Sam@ByDesign/Cobb - USABLE power
#1
11-30-2015, 01:55 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51 
Sam@ByDesign/Cobb - USABLE power
This is LONG overdue post but i finally got a chance to sit down after the long weekend to write my experience with Sam/By Design, so here it is.
By now most of you know how fast the tune makes the car and all that track based #'s. To me, none of that matters. My car will NEVER see a track. I will NEVER autocross this car and will never race anyone. I don't beat my car and think i drive pretty normal - i'm not as hardcore as most people on here so don't flame. I simply wanted to tune my Turbo S to have the ability of doing a pull once in a while. 90% of the driving i do is in normal or sport mode and the car doesn't go over 3000rmp - so i feel my review will give people who are curious a good feedback of what the tune does for day to day driving. The 3 concerns i had prior to the tune was 1) install 2) usable/smooth power 3)issues
Install: When i decided to do the tune Sam offered to install my tune. I happened to be in LA on a saturday and he invited me over to his house where he tuned my car. I've never tuned a car nor am i a car guy, so i knew NOTHING. The tune is REALLY easy and quick. Sam walked me step by step and it was a breeze. Not only will Sam answer any Q's you have and walk you through the process but there is a good video on YouTube explaining the process.
Usable/Smooth Power Like i said, to me track #'s are worthless. What i found about the tune was how incredible the usable power is. The Turbo S is a fast car, but there are times where you're in 7th gear and need to speed up or when you're in a high gear and want a bit of power but don't want to downshift to get it. The tune really made the car easier to drive on the daily. I love how the power is noticeable/usable in 7th gear when I'm in low rpm...a breeze on the throttle and you pickup speed you need without having to downshift. When you're in sport mode the car just JUMPS. It's really amazing how much the car woke up after the tune. I recommend everyone who's debating on running to do it. I'm incredible.
ISSUES I wanted something reliable and something that wouldn't cause any headaches for me...so with my luck after a week of having the car tuned i decided to get on it 100% and POP! The boost hose came off as Sam stated to me prior to the install. At first i freaked out and called sam at 11PM...i didn't know what happened. He calmed me down, told me it was a normal issue and told me what to do/how to present it to my dealer. I did a bit of research and found i needed to take the car in for the issue. As many of you know this has nothing to do with the tune and is a normal issue for the 991 Turbo. When i spoke with my service rep he said the same thing, he told me how common this problem was and the car literally was fixed in an hour. So long story short, even with a headache of the boost hose coming off i was able to detune the car and tune it back within minutes.
Cliff Notes: Sam's service is amazing. He's very knowledge and i'm more than pleased with the tune. If you're on the fence with a tune, GO WITH COBB. Great power and easy install...thank me later
EDIT: I went with the Cobb Stage 1 so only a flash..nothing else.
By now most of you know how fast the tune makes the car and all that track based #'s. To me, none of that matters. My car will NEVER see a track. I will NEVER autocross this car and will never race anyone. I don't beat my car and think i drive pretty normal - i'm not as hardcore as most people on here so don't flame. I simply wanted to tune my Turbo S to have the ability of doing a pull once in a while. 90% of the driving i do is in normal or sport mode and the car doesn't go over 3000rmp - so i feel my review will give people who are curious a good feedback of what the tune does for day to day driving. The 3 concerns i had prior to the tune was 1) install 2) usable/smooth power 3)issues
Install: When i decided to do the tune Sam offered to install my tune. I happened to be in LA on a saturday and he invited me over to his house where he tuned my car. I've never tuned a car nor am i a car guy, so i knew NOTHING. The tune is REALLY easy and quick. Sam walked me step by step and it was a breeze. Not only will Sam answer any Q's you have and walk you through the process but there is a good video on YouTube explaining the process.
Usable/Smooth Power Like i said, to me track #'s are worthless. What i found about the tune was how incredible the usable power is. The Turbo S is a fast car, but there are times where you're in 7th gear and need to speed up or when you're in a high gear and want a bit of power but don't want to downshift to get it. The tune really made the car easier to drive on the daily. I love how the power is noticeable/usable in 7th gear when I'm in low rpm...a breeze on the throttle and you pickup speed you need without having to downshift. When you're in sport mode the car just JUMPS. It's really amazing how much the car woke up after the tune. I recommend everyone who's debating on running to do it. I'm incredible.
ISSUES I wanted something reliable and something that wouldn't cause any headaches for me...so with my luck after a week of having the car tuned i decided to get on it 100% and POP! The boost hose came off as Sam stated to me prior to the install. At first i freaked out and called sam at 11PM...i didn't know what happened. He calmed me down, told me it was a normal issue and told me what to do/how to present it to my dealer. I did a bit of research and found i needed to take the car in for the issue. As many of you know this has nothing to do with the tune and is a normal issue for the 991 Turbo. When i spoke with my service rep he said the same thing, he told me how common this problem was and the car literally was fixed in an hour. So long story short, even with a headache of the boost hose coming off i was able to detune the car and tune it back within minutes.
