Performance Chip Advice
 

I am thinking about adding a Performance Chip to my 97 GT Convertible. It is a stock 4.6 with Automatic Transmission, the only modifications being Borla mufflers and a K&N Filtercharger with the Air Silencer removed.

I need advice on which chip is appropriate, pros & cons. I am looking for just a little more juice to make up for the automatic, not a tire scorcher. This is my daily driver.

Any opinions?

With the mods you have the chip is useless. The only ggod part about the chip is it will really wake up your auto tranny. The shift points will be way higher and let you get up into the powerband. When I turn off my O/D my tranny shifts about 2K higher. It is a major difference. The chip may advance your timing a little but you will not notice any power increase. If you want more power use the money for a better Mod like gears, pullies or the PI intake swap.

Re: Performance Chip Advice
 

Send me an email at KEM-Performance@cfl.rr.com to talk about a chip for your GT. I think we have what you are looking for.

Mike

Thanks for the info so far. Waking up my automatic transmission is the whole purpose of considering a chip, but I haven't really decided yet.

I looked into this whole chip notion pretty closely. A lot of guys on this user's group are pretty hard on them. I do agree, however, that a chip has more advantages with an automatic than a manual. Either way, you pay the same.

Basically, a chip can do the following for you:

1 - Change shift points and firmness on an auto

2 - Raise (or lower) speed limiter to allow better use of power band.

3 - Remove speed governor

4 - Increase timing to allow for higher octane fuel.

5 - Speed calibration if making gear changes (which I don't think you need for a '97).

Your HP gains come as a result of the timing changes. I can say this...you will notice an improvement.

Chips serve further benefits when making more advanced mods such a nitrous, blowers, cams, etc.. but you will need a custom program. A chip is a MUST HAVE for some mods.

Think of it this way, though. Is is worth it to spend $200+ to have a gain of a fraction of a second in the quarter mile and be stuck using high octane gas? That's the big question.

On the basis of having an automtic, I would say that a chip is at least "break even" and if you believe in the power gains, then it is a no brainer.

The Borlas made a big difference, more than I expected. I originally put Flowmaster Delta Flow 40 series on it, but being an automatic and a convertible, it had too much interior drone. I was disappointed, because we put them on the 98 GT which has a 5 speed and they sounded sooooooooo good, and interior noise was not much more than stock. I went back to the muffler shop and he traded me up to Borlas. The interior noise is minimal, the car is a little louder than stock, but the performance gain was way more than the Flowmasters. Stealth mufflers.

My wife drove this car for the first 5 years (hence the auto) and now that she has the 02 it bacame mine and I am just starting to modify it a little. I don't want to do a whole lot to it, because in all the time I have owned it I have only seen 1 GT convertible just like it, the color is unique, and I dont want to modify it too much, want to keep the stock look, just a little quicker.

I want to outrun Chad's 98!

Orange:

Just curious...Have you ever heard the SLP Loudmouth cat back?

Looking for opinions...sound clips just don't capture the real experience. I am VERY interested in ordering this system in March. I like the look and the concept, but I have yet to hear one in person.

Blake,

I haven't heard the SLP Loudmouth catback.

The coolest exhaust I have heard, there is a guy in out town with a black 02 GT with Bassani offroad X-Pipe and SpinTech mufflers.

Too loud for my car, but has the coolest sound I have ever heard. You can hear the car down on Broadway (our main drag) from my back yard about 5 or 6 blocks away and it is so distinctive you know its him.

Another guy here has a 01 (I think) Saleen with Bassani X-Pipe and Borlas, sounds almost as good.

My problem is with the automatic and the convertible there is too much noise inside, there is no insulation below the top well and it has more constant RPMs than the 5 speed cars, and it roars just below shift points. The Borlas are just a little louder than stock, inside and out.

BTW, your car is going to look awesome with black Bullitts!

Orange:

Thanks. I was asking about the SLP, because I could relate to your comments about the exhaust being too loud with a vert...as mine too has no top.

I want a nice sounding exhaust, but not too loud. My wife uses the car too and we haul around our two small kids when the weather is nice (which is never except for Jun-Sep...I'm in PA).

I have heard that the SLP is as quiet as stock at low RPM's, but really opens up at WOT. I was hoping you had heard it.

My "Mustang Expert" friends out in Ca. all swear by anything Bassani...but too loud and pricy for me.

I am very excited about the wheels...I will have them in a few weeks. I looked and looked and looked for the perfect wheel foe me and then I wanted to find the best price. So thank you for your affirmation on my choice. Black Vert with black bullets I think is a real winner. I am going with the 10.5" wheels in the rear with the "deep dish" look...should be great.

You should have heard what my wife said when she rode in mine with the flowmasters. Well, maybe not. It wasnt pretty.

one thing to consider
 

you may want to get your chip at a local performance shop with dyno-tuning capability rather than a mail order chip so if you change anything major, a new program can be quickly and properly burned.

You'll drop 4 tenths in the 1/4 with the "right" chip. And yes a chip is worth every penny on auto equiped cars. There's only a few guys who I believe "really" know their 4R70W stuff when it comes to chips:
www.apten-us.com
www.reinhartautomotive.com
www.superchipscustom.com

I put a jet chip in my 2002 5-speed GT and I didn't notice a thing. The only other mods are a K&N cold air intake and Flowmaster mufflers. Is it possible that I didn't get all the glue off the computer and the chip is not working? Is there any way to tell for sure that is making contact?

Hey, thanks for the advice guys. I am probably going to do the chip, but I gotta save up. You know us married guys, gotta put back money and pay cash :) so EVERYONE doesn't know how much things cost!

Jason:

I have often wondered the same thing. That stuff sucks to remove.

My literature told me that if you are only making partial contact, the check engine light would flash (or something like that) or that the car would not run.

That's what my book said as well, I just thought I should feel SOME difference with the chip. I think this weekend I'm going to take it out again and scrub the computer side with alchohol just to be sure. Maybe I'm not even making enough contact to set off the check engine light.

Just sand the contacts down with a very fine grit sandpaper. The silver color should come off and you'll see copper underneath. Then clean it with electrical cleaner or alcohol. But honestly, on a manual equiped car, and with an off-the-self big company chip like the Jet chip, you won't "feel" a difference.

91LX:

So, would your recomendation be to NOT buy a chip for a 5 Speed? (assuming mods don't include a power adder).

Regarding your comments about cleaning the terminals. That's pretty much what I did. But, my instructions stated that if you see copper, you may be removing too much metal and might not get a contact. When I was done, I could srtill see silver, but had some copper edges showing.