Good questions. The only other mod I have done that could have an impact on more HP was the Air intake and exhaust. I run a K&N "flat" filter in the stock cold air box. I like the looks of some cool looking replacements but the physics are wrong. You have to have cold dense air for a HP gain. Hot humid air subtracts HP. (The 2003 PT Turbo has an intercooler for cold air intake). I am still looking to install a ram air feed from behind the grill or below. Havn't figured it out yet, but I want to do it right. The other mod I made that I thought might make a difference was my duel exhaust. I have a Borla "cat back" (duel split is in back of the catalytic converter). Basically an engine is like an air pump. The bigger the intake the more exhaust volume needed. A cat back really dosn't help much as it is still restricted by the single stock header and pipe in front of the converter. But sound soooo good. Thats what I really wanted was the look & sound.
I regards to the 122.3 HP vs 150 HP, well I don't know what they are measuring, load vs no load. The 122.3 was what was the actual HP transfered to the front wheels. I took my PT in for service and had the dealership check for any irregularities and everything checked out within specs. I had the advantage of being able to compare two PTs. In addition to our silver "2coolpt" we have an identical inferno red PT (except for the mods). Both are 2002 Limited 5 speeds.
Yes the on board computer must "learn" all over again. This is based mostly on your driving habits. For the dyno tests, (we ran seven), we took that into consideration. First the Jet baseline should have been higher that stock baseline which had been reset. But it showed only a minor increase. In the process of "learning" we ran into the problems of the erratic mood swings of the Jet chip. The radical shift to ultra lean at high RPM (5,000+) is dangerouse to your engine. It was this unpredictable aspect that convinced us to pull the Jet chip after it dit it twice.
Tune Tech of Tarpon Spring, Florida. (727-939-8467 worked out a "deal" for me. A standard dyno test runs $75, but Steve was so intrested in this test I got them for $35 (each). Expensive yes, but I got the information that I needed since I was probably fooling myself on paper as to what I really had (HP) We tried several "tunning tricks" to see if there was any change but they came up negtive. Steve (Tune Tech) has a lot of performance chip experience and is working with one that he is "beta testing" that you can adjust with your laptop PC. It has 27 connectors and is a nightmare to install.
My bottom line: I like the idea of more power, but I don't have the $3,500 - $4,500 for an add on turbo. I have a 7 year bumper to bumper warranty that I don't want to void. 2coolpt will become my "tow car" for a moterhome in about 1-2 years. I enjoy the "coolness" of the car for what it is. It's a great crusing machine. I don't race anymore (getting to old for that & probably would get to many tickets), but I enjoy making the car look great, but not gaudy.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!
