another dude with a GXP around here, but I am willing to offer any advice that I can give if you need any. Have fun with the car, and congrats!

Red_Zone

Just my 2 cents... but I'm speaking from a place of experience and good sense...

I would opt OUT of headers (and exhaust if its in the back of your mind), and instead go with an electric cutout(raceready is what I use)... here's a few reasons why I might suggest this course of action since you just acquired the car and are only 9G into it at this point...

1) You already said the car sounds great stock... and it does that's a fact.

2) If you think you are upgrading headers for better "flow"... well... consider that even a 3" exhaust upgrade on these cars(2.5" is stock) WITH headers is really no better than simply dumping the exhaust right after the downpipe. That sir is good flow to work with... plus... it sounds like Hell unleashed unlike headers or exhaust could ever compete with. And the variable cutout anyway can produce a fair number of different sounds and performance levels.

3) It saves you a **** tonne of money on parts and labor... I mean... man... could be saving you a couple of grand easy once you include parts costs, taxes, shipping, installation... having money not spent here is money spent on the TRANS... which is unavoidable anyway.

4) Eventually if you win the lottery or instead tell your kids they have to pay for college themselves etc... and you still love the car... you would obviously go with the cartuning turbo kit... which does not need headers or exhaust. Spending good money on low return products like headers, exhaust, intake, etc your money would be better spent on a real performance upgrade... A turbo setup... which is essentially the apocalyptic end of the road with regards to this platform, and in my opinion its well worth it.

Maybe see if someone who has one lives within a 3-4 hour drive. I'd suggest meeting up with them and going for a ride... then after at least you have first hand knowledge of the possibilities and you then will spend money wiser.

5) If you do ever go Turbo down the road... you already have the cutout... which I think is a necessary upgrade for a Turbo setup. THe cartuning kit comes with one but I'm sure Kevin at Cartuning would knock money off the kit and not send a cutout.

I think the point is... Spend money in a way that does not corner you. I'd easily spend money on suspension and tires before headers... get some BC racing adjustable coil overs for example. THat is a far better investment than headers. No sense touching the engine to gain 50 HP or whatever. Leave it stock and upgrade your sound system and suspension... or go turbo dude and beat up things on the street.

ZGXP101

I think Red Zone makes some very sensible points, I could not agree more with the overall message. I meant to put stronger emphasis in my first post on the fact that, anything short of a turbo setup, you will not see colossal gains out of most mods (exhaust, CAI, TBS, etc.) for the ls4 that fully justify the cost. However, I know very little about you and your intentions with your newly acquired ride, so I wanted to give a general consensus on what the aftermarket for these cars has to offer based on what you asked. Red has obviously been through the ranks with this platform much more so than myself, so I would strongly consider his words when making your modding decisions. The cutout, for instance, is a great suggestion. I only deleted my mufflers because the inlets were rusted out and I wanted a quick fix at the time; I just happened to like the sound and saw no further need to modify it.

I also want to add the point that everybody is different, and you'll come to find out that not everybody wants to do certain mods to these cars for the same reasons. Some care only about performance, others cosmetics, and some a little of both. You'll have some tell you that headers are virtually useless, while another tells you they got them because they liked the way they looked, or some other non hp related reason, and they dont care about the lack of real gains.

It all boils down to what you want and what makes the most sense to you and your life circumstances. Getting other's opinions is very helpful, but you are the one who has the final say in what you want. If you have the money to throw around and performance isnt your only goal, and you want the look of custom headers, or bragging rights of having a full 3" custom exhaust on your GXP, then by all means, pull that trigger. That being said, just make sure you are informed in your decisions, and are not expecting huge hp gains from doing so. Same with CAI, catbacks, etc. All I'm saying is dont limit yourself and your desires for your car by anything I, or anyone says. Do your own research anywhere you can in addition to this forum and come to your own conclusions as to what you want to do.

The ls4 is very limited in terms of aftermarket parts, and I learned that quick. For me, I saw more value in investing into suspension, a badass stereo, and wheels that I liked, as oppose to taking that same money, and dumping it into the powertrain only to have minimal results at best. But that's me. I don't see myself getting rid of my car any time soon, and although I don't really have a stake in its outcome, I do desire to really tear into this thing and do it all right, turbo and everything. Lol. Maybe one day.

rottonj

iTrader: (4)

My 2 cents for Jedimaster, don't mod the car as there are few real performance parts available for this platform anyway. 9k is a good chunk of change already for this car regardless of maintenance as things just fail from age ,you probably already know this from owning other GM vehicles. I say if you want to mod something go with the Formula, I have owned both a 94 and 95 and both were faster then my 08 GXP, your 97 with a few more horses and a wide open performance parts selection will get more bang for your buck. I have owned mine since 08 and it has been a good car , stock till this year when I added a couple of small performance mods to try and sway me one way or the other to keep it or move on. If you love the car make it your own and customize it, just know it is limited by the transmission which you should start budgeting for right away.

