Best mod under $500?

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by RickyRacer

I bought a K&N drop in and didn't feel a performance increase.. has anyone actually felt a difference or are there any dyno graphs?

Im sure it helps with breathing though

Here you go, with dyno testing. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56341

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You have any idea what it would cost me to go to Vegas????? Would have to tell the wife and it would suddenly be a $5,000 trip. The same applies for Cleveland, Detroit, Atlantic City or any other location that has a casino there/nearby/on the route.

You could sell it as a road trip and hit up some of the parks like Yellowstone on the way.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by solidONE

I'm sure it's worth a WHP or 2, along with a muffler delete(track pipe) or catless frontpipe. all of which are under $500 USD or CAN, perhaps even under that all together if you shop wisely or have a welder and some piping. Though, aside from the noise if you choose to do exhaust mods, I seriously doubt you'll be able to perceive the difference of single digit power increase.

You may be able to get the drop in and pipe for some place around $350 here but that is what I meant about budgeting for mods not modding to a budget. At that point people would be just grasping at straws to find mods they can afford and would be totally disregarding the value of what they are doing.


Now if somebody just wants to nickel and dime their way up so that they can have an impressive list of mods for their Facebook or Instagram account or if they have a long term plan and know what they want but can only afford bits at a time then that is a great way to go about it.


I do not believe that there is a long term plan in place for the OP here and he is just trying to buy random stuff that he can afford. That is NOT the way to mod a car.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Here you go, with dyno testing. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56341
You could sell it as a road trip and hit up some of the parks like Yellowstone on the way.

Do they have casinos? She couldn't give a flying f*** about parks.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Diagree, camber bolts and alignment or tires can be done for $500 for noticeable improvements to performance.

I am pretty sure his reference to "performance" was in relation to HP. He was looking for alternatives to a $5K turbo.
Camber bolts are among the items that he should be checking out although at this point it would appear that the focus needs to be getting what he can out of the car as it is.


Please provide a source for quality tires under $500 in Canada. I will be very happy to start using them.

[EAGLE5]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Do they have casinos? She couldn't give a flying f*** about parks.

Reading comprehension, yo!


I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do mods. There are just mods. As for performance, an alignment and crash bolts plus some tires, as Strat said, is the best way to start. Or at least an alignment and crash bolts. Stock tires are great.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Diagree, camber bolts and alignment or tires can be done for $500 for noticeable improvements to performance.

Perhaps, but it's the old chicken and egg problem:

Are you modifying to fix a problem, or modifying for sake of modifying? OP hasn't made that clear yet.

Alignment, while great, changes the driving characteristics of the car. Increased camber tends to make the car tramline more, which is a royal PITA for a daily driver and/or bad roads.

-alex

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You may be able to get the drop in and pipe for some place around $350 here but that is what I meant about budgeting for mods not modding to a budget. At that point people would be just grasping at straws to find mods they can afford and would be totally disregarding the value of what they are doing.


Now if somebody just wants to nickel and dime their way up so that they can have an impressive list of mods for their Facebook or Instagram account or if they have a long term plan and know what they want but can only afford bits at a time then that is a great way to go about it.


I do not believe that there is a long term plan in place for the OP here and he is just trying to buy random stuff that he can afford. That is NOT the way to mod a car.

While that may be true from your perspective or mine, but who's to say what is "right" and what is the "wrong" way to mod cars? Try going to one of those hella cambered, hard park car meets and tell them they're fucking their cars up. lol

I personally feel the $500 some odd dollars I spent on my OFT was the best money I spent on my car. Each time I change my set up (which I have dozens of times) I can try to optimize the tune, and I have been tinkering with my calibrations endlessly. Some might feel that I must get the most expensive "JDM" stuff on the market to be worthwhile. On the same token, I'd say they've spent 2~3 times the money that I've spent on similar mod just to be not much better or worse off in terms of performance yielded from the mods. So who's "wrong" and who's "right?" I wont say that they're "wrong." I just think they have a different approach. Maybe OP just wants to spend some money on his or her "baby." I think we can all relate to that. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

