The Gentleman's guide to car modification

Modifying a car. I stared ponderously at those three words, longing for inspiration, clarity and direction in this article. How does one describe this process in a concise and simultaneously all-encompassing manner? As I sit here listening to Rubber Soul, on vinyl no less, I await a linguistic epiphany, that will ensure this article is appealing and accessible to all. But it doesn’t come. I conclude that modifying a car is a mechanical, emotional, creative and investigative journey with unequal parts satisfaction, disaster, laborious research, and financial inquisition driven by joy and temptation. Likely there are more superfluous adjectives to describe the process, confuse the issue, and delay my writing according to the central theme; a gentleman’s guide to car modification.

What do I mean by a gentleman’s guide to modifying a car? What I’m implying here is that there is a conservative way in which to improve the performance of your daily driver without compromising ride quality, ruining the experience or producing a cacophony of pointless noise. Don’t get me wrong, pops, bangs, wastegate and intake sounds are great, but perhaps not essential to the kid's taxi service. The following is a guide to mods that will improve performance significantly without significant drawbacks.

Below are the areas I’d prioritise when modifying your car if you are looking to avoid drastic changes to its daily operation or becoming conspicuous. Further research is suggested to determine which suits your needs.

Tyres

Tyres can be a personal decision depending on your driving style the roads you subject the car to and the prevailing climate. Putting a set of good quality performance tryes is essential. Good tyres will enable you to get a sense of what the car is capable of and how it can be enhanced through tasteful, targeted modifications.

Tuning

Tuning is the best bang-for-buck modification you can make to a car, particularly when doing so to a turbo-charged car. There is a lot to consider when tuning your vehicle, please check out my series on this topic by clicking here. Power and torque can be improved without compromising drivability or longevity and in the case of automatics, the transmission can be tuned in sympathy with engine re-mapping. Improvements through tuning don’t have to result in unwanted or superfluous noise nor decrease the engine life.

Cooling

Heat is the enemy of performance and component longevity. Several areas can be improved with enhanced cooling, such as; 

• Engine through a larger radiator

• Turbo via an intercooler or larger intercooler

• Transmission oil cooler for automatic transmission

• Differential cooling

• Oil cooler

Suspension

When I mention suspension I’m referring to all components including springs, shock absorbers, bushes, struts, braces and other items that improve chassis rigidity and handling. Simple modifications to one or all of these areas can provide a sharper more rewarding handling experience. Shocks and springs will change ride height, and the car’s aesthetic, however, this can also result in a harsher ride for a daily driver depending on how aggressive the changes are. Chassis bracing can improve the car's ability to turn into corners without introducing noise, vibration or harshness (VBH), and if the stock springs and shocks remain intake daily driving remains sympathetic.

Brakes

I’ll assume you have started with a performance-orientated car and thus the brake callipers and discs are capable enough to handle the general demands of stopping a faster car. Better pads manage harder braking, reducing speed quickly in shorter distances. Performance pads will handle higher operating temperatures and dissipate heat more efficiently without performance loss. At greater a cost compared to brake pads, discs and callipers can be changed to increase braking force and heat management.

Exhaust

The exhaust system includes several composite parts and sections. Which one you alter will affect performance vs sound differently. There are several companies such as X Force, and Akropovic that have valve-based systems that preserve the sedate factory sound, then, when opened activate the fun factor. A more efficient exhaust system will improve performance under load, allowing for a more free-flowing system. However, an exhaust alteration is most likely to produce noise, so decide if this befits the gentleman about the subburbs. A simple change to a high-flow catalytic convertor may be enough. Keep in mind some alterations to the exhaust system may trigger check engine lights, and thus require a tune.

Intake

Most studies I have read on intakes don’t show much if any improved performance relative to their cost. Aesthetically they can improve engine bay appearance and increase the intake sound of the car. Coupled with other mods such as a tune, they allow the engine to breath more freely. On their own they can adversely affect fuel economy, trip check-engine lights, and suck in hot air. Proceed with caution, and do your research here.