Cliff Notes: Sam's service is amazing. He's very knowledge and i'm more than pleased with the tune. If you're on the fence with a tune, GO WITH COBB. Great power and easy install...thank me later
EDIT: I went with the Cobb Stage 1 so only a flash..nothing else.
Last edited by Amiricanmade; 12-01-2015 at 08:50 AM.
#2
11-30-2015, 02:22 PM
What did the dealer tell you about the boost hose? Did they replace it or just refit it? Did they say if they thought it would happen again? So far, I haven't replaced mine although I have a replacement waiting when I get my decat pipes in and it's going on then. The last refit has held up just fine. Anyway, glad to hear you like the effect of the tune for DDing the car. Sam does a great job.
#3
11-30-2015, 02:30 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 305
Rep Power: 46 
usable comments!
Thanks for posting this info. I changed my exhaust a while back to the GMG & really like the sound. The 991 is a quick car out of the box, however it's sort of a sleeper most of the time unless you're in manual or Sport/Sport + mode. Like yourself I want mostly reliability & smooth performance. With this advice, I'm making a jump off the fence!
#4
11-30-2015, 03:19 PM
What did the dealer tell you about the boost hose? Did they replace it or just refit it? Did they say if they thought it would happen again? So far, I haven't replaced mine although I have a replacement waiting when I get my decat pipes in and it's going on then. The last refit has held up just fine. Anyway, glad to hear you like the effect of the tune for DDing the car. Sam does a great job.
#5
11-30-2015, 03:42 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51 What did the dealer tell you about the boost hose? Did they replace it or just refit it? Did they say if they thought it would happen again? So far, I haven't replaced mine although I have a replacement waiting when I get my decat pipes in and it's going on then. The last refit has held up just fine. Anyway, glad to hear you like the effect of the tune for DDing the car. Sam does a great job.
#6
11-30-2015, 03:43 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51 Thanks for posting this info. I changed my exhaust a while back to the GMG & really like the sound. The 991 is a quick car out of the box, however it's sort of a sleeper most of the time unless you're in manual or Sport/Sport + mode. Like yourself I want mostly reliability & smooth performance. With this advice, I'm making a jump off the fence!
#7
11-30-2015, 03:43 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51 My hose blew off right after my tune as well. I reattached it myself, and it blew off again within a few hours. The dealer has a campaign on fixing the issue and it replaces the hose and the clamp. I have not had the issue again, and it's been about a year of racing and driving the car hard.
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#9
11-30-2015, 07:18 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51
Ill do a pull tomorrow and tell you but ITS FAST
#10
11-30-2015, 07:30 PM
Awesome A! Thanks for that review. I like it because not everyone is into this for the track and aggressive stuff. The daily use prospective is important. I'm glad it was a Saturday and we got to hang out. I do too many cars that I do not get to touch. Plus you got to see my 3 year old who is the brains behind this whole thing!
Cheers
Cheers
#11
12-01-2015, 05:29 AM
This is LONG overdue post but i finally got a chance to sit down after the long weekend to write my experience with Sam/By Design, so here it is.
By now most of you know how fast the tune makes the car and all that track based #'s. To me, none of that matters. My car will NEVER see a track. I will NEVER autocross this car and will never race anyone. I don't beat my car and think i drive pretty normal - i'm not as hardcore as most people on here so don't flame. I simply wanted to tune my Turbo S to have the ability of doing a pull once in a while. 90% of the driving i do is in normal or sport mode and the car doesn't go over 3000rmp - so i feel my review will give people who are curious a good feedback of what the tune does for day to day driving. The 3 concerns i had prior to the tune was 1) install 2) usable/smooth power 3)issues
Install: When i decided to do the tune Sam offered to install my tune. I happened to be in LA on a saturday and he invited me over to his house where he tuned my car. I've never tuned a car nor am i a car guy, so i knew NOTHING. The tune is REALLY easy and quick. Sam walked me step by step and it was a breeze. Not only will Sam answer any Q's you have and walk you through the process but there is a good video on YouTube explaining the process.
Usable/Smooth Power Like i said, to me track #'s are worthless. What i found about the tune was how incredible the usable power is. The Turbo S is a fast car, but there are times where you're in 7th gear and need to speed up or when you're in a high gear and want a bit of power but don't want to downshift to get it. The tune really made the car easier to drive on the daily. I love how the power is noticeable/usable in 7th gear when I'm in low rpm...a breeze on the throttle and you pickup speed you need without having to downshift. When you're in sport mode the car just JUMPS. It's really amazing how much the car woke up after the tune. I recommend everyone who's debating on running to do it. I'm incredible.
