I Drove 1000 Project Cars: Here Were the Worst Mistakes
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- Опубликовано: 13 фев 2023
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Project cars are a great way to open the door to new experiences, opportunities, and car culture. However out of all the years of driving them I've noticed many people actually make their life a lot harder in the long run when it comes to choosing what to do to their project cars first and foremost. Today we go through my top 5 list of how to build the best project car possible whether you are on a budget or the sky is the limit. So what are the worst project car mistakes?
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What's your favorite thing when you build a car?
Watching my project cars grow jackstands underneath them.
No oil/fluid leaks!
Very ocd with leaks and having the car most reliable to drive across the U.S and have A/c
Exhaust, especially on a car with quiet factory exhaust it makes so much more of a difference enjoyment wise when you got the right one.
I might want to add that working on supportive mods BEFORE power mods is much more rewarding & budget friendly! I know lots of guys who bought a car & literally got a turbo/supercharger the moment they could afford one! only to realize there's more to it & that they needed tons of cash to support that extra power(fuel system, brakes , cooling..etc) .Very disappointing i know , but could've been avoided ! Don't rush , be patient! Just do it step by step .
I'm in that same Position where I juuust bought an RX8 and I cant decide what to do first, cause I'm on that high schooler money if ya know what I mean
I'm surprised David never mentioned this. Surely, the most important thing to consider with ANY project car, would be is the car already good to begin with? If you are starting with an absolute junkyard shed of a car, then is it even worth investing all that time and money on it? Don't try to polish a turd guys. Enhance a car that's already in decent or good condition. How many people have spent thousands and thousands yet the car still doesn't run or work how it should do? Trying to run before you can walk is never a good idea.
This is very very true, everyone wants to be the new nagata or some shit, and they all end up with a rusty shed on jackstands they got for way too much cuz it says s13 on the listing.
I mean in a perfect world sure. I would love to a good condition 240z or a non rusted out camaro. You can't control rust. Time and oxidation will get to everything. Especially if you live in the north part of the US.
That's common sense though lol
Honestly I entirely disagree some of best memories are getting that $500 clunker to get going one more time. New cars are boring to me no thrill. It’s a special bond you form with an old clunker building it into exactly what you want. I don’t think old or any car is the issue for that matter it’s the clown working on it lol.
I think the most important lesson here is don't buy a rusted out car if you don't know how to weld. Its cheaper to buy two scrap pieces of steel to practice welding as opposed to a rusted out 240.
2:30 100% well said...just 5-10 years ago, you had 500-700 HP, you were king on the road. Absolute legends had 900 maybe 1000. Nowadays, 1200 is a passing memory.
It's insane. To be fair, tuning culture grew rapidly cause of the internet and the ability to share knowledge/learn from other's mistakes.
you're still king of the road with like 500hp. Even in the USA . that's most than 99% of the cars on the road
@@tudorg22 not by much though. There are a lot of cars making 350 to 450 hp stock now. 10 years ago 500 was way more of a big deal than it is today. You really can't argue that fact.
Love your vids bladed✌🏼❤️
I still drive my 03 cobra and am happy with the 400 hp 🤷🏻♂️ just good tires, mgw shifter and stingers. Dont care who has more power
I find this with a lot of things especially truck tires...back in the day 35s were like holy crap and 37 was monster truck status...now 35s come stock and 40s are a go to its just insane to where we've come
I always loved stronger motor mounts and chasis bracing. Cheap and really changes the feel of the car
Tires are the only safety feature of your car that actually touch the road. I used to be just like most people and always chasing more power until one day the woah didn't match the go and I barely escaped a pretty serious accident, so tires, suspension and brakes are now at the top of the mod list on any new project before power.
I prefer handling over straight line speed, so suspension, brakes, and tires are priority #1 for me.
Plus as a leadfoot, I don't want to go crazy over since I speed plenty as is in my 130HP Honda Fit. One of my coworkers has a turbocharged B20 swapped Honda CRX that makes ~300HP. He had one before that he totaled due to losing control. He wasn't hurt, but the frame was damaged beyond repair. I tend to only do minor upgrades in power to keep that from happening.
