Originally posted by 98 gtp toy@Sep 16 2004, 11:26 AM
So how do performance parts prices for that year compare with the newer grand prix?
TURBOS RULE 
Yeah they do. I never really gave turbos much thought till I bought the TSTE. Now I'm hooked :mellow:
Glad to see everything is up and running on yours. So when do the numbers come?
I'm curious to see what that sucker will do. How much boost is it pushing out right now?
As for performance parts for the McLaren GPs....well, here's the problem. With only a grand total of just over 5,000 2 door TGPs being built between '89 and '90, and only 1,000 4-door TSTEs in '90 only, there really isn't an aftermarket for these cars. Countless numbers of them have been junked by now. I've seen quite a few in yards around here, alone.
I took one apart myself a couple of years ago when I didn't really know/care about them to use the complete engine for one of my 6000 STE AWDs. I've been sorry I did that ever since. That poor TGP. It coulda' been saved. :banghead: So, moral of the story, I doubt there are too many in existence anymore.
That being said, Jeff M (from J & M Auto Studios) is the only one I know of that makes TGP specific parts in...."mass production"....if you want to call it that. He's got 2 TGPs, and one TSTE, I believe. He also has an 11 second Syclone. He has a replacement for that sorry
crossover pipe I mentioned. MUCH, MUCH better (never heard of one breaking since he started making them years ago). But...at $425 a piece, plus a core, it's still far from cheap, even though it beats the crap out of GM and their $1,500 price tag for a part guaranteed to break in a year or less. So that will help get things running correctly to begin with, 'cause a crossover pipe is
kiiiinda' important on a turbocharged engine. :mellow: If I can find T-409 SS flex joint bellows, I'd be set (just get a welder too cut off the old joints, and TIG weld the new ones), but I haven't been able to come across those. The best I've been able to find are the T-304s, so I may give those a shot.
He also has several different stage chips, of which, the best currently is the
Top Gun 160 chip (I *think* this was a little Tom Cruise inside joke, because he was in Days of Thunder, and so was the TGP....as the pace car....
). It kicks the fans on at 160* (also requires a 160* T-stat and K & N filter), and takes the stock 7 psi of boost with a 9.5 psi cut off, to 11 and 13, respectively. On top of peeking much higher, it holds the power band up there longer. BIG improvement for these cars. By far, the best money you can spend on them because the stock chip was another major issue with these, as GM gave McLaren 2 weeks to program it, so it's full of flaws, and VERY conservative on power.
Those are $275 from Jeff.
After that, we wait and see. I know he has a tranny package coming soon that will be $1,000 shipped, and will contain EVERYTHING needed for a rebuild, with the capability to handle some SERIOUS hp increases. It even comes with instructions on how to do it (for the tranny guys that keep screwing up all the TGP owners' rebuilds; LOTS of horror stories on those). Then, hopefully, will come that bigger turbo/injector/chip package I mentioned, along with the possible heads, cams, and some miscellaneous upgrades. The turbo is the big deal. The prototype had a bigger one, along with a different intercooler and other one-offs, and was cranking out 305 hp with a 14 second flat 1/4 time.
Of course, for the production, they went with the Garrett T-25, which is WAY too small for this motor. The problem is, they made upgrading difficult due to the 5 bolt pattern flange, as opposed to the 4 bolt every other turbo/car on the planet seems to use! That's why we're all salivating over this possible package, though I'm frightened to see what the price tag will be.
h34r:
Aside from that are the simple bolt ons, like the Fast Forward Performance underdrive pulley, and billet aluminum motor mounts. There are a few TGPs that have broken into the 13's on the stock internals/just bolt ons, and not even a rebuild (130K miles + on many). I'm not sure how far I want to go with this car, yet. We'll see where I get in this next couple of months, and what's available by then.
Hope you have continued success on yours.
