As you may (maybe) know, SEMA is right around the corner. As in next week (whoever scheduled it for November 4 needs their head examined). And what is SEMA you may be asking? Well, no one even remembers what “SEMA” stands for, but the show has come to represent all that’s wonderful and/or dreadful in the simply humongous after market, er, market. More than too many four-door cars with scissor doors, too. And SEMA is big. No, bigger than big. It’s quite gigantic and most of the major OEMs (from Dodge to Hyundai to Daimler) will have radically customized cars on display next to radically customized bikini models. And this fact got me thinking — who is doing all this customizing? Admittedly, my last WRX may have had a mod or two (or ten). But I was a much younger man back then. And not getting press cars all the time. My new WRX? Bone stock save for some fancy pants tires. Might I mod it? Dunno. As I age, I worry about reliability. And more boost sounds… expensive, in the long run. But dear readers, what about you?
Crazy gallery of modded Russian cars!
My cars have usually had a few mild mods – some added by previous owners. My 62 Bug is bone stock as it would be a share to mod – rare Canadian Standard survivor. The wife’s minivan has a tow hitch – I don’t see the upside to modify it more than that. My Locost Seven is of course esentially one big mod as its built from various cars and aftermarket bits (Toyota Corolla GTS, Hyundai Stellar, Hyundai Pony, Honda motorbike, Triumph Spitfire, Datsun 510, Ford Sierra at last count).
Well if the manufacturers could get it right from the start, I wouldn’t have to mod it. My mods are generally suspension and tires, nothing silly.
It’s a Scion. You’re obligated to mod it, or else they take it away (N/A to Gen 2 xB owners). I mod it for the same reasons I bought it, and not a Corolla, in the first place.
Most of the aftermarket market is centered around Gen 1 xB’s (though there’s quite a few “performance mods” for tC’s, a situation that’s hilarious unto itself), so I have lots of options. Thus farc all I’ve done is tails, fogs, wheel treatments, and the grille on the way. Scions scratch in a stiff wind, so there’s probably paint in the next few years or so.
And of course, there’s the “mod” my neighbor did backing into it with his Tuscon, but that one’s my least-favorite.
Yes, a little bit and only with factory or factory-approved bits. I’ve ordered parts from ipd and Mazdaspeed. Nothing that touched the ECU or reduced/hindered driveability and reliability.
And only do mods that are DIY.
Yes, but I usually leave the exterior alone.
Does it count as a ‘mod’ if I put a VTEC sticker on my Caravan?
I put a CSULB sticker on my back window and I’m getting chrome appliques for my door handles… maybe tint for Christmas, but real mods are so expensive. :X
I don’t see the point, anyways. What would look better for 4k, double dubs/body kit on your Toyota or a nose job? I’d go with the surgery. :D
Generally NO. There is some modification, such as stretching or camino-izing, that must be done by the owner because the owner’s tastes are too perverse unique to be satisfied by mass production, or because the owner want’s to make an ironic statement – this is a very small percentage of modding.
This is a very timely question, because the general run of the mill body kit/wing/rims/fart can crap that makes me ill is done because of the inability of some people to obtain cheap, or even any credit.
Those with bad/low/no credit have historically only been able to get credit at high rates, and now might not be able to get credit at all.
Someone with good credit that has, for example, $3k and is willing to pay a couple hundred a month can get a nice new or late model pre-owned car on payments.
On the other hand, someone with bad credit, but the same $3k in cash and willingness to pay a couple hundred a month, is limited to buying a $3K piece of shit and slowly putting dubs and a subwoofers and other crap on it in a vain effort to end up with the nice car that he could not buy with payments.
Instead of monthly payments to pay off something valuable, those without access to credit, and too myopic to save up for something nice, are forced to buy a piece of shit and make “monthly payments” into modding it.
I am convinced that this, perhaps subconsciously, accounts for about 99 percent of the modding that I see on the street.
Just to be clear, I am not talking about just getting a cheap used car. A lot of people with really good credit do that. I am talking about getting a cheap used car and dumping multiples of its purchase price into it. This is the SEMA audience.
Only if its worth modding though. My E30? Yes. My CR-V? No.
