Build my car up!

SWEET! A shop in town will do my struts and lowering springs and align them for $200! That seems like a hell of a deal!

Final review before I purchase:

Struts: http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GA4001&Product_Count=11&Category_Code=GASUSP

Springs (sprint 1.5"):
http://www.suspensionmax.com/smshopcarpick.asp?CarModel=PONTIAC&CarType=139

And I need a camber kit too right? Where do I get one of those again? And is there ANYTHING else I need before I click the "BUY" buttons?

Thanks guys you rock :rofl:

60-100 a week.... Is this from you working a normal job? orrrrrr..... like allowance? lol just wondering...

If you have a car, a nice job-o would help lol.... something better than like $6/hr ... (I got only $6/hr at blockbuster and got around $200 a paycheck working part-time)

get ur camber kit from andysautosport.com (http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/1999_2005_grand_am/) they got good prices on em and uh while ur messing with ur springs u should get sum sway bars isntalled while ur gettin all that removed and stuff

Those "Kill Your Boss" struts are nice from what I've heard.
Much better than stock !!

I thought PFYC had the camber kit...hum... :dunno:

If your struts arent bad , You dont hav to replace them to lower it, stock strut will work.

I put the strut bars on my GT and didnt notice much difference, but I put'm on my SE the other night and WOW!
It handles with precision :ylsuper:

My struts have been around for 168,000 miles. I'm PRETTY sure I need new ones :)

How are sway bars installed, where, and how hard are they? And how much? I might get those a bit later.


And I only work 8 hours a week. I do research for the Indiana State Climate Office :) Plus my parents give me a little money for food so I dont die.

BTW, which camber kit, the Eibach or the RK Sport?

60-100 a week.... Is this from you working a normal job? orrrrrr..... like allowance? lol just wondering...

If you have a car, a nice job-o would help lol.... something better than like $6/hr ... (I got only $6/hr at blockbuster and got around $200 a paycheck working part-time)

7.50 an hour :)

My struts have been around for 168,000 miles. I'm PRETTY sure I need new ones

How are sway bars installed, where, and how hard are they? And how much? I might get those a bit later.


And I only work 8 hours a week. I do research for the Indiana State Climate Office Plus my parents give me a little money for food so I dont die.

BTW, which camber kit, the Eibach or the RK Sport?


168k is probly time :lol
Sway bars are easy they attach to the top of the strut towers under the hood, and one on the rear strut towers.
Z-spec is running a sale, forget how much, I got a pair on ebay for under $100.
I have seen some that are $200 each :screwy:

I didnt know RK sport had a camber kit, but I'd stick with Ebach unless the RKs are really cheap.
They shouldnt be that much, i was thinking around $25 for the two (bolts with lobs on them).


Climate Office ay..... ?
So whats the climate saying to day , Cool and rainy ?? :lol:

Is it telling you we are all going to freeze this winter under several feet of snow, or are we going to cook like bacon in a skilet next summer .
I hav questions toooo :D

Warm winter... El Nino firing up again! We don't forecast, we just research how certain things effect climate :) But el nino is becoming pretty apparent. We had a tiny la nina in the early spring, but now el nino.

Um... the camber kits come in sets of two... that would mean I'd need to buy two, which means spending (assuming it's 25) 50 bucks for the cambers? Here's a link:

http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/1999_2005_grand_am/suspension/camber_kits/

Thanks :)

I'll post exactly what I plan to buy soon for you all to see and comment on :)

This is looking like what I'm going to be getting or parts and places I'm getting things from:

Spark Plugs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BYEKCY/yahoo-auto-20/ref=nosim

Plug Wires:
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GA3004&Product_Count=3&Category_Code=GAUNDER

Struts:
http://www.pfyc.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PFYC&Product_Code=GA4001&Product_Count=11&Category_Code=GASUSP

Strut Bars:
http://www.racepages.com/parts/strut_bar/pontiac.html

Lowering Springs:
http://www.suspensionmax.com/smshopcarpick.asp?CarModel=PONTIAC&CarType=139

Camber Kit:
http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/1999_2005_grand_am/suspension/camber_kits/eibach/

Wheels:
http://www.wheelmax.com/index.asp

Let me know what you think :)

The wheels will be black... havent decided on the type yet however. Springs are going to be the $149.00 Sprint 1.5" springs, Cambers are Eibach, strut bars are the blue Vibrants (hopefully matching my CAI silicone couplers!), plugs are AC Delco Iridiums, and the wires are Talyer Spiro 8mm. Struts of course are KYB on PFYC.