Brangeta

Great looking GXP! I bought mine with 26k miles and am at 68k miles now 8 years later. I drive exclusively in manual mode and haven’t had any transmission issues (yet at least). I’d advise you to have the transmission fluid changed every 20k miles more or less (I have had mine changed 3 times so far) and it should be via dropping the pan, replacing the gasket, the filter, etc. It’ll run you about $140 at the dealership. It’s not worth doing myself, to me. And having it done anywhere else is a recipe for disaster—they’ll probably flush it with a machine and ruin your transmission. It’s good to monitor the appearance and smell of the fluid, and make sure to check the level via the instructions in the owner’s manual. (Car running… around 180 degrees…).

I only work 3 miles from home currently (previously 16 miles), and when I do drive a long distance, it’s normally going out at night, so I’m not in traffic. I used to see temperature 205 a lot on my 45 minute, 16 mile drive home from work in traffic. Now, I see 165 on my 15 minute trip home. If you see 200+ a lot, you should get a cooler and/or consider changing your fluid sooner than every 20k miles.

I have DOD tuned out via my Diablosport InTune (i2000 if I remember right). I bought it new for around $350. You can get them used for around $100. You just have to make sure it is unmarried to a vehicle, or it is junk and useless (won’t work). It disables DOD just fine. You put the 91 Octane Tune w/o DOD on it, select Firm shifting TCM tune, and let it go. It will ask you if you want to install the tune. You say yes. It will ask you if you want to install the TCM tune and you can say yes or “X” it and just keep your stock tune. I’ve been doing that lately since the TCM tune only affects drive and not manual mode. In drive, “Firm” does feel firm, which is nice. The only negative thing I have to say about intune is that when you update it online, it can take up to an hour, and it doesn’t show you a suitable progress bar for the update being installed. There are a lot of complaints about this on their forum. Basically, you should leave it plugged into your computer for up to 2 hours, just to make sure it actually finished with the updates. Do it while you pay bills, check email, or whatever. Don't do it while you're tapping your foot waiting for it.

If you’re taking it to the dealership, you remove the tune so their machine can communicate properly. It takes around 3 minutes to remove a tune and around 4 minutes to put one on. Easy.

As far as ownership goes… I’ve found the car to be pretty expensive to upkeep. It goes through tie-rod ends every few years, hubs maybe every 4 years, and the DOD really does cause issues, though I’ve never seen anyone write a comprehensive article about it, which is a shame. I ended up with noisy lifters last winter, even though the sound was only sometimes... and without a rhyme or reason... but per recommendation from the guy who usually does my state inspection, I add half a bottle of Lucas Synthetic Oil Stabilizer a couple weeks after I get an oil change, and I haven't had noisy lifters since. Here's a pic of it: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...._AC_SS350_.jpg The stock air filter box is difficult to deal with, and checking the filter is basically impossible without taking off the brace above it and then removing the rubber part that connects to the throttle body. When you get your state inspection, or an oil change… or any service… they’ll check your filter, or try to, without removing anything, and the box is impossible to close properly at the bottom without removing it from the car. It’s a pain in the butt. So I generally have to take the car home, remove it, put it back together right, and put it back in the car every single time I get maintenance done on the car. It’s a fun, nice car though. The enthusiasts aren’t the same crowd as you’ll find with a 4th gen Camaro/Firebird though (for example) because there aren’t as many of these cars and so there aren’t as many owners, or parts. Fewer “how to” guides are written for doing things, and figuring out part numbers for things that break is a pain. Because the cost of upkeep is a bit higher than I expected, I am not personally interested in mods. More mods = more misery with these cars generally… from oiled air filters causing issues… to aftermarket radios causing issues… to sensor problems from just about anything non-OEM going on the car. The transmission will cost you in maintenance more than the average car… and if the DOD has damaged the piston rings, lifters, or anything else, well, that’s expensive too. Seems like everything is $3500 in parts and labor on these cars. New struts and shocks is that much as well, if you go OEM and get it done at the dealership.

The only mod I have planned is a Triple Edge Performance transmission when my transmission eventually dies. I’ll go with one built for a modified GXP (more hp), even though I’m stock, just so I can continue to drive sporty, have fun, and not have to worry.

Also, when you buy new tires, you have to hover/smother the guy mounting them and putting them on. Every time I’ve gotten new tires, a guy at Discount Tire has mounted my wider wheels on the rear, and I’ve had to tell him that’s wrong and to not lower the car from the lift until he swaps them to the front.