Improving Performance

I have a 2002 Celica, which is my first car and I am probably the most mechanically un-inclined person who has ever lived. Anyway I have questions about improving my performance, speed, horsepower, whatever.... can anyone point me in the right direction as to what I should look at adding/changing on my car to improve performance?
Im not trying to jump on a track and kick some butt, just want to improve my car.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

The TRD exhaust and highflow air filter would be a start.

http://www.trdracing.com/

Jeff

i have TRD exhaust and a AEM intake, and that is the best intake/exhaust combo made i almost beat a stock Turbo VW Jetta the other night and i gotta GT, it was a really close race, i was ahead of him 75% of the time but towards the end he crept up on me slowly and took the win with his rear fender at my front fender. best place to start is intake, then get exhaust.

http://www.aempower.com

yeah if I were you I'd invest in a good intake. I have a 91 celi gt and all my stuff is custom your lucky, 02's have a lot more parts than 5th generation celicas. Anyway I did custom intake, and I run a straight pipe 2 1\2 inch exhaust piping with an OBX muffler. I really feel the diffrence. I raced an 01 vw jetta (non turbo) I kicked his ass. It just depends on what kind of money your willing to spend. Right now I'm investing in some header www.hotshot.com $500 ( a little steep but its worth it). :biggrin: so happy tuning. :biggrin:

Like everyone else is saying.. First invest in a good cold air intake. Then work on your exhaust system. There are a few headers available for the car and a multitude of exhaust configurations. Then if you want some suspension work done you might considers some springs/shocks and some reinforcements and swaybars. After that your goign to be spending big bucks to improve on the car more.

Firstly (along with everyone else), you need to get an intake. It is like the basis of building on everything else. Also, you should get headers, aftermarket brake pads (preferably racing ones, although you're not racing. They guarantee that you'll be able to stop with the added power.), exhaust is also another must. Another thing to look into would be an aftermarket racing clutch. They're kind of expensive, but they are much more precise in shifting and pickup, my boyfriend has one and he loves it (not sure what brand he got though). You could also lower it so that the front is about 2in lower than the back: it kinda makes the airflow push you forward and more aerodynamic. (My boyfriend has only gotten an intake, a new clutch and lowered it and he is able to beat his best friend who has done a shitload of mods to his celica.) So, i hope that helps a little bit. I think that's the best place to start and then work on a custom interior and exterior. If you're not planning on racing it or anything, then i would say start with cosmetics first. I mean, celicas are pretty fast anyways and if racing is not in your list of things to do then i would put my money into looks rather than speed.

Two Cents.

You can think of the engine as an airpump... Why try stuffing more air into it, if that same air cant get out freely???

Id always start with an exhaust system. You can go with a catback system or get a high flow catalytic converter to go with it.

Once youve taken care of exhaust you can open up the intake with a cold air intake. You can buy them or if your upto it they arent very hard to make yourself. Just depends on if you want a fancy polished aluminum part.

You can also upgrade your ignition system which might help your engine run a little more smoothly.

You could always look into a turbo kit too. They make good power but are hard on engines, especially stock ones.

You may want to check out reducing weight also. Especially reciprocating mass. You can free up some power with something like a lightweight flywheel. Light brake rotors and wheels can also help you get the car moving faster.

I did a electrical ground mod to my car's motor and it helped boost my performance a lot. Better running, A/C works more efficient, brighter lights etc.. I ordered the kit from a website: http://www.resistancefreecar.com :p