Comments welcome :)

You do need one for each wheel (4) so if they are in pairs get two kits if the are sold as 1 get 4.
I saw that the RK Sport looks like they are 28$ each,
and the Eibachs are in pairs for $26.
Eibachs look better and easier to install.

You could find those Iridiums(Hardest metal on earth next to the Hords Of Nebulah) cheaper at a parts store and save on shipping. :thumbsup:

Thats a nice list, looks like you need a raise on that allowance though :D

ahahaha yeah! I get paid a lot during the summers when I work. Although next summer since I'll be working at the National Weather Service unpaid (they have hundreds of volunteers, so asking to be paid would be an instant rejection), I will have to split work with that (looks great on a resume and it will show me if I really enjoy forecasting or if I should stay in research!). But yeah, working 40 hours a week with 7.50 an hour isn't horrible. It will give me enough by the end of next summer, on top of what my parents give me, to buy that stage 2 kit. Plus, christmas will give me some decent cash, and im selling my old computer parts and my old sub box for cash too. Then my 21st birthday in February I expect some fun with that :rofl: So that might actually DECREASE my funds, but who knows!

You do need one for each wheel (4) so if they are in pairs get two kits if the are sold as 1 get 4.
I saw that the RK Sport looks like they are 28$ each,
and the Eibachs are in pairs for $26.
Eibachs look better and easier to install.

Looks like the camber kits come in pairs... so I'd only need to spend 50ish.

So hav you added it all up yet ?

Mods for Grand Ams, arent cheap at all :shakehead

Keep checkin here... I'll add it up when I finish my atmospheric thermodynamics homework. It shouldn't even be $900 or so including install. I hope! Actually, the wheels will put me over that, so I'll have to reconsider them...

Totally holding out on the wheels. A bit more expensive than I expected so... yeah going to hold out a bit :) And andysautosport is down right now so I can't order my 75 worth in camber kit...

SO FAR:

$614.43

This involves only one strut bar for now, and not two. This also discludes the $200 for installing and correcting my lowering springs and struts. So add $200 to that as well as about $75 for the cambers and that's probably my final cost (assuming I don't get wheels which are like another 400... I really think I'm going to hold out on thsoe because I need SOME money in case my car explodes or something and I need a new one... too bad too because these are very pretty)

YAY I'M EXCITED! But poor again :(

I'd hold off on wheels anyway untill you get it lowerd.

You might hav problems with rubbiing the innner fender if you get to big of a rim/tire.

holy shit bro thats an insane amount of money but itll be worth it, performance mods = great....and in my opinion i would actually put the rims on before lowering it so you know how much clearance you will have like you lower it 1.5 all around u get sum like 19s and your all like awww fuck shits dont fit or youll be fender scratching unless you wanna do like me and lower it keep everything outside stop and sleeper all them stands out there kinda like Xero...my heroo.. haha im so gay :gay: *( im not Not Really Gay)*

Thats what I suggested, getting it lowerd then find a wheel/tire shop and see what'll fit :D

Should be able to get 17' w/low profile tire, maybe even an 18".

thats OK Jmoney, I'm not biassed (http://www.answers.com/biased&r=67) either. :lol2:

no no sir, you get rims first then lower it, so that you can fit any size rims you want then you lower it to where u want it becuz lets say u do wanna get 18s per say and you lowered ur car 1.5 all around so you buy your rims offline or something and then u go to put them on then ooohhhh shit you realized your pullin sum fender tappin civic style and then your all like fuck man they dont fit or they fit but wen i turn my shit scrapes and now u either 1 wasted your money or 2 you have to go smaller, cuz on my cavalier i was able to fit 18s but barely made it but i got it :cool:

see cheek it out my front was lowered in the front more than the bak and i remeber when i changed tires the front one if i turned to hard would like minorly scratch the inside fender

