Modding

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

Anyone out there into modding their car/truck?

I recently was bitten by that bug (mostly out of necessity) & it's worse that OCing, at least on the wallet.


Any ongoing projects out there?

[STEvil]

Looking to turbo my 2004 GMC 1500.. maybe. Needs an upgraded sun shell at some point. Swapped in 2-3, and 4th servos.. HUGE DIFFERENCE!

So much to do with my bogger its rediculous (1990 Dodge w250)

Planning stage on a late 40's/early 50's dodge/fargo 2-ton build..

[zanzabar]

i am about to get a catless up pipe, g16 td05 turbo, tune, and maybe a new intercooler for my 06 legacy gt (it is a legacy with the engine from an sti, but with a smaller turbo/intercooler and plastic intake manifold.) i am also looking at a set of new rims (the PO destroyed them) and maybe a thick rear sway bar.

[Sparky]

I have my 99 Camaro that will always be a work in progress I'm sure. I bought it with some stuff done already (cam and supporting head work), so most that I'm doing for now is suspension stuff to make it drive and handle a lot better, also working on cosmetics both inside and outside. Not flashy stuff, but just some nice upgrades. I haven't decided yet but I may turbo a 3800 for it, or I might just jump to a 6.2L LS3 instead. Not sure, but that's a long ways away so I have plenty of time to decide.

[Kingcarcas]

Be careful! Invest/save some of it

[warmmilk]

2011 Evo

ETS intake, piping, and intercooler
TurboXS testpipe
T1R 76S exhaust

GTWorx springs
Whiteline roll correction kit
Beatrush diff spacers

makes 350whp, prolly gonna get some JRZ coilovers next year...

[3lfk1ng]

I'm very proud of it and I am still working on my car. It's a 2004 Volkswagen GTI w/ 2.8L 24v VR6

I have list of mods far too big to list here but I wanted to chime in and say that modding a car is a lot of fun and the money stays with you unlike a computer. You upgrade/ build a computer every few years, a car can stay with you for a very long time.

[tool_462]

I'm very proud of it and I am still working on my car. It's a 2004 Volkswagen GTI w/ 2.8L 24v VR6

I have list of mods far too big to list here but I wanted to chime in and say that modding a car is a lot of fun and the money stays with you unlike a computer. You upgrade/ build a computer every few years, a car can stay with you for a very long time.

Lookin good! What happened to the A3?

[AMDforME]

Car modding is an affliction just like modding PCs. It's better than spending all of your money on booze and drugs.

[3lfk1ng]

Lookin good! What happened to the A3?

Damn, you have an amazing memory. It was on a 3yr lease, we turned it in for a 2011 A3. It's the wife's car.

Decided to turn this one into a track car.
http://vimeo.com/66271656
http://vimeo.com/67438506

[Crabby]

I just replaced my dual mass flywheel which was ed up with an aluminium one from jim wolf technology. The new flywheel made a massive improvement but I had to learn how to drive again as the engine changes speed so fast now. I didn't line up the cps (one mark off) so I did the job twice hahaha live and learn. (05 NISMO Frontier)

[AMDforME]

Damn, you have an amazing memory. It was on a 3yr lease, we turned it in for a 2011 A3. It's the wife's car.

Decided to turn this one into a track car.

The car looks nice but IME it's tough to maintain inside wheel traction on track with a FWD model unless you have a good electronic limited slip diff.

[zanzabar]

The car looks nice but IME it's tough to maintain inside wheel traction on track with a FWD model unless you have a good electronic limited slip diff.

the VW VR stuff revs out rather high and only makes 200HP for the 2.8 so you dont really need limited slip or an e-diff. unless you add a back turbo i dont see the point in it since the 2.0 turbo will make more power and does not lag, but then a turbo vr6 makes more power than an FF should have. the early '00s gti has room for nice wide tires, and has a short wheel base so FF should not be a handling problem with too much understeer

[David_L6]

I have my 99 Camaro that will always be a work in progress I'm sure. I bought it with some stuff done already (cam and supporting head work), so most that I'm doing for now is suspension stuff to make it drive and handle a lot better, also working on cosmetics both inside and outside. Not flashy stuff, but just some nice upgrades. I haven't decided yet but I may turbo a 3800 for it, or I might just jump to a 6.2L LS3 instead. Not sure, but that's a long ways away so I have plenty of time to decide.

Sparky, I don't know anything about the LS3 but I have the L9H 6.2 in my Silverado. If the LS3 mileage is similar to the L9H be prepared for a shock at the gas pump! Makes plenty of power but is a gas HOG! Best mileage I've ever seen was 17.7 mpg with ethanol free gas. (I always try to find ethanol free because I get better mileage with it and I don't like ethanol in the first place!) Mileage going back and forth to work is usually in the 15 mpg range, highway mileage around 17 mpg, and interstate 16 mpg. Mileage when pulling a small enclosed trailer is in the 11 mpg to 11.5 mpg range. My truck does have the Max Trailering Pack which in addition to the 6.2 includes 3.73 gear ratio. A 3.42 ratio would help mileage a bit I would think.

If you're thinking about an engine swap and probably won't be getting much for mileage anyway, why not swap in a 7.0 liter? That should make for a FUN ride!

