Help! Need to spend some $
03-06-2006, 01:41 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 226
Help! Need to spend some $
Ok...I've got $450 that I need to get rid of quickly (before I spend it on something else)
I've yet to get a X-Cal II tune for my Stang (automatic)...from what everyone says, that's the 1st thing to get.
There's a shop in the Houston area that has the SCT in stock, charging $425 for the SCT and install, NO DYNO...dyno is $100 more. He said he'll put a 93 octane tune/adjust shift points and throttle lag, etc...Without any additional mods the tech claims there's not much more he can do as far as a "custom tune" goes, he could throw on a "valet" and "stock" mode...overall, says I'll see an approx gain of 15-18 hp with a drop in K&N filter.
Question: is this the type of custom tune everyone refers to on this forum? Just seems that 20 mins of work and no dyno for $425 is a little expensive...wait, maybe not expensive, just "uneventful"...think I expected more from the tune. Is it worth it? definitely plan on adding more mods later, just hope I can notice a difference NOW.
Feedback appreciated
I've yet to get a X-Cal II tune for my Stang (automatic)...from what everyone says, that's the 1st thing to get.
There's a shop in the Houston area that has the SCT in stock, charging $425 for the SCT and install, NO DYNO...dyno is $100 more. He said he'll put a 93 octane tune/adjust shift points and throttle lag, etc...Without any additional mods the tech claims there's not much more he can do as far as a "custom tune" goes, he could throw on a "valet" and "stock" mode...overall, says I'll see an approx gain of 15-18 hp with a drop in K&N filter.
Question: is this the type of custom tune everyone refers to on this forum? Just seems that 20 mins of work and no dyno for $425 is a little expensive...wait, maybe not expensive, just "uneventful"...think I expected more from the tune. Is it worth it? definitely plan on adding more mods later, just hope I can notice a difference NOW.
Feedback appreciated
03-06-2006, 02:09 PM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,716
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
You don't need a dyno tune on a relatively stock car. At most you'd only gain 1 or 2 HP over a canned tune and it's not worth the cost of the dyno runs for that. You might ask around to see how good that shop is, lots of people on these forums prefer bamachips. He'll send you whatever octane tunes you want, he can give you 87, 89, 91 or 93 (you get 3 tunes with the purchase). It is money well spent because it greatly improves auto shifting regardless of the octane used.
03-06-2006, 02:19 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 38
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
Give a call to Andre @ http://www.customperformancetuning.com/. He is here out of Houston and does great work with Fords. I believe he has the SCT X-Cal II for $380 and can give you a pretty close tune with out dynoing from his previous experiances. Tell him Tommy sent you, and he will be more than happy to help ya!
03-06-2006, 02:34 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 601
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
Brent at BrenSpeed.com can also send you tunes with the purchase of the SCT X-CALIBRATOR 2. He's got it for $379. You'd notice more of a difference if you also got the intake, but that will put you up to $600-$700. A drop-in air filter is not going to give you much of an increase in HP. I guess you could get the tuner first and when you have the money then get the intake.
03-06-2006, 05:10 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kingwood, TX
Posts: 189
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
What shop? and I am interested also... I have not done the tuner yet... seems that I run into other deals before I can order one 
My Hellwig Anti-Sway group buy I just ordered... he he
Maybe we can get a deal together and get some Dyno time if we had a few of us over there together... I am basically stock, K&N drop in and duals, but I would not mind getting a CAI and tune... Slaters is a Diablo shop or I would go there... their dyno time is $150/Hour or $60 for 2 pulls.
My Hellwig Anti-Sway group buy I just ordered... he he
Maybe we can get a deal together and get some Dyno time if we had a few of us over there together... I am basically stock, K&N drop in and duals, but I would not mind getting a CAI and tune... Slaters is a Diablo shop or I would go there... their dyno time is $150/Hour or $60 for 2 pulls.
03-06-2006, 05:13 PM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 740
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
If you get the tune, that still leaves you with a little bit of $ left over. For the money you have, I would get the saleen shifter. At about $50 shipped, it's a great improvement. Not nearly as good as say a steeda Tri-Ax, but you can't beat teh short throw for $50. Then with the rest, go to best buy or where ever you buy music from, and get some new drivin tunes.
03-06-2006, 06:56 PM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 4
RE: Help! Need to spend some $
Go with Brenspeeds JLT package, It is the best power gain I have every for the price. Save up the extra 170 and get it. It is more than worth the wait. Dont waste any money on exhaust. No power gains that way.
03-06-2006, 11:44 PM
#9
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 226
*UPDATE*Help! Need to spend some $
ok...update time....
went with one of the suggested local "tuners" here in Houston...met him at 4:30pm this afternoon as he requested...he had another stang on the dyno so I waited for approx 2 hrs while he finished working on that one (only had a certain amnt of time as it was a "borrowed" dyno, not really his shop)....he finally started programming the Xcal II for my car:
1. 93 octane tune (set shift points to 6300 rpm, said he couldn't find the adjustment to help diminish torque lag, claimed it was probably built into new software from SCT)
2. 89 octane tune
3. valet tune (rpm limited to 5300)
ALL THIS AND WHEN HE PLUGGED THE TUNER INTO MY CAR....SAID IT COULDN'T LOAD...DEFECTIVE UNIT!!! He asked if I could come back tomorrow...45 MIN DRIVE ONE WAY mind you.
sorry for the long post, just had to vent...I'm seriously considering going another route now, even if it means waiting longer (bama, brenspeed, etc...) he said he'll meet me closer to my house tomorrow but that's not the point...feel like I wasted 4 hrs of my day for no reason.
Thoughts? Hugs? Consolations?
went with one of the suggested local "tuners" here in Houston...met him at 4:30pm this afternoon as he requested...he had another stang on the dyno so I waited for approx 2 hrs while he finished working on that one (only had a certain amnt of time as it was a "borrowed" dyno, not really his shop)....he finally started programming the Xcal II for my car:
1. 93 octane tune (set shift points to 6300 rpm, said he couldn't find the adjustment to help diminish torque lag, claimed it was probably built into new software from SCT)
2. 89 octane tune
3. valet tune (rpm limited to 5300)
ALL THIS AND WHEN HE PLUGGED THE TUNER INTO MY CAR....SAID IT COULDN'T LOAD...DEFECTIVE UNIT!!! He asked if I could come back tomorrow...45 MIN DRIVE ONE WAY mind you.
sorry for the long post, just had to vent...I'm seriously considering going another route now, even if it means waiting longer (bama, brenspeed, etc...) he said he'll meet me closer to my house tomorrow but that's not the point...feel like I wasted 4 hrs of my day for no reason.
Thoughts? Hugs? Consolations?
03-06-2006, 11:59 PM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 740
RE: *UPDATE*Help! Need to spend some $
The guy doesn't even have his own dyno, how much experience in tuning can he have. Go with a brenspeed tune and you won't be disapionted. Frankspin is right, save up and get a CAI w/ the tune. Also, you don't have any other mods to your car yet, so the pre-canned tunes from brenspeed or others will be just fine.