Are there any posts as to what kind of parts to use for more durability and performance? This is for the oem tranny on my 88 sse.

Word of advice from someone who has done this on more than one occasion. Don't. Pay a pro to rebuild it. You don't have the tools or experience, and there are some downright crazy stuff inside that housing. I'm not a pro either and it took a lot of time, ear chewing, parts, special tools, and several tries before I got my first one right. Fellow at the local tranny shop said I was nuts, since most people learn first on the simpler transmissions before taking on a 4-speed...I went straight to the 700R4 and screwed it up a few times.

Now, having given you the best advice. Next stop is to get the real service manuals from GM'* Hydra-Matic and the ATSG service manual to see what you are getting yourself into. There are usually a stack of updates to any transmission, so you need to know what new parts supercede old ones. The ATSG manual usually covers most of that.

Next, you'll need an adaptor for your engine stand designed to hold the transmission case and rotate it. Some of the assembly/dissassembly steps only work right with the case held a certain way, so gravity is working for you instead of against you.

The special tools department is mostly things to install seals correctly. There are little teflon shaft seals that just don't respond well to anything but the correct tool.

I think I knew this, but I was overwhelmed by the cost of a new tranny. Don't worry, I am not going to do this myself. I still need to know about what I should ask the "pro" to do when I take this old tranny to him to resurrect and beef up.

Just be straight with him and realistic about what your motor is capable of. That way he can select the parts that will best match what you are trying to do. Describe to him what it currently is doing wrong, so he'll know what needs to be put right. Jot down your notes now and take them with you. (Things like the weight of the vehicle, final drive ratio, estimates on actual HP and torque the transmission has to handle, etc.)

I don't know if it is possible to change the final drive ratio in the case your have, as all the ones I have experience with have the diff in the rear axle. But that might be a good starting point to make it easier for the transmission to move the car quickly. (I'm guessing it is possible, since there'* a selection of different chain ratios at the input side of the transmission.)

Friction material: Don't know if there'* any "Performance" material out there for this model. Even that is a double-edge sword. Most of the "performance" materials make the transmission shift harder at the cost of a reduced life. You might be better served using quality stock friction material for long life, while looking elsewhere for more durable mods to handle more power through the transmission. Again, this is what the fellow with the wrench can figure out for you.

This might be one of those moments to go get a working used one first, put it in your car to drive around on, while the original is in the shop.

That is what I have now. When I bought the car I had my 4t60 taken out of my olds cutlass and replace the oem in the bonne. The bonne'* tranny is in the trunk of my cutlass. That is the one I want rebuilt.