where do I start

I am new to the world of souped up cars, and I would like to first ask where I should start in making an awesome car? Spoiler? Tires? Engine? what? I need some advice in starting me off.

LOGICALLY.. if you are gonna go all out.. i would start by beefin up my engine with the finest of the Aftermarket engine parts to insure that my engine won't blow with all the shit i'll do to it...... then work your way out.....
intake
headers
exhaust
cams
suspension
turbo
nos
nos
stage 4 dual shot nos
hahahaha
rims..
then go for aerodynamic body kits and touring spoiler
then go FOR THE ICE bABY...
GO ON FOREVER ON THIS topic.. but this is my opinion...
i'm not much of a CAr head....
YET.....:D

This depends on you. You need to ask yourself a few key questions like, Do I care more about Speed or looks, and the most important question, How much money do I have. From my personal experiance i have enjoyed getting the interior done and some of the outside then lightly going on to the engin. No the reason i say lightly is because I only have a part time job and let me tell you some those parts are expensive.
just a thought

yeah that you have to consider too haha

OK specificaly, what woul be the first thing you wuld do to make a car go faster, don't worry abot money, I"ll take care of that.
Would you get new tires if so what kind?
Higher Octane fuel?
Intercoolers?
Nitrous Oxide?
What would be the stes you would take, money being no concern.

I personaly would not go for nitrus unless you are drag racing. i would start with the muffler. then work into the engine. Get turbo if posible new heads, fly wheel, Clutch, basicly upgrade the major stuff on the engine. Then once you get most of your mods (i would say all but your never have all the mods you need.:D) upgrade your comp chip. Then go for the ground effects. get wheels. I recomend Rebal (wrong spell) or Eagle Alloys. And some Yokohama or Pirelle tires. Then work on the interior. new shift nob, pedales, Stearing wheel, gueges to tell you what your engine is doing and what ever else your heart desiers.
Once agian Just my opinion.

OK thanks for tha info

I"m REALLY new to the world of cars
and trying to absorb as muchinfo
as possible

could you tell me more?anyone?

explain ho they wok, different parts, etc.

I have the basic concpet that I got at howstuffworks.com ut I want to know more

or ateast refer me to a good place to learn

yeah i wouldn't go for nos, till like the last mod

first 3 would be most predictable I-H-E, intake, header and exhaust... those are always the first 3 bolt-ons you should do for more power. Then i would strenghten the engine and put a turbo on it, also improve handling, do struts, sway bars, etc..... probably after that i would start doing appearance mods, lowering, body kit, wing, rims, etc.

that'll cost you alot... just the stuff i mentioned will push 10 grand

Don't know what you drive but here goes. And in this order.:D

Cold Air Intake (AEM, Injen, etc.)
Headers (Whichever is available for your car.)
Exhaust (Tanabe, Neuspeed, etc.)
Cams (Higher performance ones)
Pulleys (Lighter aluminum types)
Intake Manifold (This one is optional, it really depends on application.)
Throttle Body (Same as above)
Suspension (Coilovers, Shocks or Struts, etc.)
Brakes (AEM, Brembo, Stillen)
Brake Lines (Steel Braided)
Cosmetics (Body Kits, Spoilers, etc.)
NOS (For the serious racer)
Timing Equipment (Such as Apexi, etc.) This is also depending on application.

These are almost about all things to consider modding that I can think of right now. As for what each will produce, when you look into them, just do the research. In the end, you will want to put the right components together to give you the best results. I'm one that believes that since I know what I want, I go with what works best. Not so much on other peoples opinions. Just because someone says this product or that one is best, it might not suit your needs. With just a little research, you can make a lot with a little. Read car magazines, that would be a really good source for information. Also consider visiting the websites of some of the makers that actually make the products. The more informed of a buyer that you are, the better your choices will be in the applications that you use. Good luck.:)

Why not got for the best, most cost effective mod there is that NOBODY HERE has mentioned.

Go to a driving school. $/speed it is the greatest thing you can do.

Cheapest thing you can do if you don't have money is go to the movies and watch fast and the furious. :sun: JK

a cool site to visit is http://www.howstuffworks.com/

you can find info on how an engine works, how turbo works etc... its really helpful.

also, go to a car web site like carpoint.com and start comparing different car stats and find out what makes the different cars better, etc... in time you'll memorize all of that stuff.