Haven’t modded my car since my EJ1/2 Civic. That had adjustable coilovers, intake, pulleys, cross drilled slotted rotors, strut bar, lower tie bar, short shift kit, 17 inch rims and some Falken Ziex ZE-512 215/40R17’s on them.
After that came a Mazda 3 SP23 that I left bone stock, but got the navi, xenon, TPMS, Bose. It drove fine as it was, lively and didn’t need any extra power really.
Then I just got a 08 Evo MR. I’m not touching it at all. Maybe try some different tires later. I hear the Kumho MX’s are highly recommended.
The speed6 is lightly modded, shortthrow shifter, second cat delete, laser jammer integrated into the grill, aftermarket BPV (to replace the stock plastic one), tires, sharkfin antennna, ipod integration. all the usual stuff to take a great car and make it a little better. Long term (read after warrenty) i want to do a full Turbo Back 3 inch exhaust, an upgraded turbo, upgraded fuel pumps, cobb accessport or cpe standback with flash, but for now, the mild stuff that provides a bit of extra go, without changing the outward appearance is what i am after.
In Russia, they obviously don’t have annual roadworthy checks, or requirements for engineer’s reports or even defects on cars. But then again a bottle of vodka and last years blue jeans goes down well at the motor registry office!
I’ve modded every car I’ve owned. The wildest was a 1974 Pinto station wagon I painted in white/blue/red Martini racing colors like the Porsche, Lancia, and Ford racing cars. I even turned the Pirelli tires I had on it into white letter tires with a can of white vinyl dye and a paintbrush. I think I was 19 or 20 at the time and easily bored.
I had a 1970 Buick Skylark with Pontiac Rallye II wheels on it, a cold air intake, polyurethane swaybar bushings, and a homemade airdam. I also had a 1980 Corolla with an airdam on it from a Chevy S-10 pickup.
The 2002 Prizm I have now needs stiffer swaybars, a revised air intake, an underbody tray between the bottom of the front bumper and the radiator support, and an airdam to lessen the front end lift and make it more stable on the highway. I’d like to get rid of the factory steelies with plastic wheelcovers in favor of some aluminum wheels, but that’ll have to wait.
Yeah I mod my car.. I loved the way it (2002 Mazda Protege5) looked stock, but it was too slow :P
and now it makes more than twice the horsepower at the wheels as it did stock :)
There are definitely mods I regret and things I will do differently with my next car. For one, I’ll buy a car that I’m pretty satisfied with engine-wise so that I don’t have to add forced induction to be happy (i.e. it’ll probably have factory forced induction).
I’ll also definitely do more research and/or just save up for the dream mods. I’ve gone through 5 different spring/strut combos on my Protege and I’m still not satisfied, but the car is too far gone (horrible fender rust.. again) to bother modding it further.
I don’t think I’ll ever do any serious mods to a car that I haven’t paid off. Why toss money into mods that decrease the value of the car when you can just send that money straight to the bank and make it “your car” ahead of schedule?
The great thing about having a Bimmer is that you aren’t constantly repairing it, you’re modding it!
I’ve added both performance and reliability to my E36 M3, DIY of course. I changed the hopelessly lifeless shocks with Koni’s and some stiffer springs and sways, I replaced all of the rubber bushings (some with polyurethane) when the rear started to get loose, I replaced the soon to crack and kill my engine plastic ended radiator with an all aluminum one, put in stainless steel braided brake lines, swapped the strut hats R to L for lots of negative camber, and I got a splitter for extra downforce and then lunch for Comm Ave. I did go for the obligatory aftermarket exhaust, but it is not overly obnoxious and sounds so sweet when I (always) wind out the I6. Oh and stickers for +10whp, each.
The aftermarket is awesome. If it weren’t for that, I don’t know where my unheathly obsession with my car would lead…
It might lead here….
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/05/this-guy-loves-cars-literally.html
brush :
October 27th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
In Russia, they obviously don’t have annual roadworthy checks, or requirements for engineer’s reports or even defects on cars.
Neither do most, if any, States in the US. California has the bi-annual emissions check. Some states in the northeast have “inspections” but they’re nothing like the UK’s MOT or Japan’s Shaken inspection.