Agreed. When I was doing a power train swap I made a point to upgrade the brakes at the same time. I'm just building a street cruiser but it desperately needed better tires and brakes even in stock form.
I've had a number of close calls from people making agregously poor decisions, u turn without looking, pull into 70mph traffic doing maybe 15, etc so now I put the best set of tires and brakes that I can put on to match the occasion. Michelin PS AS4 are so far my favorite set of tires and hawk hps are my favorite pads for the street
@@xxsoulhuntxx I delivered pizzas in a battered $250 Honda Civic that I beat the shit out of. Around the time I got that car, I started working at an auto repair chain and delivering pizzas as a side job. I got to feel the difference between new and old tires firsthand. I have only bought good quality new tires since.
@SkylineFTW97 ay my first car was a 95 accord. Also ment to say other making poor decision but I didn't check anything I wrote
It’s a good video here are some other things I would add:
Make sure the car your planning to modify has an aftermarket support, unless you can fabricate your own parts
Take the time to clean the garage also invest in a space heater
If you have any OEM parts or parts that are slightly used give them to someone who needs them
Buy something that runs and gives, unless your doing an engine swap
But most importantly take care of any maintenance your car needs before modifying
Everyone single one of these points are key and have applied to me at one point or another:
- I had a first gen RX7 and loved the car but was constantly dissapointed in the aftermarket. Things either didn't exist for the car or they were so incredibly expensive that buying quality parts was almost doubling what I bought the car for
- If you don't have an organized garage or working space you'll spend more time trying to find the tool you need OR you'll try and find a workaround that may end up damaging your car. You'll make your life way easier if you can find what you need quickly.
I always bitch at my housemates for not cleaning the garage, even something as simple as an oil change can be frustrating if you're in a messy unorganized garage.
No keep them OEM parts in case you want to go back to original condition
@@BoHorror agree or if want to sell your modified car with the mods on it and the original parts alongside it
@@irlredline7965 You would make more money if you sold the car stock, then sold the modified parts separate.
EVERY young person coming into the hobby needs to hear the power part over and over again on repeat! You hit it spot on the head there. So many kids are numb due to the internet and all these huge power builds that it makes them think that they need a 1000hp car and anything less is lame. From experience I've had way more fun in something like a 200hp mini on the street then I have had trying to tame a 700hp+ monster.
so true, also have noticed how much people push going turbo etc if the car didnt come with one
@@arcanevoid9199 It almost feels like people are adding turbos to just get clout in a way.... what ever happened to people rebuilding a N/A engine that's not a honda?
@@rex1800 yea they probably are, or doing it for their friends approval etc
David.
I'm 36, and I've been modifying cars since I was 15. You are 100% correct! Wheels/tires, suspension are the first things I do!!! I made the mistake of going with a cheap set of coil overs...5 weeks later the driver side separated on braking! Needless to say. Now I am on h&r springs and sway bars with poly mounts. Factory struts/shocks(looking at a kyb or something adjustable). Very few companies make coil overs for my chassis. 07 focus...going against the one thing u said. And that's power. Looking at building, and swapping in a 2.5, 4cyl from the fusion/escape! Gain 50/60hp for a couple hundred dollars.
Love the content! Keep up the good work.
Good deal man, I likewise drive a focus, 08-11 so basically the same car with an updated body and slightly larger ball joints. They are great cars.
2.0 ecoboost would be insane in one of those
@@sategllib2191 that's essentially what I'm doing, but with a duratec
I agree with one of your points David. Get maintenance and actual needs done first. Like replacing the bushings and tie rod ends
I had a full bolt-on 2004 Mustang GT witht the 5 speed. It was super fun. I loved that car. Not the fastest out there but just a blast to drive. I did almost everything but a power adder. My absolute favorite mods were the short throw shifter and the struts, shocks, and springs. The suspension mods made my 10 year old car feel better than brand new.
