Looking for guidance on modding my new car.

Hey all, I just joined the forum. I am looking to start modding my 2004 grand am se2 with the 3400 sfi engine. Also just to let you know its automatic as well :( never got around to learning to drive a stick. And now I wish i did. Lol. Anyway, I was wondering if any of you had any good sites that I may not have found for parts. Also was wondering what you guys suggest I should change first.
Also I got a few questions for you all as well. Does anyone know if any true dual exhaust systems that fit or work with my car? Or would that just be a waste/ bad choose?
Also I was looking for performace pulleys? and flywheels? Anyone know of any?

Thanks, please reply if you have any information or opinions.

you can always have some muffler shop fab you some custom duals.....get some headers and run some pipe.......as far as aftermarket parts this site is full of links and if anything ebay......google search 04 grand am performance.....the internet makes finding car parts a sinch.......piece

Thanks fluffybunny. For the advice I have been looking the internet over pretty well. It seems hard to find parts since the car is so new was wondering if 03 parts would work. This is my first car and I have very little car knowledge but I am trying to learn. Anyone got any suggestions on the first thing I should change on my car? I was thinking a cold air intake and the exhaust. Am I wrong. Whats the best first steps? Any info is appreciated.

ive found most go for the cold air and exhaust first ...... better breathing engine better performance..... you can also try suspension parts to get you on the ground better.......i dont see why the 03 parts wouldnt be compatible the seller should be able to verify...if not check the dealers and verify that 03 and 04 are the same...i figure they r the same body style should be close to the same. if not it wouldnt be much to modify slightly..... good luck

I changed my exhaust and intake(fairly extensive intake /exhaust work) and the performance is nice and smooth and moderately noticable. Some people in the forum have seen a video or two of it , perhaps they could say something about it.

wait dude, ur first car is an 04 GA? Geez..

My first car was a 85 GA i had to earn myself lol , My mom and dad dont buy me nothin. I know a 16 year old kid who bought a 2003 mustang gt convertable with cash he saved since he was 13! My first thought was his mom and dad bought it for him but his folks didnt even want him to buy a car he did it on his own. He also pays the outrageous insurance like $8500 a year full coverage lol

haha thats insane! At least he got it himself. My next door neighbor gets whatever he wants from his parents. His first car was a ford probe (not bad for a first car), then he wrecked it and got a 97 honda accord, then he wrecked it and got a 98 mustang GT, then he wrecked it and now he drives a 2001 BMW beamer...talk about daddy buying everything...the rest of the neighborhood jokes that when he totals the BMW he'll get a Lamborghini cuz he keeps upgrading everytime he wrecks a car (should be the other way around. His ego is friggin huge). The kid shouldnt even have a licence.

FYI, i bought my car for $2000, best purchase i ever made

well u looking to make it look nice or going for spead? well if its for looks, for bodykits check out www.extremedynamics.com they have some nice kits, and i would say for duel exhaust look into borla exhaust, i pretty sure they make a full dual cat-back exhaust system for the 2004's. thats all i can think of right now(heads kinda wack, had 3 finals today) but yea, ill post more later

SLP makes a real nice catback
DoctorSpeed makes some intakes
www.pfyc.com
www.aedcentral.com (bodykit)
www.gmpower.net (my home away from home lol)
www.60degreev6.com all the info you ever wanted to know about the 3x00
Fast Forward performance makes underdrive pulleys

while everyone is on the subject, my first car is the red one in my signature, my other car is the green one, I got on Ebay for $800 lmao

RKsport upper and lower poly engine mounts, very inexpensive and you'll notice the better throttle response.

would those mounts work for my 96 2.4, cuz it doesnt say 96 GA only 99+, however it has like 95+ sunfire and cavalier 2.4.

www.grandamgt.com
www.gaownersclub.com

I have SLP exhaust and WAI. Easy cheap mods.

Could also consider fabricating your own mods on non warranty or non important warranty engine parts.

Hey Guys thanks for the advise. Sorry I haven't replied sooner only home mostly on the weekends. Yeah my first car is a 2004 ga. I am 20 and have a job so I figured I would buy new since I have to travel a lot for work. Almost an hour down the interstate if you go the speed limit. But I get there in almost 40 mins. so its good :). Thank you markgase2000, achievasc92, and fluffybunny for the info. Specail thanks for the links as well. I think the first thing I am planning to buy right now is a peformance cold air intake. Sounds cool, cheaper then exhaust, and get some performace I guess.

Good car for long commutes , sounds like what I was doing for 2 years. Highway cant kill a grand am as far as Ive seen. No problem with helping , If you do decide to go with a cold air intake be carefull some of those setups actually slow throttle response because the housing for the filter gets reduced , loses that first big gulp of air that was always available. Also some CAI kits are detremental , they sell in different levels , example stage 1 stage 2 stage 3 cai kits. If you do it you might as well do the level 3 so it really is cold air induction. If you have a open filter in the engine bay for your intake thats what I call hot air intake and is detremental to performance. Hope that helps too.

Oh wow thanks markgase2000 thats really nice to know. Thanks I will look into that I little more I was just think of getting a k&n cold air intake. Thanks is there any brand or model you would suggest?

Here are a bunch of links to places to mod up your Grand Am.

http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/99_03grandam.html

http://www.customgrandam.com/

http://www.grafxwerks.com/index.php

http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PFYC&Category_Code=GA

http://www.doctorspeed.com/

http://www.rsmracing.com/us/top.htm

See , isnt that handy! These guys have links to stuff that doesnt exsist to me , it was so hard to find most of these products not on the net but to have it sent here is a chore.(Alberta Canada) We just started getting that stuff available , before it was always , "that product back ordered or that product delivery got cancelled" so I didnt have the opprotunity to use hardly any of them. Since the war started its been tough to get stuff from the states. Seems to be calming down now tho.

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet but Fast Forward Performance sells real nice looking billet underdrive pulley. From what I hear, its a great mod, I haven't heard ANY negative comments about it.

Try rsmracing.com they are based in Canada.

I just installed an 80 series Flowmaster muffler. It replaced the original almost perfectly. It looks and sounds cool. I need a shift kit now to get the automatic where I want it. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also I have been told these cars are terrible for intake manifold leaks. Is there a way of preventing this from happening?

Is there a way of preventing this from happening?

yeah, replace it LOL I think the 2004s are ok and maybe the 2003s but earlier 60 degrees do have a intake gasket problem. but once you replace it with the new Gm redesigned gasket you should be fine.

I just installed an 80 series Flowmaster muffler. It replaced the original almost perfectly. It looks and sounds cool. I need a shift kit now to get the automatic where I want it. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also I have been told these cars are terrible for intake manifold leaks. Is there a way of preventing this from happening?
Hi stall torque converter will make a huge difference for your automatic , however it is an expensive upgrade that may require heavy duty drive axles and other strengthened components.
As for the leaks on the intake manifold (Im gonna have to agree with achieva), I had that notorious problem last year and the gasket was replaced with the new and improved one and is working fine so far. Its a expensive job , glad extended warranty covered it.

Since you have a V6, I suggest SLP exhaust. They sound mean.

SLP is a cat back exhaust right?

Thanks for your input folks. I guess I'll wait and see about the intake. I do most of the mods on my 1985 Mustang GT. Always money to blow somewhere eh???!!! :)