I’m modding my car, albeit slowly. In fact, I’m picking up a rear differential, the entire pumpkin, complete with clutch-type differential installed, and an aftermarket differential cover with extra cooling fins.
I also have a ’91 miata with hardtop I picked up for next to nothing when the value of the hardtop is taken into consideration…but that one needs plenty of work.
Not really. I was never able to get into automotive modification, and I really don’t trust aftermarket parts.
I drive a 93 Ford Escort. The only modifications I made was that I installed a set of Mercury Tracer turn signals and taillights.
Only if the OEM parts are poorly designed, like the engine mounts on my Mazda3. Otherwise, I leave it stock. I did remove my spoiler though.
I also modify electrical things that annoy me, like having to push the remote multiple times to unlock all my doors, or having to listen to beeping if I start my car without my seatbelt or open my doors with the key in, or having to run the A/C compressor on certain ventilation settings.
Yes and I choose my vehicle for easy mods that offer good gains for the money. Chipped and then the intake and exhaust for my GTI. Would like to do suspension but not sure it would be worth it.
I had to put a K&N cone filter and a performance chip on my Ranger so I could keep up with the Hummer H3.
No, I’m not mechanically inclined enough to modify anything. Closest I’ve come – the top console (that normally would hold a garage door opener) was broken in a car I bought, I replaced it with a strip of red felt to match the exterior. Actually looked OK.
It all started with my Honda CRX. I got talked into it by a friend who was cutting his teeth with Nissan 240SX’s back when nobody knew what drifting was. A tweak here, a tweak there, and before I knew it, I had plans for dropping in an engine from a Japanese market CRX. Sold it before I had the chance though.
I moved up from that to a Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS. Nifty car, torquey little thing, mods for that were hard to come by. There was one supercharger kit available, but it wasn’t designed really well, and it involved cutting up the hood to clear the pulley. Turbo kits weren’t any better either. Every scooby that I read about that had one blew their engines in short order, mostly from getting greedy with boost. The only other option left was to swap in a WRX engine, but back then those engines were an arm and a leg, forget about trying to pick up a motor out of a STi 22B. So with little options available, I sold it and moved down to an Eagle Talon.
That was the car that I really got neck deep in modding. The first thing I did was replace the exhaust. That alone made it feel like a new car with uncorked power. Of course, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, it was getting a bigger turbo, larger intercooler, and remapped ECU. Eventually I sold the Talon and picked up a Galant VR-4. Everything I learned from the talon went into modding that car, plus brakes, transmission, and a very nice suspension setup.
I shouldn’t have sold that car, but I wanted to try something different, so now I’m sitting on a Corolla SR-5 with it’s guts ripped apart waiting on a twin-cam engine to be dropped in, and that one will be bringing the goods.
Of course, I worry about reliability too, and that’s why I have a daily driver. It’s the best mod you can ever get for yourself.
Yes, but pretty conservative. A little suspension here, some engine work there, driving lights up front, light tint…keep it sleeper.
Just the brakes.
Wheels, tires, and suspension. But the suspension needed a’changin’ anyway at 112k.
I did an air intake setup too, with a K&N. But its only for a nice engine sound and because I’m too cheap to buy new air filters. I doubt it made it any more responsive or faster.
Body kits on any car pretty much blow. Lower your car if you want to and call it a day.
I wouldn’t do any major mods on a daily driver though, such as engine modification. Too risky. The 10s of thousands companies spend developing so-called performance mods pale in comparison to the billions automakers spend to design the car.
I did a K&N air filter, but got rid of it out of fears that junk was getting into my engine.
I have done very mild appearance mods–the car is a ’99 Accord w/ 5speed, dark green. I made some smallish white oval cruiserline ventiports out of this vinyl like material that has embedded magnet, and stuck them on the front quarter panels in the usual spots. Also, I put some white reflective tape over the plastic strip that goes most of the length of the car where in old times a chrome strip wouild have gone. Actually, I did that partly for night visibility, but it looks cool.
And for those wishing to correlate mods with age, I’m not young. I’m 131 in base six.
If I could get my hands on those fine Lada’s I would definitely mod them. I cant imagine better use for them.
I bought an ecu tuner for my mustang because the oem throttle/drive by wire mapping was horrifying.
