Post by 4g63ownedu on Jun 30, 2005 13:25:07 GMT -5
I thought I would post this to help out any new people to the automotive scene that might want some help on where to get started. Just so you know these are only suggestions on basic upgrades that I know of from the little knowledge I have. Every car is a little different and you may want to do different things.
Depending on the car you have you may want to take a very different path. If you buy a car that is slow but handles well you might want to start with a few power adders and vice versa.
Engine upgrades: This will depend upon your budget because only a few basic upgrades are inexpensive.
On a naturally aspirated car the best single mods are the most popular, which is an intake, exhaust header, and cat-back exhaust. The 3 as a whole shouldn't run you more than $1000 for name brand stuff. The benefit is more power and I noticed a considerable jump in fuel economy on my old Civic. These are simple bolt-ons that you can install yourself. Of course you can make things like an intake yourself for very cheap.
On a turbo car the simplest mod for power is a boost controller. A manual one can be purchased for less than $100 in most cases. Then a downpipe and cat-back exhaust is best for a turbo car. With these 2 mods you can see gains of 30-50 hp in some cases.
Handling mods: The cheapest and simplest mod is springs. They usually cost around $200 and have a dramatic effect on the look and performance of the car. With those you should replace your shocks unless you have really good stuff from the factory. Shocks can run from under $200 to $1000 for a set of 4. So do some research on whats best for your car and the springs you run. If you have a fwd or awd one thing you probably notice is understeer, a rear sway bar will help with that tremendously.
Appearance mods: These are generally the cheapest to do until you get into full body kits and wide bodies and such. This area is purely a matter of taste. If cost is a major factor then start with a set of aftermarket corner and tail lights or an aftermarket hood. These are cheap, do it yourself mods. If cost isn't a factor then the sky is the limit.
The easiest way to find parts for your car is the internet. Ebay is a great source of parts for your car. Or simlpy run a search for your car on Google. Just remember that every car is different and when you upgrade one thing you may need to upgrade another. Example: Throwing on your bolt-ons on your Civic and all the extra horsepower needs to be contained, meaning your stock brakes might not be up to par witht the speed of the car. A local performance shop might be your best bet to upgrading and finding the right part for you. They can help you get the right balance so you dont kill yourself with a car that has twice as much horsepower as before with stock brakes.
I hope this helps someone and if you have any questions ask and we'll get you the right awnser. If anyone else has something to add or a suggestion please add to the thread.
Depending on the car you have you may want to take a very different path. If you buy a car that is slow but handles well you might want to start with a few power adders and vice versa.
Engine upgrades: This will depend upon your budget because only a few basic upgrades are inexpensive.
On a naturally aspirated car the best single mods are the most popular, which is an intake, exhaust header, and cat-back exhaust. The 3 as a whole shouldn't run you more than $1000 for name brand stuff. The benefit is more power and I noticed a considerable jump in fuel economy on my old Civic. These are simple bolt-ons that you can install yourself. Of course you can make things like an intake yourself for very cheap.
On a turbo car the simplest mod for power is a boost controller. A manual one can be purchased for less than $100 in most cases. Then a downpipe and cat-back exhaust is best for a turbo car. With these 2 mods you can see gains of 30-50 hp in some cases.
Handling mods: The cheapest and simplest mod is springs. They usually cost around $200 and have a dramatic effect on the look and performance of the car. With those you should replace your shocks unless you have really good stuff from the factory. Shocks can run from under $200 to $1000 for a set of 4. So do some research on whats best for your car and the springs you run. If you have a fwd or awd one thing you probably notice is understeer, a rear sway bar will help with that tremendously.
Appearance mods: These are generally the cheapest to do until you get into full body kits and wide bodies and such. This area is purely a matter of taste. If cost is a major factor then start with a set of aftermarket corner and tail lights or an aftermarket hood. These are cheap, do it yourself mods. If cost isn't a factor then the sky is the limit.
The easiest way to find parts for your car is the internet. Ebay is a great source of parts for your car. Or simlpy run a search for your car on Google. Just remember that every car is different and when you upgrade one thing you may need to upgrade another. Example: Throwing on your bolt-ons on your Civic and all the extra horsepower needs to be contained, meaning your stock brakes might not be up to par witht the speed of the car. A local performance shop might be your best bet to upgrading and finding the right part for you. They can help you get the right balance so you dont kill yourself with a car that has twice as much horsepower as before with stock brakes.
I hope this helps someone and if you have any questions ask and we'll get you the right awnser. If anyone else has something to add or a suggestion please add to the thread.