Ok first post here on J-Body, and I'm loving all of the great information on this website.

I have just recently upgraded my vechile from a 89' Chevrolet Corsica 4 Door to a 99' Pontiac Sunfire 2.2 Automatic 2 Door. I've really got into modifications lately and have been looking hard at a lot of things.

The only modification so far to the car is I pulled out the old stock headunit and put in a Pioneer Premier DEH-P770MP Model In-Dash CD/MP3/WMA/WAV with OEL Display and a pair of Pioneer TS-A6961R 6" x 9" 3-Way Speaker with 230 Watts Max. Power in the rear, front speakers are still stock.

It took me awhile to save up for the headunit, but recently I recieved about a grand and have decided to throw it into my car. I don't want to kit it, and I dont want a turbo/supercharger for the 1 reason that it will ZAP every bit of cash I have.

I've made a huge *ss list of stuff I'm going to be doing to the car and hopefully someday be going to shows with it. The reason for this post is, you guys know your stuff....being "J-Body" people heh, and if you can plug in any websites, stores, brands that have good prices and good performance on their items...then reply here.

Heres what I want to upgrade, or get a good idea at how much more cash I'm gonna need to do it:

1. My Audio System- I think I might upgrade my back speakers, and front speakers and eventually get a amp/subs to match them. My friend suggested trying to rig a shallow mounted sub underneath each seat in the front as well, seemed cool to me but I have no idea how I would do it. The headunit I have stays due to it took a LOT of work to get.

If anyone can point me towards a good brand of speakers, 6x9 in the back/4x6 in the front(of course) and possibly a good way to put shallow subs under the seat I would appreciate it, and also I plan on throwing in a couple 12's in the back.

2. Interior- First off, I'll be doing the old clear HVAC trick and turning them to glow blue, and would like to make my dash lights glow the same color...I just gotta find the right stuff to learn how to do this and get the LED bulbs for it.

I'm looking to base my car around a sky blue type appearance, that matches my CD player, so I may dye some of the interior peices on the door and dash to match it, gotta find out how to do this also, but all I'll need to buy is the dye I believe.

I need to get ahold of a couple of comfortable seats, preferably Black/Blue color scheme and some matching floor mats. I'm planning on installing blue neon lights under the dash and behind the front seats so the floorboards glow a faint blue as well...I've heard the name Streetglow and Liteglow float around...not sure on either really.

I am also going to get a new e-brake handle/shifter/pedals/steering wheel/cigarette lighter that looks a bit more stylish, also following the blue scheme, possibly Matrix or APC...also gonna have to find out how to install these..

Exterior- For the exterior, I don't have a lot planned except I'm gonna get a good paint job on the car someday of Sky Blue, sort of like the classic Windows XP color.

Also planning on doing that "clear headlights" thing, I saw a post on how to do it somewhere, gonna do that when it stops snowing around here, and I might get some new taillights, possibly the retro 3D APC ones, along with some APC side mirrors..not sure on the brand APC but a few have told me they have good quality.

Possibly a carbon-fiber gas cap.

Gonna get a new hood, possibly the VIS Racing Carbon Fiber Hoods - Invader Style, or the type z hood 1995 - 2002

Will eventually kit it, gonna go with the XPLOSION BODY KIT, along with shaved everything...but this is probally gonna be the last mod..before it hits the shows.

Engine- I would like to make my car roar, well...as much of a "roar" you can get out of a 2.2 and still be street legal in Illinois...haha

I was gonna pull-through and get a new cat-back exhaust system, perhaps Magnaflow..not sure on this brand either, but a friend told me they have good exhaust systems. Also heard RK Sport come up.

As for an intake, I've heard the name Weapon R and AEM thrown up a lot, not sure on which to go but I'm wanting a good CAI.

I know this isnt much of a engine mod but I'm going to get some coilovers to lower it an inch or two, adjustable of course....possibly Arospeed.

Strut bar, also heard the name RK Sport come up.

Not really an "engine" person but I would like to dress up the engine definately..its like my main thing right now but I don't really know what I should buy..so if anyone has any suggestions on how to dress up and improve performance on a 1999 2.2 Auto Sunfire give me a reply or a email at J_Staton87@hotmail.com

Thanks, and your site is awesome.

First of all I've never seen any kind of Sub fit under the seat of a J-body, so in my opinion throw that idea out the window. But if it's bass up front you want then I'd go with maybe kick panels that accomodate a pair of 6" mids in the front (that's assuming your going to push them with an amp). But in my opinion the most noticeable upgrade you can make is a nice accenting set of rims.


OBJECTS ON MIRROR ARE FORDS AND HONDAS

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I was gonna pull-through and get a new cat-back exhaust system, perhaps Magnaflow..not sure on this brand either, but a friend told me they have good exhaust systems. Also heard RK Sport come up.