I had a civic 10 years ago, and I did spend a fair amount modifying it. Suspension/tires only, though. It made the car a lot of fun, but I hated dealing with little issues relating to the mods. So I probably wouldn’t mod to that extent again.
I feel like I’m the only 60’s car enthusiast that posts on this site. One of my Chryslers is my “hot rod”. The engine is built, including aftermarket aluminum heads, and pulled 425hp and 500ftlb on the dyno. I also swapped-out the front drum brakes for a disc setup. If you don’t look under the hood, it looks totally stock.
I have a 2004 Subaru WRX Sedan. I have validated all the power modifications on a dyno. Right now, my car makes a near-as-damnit 300 hp at 4000 rpm, and 400 ft-lb of torque at 3400 rpm (both figures are at the crank, but WAY better than stock). I modified the car with the goal of very strong roll-on acceleration on the highway, because I thought my particular car was lacking in that department. To that end, the car runs amazingly.
Here is what I did to get there:
-Stock air intake silencer delete (it turned out the stock intake is very good)
-2006 STi Short Block, stock injectors, heads
-Tuned, ceramic coated, equal length headers, with integrated up pipe to the turbo. Catalytic Converter removed
-Modified stock TD04 turbo: ported and polished, ceramic coated on the compressor and turbine side, and a larger wastegate
-Greddy Profec B to handle the larger wastegate
-Invidia three inch down pipe, with high flow Catalytic Converter
-Third Catalytic Converter removed, and resistor in series with the O2 sensor to simulate correct return voltage.
-Three inch Tanabe cat back exhaust with resonator and muffler in place of three inch, straight through Magnacrap… er Magnaflow exhaust. By switching to an exhaust with a muffler and a resonator I greatly improved my car’s horsepower and torque, lowered sound output substantially, even improved fuel economy. It pays to validate mods on a dyno.
-Finally I tied all the power adders together with a COBB Accessport, and had a custom map built on a dyno. It still passes VA emissions inspections, by the way.
-I also added Power Slot rotors, stainless steel braided brake lines, Motul 5.1 brake fluid, Hawk HPS pads, and Prodrive springs. I also added 4300 K true HIDs.
And I hate my car. No, really.
Yeah, it is fast… so? It is unrefined, buzzy, still pretty loud; and Subarus have always been kind of (very, rather) ugly.
Who cares if she beds fairly well, she doesn’t know too many tricks, and you still wouldn’t want to let your buddies meet her. At least she’s rugged.
On top of that, there were the lots of teething problems with my particular car. I bought it new, with 380 miles on the odometer. It was a tester, and the reason I got the STi short block was because my original short block went to hell in a hand basket.
Also, all the alignments in the world will never, ever get my steering wheel to track perfectly straight with the car.
This experience has taught me that daily drivers should not be touched, that’s what second cars are for.
For the record, I really want a GT-R for daily use.
Unless you consider adding a cabin air filter to my 2007 SX4 as a modification (while the 2008+ models are fitted with cabin air filters, the 2007 SX4 was fitted for, but not with, such a filter), I haven’t modded my vehicle. That being said, there’s a header in advanced prototype stage that, with a claimed increase of 7 horsepower and 11 pound-feet of torque, looks rather tempting….
I bought my then-stock WRX specifically to mod the bejesus out of it, and that’s what happened. Turbo, exhaust, intake, injectors, intercooler, ECU, coil-overs, brakes, sway bars, bracing, bushings, sensors, gauges, shifter, hood-struts, horns, etc.
The radio/CD is still stock — no use changing it when it can’t be heard most of the time.
I love it to death, but it’s an admittedly acquired taste. I’m 36, and not yet ready for a Buick.
My previous car was an Infiniti G20 that me and a buddy built a custom turbo setup. Very fun, but also a textbook example of the diminishing returns involved when adding power to FWD cars.
I have yet to find a car (that wasn’t turbocharged) that wouldn’t be cooler without headers.
@AllStingNoBling
When I meet other evo owners at meets, that’s what I typically hear. Why did you buy a X MR?
Why not the GSR? The MR’s transmission can’t take as much power as the GSR’s manual.
Why not the 9? The 9 is a faster car.
While I’m admittedly not ready for a buick, I’m also not willing to deal with the NVH that the evo 9 has. As for the DSG vs the manual, I LOVE DSG’s.