[Sparky]

Sparky, I don't know anything about the LS3 but I have the L9H 6.2 in my Silverado. If the LS3 mileage is similar to the L9H be prepared for a shock at the gas pump! Makes plenty of power but is a gas HOG! Best mileage I've ever seen was 17.7 mpg with ethanol free gas. (I always try to find ethanol free because I get better mileage with it and I don't like ethanol in the first place!) Mileage going back and forth to work is usually in the 15 mpg range, highway mileage around 17 mpg, and interstate 16 mpg. Mileage when pulling a small enclosed trailer is in the 11 mpg to 11.5 mpg range. My truck does have the Max Trailering Pack which in addition to the 6.2 includes 3.73 gear ratio. A 3.42 ratio would help mileage a bit I would think.

If you're thinking about an engine swap and probably won't be getting much for mileage anyway, why not swap in a 7.0 liter? That should make for a FUN ride!

Well a car is always going to get better mpg than a truck (weight, gearing, aero, etc). But mpg isn't the point of this car anyway Although even as the toy it still gets better mpg than my daily driver (02 Trailblazer), that is assuming I can keep my foot out of it

[STEvil]

Sparky, I don't know anything about the LS3 but I have the L9H 6.2 in my Silverado. If the LS3 mileage is similar to the L9H be prepared for a shock at the gas pump! Makes plenty of power but is a gas HOG! Best mileage I've ever seen was 17.7 mpg with ethanol free gas. (I always try to find ethanol free because I get better mileage with it and I don't like ethanol in the first place!) Mileage going back and forth to work is usually in the 15 mpg range, highway mileage around 17 mpg, and interstate 16 mpg. Mileage when pulling a small enclosed trailer is in the 11 mpg to 11.5 mpg range. My truck does have the Max Trailering Pack which in addition to the 6.2 includes 3.73 gear ratio. A 3.42 ratio would help mileage a bit I would think.

If you're thinking about an engine swap and probably won't be getting much for mileage anyway, why not swap in a 7.0 liter? That should make for a FUN ride!

4.10's in my '04 1500.. ~17-20mpg here as well, on non-ethanol. Would help if I fixed my O2 and MAF sensors probably..

[AMDforME]

the VW VR stuff revs out rather high and only makes 200HP for the 2.8 so you dont really need limited slip or an e-diff. unless you add a back turbo i dont see the point in it since the 2.0 turbo will make more power and does not lag, but then a turbo vr6 makes more power than an FF should have. the early '00s gti has room for nice wide tires, and has a short wheel base so FF should not be a handling problem with too much understeer

Even with slicks you can spin the inside tire on a GTI with a NA VR6 under hard cornering. On street tires you can smoke the inside tire in a hard turn. It the wet even on the street you might as well get out and push. It's called one-wheel drive for a reason. That's why VW went to braking the spinning wheel for a number of years. Now after years of that actually hurting performance for those who drive in snowy climes I hear VW has gone to an electronic diff on the 2013 GTI, though I have not confirmed this.

[3lfk1ng]

I have a Peloquin Limited Slip, Tubular control arms, Ground Control camber plates, and solid aluminum bushings. There is much more going on up front but those are the big ones. While it certainly took a lot of work to get here, there's no tire spinning with this setup.

The LSD makes a world of difference on the track, not so much on the street, I honestly don't push it hard on public roads.

[David_L6]

4.10's in my '04 1500.. ~17-20mpg here as well, on non-ethanol. Would help if I fixed my O2 and MAF sensors probably..

Which engine do you have - 4.3, 4.8, or 5.3?

[AMDforME]

I have a Peloquin Limited Slip, Tubular control arms, Ground Control camber plates, and solid aluminum bushings. There is much more going on up front but those are the big ones. While it certainly took a lot of work to get here, there's no tire spinning with this setup.

The LSD makes a world of difference on the track, not so much on the street, I honestly don't push it hard on public roads.

Unfortunately the gear style LSDs require the wheels to be in contact to function properly and when the inside wheel lifts under hard cornering, the inside wheel still spins, but up to that point it helps. The reason most FWD cars don't have LSDs is because they cause understeer and more tire wear. The electronic diff is the ideal design as it only functions when needed sort of like ABS. Porsche has used these for years but they aren't cheap.

[STEvil]

Which engine do you have - 4.3, 4.8, or 5.3?

5.3 on Bullydog premium tune and transmission on tow tune, cat removed

[3lfk1ng]

@AMDforME
This isn't rally racing, haha, this is amateur track racing.
The wheels are always in contact, I can feel the limits and don't go beyond them. Using sticky NT01's all around, with a camber of -2 up front and 10 way dampening on all 4 corners, 28mm solid swaybar in the rear, solid endlinks set to slightly more stiff in the rear, solid endlinks upfront.

Every part was meticulously picked with FWD handling in mind. Belive me when I say that the car handles quite well.

My mechanic builds mostly performance BMWs (Forced Induction) and he enjoys driving the GTI more because I didn't just throw money at it, I did the research and picked the correct parts needed to make it handle like a Porsche. It's a really challenge too, not many VW guys go to this length.

[STEvil]

Some fancy headlights because my old ones were broken and pointing really weird.

Before:



(almost) After:



Finished:

[Sparky]

You should do the quad beam mod, so the lows stay on when you hit the highs.

I had forgotten about this thread. I modded my Trailblazer recently and put a lift kit on it with 32" tires. Added a little over 4 inches of ground clearance. I was pleasantly surprised to find my mpg average barely took a hit. A couple tenths lower maybe.

[STEvil]

was actually thinking of that just last night.