mikesimpalass

Hi, my question isn't really about tuning, but tuning etiquette. After a very long project, my ls swap is almost done. My car runs and drives good with a base tune, it just needs the tuning finished on a dyno. Do most people leave the cars with their tuner? Or are you present during tuning Process? I'm sure as a tuner, you would hate to have a customer looking over your shoulder, but I really hate leaving my car with someone else while I'm not around.

Pulse_GTO

iTrader: (2)

Are you talking about someone that has a shop, or someone that does this on the side?

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I've had mine done by a professional shop and by a person who does it on the side and it is very common and normal to leave it with that person

98CayenneT/A

My tuner's shop is the only place I will leave it. I know my tuner and they deal with cars like mine and a lot of sports cars that make mine look goofy on a daily basis. Meaning they are not "wowed" by my car as opposed to a young punk at a hole in the wall shop trashing my car in which I would never leave my car. I know it's just a f-body but I love it and am paranoid also about leaving it places and refuse to

mikesimpalass

It's a professional tuning shop. Do you usually let them drive the car on the road as well?

98CayenneT/A

Yes, they need to sometimes, and sometimes drive it hard

eaglegoat

You either trust them or you don't. That's what insurance is for. 😜

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

If I couldn't trust them to give me what I am paying for, they wouldn't be touching my car period. As far as leaving it with them, if there shop isn't in a good area there is probably a reason for that. You really need to drive the car on the road for real driving conditions. That is what the VE tables keep in order. If the VE ain't right it will drive like poo. As far as beating the **** out of your car, yes they will but it is for several reasons.

HwyStarJoe

Fortunately I knew the dyno shop was reputable and in high-demand. So I didn't worry about him having the car.
I drop it off on the way to work, let him do his thing, then pick it up on the way home.

Now, on the other hand, I made the huge mistake of going off of a recommendation for an exhaust shop (from a f@rd guy) to put the system back on after an engine swap. Crappy joint, in a REALLY crappy part of town, with an owner who called my $700 Magnaflow system "an eBay Special" when he looked at it. I should have beat feet out of there right then, but I left the car. 2 days later (yes, 2 days) I get the car back with damage and the exhaust rattling all over.

So it's a crap-shoot. You need to do your research, ask people who've used a shop before, look at their social media presence for reviews, etc. Also, ask about yours and their liability while the car is in their possession. Or. take a day off work and babysit the car while it's at the shop.

mikesimpalass

this is what I would actually prefer to do, I'm gonna talk with the shop and make sure that would be ok with them. It actually seems like a reputable shop in a good area, it just makes me cringe leaving my car somewhere

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

depending on what is done they will likely need to tune the idle from a dead cold start...twice (once in gear and once in park/neutral)

CBM Motorsports

iTrader: (2)

From a tuning shops perspective...

We normally need a car for a full day to make the tune right in all areas. There are 3 main things to achieve. Full throttle dyno pulls, drive-ability on the streets, and cold start stuff. I mean there is a lot more to it, but those are the main things. Being that the warm tune needs to be perfect before doing the cold start stuff, it does take a few hours for an engine to cool down. Long story short, any good tuning shop will ask you to drop the car off for a day, if not overnight (and possibly charge more if you get in the way!)

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

Well put. With friends, I will revisit the car on a cool morning at there house to fine tune the cold start sometimes.

OP, what kind of car is this to he so touchy? I ain't sure I could enjoy such a thing.

Pacer Racer

iTrader: (6)

If you're that concerned you could always buy tuning software, a good tuning book and tune it yourself. Dan's EFI Master Tuner is a good book for beginners.

imma_stocker

iTrader: (19)

Done both, to start I would NEVER let someone with a sketchy reputation touch my car, let alone tune/drive it. Left my cars with shops to tune a couple times, both times picked up the car half done. Normally though my cars are pretty close when I get there so it doesn't take 6 hours to get to a final tune.

Well matched base map speeds up the process a lot and taking it to very experienced tuner means you don't have to be Guinea Pig to adjust start up, idle, part throttle, etc.

mikesimpalass

The car is a mid 80s gbody monte carlo ss. It's a nice car but not really worth much, but for a few different reasons the car holds a lot of sentimental value to me.

mikesimpalass

After much thought, Im gonna buy hp tuners and tune the car myself. Although I realize I'm biting off a lot. I'm gonna try and find Dan maslics book and start reading and learning

Bowtiedford

iTrader: (9)

good luck, I have HP tuners also but use a well respected tuner to get me where I need to be and then if needed I can make small adjustments.