CIAO

fast and the furious heck ya, thats what got me started(i kno im a poseur)
me and my friend drew

been to www.howstuffworks.com (got the basic concept)

carpoint, got it

i looked at www.supercars.net too


i can become a total expert at something in less than a year because I often become completely obsessed with something and then learn all about it examples:rolleroasters(ask me anything),trains(when i was 6),and various other things, and now cars,

i know a teacher wh gets alot of car magazines and ive een readin those

DVS you wouldn't get any type of forced induction?

If you want to learn a lot more about forced induction, go read up on this stuff texan wrote (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/f693/). ;)

i learned too much about forced induction Turbo Vs. Supercharger in SCC... they've had like a 20 page comparison in every issue for like the past 10 months

it's too much :D

ok i think i know what forced intake is, i would sum it up as a big vaccuum cleaner stuck to byour engine so you can cram more air in a cylinder, and thus can fit moe gas in a cylinder meaning you get a bigger band for your buck, meaning you go...faaster, frankly?
am i right?

ad if you fit tmuch ir a cyliunder wouldnt it overheat a blow before i neede to, what would hat do to the engine :bloated:

i think we missed one big thing to do and thats make sure your engine is a decent engine. I definitly would not go tuning say a honda civic until i had swapped the engine with somthing more formidable.

depends what your starting out with. like Cavallino said, if your starting out with a civic, definately put in a new engine. like one from an integra gsr, or, if you really have alot of money to blow, get a spoon sports racing tuned engine. and then work from that. but if your starting out with an S2000... or something else thats already half decent, just go with what everyone else said. most importantly, do reasearch. do you have a car that your going to start working on? or just curious about this kinda stuff?

well im not 16 yet, but I'm tryin to learn as much abut cars I possibly can before I get one

I'm probly gonna get somethinglik a used Mitsubishi clipse if i'm lucky, maybe aused civic, but I"m not gonna buy any american ars, (i want an import)

but before that I might get my dad's suzuki esteem station wagon(are those workable lol)

so I guess I'm just curious for now

a few questons

how do you just swap engines?I'm sure its not simple

where do you get a spoon engine anyway? and how much do they cost?

Originally posted by Learner
a few questons

how do you just swap engines?I'm sure its not simple

where do you get a spoon engine anyway? and how much do they cost?

its not simple to swap engines, you have to replace the transmition, axle, and clutch among other things. but to be honest... i dont know how, but it'll cost you a pretty penny if you take it to a mechanic. ive seen a couple sites where you can order spoon engines, but i dont have the urls. sorry. but they are easily upwards of $7000 easy. not cheap, but definately worth it if you can get your hands on one.

HEll yeah GANGSTARR.. i'm like a turbo Guru.... well maybe a mini guru in turbo mathematics.... it's just so easy now... those articles on turbos and superchargers make it soooo simple to use and understand Turbos.... just toooo tight... :D

not so bad to tune.... my friends have some stangs and they are some powerfull muscle cars... 5.0's i mean... not the cheap ass v6's... v8 stangs rock.... especially with dual shot nitrous and turbo.... just tooo much... well there are crazier cars but don't doubt domestics...... not saying u are....

so what exaclty are you looking at to buy?

???? any suggestions, I was thinking a used Honda Civic

what model? ex, si? if your looking into modding it, go with the si. only because the ex comes with a single overhead cam. and you would have to put in a new engine to get any decent results.

how much do you think a decent used si would cost?

i would guess anywhere between 8 thousand and 12 thousand. someone correct me if im wrong

awesome, right in my price range, now i need to find where to get one

look in like any paper. or go to http://www.autotrader.com

seein lots of exs but no sis in my paper, and sis in my area on autotrader

for the most part i think a used si is gonna be hard to find. If you're thinking civic and you cant get an si for whatever reasons, my suggestion would be go with the cx. To get any kind of speed out of it you're going to have to swap the engine so go with the cheapest you can get, swap in a nice engine (depending on what you can afford) and mod up from there.

well you know there are alternatives.... civics have so much in aftermarket it's sick...... why not a older celica?? or older eclipse??? integras....