Anyway, that comment you have about, unrefined, buzzy, still pretty loud. That’s exactly it, the MR is IMHO, refined enough, not buzzy, and pretty quiet. Quiet enough that I WANT to make it louder sometimes.
I bought my 05 9-2x Aero because it was a Subaru and I could modify it. I installed:
– full TXS turboback exhaust
– aftermarket up-pipe
– Prodrive catback
– modded injectors
– Walbro 255 fuel pump
– STI intercooler
– GM boost control solenoid
– custom ecu tune
– Kartboy shifter bushings
I only modify for straight-line speed because I don’t race the car on the track and exceeding lateral grip on the street is pretty dangerous.
My car is perfectly reliable with no problems. And it’s my daily driver.
Absolutely no mods. Do winter tires count as a mod with $99 rims for my STi ?? The manufacturer says not to use stock tires (they are downright scary in even a small spattering of snow).
By the time I spend enough to get my STi to 9 second 1/4 mile, I could have bought a busa (WITH WARRANY) for way less (assuming the wife wouldn’t divorce me — which she will!)….
No reason to spend money to make the car faster or handle better when I only drive it in the winter.
Motorcycle = summer
Car = winter
The only mods I do my car(87 325is) are related to FUNCTIONAL performance(I autoX). Such as;
-Korman big brake kit(290mm Brakes) and all related hardware(i.e. lines, brake ducts,calipers,pads etc.)
-Korman Tracksport Suspension(Amazing handling, shit ride quality, but who cares)
-4.10:1 Gearing conversion and a Upgraded LSD with 75% lockup.
-Sachs Clutch
-Korman Engine Chip(good for 15hp)
-225/50r15 Yokohama A048(Track) or P205/55R15 S.Drive(Street) on 15×7 E30 Cross-Spoke wheels
-oh and a VDO Gauge Cluster(Oil P.,Oil T.,Volt)
The rest of the car is Bone Stock(It retains it’s Factory 1987 “premium” Hi-Def Tape deck and speakers).
Other than a coat of wax and an EZ Pass, nope. No fuzzy dice for me. Maybe when I crunch a wheel, I might get a set of BBS CH’s.
Simply NO
what i’d like to do though is get an old car and refurbish it while installing the latest technology. such as engine, braeks, suspension etc… however the interior/exterior would remain completely stock, with a pinch more safety…
I have a 4″x7″ vinyl transfer decal on the rear window that reads ‘wtf?’. Outside of that, no.
And the funny thing is, there are a lot of those modded Ladas in the 3rd World Countries running around as taxis….though less of them are around as imports from Asia have been piling up.
I modded my Civic (oh how I miss her) and came VERY close to doing the same thing with my Hyundia…that is until I figured how stupid the idea was. Well, that and my non-working status at the time diverted money elsewhere.
@ Lysine:
Yeah, I wish I had bought an EVO MR. It wasn’t available when I purchased the WRX; but the EVO 9 GSRs were.
Which leads me to another point: that piece of crap Subaru taught me a very important life lesson. If you can safely afford it, get what you want, and don’t be cheap. I thought I was be prudent in my purchase, and now I cannot stand the sight of my car. The only thing saving that car from being kicked to the curb is that I want a specific car, which requires saving some dough.
guyincognito, I just bought a E36 M3, a ’95 Avus Blue w/ 87k miles. Car is completely stock save for Dinan shocks (i think). I’d love to pick your brain, as I’m looking at a lot of the same functional mods. If you’re still around, email me @ seoultrain [at] gmail [dot] com.
The Roadmatress is mostly stock appearing–it runs 17″ Impala SS wheels, and I blacked out the grille and added window tint.
Under the hood, 1.6:1 full roller rockers add a little extra bump to the cam, along with a Dynomax cat-back, homemade cold air kit, and a reprogrammed PCM that bumps power, fuel economy and improves transmission shifts. Also installed a cooler thermostat and bypassed the throttle body coolant passage, since the car is never winter driven.
None of the modifications have hurt resale value, as I can simply remove them if I need to and return to stock. They all improve drivability, throttle response, and most importantly sound. The factory 94-96 B-Body has an ultra-restrictive induction system with two silencers and baffles to quiet the smallblock–they also choke power. Some modifications speak for themselves.
