Who tuned your SHO?

[SM105K]

Another thread had me thinking, who tuned your SHO? Why did you go with them? Pro's and Con's? If you have used numerous tuners who and why?

My SHO was un-tuned for the first 4 to 5 months of my ownership. I spent that time doing some research. I won't lie I was almost duped by LMS and their awesome sales pitch. However, the more I dug the more I didn't like. I didn't like being locked into a propriety tuning device, as in my opinion the LMS cars just were not performing like other tuned cars.

After much consideration I went with AJPTurbo. Brad set me up well. All of my tunes run great, and Brad took the time and explained what he had done to the various revisions, along with teaching me what to look at when reading my data logs.

PRO's: Brad's tuning portfolio speaks for itself. My SHO does very well in the street light grand prix. I have a spicy E30 tune in my SHO right now. I averaged 88 mph on long stretches from AZ to CA in 109 degree heat. Over the 900 miles road trip it yielded me 20.4 mpg with a stock HPFP.

Updated 1/26/24: Since then I have had numerous upgrades and all of them Brad has tuned amazingly. See my signature below to see the final form of my SHO.

CON's: Brad does not tune for a living. It is a side gig for him. So there are times where it may take him some time to get back to you.

I will always suggest AJPTurbo, however I would not think twice about Matt and Gearhead tuning my SHO either. I am really interested in the AO tune and how everyone raves that he is the transmission whisperer.

 

[bpd1151]

Interesting thread......

My SHO was tuned at about 3k (original) miles.

The person who accomplished that for me, wayyyyyyy back in 2010, not to terribly long after I purchased my SHO (March of 2010) was Mr. Kirk Doucette, former owner of the now defunct NESHO (Northeast SHO).

Kirk's tune served me well for the duration I had it programmed in. Kirk was all proud of the fact (at that time) that "do you see how it holds 3rd gear longer?". Then shortly thereafter, Kirk blew up his trans. He wasn't all too happy about it either.

Which then led me into...... ugh and I absolutely cringe to acknowledge this, and/or be even complimentary with this next statement knowing what I know now and what happened to me just last year......

But, I did not want to keep Kirk's tune in my car. I feared for my trans..... sooooooooo.....

I switched to LMS.

Now LMS served me well for several years. ****, they even helped me achieve the platform record (at that time) for power (2014 @ 617awhp 608awtq) as well as the speed record (11.54 @ 119mph on the LOWER of two track files, that being the 525awhp file, full weight, and on all season Conti DWS's) in 2015.

A record that was held for several years.

At least up until recent when (both) records were respectfully usurped.

I'd expound further, but there's really no need to. LMS F'd me over. Big time. The debacle of which is thoroughly explained, in intimate detail, in my thread on my motor's failure.

Fast forward to present day, I am currently undertaking a massive motor rebuild, trans rebuild, along with a literal $h!t ton of customization in nearly every possible aspect available currently.

Many have asked who will tune my car once the assembly and installation has been completed.

Honestly, I have been left out of the loop on that. My current engine builder (Max Power Automotive, based out of Lockport, IL.) has said that he works directly with a tuner (based out of CALI) that he flies out to the Midwest area, to perform tuning when they have approximately 10, to 12 cars lined up and ready to go.

The only other thing I have been told to date, is that the tuner is well known in the Import world, and holds many world records for BOTH speed and for power respectively in said arenas.

All that said, I am very much looking forward to what the future holds for my SHO, and hopefully, with the good graces of the old man high above, I'll be on track to recapture both records that I previously held. Maybe even hang onto them for even longer than I did previously.





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[4sfed]

Hey! I can speak to this one!

Brad was my first tuner!

I can echo SM105K's experience with Brad.
Pro's:

• Excellent knowledge.
• Very willing to explain what's happening and why. Both in the tune and in the datalogs.

Con's:

• not being his day job, he can sometimes be a couple days away from responding...depending on what's going on in his life.

When I decided to upgrade to the GH IC, it came with a tune, so I figured I'd try it.
GH Pro's:

• It IS their day job.
• The E30/E40 tune is butter smooth (I wasn't experimenting with E mixes when I was using Brad).
• it's been too long now to directly compare their transmission experience, but GH is an excellent shift. And GH Sport mode is superb. It seems to be designed to keep the turbo spooled up at all times. I think I was too new to realize what Brad did in Sport mode.