Fully enjoying my 210, maybe 215 HP at the crank RSX Type S. Very well kept, just hit 89k miles. Adding full restomod to the suspension (durometer bushings), a 23mm sway bar and a limited slip. Some Vibratecnics mounts and a few other bits to tighten things up and she's just fun. Slow, but fun. Swapped out for 17x8 Traklites and a better tire and working on getting the brakes up to speed.
Those are very fun on curvy backroads. I had a 2011 FA5 I bought in bat a few years ago. I’ve had a lot of Hondas and a lot of cars, currently in a GR Corolla, but that k20 has out of this world engine character on a strong tune. OEM+ is the way to go. Those RSX are even better.
I have had my RSX type S sense 2007. Still my summer daily.
Great video and I 100%agree on your point about tires. I live in Nürburg and drive on the ring several times a week in the season and you won't believe how many guys how up with shitty tires.
The difference from normal street tires to semi slicks or even UHP tires, not only regarding laptimes but also safety is immense. The problem is, most people go for suspension ( often cheap) or power first, because they think that they need 200+ hp to have fun.
I absolutely agree with how much of a difference better tires can make. In fact my first modifications to my first car are going to be grippy tires, along with the good brakes and good coilovers. Engine modifications like intake or exhaust are on my second plan since I think stock 220hp being delivered to the rear wheels with aftermarket LSD is a good start. Amazing video, keep it up!
Nailed a lot of points about car modifications. I'm doing a twin turbo LS swap on my 370z (finally done... but is it?) and had to change EVERYTHING about the car to support 1000+hp, basically everything you mentioned rolled into my build. I've attempted to make everything "bullet proof" (which isn’t really a thing). Everything about the engine has been upgraded so it's only LS by name. Transmission had to be changed to a 4L80e and completely gone through. Rear diff, changed over to a Winters Quick Change 10" to avoid a peg leg, chunky explosions, and correct gear ratios. Suspension, drive shaft, ECU, axels, wheels, tires, fuel system, hand-built parts to make it work, ETC... all changed. All this pain is necessary to be able to achieve some of my goals. Is it logical doing all this "stuff", not really. I will say that I have learned a lot going though all these battles. Each modification has been a battle in its own way. I will say this in addition, I have my build posted online with complete transparency and have found some amazing friendships through common struggles and interests. Those bonds are well worth the price of admission.
This was a great video! I try to encourage people set their chassis up first, suspension, brakes, etc and then get used to it and dial it in and add power if you would like. You have to find the right balance as well for your style of driving as well I feel like. 😁
Something not mentioned is the first mod I have done to EVERY car I have owned, a decent sound system. I'm not talking anything crazy, just a head unit, some good speakers, and a small sub. It makes driving so much more enjoyable. I also wonder is why so many people go for cheap coilovers instead of a decent set of lowering springs and new shocks/struts if they are due? The combo is going to last a lot longer than cheap coilovers and won't give you a punishing ride. I put H&R springs on my project car last year (first time ever lowering a car) and I'm more than happy with the results.
I heard that lowering springs are better than coilovers if your car has fancy suspension from the factory.
Man I really like your channel for content like this. I stopped chasing big power years ago and I'm still having a blast. Great advice.
I’m so glad David has made it so big. He’s such a great dude.
I agree completely!
It took me a long time to learn that last one, but I finally bought decent tires to drift on last year, and it was like I was driving a completely different car!
I actually agree with all your points and especially agree with you on tires. For me when modifying a car the question is always will this modification make the car better than the original part did? If it’s not going to be significantly better there is no point in making modifications just for the sake of modifying.🤷♂️
@3:14 Yes, that is why you don't use stock internals in order to add some reliability ... but if you start on a budget you don't want to ruin your engine with a half-assed tune.
Great advice. One thing to add, do the reliability mods FIRST. Oil coolers, radiators, thermostats, clutch, halfshafts etc. Set the car up in advance for the power you are eventually looking to make. If you go into the power side first, chances are you will put off the reliability mods long enough to hurt something. Primarily your wallet.
