Purchasing a tuner

[slimsantalol]

Hey guys, I've been reading through this forum for hours trying to figure out which tuner I should buy and what to look for when buying one. I was wondering if you guys could help me out in choosing something that best fits my needs. I have a '97 f250 single cab with 4:10 gears, 5 speed and so far it's bone stock. I just bought it a few months ago and repaired all the "needs" and now it's time for "wants".
I do plan to get a 3-in-1 gauge first for egt, boost, and fuel pressure. But that's mostly because I want to see the differences each performance upgrade does as I make them.
What I'm looking for; I want something that has multiple "on the fly" selections. I want the stock tune, a heavy tow, economy, high idle would be nice, and I need to have the blow smoke tune because my area is infested with deuche bag bicyclists who hold me up for miles on end. I want to "thank" them for making my day so great.
I was hoping to get a tuner first but I was wondering if that would be a bad idea if (and I am) I plan to do more upgrades. So far all I see myself doing is steeling the inter-cooler setup and HPOP from a 99-03, an air filter, and turbo back exhaust. And lately I have been intrigued by the idea of the smaller 1.0 turbo housing but I haven't decided on that yet.
Is buying a tuner first a bad idea? Should I do all of these mods first? And What tuners would you guys suggest and where should I get them from? I'm sure you all would know where the best prices are.
Thanks for your time and any help in advance.

[Raul@Stealth Automotive]

the tuner i recommend is at Tony Wildman Performance Chips

now is it bad to go with a tuner first? not necessary.. but if your going to do things like HPOP upgrades ect... your going to have to send the chip back to get reburnt for the new mods...

[slimsantalol]

Originally Posted by Raul@Stealth Automotive

the tuner i recommend is at Tony Wildman Performance Chips

now is it bad to go with a tuner first? not necessary.. but if your going to do things like HPOP upgrades ect... your going to have to send the chip back to get reburnt for the new mods...

And I guess that would cost me extra, wouldn't it?

Never mind, I see it's free for life to re-flash. Thanks

[85_305]

Your list seems solid so far!!

3" dp, 4-5" exhaust, 6637 intake, BEANS or tw tuner, 1.0 housing, terminator engineering t500 hpop (like 60$ more than a 17* super duty pump but better)... good mod list. Then bigger nozzles will come along with a clutch.

[slimsantalol]

Originally Posted by 85_305

Your list seems solid so far!!

3" dp, 4-5" exhaust, 6637 intake, BEANS or tw tuner, 1.0 housing, terminator engineering t500 hpop (like 60$ more than a 17* super duty pump but better)... good mod list. Then bigger nozzles will come along with a clutch.

Bigger nozzles? Clutch? I haven't got a clue what you're talking about.
As far as the HPOP I was just gonna steal that and the intercooler setup off of a superduty

[85_305]

You've got a 5spd, dont you? You dont know what a clutch is?

How much can you steal the IC setup off a sd for? If its cheap or free then hell ya. How much for the SD 17* hpop? Because if it's more than 300$, a termy pump is a little under $500...

By nozzles I meant injectors.

[slimsantalol]

Originally Posted by 85_305

You've got a 5spd, dont you? You dont know what a clutch is?

How much can you steal the IC setup off a sd for? If its cheap or free then hell ya. How much for the SD 17* hpop? Because if it's more than 300$, a termy pump is a little under $500...

By nozzles I meant injectors.

Sorry, you just threw me off by saying clutch and nozzles when I hand't talked about them yet. Yeah I know clutch and have priced them and single mass flywheels and I'm honestly terrified by the price. As far as the injectors go, I don't think I'll be needing them with the setup I plan to do. I'm not trying to go for extreme power and I don't want to blow smoke (unless thanking the bicyclist). I'm also not like most of the people my age, I really don't care for stacks at all. I don't think they are as cool as some people think they are and I just don't see a need at all for the extra money. I'd rather be able to spit my exhaust right at the bicyclist =)
As far as the HPOP, I'm in pretty good with one of the smaller junkyards around here. I've given this dude alot of money ever since I had my first car. The only thing is, he's got a small yard so I'm still waiting for him to get a super duty but when he does, I know I'll get it dirt cheap. I think he said $100 for the HPOP and the inter-cooler together.

[85_305]

Aw **** for $100 hell ya scoop up the 17* and intercooler!

Yes clutches are very expensive... it takes a lot of power to hold 500-1000ft-lbs of torque and super low rpms. Its just as cheap to hop up an auto as it is to buy a clutch!

If your looking for over 300whp and 700ish ft-lbs then you'll need injectors. But a lot can be done without them.