Or maybe go with something that is not as popular as the civic. Like the Del Sol. I haven't seen very many 300+hp Sol.

i saw a honda cicvic si while walkin around today i was prety amazed cause it had a spoiler and performance decals and sounded great, but then i wa a suped up skyline so, you know.

but anyway i foun a pretty expensive si for y range 16g,

my friend's dad gave us a car (old sttion wagon didnt work anymore) and we took apart the engine for fun and then he junked it.

but it was a learning exprience

so should me and my friend drew pool our money and get it or keep looking (planning to work on acar but not drive it an have an alernate car) that way i wont have to worry about insurance for two cars.

i would advise against you and your friend pooling your money for somthing to share. Did you ever see the simpsons episode where bart nelson and milhouse pooled their money for radioactive man number 1?

While working on the car it would probly be cool but what would happen when you two leave for college or wanna take it out to impress someone? Id say keep looking for somthing you can afford on your own.

ok if i dont get the honda civic si then what else would be good?

Originally posted by Learner
and performance decals and sounded great, but then i wa a suped up skyline so, you know.

yeah thos performance decals add alotta power :rolleyes:

i didn't know there were any skylines in illinois?
which gen was it?

couldnt tell we were going opposite ways, and it ws speeding (whoda thunk it) but I also seen an unpainted gry, sorta banged up skyline in this same city (tons of good cars here)ive seen a bazillion corvettes,mustangs everywhere you ook, mr2 spyders, miatas,rx7s,supras, i spotted a diablo and even an f50once, and blue viper, and a blue Si, goo ol' Rockford,

yeah but a skyline is much more rare in the U.S. than all those cars mentioned.....

Originally posted by gang$tarr
DVS you wouldn't get any type of forced induction?


Yes actually, I would. I forgot to mention it at the time. Pardon my tardiness!:finger: :D :D :p

ok so let me get this straight, getting cool air intake first (once I have a good engine) would be a smart decision, or would new headers be better, and what do both of them acctually do?

what you should work on first? SUSPENSION! not only for looks, but your car can hang around those tight corners and move through traffic as if you were just goin' straight.....coilovers recommended, and don't just get springs and not upgrade shocks....upgrade shocks too cuz it makes a big difference....after that, you can go on to engine mods such as your basic bolt ons (I/H/E), but if you really want to go all out, then save your money up and go for something big such as a turbo, or a supercharger....the hell w/ nos "bottle feeding is for babies", and will only really help you out in drag....get performance brakes, so that you can stop on a dime, and not eat shiet, get clutch and flywheel upgrades for more precision shifting.....all i'm talking about here is performance, i mean if you're into just the "all look and no go" theory, then by all means go ahead, you'll just be cruisin' thou, and get punked by everybody, and not be able to shit about it....have some style, but have the performance to back it up as well....hope this helps!

reading my paper now here are some of the more noticeble adds

all of them have best offer option

'92mustang convertible $6200
BMW 1990 735I $7500
'93 Eclipse $4000
'91 Nissan 300zx twin turbo $9000
'87 Supra $3500
'91 mr2 turbo $7400

300zx

Definetly 300ZX TT!!!! that's a pretty good deal too... i think :D

you think, i'll see if i can get any more info on it

300 zx all the way. the others are nice... but you just cant beat something with a twin-turbo.:D

now if i just had a spare $9000 dollars

Originally posted by Learner
now if i just had a spare $9000 dollars

i hate it when that happens.:)

get a loan
or don't look at car adds if you can't buy them :D it'll be depressing :D

get a loan at 14?

Originally posted by Learner
get a loan at 14?

whoops, must have missed that.... didn't know you were only 14

could someone exain cool air intake and headers, what these things are and what they do.

well cold air intakes, basically make your engine breath easier... they make an easier less restricted air flow.... and they make colder air. Colder air is more compressed so more can fit into the cylinder, therefor more power

wow i sound so smart when talkin about cars... but i fail at school, how does that work? :(

anyway, i'll let somebody else take headers

anybody gonna take headers?

sombody, anybody?

what are headers, what do they do, how much do they cost

headers make your engine fart easier and depending on what you get can improve your back pressure providing optimized airflow going out. Intake goes in -- Headers go out... don't forget your cat back exhaust too...

how much do these things cost

You may want to get rid of the speed limiter on the car