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c83/Jmoney3318/HPIM0143.gif

Well for one you cant lower with any size variances, you hav 1.5 or 1.6" drop, thats it.
If you lower the car to whatever, then go and measure the tire fitment.
BEcaue you need to know how much travel up and down you hav for clearance with the springs before you can get a tire/rims.
With stock springs tires/wheels thiers about 3.5" of room(travel) top of tires.

I was thinking about sticking with 16"s because I wouldn't have to calibrate my speedometer. How do you calibrate a speedometer anyway? Also, I'd get wider wheels probably so as to get more surface area for grip in the summer time, and probably convert back to my stock things for the winter.

I hav p225/50R16 on my GA's they are Fat :D
And they get good all year traction.

They calibrate the speedometer through the Diagnostic port under the steering wheel.
IMO I think the 16" rims make the car look like its sitting lower when you lower it with springs :grinyes:

You could find those Iridiums(Hardest metal on earth next to the Hords Of Nebulah) cheaper at a parts store and save on shipping. :thumbsup:

Thats a nice list, looks like you need a raise on that allowance though :D

:thumbsup: Got mine real cheap, $4.90 +tax came out right at like $30 and something cents

I hav p225/50R16 on my GA's they are Fat :D
And they get good all year traction.

They calibrate the speedometer through the Diagnostic port under the steering wheel.
IMO I think the 16" rims make the car look like its sitting lower when you lower it with springs :grinyes:


Id just stick with 17" rims, good size I think...

serously tho you really cant tell that much difference between a 16" and a 17".

Put some low profile tires on 16's and they look better than the 14's that came on GAs a few yrs back :grinyes:

I hav p225/50R16 on my GA's they are Fat :D
And they get good all year traction.

They calibrate the speedometer through the Diagnostic port under the steering wheel.
IMO I think the 16" rims make the car look like its sitting lower when you lower it with springs :grinyes:


How much were those tires ur talking about, and how can such a fat tire be good in the winter? I have to deal with fun things like lake effect snow when I go home in the winter, so I really, REALLY need to be able to handle ice and snow!

Also, how much did you pay?

I hav Good Year Assurance Triple Treads (http://www.goodyearassurance.com/html/index.html) P225/50R16 on stock rims.

I payed around $160 each, but they are 80k mile tires that handle great in rain, snow, and dry pavement.

Some people that live way north use some Blizzards, but I've not seen them personaly.

I live pretty much in the same location as you.

I hav Good Year Assurance Triple Treads (http://www.goodyearassurance.com/html/index.html) P225/50R16 on stock rims.

I payed around $160 each, but they are 80k mile tires that handle great in rain, snow, and dry pavement.

Some people that live way north use some Blizzards, but I've not seen them personaly.

I live pretty much in the same location as you.


Will they REALLY last that long? The tires I have last about a year... and I've put only about 40k miles on my car since I've gotten it, and went through like 2 or 3 tire changes or so... (about 5 years ago)

Perosnally i think buying rims is a waste of money i learned my lesson with rims on my last car and i think its just a waste of 1200 bux becuz that 1200 can go to sum nice performance mods and besides a slleeper is the best cuz no1 ever expects your car to be as fast as it is :naughty:

Perosnally i think buying rims is a waste of money i learned my lesson with rims on my last car and i think its just a waste of 1200 bux becuz that 1200 can go to sum nice performance mods and besides a slleeper is the best cuz no1 ever expects your car to be as fast as it is :naughty:

hmmm good call :)

Will they REALLY last that long? The tires I have last about a year... and I've put only about 40k miles on my car since I've gotten it, and went through like 2 or 3 tire changes or so... (about 5 years ago)

Most tires only hav a 35-40k mile warrnty.