- RCE Yellows - slightly lower, better handling than OEM.
- SPC front camber bolts - more camber = better handling!
- Whiteline diff outrigger bushings - keeps the diff from flopping around during abrupt throttle changes or when shifting.
- Transmission mount insert - keeps the transmission from flopping around. No idea if it fits AT.
- Alignment - more camber = better handling. With the springs and camber bolts, you should be able to get around -1.7 in the front and -1.5 to -2 in the back.

All of this should come out to about $500.

Originally Posted by RichardJ

Honestly I have no idea what you suggested, but few words like 'better handling' I recognize. Will do my research. Thanks!

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

Reading comprehension, yo!


I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do mods. There are just mods. As for performance, an alignment and crash bolts plus some tires, as Strat said, is the best way to start. Or at least an alignment and crash bolts. Stock tires are great.

I rest my case!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by solidONE

While that may be true from your perspective or mine, but who's to say what is "right" and what is the "wrong" way to mod cars? Try going to one of those hella cambered, hard park car meets and tell them they're fucking their cars up. lol

I personally feel the $500 some odd dollars I spent on my OFT was the best money I spent. Each time I change my set up (which I have dozens of times) I can try to optimize the tune, and I have been tinkering with my calibrations endlessly. Some might feel that I must get the most expensive "JDM" stuff on the market to be worthwhile. On the same token, I'd say they've spent 2~3 times the money that I've spent on similar mod just to be not much better or worse off in terms of performance yielded from the mods. So who's "wrong" and who's "right?" I wont say that they're "wrong." I just think they have a different approach. Maybe OP just wants to spend some money on his or her "baby." I think we can all relate to that. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Ya my wording was off there. I really didn't mean it to say that it is my way or nothing. My point was there is modding for what YOU want and then there is modding for the sake of modding. I agree mod for whatever you like and in any fashion you desire but at least know what you are modding for. If your goal is to get the most FB likes with a hard parker then that is cool with me and should be with anybody else since at least you have a goal. My concern with this particular thread isn't so much that he is modding on a budget (I even said that) but that he is just trying to find random stuff to fit that budget. If he just wants to spend money on his baby again that is cool but he seems to want results from that small amount of money that he is just not going to get and I do not want him to get all disillusioned.


Actually in rereading what I wrote and your response I think you may have totally misread or understood what I was saying. Not saying save up for the biggest and best just to know why and what you are buying.

[solidONE]

I suppose we can ask him what his goals are with his mods? Who knows maybe he just want some bling? if that's the case a set of LED taillights or headlights will give him some bling factor for the money. LOL

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by solidONE

I suppose we can ask him what his goals are with his mods? Who knows maybe he just want some bling? if that's the case a set of LED taillights or headlights will give him some bling factor for the money. LOL

LOL don't think those will cut it (and again way over the price point mentioned in Canada). Did you read all the thread? His goals are for more performance on a $500 budget. He clearly stated he is not looking for cosmetics at this point.

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

LOL don't think those will cut it (and again way over the price point mentioned in Canada). Did you read all the thread? His goals are for more performance on a $500 budget. He clearly stated he is not looking for cosmetics at this point.

Just sayin. lol

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by RickyRacer

I bought a K&N drop in and didn't feel a performance increase.. has anyone actually felt a difference or are there any dyno graphs?

Im sure it helps with breathing though

Of course I did ........ after all, I paid $50 for it .......


humfrz

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Please provide a source for quality tires under $500 in Canada. I will be very happy to start using them.

lol

Maybe Hankook Ventus V12 Evo V2 would be an affordable summer tire, ~$90/ea US on Tirerack. Don't have a line on a good website to check actual prices to you but I tried Tirerack which charged $260 to ship it to a shop in Toronto so