drcook

Can anyone recommend a good tuner(s) around the greater Akron, Ohio area ? Today I spoke to the gentleman at PCMFORLESS.

I always do my due diligence and look for recommendations, both pro and con.

I saw a couple good mentions of PCMFORLESS here on the forum from prior years, but I don't know whether that was referring to the shop in my area or somewhere else. I saw both good reviews and scathing reviews of the above shop out on the web. (the one here in the Akron area). I do know that every once in a while, someone is going to be unhappy, it is just life.

I have a '96 so it is OBDII.

So if there are any forum members that live around here, who have you used and were you pleased with the results.

219fit

A good place to start would be Gearheadz at State and Steelscorners in Cuyahoga Falls. I've used them in the past, great people to deal with.

drcook

yep I know where that is, we go by there all the time, I will give them a call

thanks

blue94

Used PCMforless for a mail order tune and very happy with the tune. Tried several Dyno Tuners and they never got the tune as good as the mail order tune from PCM for both HP and drivability. Granted they had done several cars with my combo.

JCrock

Smokey's Dyno not far from Arlington and 619.

drcook

Some follow-up info for others. Smokey's is no longer. Has been sold/renamed/etc and cannot do 1996 OBD-II cars.

Cjunkie

CRT-Performance in Norwalk: 419.668.4151
I mean if you want it tuned right.

85 Stalker

A little further out but Big 3 Racing in Hinckley. 71 and 130th (Brunswick exit).

They built and tuned two cars for me.

drcook

thanks

I will give them a call tomorrow. They are not that far away. I actually live in Norton and can run the back roads out across 18 and then swing up through the park

I spoke to Gearheadz today (actually I went to their shop). They still have the software, but have only really done 1 LTx (1/4) engine. Nice folks.

I also spoke to a shop in Painesville (RDP Motorsports). They no longer have the software. Back Street Performance has a dyno but no software. Corvette Conspiracy in Cleveland can do the tuning, but rent dyno time from Back Street Performance as they don't have a dyno.

mazdaverx7

A buddy of mine owns a company called Redline Tuning. They will tune anything. They tune on a Mustang dyno and they are in Columbia Station.

85 Stalker

If you call B3R Dustin will answer the phone -- the owners are Rick, Chuck and Bob. These guys do some amazing work, do some web searches. Rick won the Fastest Street Car Shakedown with his 8 second Duster.

They did my Vette and built my twin turbo HEMI Aspen R/T.

www.big3racing.net 330-220-FAST

aklim

Mail Order aka "Guess a tune"

Pro: Cheap, fast, easy to slop something together
Con: I'd backpedal the tune for liability reasons as a tuner since I am guessing and not watching what is happening

Dyno Tune

Pro: Assuming competent tuner, set up for YOU
Con: Takes more time and money

Mail Order with Datalog

Pro: More accurate than Guess a Tune and probably a little more expensive
Con: Could take more time to finalize

Ohiomark

Big 3 Racing tuned my sons 01' Cobra w/ Eaton blower and he's happy with them!

aklim

Perhaps but we are talking C4 here which is old stuff that is fallen by the wayside. People don't have the software and/or desire to do it so you need to ask first. Something that the OP needs to consider

drcook

That is what I am doing. Contacting everyone and asking. As I get feedback as to who can still do them, I will keep updating here so anyone else that is in the area will not have to go through this.


Big 3 Racing does not have the capability for a 1996 Corvette

drcook

I emailed him. His voice mail box is full.

drcook

Red Line Tuning is also a no go ! There is a PCMFORLESS here in the area.

http://www.pcmforless.com/

Anyone have any experience, good or bad with them ? They are located in northern Stow/southern Hudson area.

aklim

I would think that since they do dyno tuning, it wouldn't be too bad. On another forum, IIRC, they were decent for that. Not sure about the guess tunes since people who went that route didn't have anything to dyno so it is hard to say if it is good because it is good or if it was good because the placebo effect kicked in.