My first upgrade to a stock GST should be...

Hey guys. I've tried to research this as much as I can, but it seems as though I'm left in a sort of loop when trying to consider what my first upgrade to my GST should be. The two main choices I have is to either get a boost controller or an upgraded ECU chip since my car's automatic. Now, I was leaning more towards the ECU chip, but I need help to figure out what to do FIRST. As in, MY FIRST UPGRADE. Also, I had the option of making my car straight pipe, but for now, I probably won't be able to since I'm having troubles with the mechanics actually wanting to do the procedure. I just need some advice on what to start off with... Thanx...

i think that you should go with the boost controller you really only need to upgrade the ecu once you have a great amount of power and you cant do. someone told me the the t25 can do up to 16 pounds of boost but i would make sure dont want to ruin your turbo unless you have another or some money

ECU chip will require a 95 EPROM ECU. Which are hard to come by theses days. But I highly recomend DSMlink when you do go this route. And I wouldnt hesitate to recomend DSMlink to people still on the stock turbo by the way ;)

That being said, first mods should be filter and exhaust. With a K&N fipk and buschur 2.5" turbo back (with cat) I ran 14.3 on pump, no other mods. Then I added all the other usual stuff and went a whopping 14.2. ;) Race gas dropped it to 13.7, but you see my point. Intake and exhaust are the heavy hitters, I would certainly start with those. Then proceed with the usual upgrade paths.

Thanks a lot for that website, it'll really help me out. By the way guys, don't forget my car's automatic. I'm not gonna get it down as fast as manuals...

auto DSMs are in the 9s these days ;) But until you put a little money into them (cost of 1 ACT 2600) the 5 spds do have a decent advantage... I was seriously considering swapping my car to auto to save money in the long run but a fully built auto is nearly 3 grand. Even worse I would have to find the transfer case and 4 bolt rear from an auto since the ratios are different, and I'm way to lazy for that. :D At any rate, the order of modding should be the same in teh beginning.

Well if you dont have a filter yet, that you prob be the first. Also make sure you get yourself a boost gauge, if you dont already have one. Check the site that George posted, its a very good guide.

Good Luck!

Don't forget to do all the free mods either

Don't forget to do all the free mods either

Just to make sure, which free mods are you talking about? The only one I know of is the intercooler one... :p

www.vfaq.com

Please read the "Read this first" stickies at the top of the main forum.

But I highly recomend DSMlink when you do go this route. And I wouldnt hesitate to recomend DSMlink to people still on the stock turbo by the way ;)

stock turbo you say ....

do u mean DSM link right off the ball ,first thing...

or after intake ,exhaust, boost controller ,boost gauge , and bov?

stock turbo you say ....

do u mean DSM link right off the ball ,first thing...

or after intake ,exhaust, boost controller ,boost gauge , and bov?


I don't think it really matters, but you will need the basic bolt-ons that you've listed to fully utilize the stock turbo untuned. Then you can go back with dsmlink and get a couple more ponies out of it before having to upgrade turbos! I'm still on the t25 (very soon to have a 14b) and dsmlink will be ordered the day after thanksgiving! :) I have no doubt that you could even get more power out of the t25 with dsmlink with some good tuning and race gas.

I Think the sooner you get DSMlink the better. But you will get more performance gain from the other parts than the DSMlink. But there is more to DSMlink than just increasing performance. There are some bigtime "convience mods." But for most poeple adding power is more important so they put it off, and thats fine. But I Would definitely say that you will gain more power on the stock turbo with tuning than without. When I ran the 13.7 at 99 on the T25 it was pig pig rich. If I had fuel tuning it would have run much better. Etc.

Hmmmm... DSMLink 95 EPROM ECU... I'll check it out...

Shift kit maybe?

Which shift kit? And do you mean to switch my auto to a manual or something else? If it's auto to manual, forget it. I don't want to have ECU problems and be in the shop every week...

No they have kits to make your auto shift at higher rpms. I wouldn't recommend it if it's a mainly daily driver though.

Shift kits arent to make it shift at higher rpm, its make make it shift under higher fluid pressure. Typical mods are shift kit, end clutches, and springs. I've had shift kits/springs in all of my non-dsm daily drivers, I like a lot better than stock!

