Hey guys, new here, just bought a 2000 GT with 123k miles. 5 speed, performance red. It looks great and I love it! It had been sitting for a year when i bought it, so i changed oil, oil filter, and fuel filter, and cleaned the TB & IAC right away. I'm not sure what to do next with a budget of $300. Handling and steering feels old, will eventually need tires and possibly paint... Any ideas for something I could do right away? Thanks!!
How To Wake Up An Old Gt?
- Thread starter ChrisF
- Start date
trinity_gt
10 Year Member
Take care of all the safety-related stuff before thinking of any sort of performance upgrades.
trinity_gt
10 Year Member
You mentioned that the "Handling and steering feels old, will eventually need tires..."
You could start by checking things in the front end like:
- wheel bearings
- lower ball joints
- tie rod ends
- steering shaft rag joint
- control arm bushings
- strut condition
- brakes
I'm simply recommending money be spent on stuff like that before underdrive pulleys or a cold air intake etc. A lot of that may not need replacing or reconditioning but whatever the case, you should address stuff that involves steering and stopping before performance.
Rejekt
Member
Get some lowering springs and some good shocks and struts. It will make a big difference in looks and handling.
03_TrueBlue_GT
Active Member
It can't be woken up... 2v's are dead
actually, gears, upgraded suspension (I recommend MM), cams and exhaust will make a tremendous improvement
I was about to say what the hey are you smoking??
Till I saw your sentence at the bottom...What are your plans with the car? Is it a DD or a weekend toy? Do you want something that transforms it into a 10 sec car or are you just wanting a fun street driven car that can hang/beat the new sports cars?
mransr
Founding Member
Rejekt
Member
I have an 03 GT. My favorite mods of the ones I've done are my 3.73 gears, lowering springs w/shocks and struts, and an MGW shifter in that order. Exhaust is also fun to do, I really like my off-road prochamber, but depending on where you live it may not be an option.
Don't bother with a CAI as they are not worth the money. Just buy a drop in K&N filter and remove the intake snorkel (which is pretty restrictive). This will free up some airflow and gives it a nice throaty intake noise.
Don't bother with a CAI as they are not worth the money. Just buy a drop in K&N filter and remove the intake snorkel (which is pretty restrictive). This will free up some airflow and gives it a nice throaty intake noise.
StanglovR1
Member
Drove a few before i bought this one. the one i bought had 3.73 and boy you can feel the pull over those stock gears.
If the plugs werent changed you may way too. Along with a coolant flush. cheap stuff might as well
If your capiable of welding get some flowmaster 40s. $160 for two and an x pipe shouldnt total more than $300. always fun making some noise
I've been wanting to lower as well but to do the job right i hear caster camber plates and shocks also need to be considered. Add in the lowering spring looking at $600
If the plugs werent changed you may way too. Along with a coolant flush. cheap stuff might as well
If your capiable of welding get some flowmaster 40s. $160 for two and an x pipe shouldnt total more than $300. always fun making some noise
I've been wanting to lower as well but to do the job right i hear caster camber plates and shocks also need to be considered. Add in the lowering spring looking at $600
I didn't have high hopes given the cars age, but I've recently heard good things about how long these cars last. My goal is to have a fun car that COULD reliably be driven daily (I probably won't). I just had NC state inspection, and was told my front drivers side tie rod end needed replacement. Bought the part, Jacked it up at home and it seemed ok to me the wheel was solid. I'm still gonna change it out, but I'm waiting until I get new wheels, and control arm bushings, so I can get 1 alignment after all of that without waiting.
Rejekt
Member
BurningRubber
10 Year Member
- Dec 6, 2004
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Definitely gears... if you do, get a full rebuild kit and replace all the bearings (including axle bearings) and rebuild the limited slip as well.
Lots go with 4.10's, lots go with 3.73's. Either is fine depending on what you like. If you do a lot of highway driving, 3.73's are more kind to that.
The 99-00 GT's have a T45 transmission (beefed up T5) versus the T3650 is the newer GT's. The 5th/OD gear in the T45 causes it to cruise at a higher RPM than a T3650 transmission with the same rear end gear. So 4.10's at 60mph for me is about 2,200 RPM, whereas in a T3650 car would be closer to 2,000 RPM.
Lots go with 4.10's, lots go with 3.73's. Either is fine depending on what you like. If you do a lot of highway driving, 3.73's are more kind to that.
The 99-00 GT's have a T45 transmission (beefed up T5) versus the T3650 is the newer GT's. The 5th/OD gear in the T45 causes it to cruise at a higher RPM than a T3650 transmission with the same rear end gear. So 4.10's at 60mph for me is about 2,200 RPM, whereas in a T3650 car would be closer to 2,000 RPM.
Gears are going to be my first true performance mod. But they come after tune up, shifter, suspension bushings, and wheels and tires... so not anytime soon. Especially on my very small income. And if it makes that small of a differnce ill definately go with 4.10. And ill look into what's involved in doing the whole rebuild
BurningRubber
10 Year Member
- Dec 6, 2004
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Nothing wrong with that.
The good thing about a gear install is that it's very easy to knock all that out at once since everything has to come apart anyway to properly install a set of gears. Your looking at anywhere from $140-$180ish for the gears, about $120 for a full bearing kit plus whatever for the trac-lok rebuild (I think prices have kind of shot up). Install labor is usually about $250-$350.
sneaky98gt
10 Year Member
Much agreed.
OP, it's funny you mentioned it already, but I was definitely gonna say to replace the tie rod ends. They are almost definitely worn out. Check the brakes out as well.
Rejekt
Member
I just got my 4.10 gears, install kit (with royal purple gear oil), and tuner from AM for just over $500. I am getting them installed and everything rebuilt at Piedmont Custom Motorsports in Raleigh for $325. You can add the trak lok rebuild for another $100.
http://www.americanmuscle.com/tuner-410-gear-oil-kit-9904gt.html