The reliability mods you talk about are part of tuning for more power.
The reliability mods you talk about can wait until AFTER you have the best tyres, brakes and suspension you can possibly afford.
Power/tuning waits until AFTER tyres brakes & suspension
Tires is a great first thing to start with for modification, personally i started with suspension, then jumped into a good wheel and tire package. It served both a visual upgrade and performance upgrade. Would have liked to hear wheels in the mix as well because a light weight and strong wheel serves a good purpose to both street and track driving. Rotational mass can severely affect lap times and a strong wheel can save you on rough streets and you dont have to spend a fortune to get quality wheels in an era where the technology is so advanced that your not paying for first in the game parts. I do believe in this “Buy nice or Buy twice” motto and power is definately a rabbit hole for any chassis you start with.
Me, with a bone stock 90s econobox with a slipping clutch, leaking oil pan, and bad shift linkage: * puts big subwoofa in da back *
David did a great job with this video. Mostly agree with one caveat. The mechanics of a car are a system in harmony. We love to have lists and prioritize things, and for the most part we need to because of time and money. It’s hard to throw down the cash for tires and suspension and brakes all at once. So when I pick modifications for my cars, I try and keep the system in mind and how they will work together and avoid making changes that won’t suit the overall goal or won’t work harmoniously. Thank you David.
Quality wheels also. Unsprung mass has a HUGE impact on performance. I've seen so many people splurge for top of the line tires but put them on cheap knockoff wheels that are heavier than the stock ones. Not to mention usually bigger with no sidewall. You want some sidewall compliance on the road.
I feel like this was a very good list. It is set up so someone starting out could make wise decisions on where to start putting their money. I also feel this is a good listing for a quality build. Nice vid!
Absolute awesome information 👍
Wish he would do a worst cars review list
That's what I thought I was clicking on
@@rumjack5286 lowkey got clickbaited
If he did that it would piss people off and then other people might not let him drive their cars.
Same feel jipped
@@matt2244 Yeah a list like this would definitely steer people away from letting David review their cars. David is very open minded when it comes to these reviews.
Personally, I would place brakes alongside the tires. They can genuinely make you faster, more confident in your car, and will make driving even safer in case of an emergency
just give the breaks a freshen up, most factory brakes are pretty good. not really much point replacing if you only doing tires, and if your oem brakes are enough to lock the new tires then bigger brakes wont stop you any faster
@@arcanevoid9199 I personally believe that is better to get a new kit, not just freshen them up. Like I said, they can genuinely make you faster and make it a safer build. I know that stock brakes might be enough to stop the car if only new tires are mounted, but, and this is purely my personal experience (if yours is different, it’s totally fine might me add), but I do find brakes to make a huge difference when paired with tires (and, to a certain extent, wheels), but once again, I respect your opinion
@@paulomunozartavia2282 in most cases its a waste of money to get a new kit, and again stock brakes legally have to be effective. not really any point upgrading them for street driving unless you are increasing power significantly, if you are wanting better feel from the oem brakes or better fade resistance then there are cheap solutions for that. its not really a matter of opinion, no point spending thousands on a big brake kit thats often heavier than stock (more unsprung weight sucks) and wont stop you any faster
100 agree. I've done alot with cars overs the decade. Seat, suspension and tires will make you love the car like it is new. A tune will only put a grin on your face as it's short lived. Follow the first order that loving long time.
I've turned into a tire snob myself. I don't even know how many hours I've spent comparing tire specs... 😅
But I agree with the moral of the story. Make sure the foundation is strong (suspension/tires/brakes) before focusing on big power.
What do you think about the Pilot Sport 4s compared to the original Pilot Super Sports?
The worst mistake is getting more than one project car... Best way to never finish a project car. Ask me how I know. ;) We did get Rotaru the rotary swapped BRZ tuned and ripping though!