I haven’t even changed out the radio in my S2000. It does have an aftermarket intake however. Bought OEM spec tires for it too. Stock exhaust ftw!
Another WRX owner/modder checking in. I’ve done a few little things to all of my other cars, but this is the only one that I have fun modding and tinkering with. Some cars are just unfriendly to work on…
Mod list so far:
COBB AccessPort flashed to Stage 1
Whiteline rear differential carrier bolts
Whiteline swaybars
Whiteline front/rear strut tower braces
Whiteline h-brace
Rally Armor mudflaps
Borla Hush catback
Painted OEM wheels
Intercooler pebble screen
Rally Pig sticker
Fire extinguisher (required for RallyX)
Soon to come:
Aftermarket downpipe and flash to Stage 2
Stainless brake lines
Better brake pads
I usually add some mild mods to my cars. I added a cold air intake and performance exhaust to my old Legacy GT. I’ll probably add a short throw shifter, Braided brake lines, and do some suspension work to my new Astra. Later on, I might think about adding a cat back, and a set of rims and tires. I really don’t like to mess the car up, just make it a little better.
I don’t want to have lawn ornament like my step brother. He riced his civic out with a B20 bomber engine swap that has so many electical problems, he has to keep it attached to a trickle charger, or it won’t start in the morning.
In case wondering what a B20 bomber is, it’s the block from a first gen CRV mated to an Integra GSR Vtech head.
Funny how now that I’m older, I have less time and less money (?). However, some cars need a little help.
The only “mod” I’ve done so far on my ’05 OBXT is a set of upgraded sway bars to tame the nasty understeer and body roll. Unfortunately the soft springs still wallow and squat under accel and braking, but there’s few aftermarket improvements available that aren’t maintenance intensive. Ideally I’d like a cat-back exhaust system (Borla) to let the turbo’d engine breathe easier, but that’s getting spendy.
Snow tires, however, have been the best investment to date. I recommend them for any car who sees snow.
I haven’t done much in the past but am doing more and planning to do more with my current. I have a 2008 Mustang Bullitt and currently doing a few appearance mods. I put some hood struts in, a shorty antenna and flush mount side louvers are going in as I type this. I am thinking of lowering it a bit next and I don’t think a supercharger is would be out of the question in the near future.
I didn’t think there was much sense with previous vehicles as there was really nothing special about them. This one is special and warrants a bit more attention.
I have however noticed that adding NOS and GReddy stickers add about 5hp each. Giant, adjustable, oversized towel racks decklid spoilers also do wonders for making front-wheel-drive cars handle better and stick the power to the road. Adding 35lbs worth of plastic ground effects also shaves precious seconds from 1/4-mile times, especially when the stock (with the exception of the fart-can exhaust) 4-cylinder can’t come anywhere close to propelling the car to an aerodynamic stalemate.
Let’s not forget Altezza lights – critical for your dragstrip opponent to look at as you cross the finish line at a trap speed of 75 mph.
Absolutely.
All of them.
Even the leased ones…though I made sure the mods were reversible…
Depends on the car:
My 1996 Impala SS (with carpet still under plastic and only 40K miles) was worth a lot more because I had kept the original intake and exhaust and sold it with the car. One afternoon’s work and it was just like it left the factory.
I’m doing the same for my 2006 TBSS – tuning and mild mods (all unseen, of course), but I keep every original part. And don’t drive it much. It might not hold the value like the Impala, but then again…you never know. I never thought I’d make money on the Impala, either.
But my other cars that they made a million of and no one cares about? I’ll change them anyway I see fit, and never think twice.
For my daily drivers? Not really. The CR-V received a K&N drop in filter about 165K miles ago when the car was new. It also received some Hella 500 lights. The VW Cabrio got a universal Borla stainless steel muffler whent he old one gave up (looks normal, sounds a little Borla).
The point has been to keep them reliable and versatile. Any engine work or lowering would likely reduce their utility for our needs.
