steve40

i'm thinking of installing a converter over the winter, any advice on how to pick one

currently all i have done is headers, cat-back and 3.73 gears

i want the car to be able to still be a daily driver. what are good companies to get, i see that alot of people here like vig's and yank's

thanks
steve

rskrause

There are a number of good converters out there, but it's to some extent a matter of "you get what you pay for". So, getting a satisfactory converter is largely a matter of deciding what you need and then buying a converter that will meet that need.

This situation exists because the converter manufacturers are basically using the same parts at the same price points. IOW, there are only a few companies that manufacture converter parts. What most of the companies that sell converters do is assemble them, not really manufacture them. They may make a couple of the parts, but most are purchased from third parties. Kind of like PC's. Dell, Gateway, HP, etc. do not, by and large, manufacture PC's. They buy parts and assemble them. Some of the parts may be customized for the assembling company, but the end result is much more similar than different. Same with converters at a given price point.

That said, given that you have a basically stock car, what you need is an OEM quality converter with a bit higher stall. 2,800 seems to work well. Keep in mind that with street tires this will not make you faster, especially with 3.73's you will simply spin the tires more. So, you may not really want to try this. As far as brand goes, look for a $300-400 converter from a reliable manufacturer rather than a specific brand, as they will be so close as to be indistinguishable IMHO.

You do not need a high end converter unless you are going to fit slicks or drag radials and go racing. In that case, a stronger converter is in order with a higher stall. Something like a Vigilante with a 3,200rpm stall. This will be about double the cost of what I suggested above. Of course, once you get to this point you have started the mod ball rolling downhill. You probably should add a tranny cooler with a 3,200 stall. And once you start racing with sticky tires, the tranny and the rear end are stressed a lot more. And so on. Ask me how I know? Well, let's put it this way. My car is now at the point where it's much easier to list what is stock than what is modded.

Rich Krause

steve40

i was using drag radials last year at the track, and still plan on doing more to the motor, i just wanted to stay a bolt on car for the meantime, so maybe something like a vig might be better instead of having to change it later

also while doing this i was going to have the tranny freshened up since its out, is there any upgrades that should be done to help strengthen it

also for street driving would you want a lock up converter

rskrause

Sounds like the Vigilante is a good choice for you. And you do definitely want a lock-up converter when possible (which it is for you). I would also get a tranny cooler, though it probably isn't absolutely necessary at this point.

As far as mods to the 4L60E, I am not the person to ask about that. Hopefully others will chime in.

Rich Krause