The key is to rotate them @ 4-5k miles(every oil change).
With these tires you get a life time rotate and ballance, hell they'll even call you sometimes, send emails if you register them online too.

That is if you buy them from a Good Year tire shop locally, not online. Which where you go to school in W Lafy thiers plenty of tire shops around :D


I like The sleeper look, mainly because cops dont harrrass you. Seems like everytime I drive the GT a cop follows me around, and around :shakehead Dont the fools know, GT stands for "Good Times" :lol2:

I like The sleeper look, mainly because cops dont harrrass you. Seems like everytime I drive the GT a cop follows me around, and around :shakehead Dont the fools know, GT stands for "Good Times" :lol2:

Hahaha yea stupid cops

Well thier are no other green GAGTs around,
and I dont run it like the SE, so thiers no reasoning behind thier actions.
Hadnt been stoped at all in yrs till earlier this yr in the SE,
got stoped twice in less than 30min.
No tickets tho, just harrased and lost 20-30min each time. Glad to see my tax dollars hard at work. :rolleyes:

Perosnally i think buying rims is a waste of money i learned my lesson with rims on my last car and i think its just a waste of 1200 bux becuz that 1200 can go to sum nice performance mods and besides a slleeper is the best cuz no1 ever expects your car to be as fast as it is :naughty:

+1

Why i've stuck with my stock black ugly rims is because of this reason, got nice tires tho :rofl: $441 :D

Your rims are pretty light weight then Gir.
You could pick up some of the other stockers I bet at a salvage yard for pretty cheap.

I'd like to hav a set of those like you hav for extreme winter driving :yikes: nothing that involves food trays :lol: ;)

So where can I get cheap rims that allow me to use p225/50r16's? I just looked and I have p205/55r16's... but I don't want to pay for gaudy rims now because I do like the idea of the sleeper look now :) So where can I get like "stock" rims like yours, xero?

Or can I use these rims but buy p225/50r16's?

My dad said he THOUGHT my car used to use p225's and lower profile tires... is it possible the place i got tires fucked up and put p205/55r16's on my rims? Or would it not work?

the 205 is the hight of hte tire. The 205 is a lower profile then the 225, but I'm sure that the 225/50's will fit.

Which rims does your GA hav?
The black ones with the silver triangle cap thingy?

It might say on the inside of the drivers door to what size exactly.

the 205 is the hight of hte tire. The 205 is a lower profile then the 225, but I'm sure that the 225/50's will fit.

Which rims does your GA hav?
The black ones with the silver triangle cap thingy?

It might say on the inside of the drivers door to what size exactly.

Same looking rims as your SE.

I like the SE's rims and the GT :pimp:

I was thinking about powder coating them yello :D

Tho that would kill the sleepr look :(

Check the yello pages for salvage yards, thiers tons of them.

They'll hav rims like these, thats where I'd look first.
No delivery charges and I can see them for reall and look them over for cracks/bends. Probly around $200 for 4, maybe $75 each but thats still cheap compared to new.
New From the Stealershit!! WOO !
They are pricy :eek:

over $250 each I'm sure.

I like the SE's rims and the GT :pimp:

I was thinking about powder coating them yello :D

Tho that would kill the sleepr look :(

Check the yello pages for salvage yards, thiers tons of them.

They'll hav rims like these, thats where I'd look first.
No delivery charges and I can see them for reall and look them over for cracks/bends. Probly around $200 for 4, maybe $75 each but thats still cheap compared to new.
New From the Stealershit!! WOO !
They are pricy :eek:

over $250 each I'm sure.


So my rims cant have P225/50R16's?

Look inside your drivers door, thiers two pieces of paper stuck thier with info thats specific to your car.

Yes your rims if thier the 15 spoke should be able to use the 225/50r16s.
You can use other sizes too, some people will put on low profiles because they are cheaper and they think it looks kool.
I just looked up the dealer price for the 15 spoke, prt #12368948, #386.80 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for !1! You could almost buy Foose wheels for that :lol: