Pontiac Solstice Forum banner

First time in GXP!

1K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  wspohn 
#1 ·
This'll be my 5th solstice, finally found a GXP with under 40k miles on it in Stockton, CA. This thing is fast! Been reading alot about GXP mods & tuning options; I'm pretty sure I'll be going with the Trifecta tune. I did, however have some questions about aftermarket performance parts...from the research I've done, most...if not all mods I'd get for the GXP, would be a waste of money due to its "Learn Down" feature???
I'm wondering what mods would benefit the GXP before having to tune it? For example: high flow cat, DDM Works charge pipes, ZZP Cold Air Intake, larger intercooler, Magnaflow full exhaust...
I'm looking for some general guidance, I am a complete noob when it comes to turbo cars.
What mods ACTUALLY improve horsepower? Which ones are purely aesthetic mods? Which mods should I avoid (if any)? Would I have to re-tune the ecu after adding another mod?
 
#2 ·
If you are doing mods on a GXP, put the mods on first and then have it tuned. But if you are using a canned tune, any tune usually gets rid of the learn down feature (it actually raises the hp and torque it will allow, so technically it doesn't get rid of it). If you are going HFC and IC, I would recommend a custom tune as that would be the only way to realize those benefits.
 
#5 ·
I see that some aftermarket bolt-ons are purely visual mods that will not benefit from a custom Trifecta tune...so I suppose a better question would be: Which mods are actually functional for performance that actually benefit the custom Trifecta tune? I know the charge pipes and cold air intake are non-power adders...but what about a high flow cat & full Magnaflow exhaust? Are those also a waste of money or would the tune extract even more power from the aforementioned mods? Which mods go hand-in-hand with the Trifecta tune, & which ones don't?
would the smartest thing to do is leave the car in stock form & just get the Trifecta tune?
 
#3 ·
you said you found the car in California, but are YOU in California ? There are much stricter rules for after market stuff in California...
 
#6 ·
High flow cat can add 16 to 18 hp
Charge tubes reduce the drop off in hp at higher revs so while they don't add hp, bu flowing better they can have a significant positive impact
Charge air cooler doesn't add power. Larger or more efficient ones can retain power by not heating up as much as the stock unit
Everything else is pretty much cosmetic
 
#7 ·
High flow cat can add 16 to 18 hp
Charge tubes reduce the drop off in hp at higher revs so while they don't add hp, bu flowing better they can have a significant positive impact
Charge air cooler doesn't add power. Larger or more efficient ones can retain power by not heating up as much as the stock unit
Everything else is pretty much cosmetic
Thank you Rob. Was wondering if installing a full exhaust would increase horsepower, or does it just change the sound? I was under the impression that better, less-restrictive flow increased HP; hence the high-flow cat actually helping.
 
#8 ·
I'm running a Trifecta tune and live in California - all the mods that I have done to this point were in preparation for a bigger turbo. DDM CAI, charge tubes, Pwerks IC, Solo hiflow cat and Shorty exhaust. I have the switchable tune which has GMPP type performance for normal driving and huge bump (taking full advantage of the mods that I have done) when switched on. I haven't had any check engine light issues and I can pass smog tests. As much as I would love to tweak more HP out of this little 2.0, by reading through the years of posts on this forum, I have realized that I don't want to lose reliability... because I want to 'drive' this car. If ultimate HP and track time is your goal, do yourself a favor now - buy one of those $2000 engines and build it up right.

108217
 
#9 ·
Great information! Thank you! Yeah, I'm not looking to turn it into a flat out track car; driving a race car daily is annoying AF. But I do want to wring out more HP from the engine since it apparently has more to give, even from factory (GMPP TUNE).
I'm glad I asked the forum though; needed to confirm & get second opinions on the desired mods I have planned. I want to get the functional mods done before buying the aesthetic mods. So for sure getting the High Flow Cat & Full exhaust...wrapped up with the Trifecta tune. Sound like a good start...?
 
#10 ·
The stock exhaust system is low restriction. The after market systems that quote pipe size often neglect to mention that they neck down a little at the point where they join the CAT, so systems that do not do that, like the Solo items, are theoretically better flowing than the ones that do like Magnaflow. I do not know if there is any dyno evidence that a system that is the full 3" all the way through produces better power than the ones like Magnaflow with a 2.5" section.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top