Wow, that sounds interesting... I guess I'll check it out, but is there anything special I have to get before the shift kits or something?

Money? Balls? Yeah, thats about all I cant think of. Make sure a competent transmission shop does the work. Some poeple prefer to spend the bucks and have someone like www.importperformancetrans.com do it. Thats your call. There are local shops that are capable, just make sure you find one.

Whoops, I thought that it made your auto shift higher? Thanks for correcting me though Kevin. Never really dealt with an auto just read about them.

do a full tuneup, then after that, get a downpipe. Do the free mods, i dont know what they are, I don't have a DSM...screw around with boost pressure, just remember that the T25 turbo does bad at high psi....loses efficiency FAST. Don't get an ECU...yet, because you'll have to reprogram it after any major mod you might get. Do a drop resistor mod with a WOT switch to make your auto tranny run at full line pressure at WOT. It will shift harder, but it's actually better for your tranny and cut down your e/t. Also, minor things like grounding wores, spark plugs, and fuel filters arents bad to increase performace either. When you go down to the track, lower your tire pressure to about 25psi. I wouldn't recommend beating on your car as a daily driver though....that's just foolish.

do a full tuneup, then after that, get a downpipe. Do the free mods, i dont know what they are, I don't have a DSM...screw around with boost pressure, just remember that the T25 turbo does bad at high psi....loses efficiency FAST. Don't get an ECU...yet, because you'll have to reprogram it after any major mod you might get. Do a drop resistor mod with a WOT switch to make your auto tranny run at full line pressure at WOT. It will shift harder, but it's actually better for your tranny and cut down your e/t. Also, minor things like grounding wores, spark plugs, and fuel filters arents bad to increase performace either. When you go down to the track, lower your tire pressure to about 25psi. I wouldn't recommend beating on your car as a daily driver though....that's just foolish.

i think your mods are BS, a downpipe first?!? come on! you dont even have a DSM...

i think your mods are BS, a downpipe first?!? come on! you dont even have a DSM...

Yes, I don't have a DSM, like it says in the second line of my post, but i've seen in just about EVERY other car forum that Intake/exhaust are very often the first mods you do to a car, because they are the most inexpensive. If it isn't the first, then it is definitely one of the first mods you should consider. It is a great bang for your buck (speaking from results from other cars, as well as DSMs). If you think my mods are BS, then that's your problem, but if you don't have anything productive to contribute to the post, then don't post.

;)

i would think that a catback would be best before a down pipe..

Yeah, I agree, a catback exhaust is best as the first mod. Downpipe comes in later...

You really have to do both unless you just want some shyte ricer brand exhaust. If the catback bolts up to the stock cat or downpipe, its to friggin small ;) The exception is one that is 2.5" and barely mates to the stock stuff, then it will work with a 2.5" DP later on. But the best thing to do is get a real exhaust, turbo back, right from the start. An example is a bushur downpipe and bushur catback. Or RRE DP and APex catback. Etc. Do it right, do it once.

I think his first mod, after a tune-up, should be a boost gauge!! But that's just my :2cents:

GSXRacer brings up a good point... If I get the turboback downpipe/exhaust, then I'll never have to change it, whereas if I just get a catback, eventually I'll have to get the turbo back anyway... Hmmmm.....

I have decided: downpipe first. I'll get it custom made at Meineke too... :thumbsup:

neons. all about the neons.

neons aint performance....

neons. all about the neons.

WTF? lol

neons. all about the neons.

what you smoking man? :smokin:

what you smoking man? :smokin:
pass that $h*t

first thing you want to do is an intake pipe and filter, second is a cat back, then go BOV, then boost gauge and then finally the contorler so you can up it

word to the wise; i think the injen intake is a waste of money, stuff that is name brand isnt allways better....

What's the best intake to get?

i would go with the K&N FIPK and cut the dump tube, the when you upgrade the turbo move to a dejon tool hard pipe.

i would go with the K&N FIPK and cut the dump tube, the when you upgrade the turbo move to a dejon tool hard pipe.
Go Dejon now. No point in buying twice.