You sure yours doesn't have a removeable EPROM? I have a very old DME (the version before the S100 speed/ref sensor conditioning chip) and it has a socket for the EPROM... ? Not sure how a removable EPROM would help you see if the FQS helps though? If I'm missing the point there, it should be a relatively straightforward task to de-solder the chip and install a socket... This video is about changing a 24 pin socket for a 28 pin socket, but pulling a chip and installing a socket for it is pretty much the exact same thing...BennSport wrote: Wed May 20, 2026 1:11 pm On an 8v NA car like my own that doesn’t have a removable DME chip, is there any way aside from the butt-dyno to see if my FQS changes make a difference? I would also love to start tuning my car if I could, but I know the early computers have a lot of restrictions
Either way, the FQS is unlikely to create any noticeable performance improvements. Pretty hard to add power to an N/A without it getting expensive fast -- throttle cam, test pipe, cold air intake, maybe a performance camshaft if you don't mind a little lumpiness... Consider weight reduction too -- might be easier and cheaper to drop a couple hundred pounds than it is to add the equivalent amount of power...
I have seen chips advertised for n/a cars and the gains are normally very modest. Some of the early N/A chip makers claimed 10-12hp gains but that was probably generous. They generally increased ignition timing trying to extract more power, and in doing so make the car more likely to ping (aka slowly self-destruct). If you ended up with 5 extra hp at the wheels, I doubt you'd ever notice it, but it could put a real strain on your head gasket. You could get the same power with a test pipe and the car will be happier without it...if/where legal anyway. Weight reduction and suspension upgrades are probably the best you can do without spending more on the car than it's worth. That's why most of these discussion end with 'sell it and buy a turbo or S2' if you want more power (unfortunately). Or find yourself a nice LS motor... 