GH Con's:

• I honestly don't know that I have a con for GH. Maybe that I'm not close enough, to just go and meet those guys in person? However that'd be a con for Brad as well.

 

[yaycandy]

Livernois and presently AJP. Lms definitely had more low end compared to my AJP tune, but the drive ability is soo much better with Brad's tune in it after 3 revisions. I dont push the car hard anymore either, too nice of a car for me to beat it up any more with well over 15k$ in it.

 

[GotGrip?]

I have 3 myself in total, GH, AJP, and Ortiz. I haven't run my GH tune in awhile mostly because I've got so far into mods that I need to do a revision before I reload the AO tune. That being said prior to everything I've done, he was my first tune and it was the best experience and gateway to a vehicle I'd had. The transformation you get from the AO tune really pushed me to continue with this platform as far as I've gone. That is why I will always recommend them to anyone starting out or even someone looking to switch tuners. The only thing I wish I could get is an E30 tune without the HPFP but I do understand why!

I currently run the AJP E30 tune but also have a 93 tune, they make great/smooth power which has made my car and absolute beast! Brad has always been helpful and understanding through the entire process whether tuning or just answering questions. As noted prior he sometimes takes a bit to get back to you but this is also not his main gig, which also speaks volumes for the skill he has in tuning to be able to do this as a side deal and still be do great at what he does!

And lastly the Ortiz tunes, in terms of customer service they are top notch and were helpful when it came to first getting the FMIC dialed in and was my first tune/revision when we installed it. With the tunes I have from them while they do pull pretty hard, the 93 and e30 tunes I have tend to have issues at the top end and usually have fuel cut issues which have turned me away from running them on the daily. I do intend to run them more often when I get a fuel pump it just makes me a bit nervous with my current set up.

 

[Mike B]

Ran my 2014 PI sedan stock for 3 years. Finally ended up going with Matt over at GH after many months of research on both online and Facebook forums.
Super glad I did. His AO tune along with the 3 bar MAP and cooler thermostat really woke this car up. Not only that - he ALWAYS answers any questions literally within 15 minutes. Always. One time I was chatting with him until 10pm my time ( AZ time ) and he not only was still awake - but was doing a tune revision for me as well. Now THAT is customer service.
Matt has a customer for life with me.

I have also heard good things about Ortiz and Brad over at AJP is very quick are getting back to you as well, and have heard very positive things about Brad as well.

LMS - at least from all the reading I have done - been basically told to stay far away from. Especially if you have a 2013+ Taurus.

 

[SHO_Off420]

With the tunes I have from them while they do pull pretty hard, the 93 and e30 tunes I have tend to have issues at the top end and usually have fuel cut issues which have turned me away from running them on the daily.

Interesting that you say this, they just had me replacing my O2 sensor because i noticed a ton of soot in my tailpipes, I asked them to do a revision and they said at WOT bank 2 was going into closed loop....now im wondering if it is just their tune.

 

[SHO_Off420]

I talked with GH. Ortiz and unleashed, the guys at unleashed wanted to talk shit about ortiz.

I originally chose GH but upon talking with them the only offer you ONE tune for the money and they don't offer any sort of "eco" tune and the AO doesn't work on pre 2013s

Upon talking with ortiz they informed me they do service levels, so you can get multiple tunes and revisions and such upon request and if you really get into upgrades you just pay the difference to go to the next tier.

It appears all the reputable tuners give free tunes with certain parts purchases from them

 

[Zpak]

I started with Unleashed. Honestly they had the best deal to get started with the SCT device and tune package. I knew Torrie was/is a reputable tuner and has been in the game for a long time. The service is second to none. Though you don’t get well thought out reassuring responses to your questions, you do get them and revisions almost instantaneously. However, after three or four revisions my best 1/4 was a measly 13.1 at 108 mph.