Yea man with your vast knowledge of builds this is really good info to know appreciate the content 💯
Honestly, I think you nailed it. My first project car was a 1974 VW superbeetle. My father, who did most of the work, was an old musclecar guy. He helped me build up a phenomenal 2.0 Type 4 engine and stuff in the back. And that was all we did. I learned a lot about brake fade and oversteer on that car as it continually tried to kill me.
Other than that beetle, I have never done more than bolt ons to an engine since. Exhaust, intake, and cams. That is it. It has always been suspension and brakes for me. I followed that murderous beetle with a Fiat X1/9. With a fully worked suspension, brakes, and wider wheels, even on an almost totally stock engine, nothing could touch that mid-engined pocket exotic in the corners. Even now, I have a Fiat 500 Abarth. The engine is totally stock, same with the suspension, but I have some lovely sticky tyres on the rims and I could not be happier. As a bonus, I never have to worry about what is going to break.
Definitely agree with the tires, the only "mod" my car has is tires and it makes a huge difference
when I first got my car it had horrible budget tires on it and I swapped them for the tires that it would've had when new from factory (Potenza RE040) and it was soooo much better. much more grip, better steering feel etc
Currently it rides on Toyo TR1 since those Bridgestones are aged now
I usually go with an intake first because they’re generally pretty cheap and makes a bit of noise then of course an exhaust, I feel like being able to hear your car helps you connect with it in a way.
Im so glad you put tyres at #1. Some of my friends always cheap out on tyres and it frustrates me to no avail. I tried to educate them but I’ve almost given up
💯 Agree! I usually grab a set of wheels around the same time and always make sure my alignment is where it needs to be!
This guy looks like the car guy version of Mr. Beast
I mean...I can't complain.
I agree completely! Tires are a game-changer. They literally are the only thing on your car that connects you to the road! I upgraded my tires on my 2018 accord sport 2.0T from stock to Continental Extreme Contact DWS06+ all season ultra high performance and couldn't be happier! Much better cornering stability wet/dry traction, etc. They are awesome!
Oh yeah. I’ve been running those on my car for more than 10 years 👌
@@danielkaminske5048 oh, yeah, they’re freaking amazingly awesome! 👍👊
Funny you mention that I have cross climates 2s on my accord 2.0t now and was looking for a good summer tire this year. I'll check into those!
@@RAD-RC yeah, you most definitely should! I mean, the tires are freaking awesome!
You are an obvious shill
I think you’re onto something here. On my first vehicle I replaced the tires for aesthetics. It completely changed the characteristics, all of them for the better. I have been doing the same thing on my daily and projects always. And on motorcycles, it’s even more critical to find the best rubber.
you nailed it. I hope people new to this hobby take this to heart. Or they can just learn the hard expensive way like many of us have.
Awesome content brother , I am 46 and I have a 93 eg hatch and I love the regular b18c nothing like it not worrying about heat soak and other components
As a retired auto body mechanic and shop owner, of course one of the top things on my short list to do, is make sure the body and paint look it's best. Fancy wheels with nice tires on a ratty car is strictly not cool.I realize there are a miriad of choices pertaining to what vehicle is to be upgraded, modified, personalized or simply restored. My professional advice is to start with a solid, reliable vehicle that you don't need to go into debt for years after it's purchase in order to complete it. Try to come up with a realistic plan time wise and money wise. Have fun with it and don't compromise safety and ride quality just to take turns or an of/on ramp at over twice the speed limit. A jaring ride will get old quick especially if the car is used as a daily driver.
Your absolutely right when it comes to tires being last or outright waited till the last minute.
The amount of times I've seen, driven, or ride in cars whose tires are either poor or just sketchy makes it priority when upgrading a vehicle.
First mod for any new car is always tyres - I like Michelin Pilot Sport tyres for my daily drivers.
Tyres make you faster.
Tyres make safer.
Tyres make you handle better.
Tyres make you stop shorter.
Tyres make you accelerate faster.
Tyres first, weight reduction second, brakes, suspension and alignment third, more power is the LAST thing on the list.