I have seriously considered lowering the Cabrio about an inch or two and adding 16″ wheels, tinted windows, etc. At 155K miles this is not going to take a toll on it’s resale value or anything. Might still. I rteally don’t like to work on my daily drivers though. Always up against a deadline so I can get to work. This week we are carpooling b/c the Cabrio is down for a few easy repairs – easy if I could reach the bolts. Bought crow’s foot wrenches last night. Fingers crossed.
In the garage though I have two warmed over VWs.
The first is a ’78 VW Westfalia with a Corvair 110HP 2.7L six and Corvair 3.55 R&P 4 speed gearbox. Most everything else is stock but all of the 70’s colors have been changed from browns to a Tornado red/white exterior and to undecided colors inside. Added sound proofing, dual exhaust, 15″ Merc wheels, swaybars front and rear, H4 headlamps, Hella 500 lights, etc etc. Goal is a sleeper Westfalia with hidden upgrades.
Also have a ’65 Beetle that is only about 60% ’65 Beetle anymore. It’s currently a basketcase but I have put ~5K miles on it to test everything. Now it is time to tear it down for paint, rubber and chrome. ’65 Beetle body, ’57 ragtop sunroof, ~’50ish oval rear window to graft in, ’69 balljoint/IRS chassis, dropped spindles up front, all wheel disc brakes, aluminum running boards, 3.88 R&P gearbox from a Super Beetle, ’78 VW Type IV engine with flat top pistons, warmed over cam, warmed over heads, dual exhaust hidden under the body, swaybars, 911 style cooling, dual Dellorto carbs (tuned for economy = 25mpg+), air conditioning to R&R, ~1990 VW Golf front seats, Porsche Cookie Cutter 15″ wheels, etc etc etc
Again the car will mostly be a sleeper. Exhaust appears mostly stock (larger bore pipes exiting stock locations), wheels will be painted a normal OEM grey silver for all weather use, car sits flat and only slightly lower, stock trim and bumpers. To the amateur viewer it looks like a well kept Beetle with wheels and to the purist it looks like the “Heinz-57 Edition” that it really is (larger 60s side windows with a oval rear window and ragtop sunroof, wrong suspension).
In both cases the VWs are examples of what I thought the factory should have delivered. Something that can keep up with normal traffic but not drag racers.
I think of the old VWs as a poorman’s hobby car. The Corvairs too.
I have a 2000 Audi B5 S4, bought in 2001, which so far I have kept bone stock – but recently I have decided to do a few mods, as it seems almost criminal not to given the potential of the car. Taking care of a few reliability concerns first, but will probably look at suspension and a “stage 2” tune. I do want to keep the car a “sleeper” though, or as much of a sleeper as a Nogaro Blue S4 can be :)
Is this site Firefox unfriendly? I always have the hardest time logging in here.
SEMA = Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association
Well as you might surmise from my handle, I have an (06) Velocity Red Mazda 3i. Aside from the 17′ aftermarket wheels & my Pioneer D3, my add on parts have (& will) come straight from the factory in Hiroshima. There is a striving e-bay trade for mazda parts this way. No warranties, but all OEM so you know it fits/works/won’t start fires.
I got factory fogs & LED’s (real LED’s) in my center brake light. Next will be LED tail lights (think 350z) & then to change my standard manual shift lever to the 2″ quick shifter. Again these are real mazda parts straight from the factory in Japan.
One good thing about this car, is that all of the wiring harnesses/sensors are there. (even the one for the sunroof & the rain sensor, speed wipers etc… ) One just has to get the various switches/& or control modules.
ZOOM-ZOOM :)
I do mod my cars, but in these days of marriage, parenthood and the accompanying discretionary spending money shortage, the ability to do so is hindered.
I have always been in the quest for more power, so that is where my modding dollars have gone. My previous Prelude had a cold air intake, stainless header and muffler that all woke that car up nicely.
My current TSX has the best bang for your buck mod for the car: Hondata Reflash. Stock, the VTEC cam engaged at 6K rpm and you were bouncing off the rev limiter at 7.1K rpm. Post reflash, the VTEC cam comes on smoothly at 5K rpm and runs all the way up to 7.5K rpm and feel much stronger in the process.
I wish had the scratch to do a header, exhaust, coilovers, and wheels and tires, but, then again, if I put the $6K into the car to do that, why not just get a better car? CPO 325 or 330, anyone?