ISSUES I wanted something reliable and something that wouldn't cause any headaches for me...so with my luck after a week of having the car tuned i decided to get on it 100% and POP! The boost hose came off as Sam stated to me prior to the install. At first i freaked out and called sam at 11PM...i didn't know what happened. He calmed me down, told me it was a normal issue and told me what to do/how to present it to my dealer. I did a bit of research and found i needed to take the car in for the issue. As many of you know this has nothing to do with the tune and is a normal issue for the 991 Turbo. When i spoke with my service rep he said the same thing, he told me how common this problem was and the car literally was fixed in an hour. So long story short, even with a headache of the boost hose coming off i was able to detune the car and tune it back within minutes.
Cliff Notes: Sam's service is amazing. He's very knowledge and i'm more than pleased with the tune. If you're on the fence with a tune, GO WITH COBB. Great power and easy install...thank me later
By now most of you know how fast the tune makes the car and all that track based #'s. To me, none of that matters. My car will NEVER see a track. I will NEVER autocross this car and will never race anyone. I don't beat my car and think i drive pretty normal - i'm not as hardcore as most people on here so don't flame. I simply wanted to tune my Turbo S to have the ability of doing a pull once in a while. 90% of the driving i do is in normal or sport mode and the car doesn't go over 3000rmp - so i feel my review will give people who are curious a good feedback of what the tune does for day to day driving. The 3 concerns i had prior to the tune was 1) install 2) usable/smooth power 3)issues
Install: When i decided to do the tune Sam offered to install my tune. I happened to be in LA on a saturday and he invited me over to his house where he tuned my car. I've never tuned a car nor am i a car guy, so i knew NOTHING. The tune is REALLY easy and quick. Sam walked me step by step and it was a breeze. Not only will Sam answer any Q's you have and walk you through the process but there is a good video on YouTube explaining the process.
Usable/Smooth Power Like i said, to me track #'s are worthless. What i found about the tune was how incredible the usable power is. The Turbo S is a fast car, but there are times where you're in 7th gear and need to speed up or when you're in a high gear and want a bit of power but don't want to downshift to get it. The tune really made the car easier to drive on the daily. I love how the power is noticeable/usable in 7th gear when I'm in low rpm...a breeze on the throttle and you pickup speed you need without having to downshift. When you're in sport mode the car just JUMPS. It's really amazing how much the car woke up after the tune. I recommend everyone who's debating on running to do it. I'm incredible.
ISSUES I wanted something reliable and something that wouldn't cause any headaches for me...so with my luck after a week of having the car tuned i decided to get on it 100% and POP! The boost hose came off as Sam stated to me prior to the install. At first i freaked out and called sam at 11PM...i didn't know what happened. He calmed me down, told me it was a normal issue and told me what to do/how to present it to my dealer. I did a bit of research and found i needed to take the car in for the issue. As many of you know this has nothing to do with the tune and is a normal issue for the 991 Turbo. When i spoke with my service rep he said the same thing, he told me how common this problem was and the car literally was fixed in an hour. So long story short, even with a headache of the boost hose coming off i was able to detune the car and tune it back within minutes.
Cliff Notes: Sam's service is amazing. He's very knowledge and i'm more than pleased with the tune. If you're on the fence with a tune, GO WITH COBB. Great power and easy install...thank me later
great write up and it's what I needed to hear...
can I ask, did you upgrade the exhaust/cats and go to a stage 2 cobb tune or just stick with stage 1 and stock exhaust? what hp and torque increases are you claimed to get with a simple stage 1 cobb tune?
thanks
#12
12-01-2015, 05:31 AM
My hose blew off right after my tune as well. I reattached it myself, and it blew off again within a few hours. The dealer has a campaign on fixing the issue and it replaces the hose and the clamp. I have not had the issue again, and it's been about a year of racing and driving the car hard.
can you tell me how to locate the hose? is it visible from simply lifting up the engine cover? can you tighten the clamp yourself with a screwdriver?
thanks
#13
12-01-2015, 06:14 AM
You have to take the fans off, that isn't too difficult but you will need a flexible head nut driver with a 7mm nut to avoid buggering the screw if the head isn't facing you. The bigger issue is that the hose is over the lip on the bottom side which really takes a mirror to see.
#14
12-01-2015, 08:49 AM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51
Great question and I'm sorry i didn't address it in the post. I went with Stage 1. As far as power i'm not 100% sure...ill leave the #'s up to Sam but it's a LOT faster when you're on it. Stock i used to punch it and go through the gears with no worries....i was used to that kind of power. But this, i've yet to go go through gears all out....so much power (don't flame) lol
#15
12-01-2015, 08:50 AM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 343
Rep Power: 51 Awesome A! Thanks for that review. I like it because not everyone is into this for the track and aggressive stuff. The daily use prospective is important. I'm glad it was a Saturday and we got to hang out. I do too many cars that I do not get to touch. Plus you got to see my 3 year old who is the brains behind this whole thing!
Cheers
Cheers
