Performance
My biggest mods (done or planned) are more performance oriented. Why have a cool looking car if you can't have fun with it right? Stock my 3100 60 degree V6 produces 155 HP when in excellent condition so I have a looong ways to go just to compete with the newer cars.
So far I have a custom 2.25" cat-back exhaust with a flowmaster muffler and a set of dual oval magnaflow SS tips. It gave the car an entirely new sound but performance gains were limited due to the stock catalytic convertor having such a small outlet. So yea...more bark then bite but at least it sounds good and rumbly, not like a can of angry bees like most of the I4 imports in my area.
My warm air intake is from RSM Racing. The only problem I had with it was that due to engine movement the filter would audibly hit the strut tower. It was easily fixed by adding a poly upper engine mount insert and some cheap foam tape on the edges of the filter.
Here's my Fast Foward Performance crankshaft underdrive pulley. It's dyno proven to add 5-6 HP on a beretta with the same engine. I tried installing it myself but it's nowhere near as easy to install on my generation as it is on the 99+ GA's. Instead of taking the risk of breaking something I'm going to pay to have it installed so it's done right.
I also got ahold of a freedom design STB. It fit perfectly save for the huge bundle of cable GM thought it would put behind the alternator. I swear GM purposely makes it hard for us to modify our cars. Thankfully it wasn't too difficult to shove out of the way. Either way it made a noticeable improvement in cornering. I'm tempted to see what would happen if I added a rear one as well.
Springs and struts were replaced with an Eibach/KYB combo. The ride quality isn't anything to write home about (especially when switching from 15" to 17" wheels) but the handling was noticeably better.
Front brake rotors were replaced with Powerslot Prostop slotted/dimpled rotors. Installed EBC greenstuff brakepads at the same time for a night and day difference in braking. Still not sure what to do with the ugly rear drums just yet.
Decided to not go with an engine swap to a 3400 and just build up my 3100. Might be cheaper. Might not be. If I do a topend swap with a newer (2000+) 3100 I'll be at the same power of a 3400 with only 10 lbs ft of torque less. To take things a step further I'll also be port and polishing the entire top-end. My tranny is surpringly stout for an underpowered car, able to withstand 280 Lbs/ft of torque.
Many 94-95 GM cars had and OBD1.5 setup that for all intents and purposes, isn't tuneable. To tune everything I'll be doing an OBD2 ECU and wiring harness swap from a 97 GA since the chassis and most of the wiring is identical. With an OBDII computer, tuning options for turbo/supercharger finally become available.
I managed to get ahold of one of the rare Eaton/Magnusson supercharger kits that GM made for a concept Grand Am sometime after 2000. Only a dozen or so of these kits were made and they're all in use. The 99+ N-body guys are going to hate me for having it. In anycase the kit will fit my engine and hopefully my engine bay, but I think I can squeeze it in. The hard part will be tuning it.
//Page 1\\ Overview
//Page 2\\ >Performance<
//Page 3\\ Exterior/Interior
//Page 4\\ Audio
//Page 5\\ Future Mods
//Page 6\\ Manitoba Grand Am Club