Magnaflow cat-backs are the shizz

The RK Sport cat-backs don't sound all that great cause of the muffler they use and it doesn't have any resonators. Magnaflows does and it's nice and deep.

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Strut bar, also heard the name RK Sport come up.

Check out RSM Racing, Turbo Tech Racing and Car Customs, they all sell Strut Bars.

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As for an intake, I've heard the name Weapon R and AEM thrown up a lot, not sure on which to go but I'm wanting a good CAI.

Don't waste your money on the "Cold Air Intakes"...they are just gimmicks. The truth is that under hood intake systems work perfectly fine and during motion there is plenty of cool airflow circulating. They call it Cold air intakes because of the filter being located outside the engine bay, which they try and say "your engine is hot and gives off hot heat and your intake is going to suck it all back up and hurt your motor or performance" which is not the case. Overall, save some cash and just buy an average intake, they all work the same and consume the same things.

If you're interested in a nice weapon-r intake, check out Defined Parts

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improve performance on a 1999 2.2 Auto Sunfire

Is that a 3 speed or 4 speed?

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I know this isnt much of a engine mod but I'm going to get some coilovers to lower it an inch or two, adjustable of course....possibly Arospeed.

Not sure about Arospeeds, I'm personally not a fan of coilovers. I'd rather take an Eibach Pro-Kit over than any day.

If you do decide to go with coilovers, make sure you get a strut/shock package that can handle the drop you are aiming for. It is very important that you change them and not drop your car on your stock struts. Your stock struts were designed to handle a certain height and absorb so much. When you lower your car on stock struts, you give your cylinder less room to absorb, hence the phrase "bottoming out".

The 2 main companies that make a strut/shock package for our cars is Koni and KYB...Koni used to make "Reds" but they replaced with the new "Yellows". They can handle up to a 2" drop (not exactly sure on drop it can handle but it's about that much). KYB makes the "AGX" which can handle about a 1.5 inch drop. KYB also makes the "GR-2" but those are stock replacements, not meant to be on a dropped vehicle.

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possibly the retro 3D APC ones

Trust me, you won't like them when you get them. They are VERY tacky looking. Most people leave the stock ones or do an 03+ Sunfire Conversion, which isn't that hard to do. When you do the 03+ conversion, you can get the beautiful TYC Tail lights like mine:

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If anyone can point me towards a good brand of speakers, 6x9 in the back/4x6 in the front(of course)

It depends on what you're going for with your interior speakers. I'm assuming you'd like alot more highs with them since you'll have subwoofers for the bass. I'd suggest getting Pioneers 6x9 4-Ways...yup 4-ways = 4 tweeters on each end of the speaker. Pioneer also makes a 6x9 5-way if you really wanna get crazy and put an amp to them but not sure how they would fit on your rear deck. Pioneers for the fronts as well.
Also check out Infiniti and Alpine speakers.

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My friend suggested trying to rig a shallow mounted sub underneath each seat in the front as well, seemed cool to me but I have no idea how I would do it. The headunit I have stays due to it took a LOT of work to get.

That wouldn't work, not enough clearance and it would just be plain silly.

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I plan on throwing in a couple 12's in the back.

Best thing you can do right there with subwoofers. Check out companies like Alpine, Kicker, JL, MTX & Pioneer Premier. All make good subwoofers.

Some audio tips for you...

When you do shop around for your subs, remember, the more money you spend on a subwoofer (comparing to retail price), the better quality subwoofer you're getting. Too many people see 600 Watt subwoofers at K-mart and think that they are King S*** but in reality they are total pieces of crap. You have to look at the RMS Wattage, not the Peak Wattage. The RMS wattage is how much watts you will regularly push out, the peak is what could peak the wattage at but the likelyness of you peaking are slimmer.

This theory goes the same when you shop around for an amplifier. Look for amplifiers by companies like Kicker, Profile, MTX, and Alpine.

Here is a very good place to buy audio equipment at: www.millionbuy.com. They sell quality products for a very cheap price brand new and no gimmicks. I know this cause I've ordered plenty from them in the past.

I've talked your head off enough. If you have any questions, just ask.



www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837

My turn:

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First off, I'll be doing the old clear HVAC trick and turning them to glow blue, and would like to make my dash lights glow the same color...I just gotta find the right stuff to learn how to do this and get the LED bulbs for it.

You actually have 2 options... if you want to go the LED route, clicky

The other option is some Stained Glass paint from a local craft store, paint the back side of the knobs and there you go.

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I need to get ahold of a couple of comfortable seats

Aplusperfomance.com -- I haven't ordered much from Jason, but I've heard nothing but good things about him when it comes to business.