So, I knew if I wanted to go fast I needed a ecoboost surgeon who was proven and willing to push this boat. I turned to Brad of AJP. Now granted, my first contact with him was hooking me up with the XDI and a 93 winter and E30 summer/track tune, I blasted my previous best 13.1 out of the water with a 12.2 on my first time out. 30° hotter weather, 50% more humidity, and only the initial tune. I’d say that’s a win. Coming from, “here’s a revision” to actual explanations about what’s going on with your car and tune, I couldn’t be happier with Brad. His responses and revisions are worth the wait.

 

[High on Ethanol]

I talked with GH. Ortiz and unleashed, the guys at unleashed wanted to talk shit about ortiz.

I originally chose GH but upon talking with them the only offer you ONE tune for the money and they don't offer any sort of "eco" tune and the AO doesn't work on pre 2013s

Upon talking with ortiz they informed me they do service levels, so you can get multiple tunes and revisions and such upon request and if you really get into upgrades you just pay the difference to go to the next tier.

It appears all the reputable tuners give free tunes with certain parts purchases from them

I don't know why.....but you seem to have a motive.
I saw you post "Ortiz whom I work with" somewhere earlier.



I had unleashed tuning 93 tunes and torrie was great but I didn't like the 1 To 3 word answers.

I had ajpturbo 93 and E30 tunes and Brad was awesome! But sometimes it took a week to get a revision. I understand its more of a hobby for him.

I had gearhead AO and E30 tunes which I enjoyed the most and ran for 10s of thousands of miles.

I tried to tune my sho myself but at the time it wasn't fully supported by hptuners like it is now.


Let me add this: as far as transmission differences... unleashed =firmer, slightly higher shifts.
Ajpturbo = noticeably firmer shifts, higher shift points, some small adjustments to sport mode.
Gearhead= matt swaps your transmission with a European dual clutch unit. Extremely noticeably differences in upshift and downshifting, a whole different shift smoothness and much more enjoyable twisty road experience. Less harsh shifts, slightly less firm than competitors.

 

[SHO_Off420]

I don't know why.....but you seem to have a motive.
I saw you post "Ortiz whom I work with" somewhere earlier.

Work with as in theyre my tuners.... are you the resident *** here or somethin?

 

[luigisho]

 

[High on Ethanol]

Work with as in theyre my tuners.... are you the resident *** here or somethin?

Ask around, maybe some of my former....*ahem* will respond.

 

[Zpak]

Hahaha, Always instant and on point with the memes.

 

[bpd1151]

He is a dirty, filthy, slutty H.O.E.

Just the way we ALL like them to be.

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[Ecoboost_xsport]

Post edit: After posting the response below and THEN actually reading the title of this thread more thoroughly, I realized I technically wasn't invited to the party, but what the ****...I love crashing parties I wasn't invited to so...., lol.

Oh man, where do I start...not along list, but definitely not a popular list. But it has a happy ending, (and we all like those right @bpd1151 ?)

I drank the kool-aid early on with LMS when I first got the ride..but quickly became disillusioned and dropped them somewhere around v6 or 7...Can't stand when a company knows less about their own product than you do, not to mention, they really tried to school me on Methanol, but little do they know, that is one subject I'm pretty keen on. Not a fan for sure. PROS: None, CONS: proprietary device, no desire for catalogs, ****** customer service, super expensive for just rebranded shit.

THEN, well, let's say I went from bad to worse. I hadn't heard all the bad publicity at the time but went over the place that rhymes with Puthern Peed. Honestly, this guy was very brash, but he wasn't rude to me at all. His tune made CRAZY powah as I am tuned for 100 octane at the moment, but then I started getting hip after reading a lot of the issues his tunes have. I started getting pretty nervous with it. And after I offered to send data logs and he turned them down, I was like, OK, this guy is playing games with my ride...I'm out, before I blow some shit up, haha. PROS: super duper powah, would respond immediately with updates, even when at the track. CONS: dubious tuning methods, sketchy history, no desire for data logs.

