TapOut

Like the title says. Where have you guys went, and who do you guys recommend? And I know it's not always this person is better or that person is better, but just want honest opinions on who you guys have went to and who you guys prefer. (Newtech, Synergy, TPS, Mail Order Programming, etc etc...)

EDIT: Please don't post any comments bashing a tuner, unless you have had a 'Personal' bad experience with them. I would like to make this a more informative post, and hopefully others in the same boat as me can get some good information. Oh and Dyno tuning is preferred!

Thanks!

mickey_7106

inbeforemytunerisbetterthanyours!

TapOut

Yeah that's what I DON'T want this thread to turn into.

I'm looking for a decent tune with basic N/A mods. I'm not looking for cammed out/blown/turbo etc etc.

I'm not looking for who can gain the most HP without any concideration to driveability and or engine life. lol

FastGhost

Synergy.

whitebullet7

newtech here

aeronos

Before anyone can give you a good answer, you have to rank the following 3 items in priority order for you:

- Customer Service (e.g. do they pick up their phone, honesty, etc)
- Price
- Quality of Work

FastGhost

I know 2 of the three mention is hard to get a hold of. One is more expensive out of the three mentioned and one out of the three has quality work...now go figure...

C5blownz06

Who ever you decide on make sure you:

Ask for the final tune file and all log files of dyno runs! You paid for the tune so get them all from the tuner and dont take no for an answer and make sure they DO NOT lock your tune file. If anything goes wrong down the road you can get someone else to look at how it was tuned or someday when you learn how to do it yourself you can go back and see what they did or didnt change vs your stock file.

I had a tune that was horribly off and several tables literally "raped" the way they were setup and not correct at all even though engine ran ok or what seemed to be okay. I bought HPTuners, learned the basics within a few weeks and was tuning in less than a month all my tables. With my new engine I tuned it myself from the get go and never looked back.

If you got the money invest in HPTuners and learn it. Tuning your own car is not hard at all and learning it yourself (even just the bare basics) will give you peace of mind. You can rent dyno time to check your own tune as well or just check your logs occasionally with a street tune.

A few top tuners sell mail order tunes and they will be damn close. They have done so many cars similar to what you probably have its a pretty simple canned tune proving once again it is not that hard to do with information available online and HPTuners libraries of tunes to start with.

It is not rocket science to learn it altho some tuners want you to believe it is.

tlove32

I've been to all of them.....so I'll pm you my thoughts.

TapOut

All really good points. So from your personal experience, which shops have or have not provided you with the following requests? (Not locking the tune file etc.)

TapOut

So which shops do you tie with the three?

From some personal experience: I know Nick @ Newtech is sometimes hard to get a hold of (Although I've heard a lot of good things about them), Mike @ TPS is really easy to get a hold of....and I've personally seen some of the quality work from Rick @ Synergy.

I don't personally know of the quality from the other two, and none of the pricing for any of them?

RanBurVette

Nick at Newteck!!!
It is the second time I have been back with a question about a new mod and Nick has
corrected it each time. It is a pleasure to do business with some one who knows what
you are talking about. Nick is a great tuner!!!!!!

bullitt4110

If I had to have someone tune my car, I would use either Rick or Nick. These threads never end well, every shop has people that have had good experiences and every shop has had people that were not happy with their experience. And I would not base your choice on price.

doje

Are there any bay area tuners that are still insisting on locking their tunes? Even if you ask them not to? PM me if you don't want to post here.

TapOut

C5blownz06

I do not think any respectable tuner in bay area or anywhere else locks their tunes anymore. Every once in a while I see a thread in the FI forum where someone has bought a car and the tune was locked.

Tuners would lock them to protect customers from some dealership re-flashing a stock tune back to car when doing work on a vehicle either by accident or on purpose.

BOUT X

I will give the best advise I can, use it or not IDC I would go to each tuner Rick SYNERGY , Nick NEWTECH , Mike TPS , Mike GDP and talk to all four of them dont get any work done until you talk to them all.Then figure out which one will be there for you to do what you want to get done price should be ur last thought. Get a feel for each of them see if they can offer you what you are looking for. I have the most respect for all these tuners where else can you have 4 tuners in a 100 mile radius to where we live some guys travel 100 miles one way only to have 1 guy we are very lucky to have what we have to choose from each of these guys have something to offer.

Pops

cobrakraiger

Nick I have never had a problem with his tunes and he always gave me great service

TapOut

Exotica

This is good, sound advice.

For what it's worth, I take mine to Rick at Synergy.