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installing blue neon lights under the dash and behind the front seats so the floorboards glow a faint blue as well...I've heard the name Streetglow and Liteglow float around...not sure on either really.

Could also check out Oznium.com. They sell cold cathodes, not as much light output as a neon tube, but at $3-5 a piece, you can double up. Plus, being smaller than a neon tube, they are much more versatile in the placement.

NJHK (King Of Newbies) wrote:

Jeremy Staton wrote:

possibly the retro 3D APC ones

Trust me, you won't like them when you get them. They are VERY tacky looking. Most people leave the stock ones or do an 03+ Sunfire Conversion, which isn't that hard to do. When you do the 03+ conversion, you can get the beautiful TYC Tail lights...

Agreed. Please, don't get the APC tails.

If you are planning a custom route, could always go with a custom tail, like I'm doing:



I'd have more, but I checked the clock and I gotta bail for work... I'll check back afterwards and throw out some other ideas.

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Is that a 3 speed or 4 speed?

My car is the 2200 SFI, 3 speed.


The modifications I have pretty much decided on so far are:

Cat-Back Exhaust System: Magnaflow Dual System...always wanted to put dual exhaust on the sunfire so I think I'm going to go for it.

HVAC- Going to buy some blue LED's and install them behind the HVAC and try to figure out how to use some more of the same colored LEDS in the dash gauges.

Painted Interior- Going to paint some of the interior parts sky blue.

Clear Headlights- Going to do them myself.

Audio System Setup:
-Head-Unit: Pioneer Premier DEH-P770M In-Dash CD/MP3/WMA/WAV with OEL Display
-Front Speakers: Pioneer 4"x6" 3-Way Speaker with 120 Watts Max. Power
-Back Speakers: Pioneer 6" x 9" 5-Way Speaker with 460 Watts Max. Power
-Subwoofers: 2 Premier 12" Component Subwoofers with 1000 Watts Max. Power
-Amplifier: Not exactly sure on what kind of amp's I will need...Possibly 1 for my speakers and 1 for my subs?...So I'd need a 4 channel and a 2 channel amp correct?

Exterior Mods:
-Bodykit: Sunfire Xplosion Kit...definately LOVE the look of this kit.
-Hood: 1995-2002 Type Z Sunfire Hood
-Rims: Not sure on these.
-Tailight Switchout..not sure yet.
-Clear Headlights
-Paint Job...Sky Blue.


There is a bunch of smaller mods I'm going to do but these are the ones I want to do rather soon....within the next 2-3 months.

sounds like you know where you want to go with your car, which is good. just make sure you do your research before buying something.



Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!

I'm gonna second 99redz24... make sure you know who and what you're buying. Can't wait to see pics, even progress ones.

NJHK, I'll second the millionbuy.com choice for audio. I'm cheap and not really picky when it comes to audio, so picking up 2 12's and an amp for about $300 shipped, not bad at all.

As for the rest, I'll touch on a couple points...

Jeremy Staton wrote:

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Is that a 3 speed or 4 speed?

HVAC- Going to buy some blue LED's and install them behind the HVAC and try to figure out how to use some more of the same colored LEDS in the dash gauges.

Painted Interior- Going to paint some of the interior parts sky blue.

Clear Headlights- Going to do them myself.

-Amplifier: Not exactly sure on what kind of amp's I will need...Possibly 1 for my speakers and 1 for my subs?...So I'd need a 4 channel and a 2 channel amp correct?

The HVAC LED's will work, light output will be a little less. You may have some funky colors (ie purple) for the HVAC display itself. Reason being, (unless it was changed for the 99 model year) is that behind the HVAC display, there is a red, semi-transparent paint that makes the symbols have that red glow. If anyone cares to correct me on that, please do. I'm going off my '97 HVAC...




It is also the same for the instrument panel (again, referencing from my '97 Sunfire panel).

Painted interior -- doing some research on paints is key. For longevity, using auto exterior paint is a good choice, however, (and people are gonna hate me for this) rattle can paint can do the job. Prep work and patience.

Clicky

There's a whole bunch of topics in Interior in regards to interior paint jobs

Clear headlights -- If you go this route, do not stop with just the clear headlights. The pattern behind the glass is actually designed to focus the light. Without it, you will have absolutely no night vision, just an FYI. Best bet is to go with a set of projectors from IZN TRBL -- Clicky. NJHK can back his work. If you are more of a hands-on person, you can just get the supplies and custom up your own.

Amp -- Correct. One 4 channel for the components and one 2 channel for the subs.

99redz24 wrote:sounds like you know where you want to go with your car, which is good. just make sure you do your research before buying something.

Ditto.

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NJHK, I'll second the millionbuy.com choice for audio.

No doubt, I used to love that place back in the day.



www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837