The majority of us who don’t have super nice cars are always looking at our rides and taking mental notes on what kinds of things we would change if we had a few extra bucks. I mean, if changing cars was not an option.
Maybe you have the self-control and can hold back on spending money, or perhaps you’re one of those people who don’t really care. But for me, after modifying my Datsun 260Z, I want anything I drive to be enhanced in some way – even if it’s a Dodge Caravan. But you also need to keep in mind that your car needs to be worth it to put a few extra dollars into.
Once you know you’re financially stable enough to have a car and afford some modifications, continue reading below.
Wider Wheel & Tire Package
This one is a bit of an “investment” when it comes to the price. Wheels and tires always tend to be costly, but it is also one of the most important upgrades you can do for your vehicle. The advantages of wire wheels and tires mean you have improved road handling, precision turning, and better ride quality. But with that being said, there is also extra weight that overwhelms the shock damping/springs, which means loose-surface tracking stability is reduced. Visually speaking, better wheels and tires do wonders for the car. It’s like a woman wearing a pair of heels, it enhances her look. The way a car sits on its wheels makes a good first impression.
Performance Springs, Shocks, Coilovers
Okay, not every vehicle is worthy of getting performance coilovers, and it depends on what your goal is for the vehicle. You certainly don’t want a very stiff ride on a family sedan with two car seats in the back. My Datsun, for example, had coilovers to improve handling around the corners. The advantage of these upgrades is for the tires to stay in contact with the road on bumps and at higher speeds. The downside to upgrading the suspension is that the vehicle ride will now be more stiffer, and the steering might feel rougher. Suspension upgrades generally also mean that your vehicle now has a reduced ride height, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. A lowered car always looks nicer but can be annoying over speed bumps. You need to consider these factors before you go this route.
Performance Seats
Are your seats comfortable? When you corner your vehicle, does it feel like you’re going to slide out of your seat? Not only do performance seats look better in the vehicle, but the seats also provide greater body support for improved steering control as well as pedal control. If it’s a hardcore performance seat, it may feel like you’re practically sitting on the floor of your vehicle with terrible visibility. Make sure you pick the right seats for your car so you don’t compromise safety over “coolness”.
High-Temperature Brake Pads
If you go with the bigger wheels and tires, chances are that you’ll also need to improve your braking power. The best route, of course, is to get bigger rotors, calipers, and better brake pads, but all those things will cost you an arm and a leg. You can get high-temperature brake pads that fade less during heavy braking and when you decelerate fast. But keep in mind that these brakes also make more squealing noises and don’t perform as well in cold or wet conditions.
Cold-Air Intake
When I was back in high school, all I ever heard was kids talking about putting a cold-air intake system into their Honda Civics for enhanced performance. Although it was an over-used term back then, less restrictive cold-air intakes do allow for more efficient engine operation, especially when at higher speeds. The downside (for some people) is that it makes a unique sound (which I like) and also requires more maintenance because the stock intakes are designed to keep the engine clean in all conditions, while performance ones have a foam filter that does not have a stock bug-catcher airbox allowing cooler air to help the engine produce more power.
Larger Diameter Catalyst-Back Exhaust System
Yep, another very common upgrade among Ricer boys of the late 1990s and early 2000s was an exhaust upgrade. Of course, many of them had what people would call the “fart can muffler,” which was all noise and no-go. When done right, a larger diameter catalyst-back exhaust can add more power and provide more efficient high-speed engine operation. The downside in some cases is that there will be more noise, but there are companies that have RSC (Reflective Sound Cancellation), which promises improved exhaust design and improved exhaust notes but decreased decibels.
Once you get into the world of performance upgrades, it can easily get out of hand, and before you know it, the value of your upgrades is worth more than the vehicle itself. So approach these modifications with caution, stick to a strict budget, and have an idea of what you want out of your vehicle.