To be honest, I was really trying to go over to Unleashed before him but as soon as Torrie found out where I lived, he just shut me off...literally wouldn't even respond to my messages even when I was asking a simple question or looking for advice. Went completely dark and probably blocked me, lol. TBH, it kinda turned me off. I understand he's not interested in messing up his business but I didn't like the way he handled it. Anyway, at the time I was still a noob and hadn't heard of GH or AJP. When I went on the explorer boards, they mentioned those names. I reached out to both and Brad got back to me first...been with him ever since and love it. His 100 octane tune is what got me my personal best before I added most of my mods. I'm getting ready to switch to straight e85 and will be hitting him back up shortly. PROS: great service, teaches you while he's doing it, reliable and powerful tune. CONS: can take some time to respond

 

[limited02]

My 2012 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost is currently tuned by LMS.

Back when the SHO was released, I fell in love and knew I would own one someday. I followed BPD1151's build and as he mentioned, he had the record HP and quarter mile time while tuned by LMS. I was under the impression that I could load my tune of choice and be just as fast as the next guy without dealing with datalogs/revisions. It was a simple plug and play and haul ass. They had no record of failed cars and glowing reviews and I wanted to be like Mike.

I eventually bought my MKS and within the year, got a tune from LMS. I run their stage 4 93x+ and for me, it's been perfect. Runs strong, shifts much better and has given me 0 concerns about reliability. Because of that, it was very easy to recommend them to anyone who asked...

After getting excited about LMS taking Mike's car to the next level and showing everyone who's king, that ended up going sideways in a hurry. How that was handled, how the '13+ V11 tune was handled as well as a Mustang build they did going sideways, I lost a lot of faith and recommending them I no longer felt comfortable about.

I'm happy with my car and it's been great the last 4+ years and 40k+ miles and I have no real cons. If I ever convince myself to take the next step, AJPturbo or Brad will get a shot. Ortiz has been making waves lately and certainly a contender as well.

 

[SM105K]

Post edit: After posting the response below and THEN actually reading the title of this thread more thoroughly, I realized I technically wasn't invited to the party, but what the ****...I love crashing parties I wasn't invited to so...., lol.

Oh man, where do I start...not along list, but definitely not a popular list. But it has a happy ending, (and we all like those right @bpd1151 ?)

I drank the kool-aid early on with LMS when I first got the ride..but quickly became disillusioned and dropped them somewhere around v6 or 7...Can't stand when a company knows less about their own product than you do, not to mention, they really tried to school me on Methanol, but little do they know, that is one subject I'm pretty keen on. Not a fan for sure. PROS: None, CONS: proprietary device, no desire for catalogs, ****** customer service, super expensive for just rebranded shit.

THEN, well, let's say I went from bad to worse. I hadn't heard all the bad publicity at the time but went over the place that rhymes with Puthern Peed. Honestly, this guy was very brash, but he wasn't rude to me at all. His tune made CRAZY powah as I am tuned for 100 octane at the moment, but then I started getting hip after reading a lot of the issues his tunes have. I started getting pretty nervous with it. And after I offered to send data logs and he turned them down, I was like, OK, this guy is playing games with my ride...I'm out, before I blow some shit up, haha. PROS: super duper powah, would respond immediately with updates, even when at the track. CONS: dubious tuning methods, sketchy history, no desire for data logs.

To be honest, I was really trying to go over to Unleashed before him but as soon as Torrie found out where I lived, he just shut me off...literally wouldn't even respond to my messages even when I was asking a simple question or looking for advice. Went completely dark and probably blocked me, lol. TBH, it kinda turned me off. I understand he's not interested in messing up his business but I didn't like the way he handled it. Anyway, at the time I was still a noob and hadn't heard of GH or AJP. When I went on the explorer boards, they mentioned those names. I reached out to both and Brad got back to me first...been with him ever since and love it. His 100 octane tune is what got me my personal best before I added most of my mods. I'm getting ready to switch to straight e85 and will be hitting him back up shortly. PROS: great service, teaches you while he's doing it, reliable and powerful tune. CONS: can take some time to respond

Haha you are invited. H.O.E. is invited too.

 

[Crazyeights]

Gear Head auto octane tune, running 93 octane in my 2015 PP, DD. Love it! Thanks for your wisdom SM105K.

 

[High on Ethanol]

Haha you are invited. H.O.E. is invited too.

I used to could have a SHO. I might could again someday.