Liked this video. Thanks. I think you’re correct about the topic. My favorite to start is always wheels, tires, and suspension. If you love to drive it’ll definitely make any car way more fun. The next modification I do is transmission and motor mounts. That will definitely help with the power part. Anyway thanks again. 💪
I currently drive a 2.5 mazda 3 and they make like 170hp on a good day. I have so much fun ripping back roads or even just shifting through the gears. I have coilovers and a short shifter and thats about it. Everytime I take a corner fast it puts the biggest smile on my face, I have myself giggling like a little kid whenever im on a nice curvy road. I built my car pretty cheap but I did buy bc's and a corksport shifter as you don't want to cheap out on those parts.
3:56 I’d say that’s not the only one way ticket into a tree, getting into the passenger seat of a porche with a race car driver is also a one way ticket into a tree RIP Paul Walker
🤙🏻🍕 You've come a long way, big dog. An inspiration for sure! 🤙🏻🍕
Great video David
Right on, David. Shame it doesn't hit us earlier, but sometimes you need to have that "been there, done that" experience to really appreciate the facts.
I’m sure all of us have seen that “Supra from hell” video at least once in our lifetime LOL when you said that David, that def brought me back to my childhood
This is all good advice. Thanks for making the video. Best mods are the ones that make you happy. Chasing spec sheet numbers or doing something just for the clout won’t make you happy. Do you!
100% agreed. The quest for tons of power that overdoes it for a given platform is a bit silly to me. Good vid!
Dude you make such valuable content 🎉
100% about power. My 2012 Speed3 was build to handle 5++hp internals and tolerance. I tune it to 320hp/450nm on pump gas and it's been 3 years and many smiles for miles with zero issues.
For an automatic vehicle or a manual car with drive-by-wire, my favorite mod is a tune. Even without touching the ignition timing or fuel trims, you can make the car feel a lot more powerful and responsive, even if the WOT performance is unchanged.
The horse power rant it’s the reason why in the last few years I have gravitated so hard towards old cars. They don’t have a lot of power but it really doesn’t matter, now I’m looking more for the experience of driving.. especially now days with electric cars that can probably smoke you build car and they will do it in complete silence.
Agreed. Electric made most ICE appear like they are moving through molasses anyways. Start enjoying the mechanical feel, rawness, and soul of older cars.
Tires were one of the first mods I did to my GT500 when I got it. It was intake, pulley, and E85 tune, then immediately got new tires because the stock Michellin Pilot SS don't handle 800whp very well. It's amazing how big of a difference there was switching to R888Rs
I'm actually in the process of upgrading the suspension on my civic hatchback. I'm super excited to finally drive it since I basically bought it and put it in the shop.
I have a 09' Forester X lowered 3" on coilovers. 25mm rear sway bar, adjustable rear lower control arms and lateral bars. Front and rear end links and 18x9.5 wheels with 245/40 Falken Azenis RT615K+ tires. Corners so hard I had to install a Sparco seat to hold me in place. It still makes the stock 170hp for now but the look on peoples faces when I speed away from them on our circular Michigan on ramps is priceless. This summer I plan to do a STi 6speed and R180 swap. The lsd's will take it to the next level.
110% agree on tires. I ran Firehawk Indy 500 tires on all of my cars for years and thought I was happy until I switched to Pilot Sport 4s. Night and day difference. The saying “you get what you pay for” couldn’t be more true in this particular context.
The Dude in Blue is right! Tires and suspension are the best things to do to a car first. My uncle was a old school scca nerd with a clipboard and learned it from him after he kicked my but on a drive home from the shop. Stock Miata on nice Yokohama tires and I had twice the HP on all seasons. But I would say that a well set up racing suspension on snow tires is a lot of fun too, lower speeds and fine control makes the game enjoyable as well. New tires are also better than old tires, even cheaper new tires of the same size have way more grip.
This is great advice, my car (2015 Civic Si Coupe) only has two major mods.
The one performance mod is Enkei wheels (8lbs lighter than stock per wheel) with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
The cosmetic mod one is an aftermarket Pioneer head unit with a capacitive touch screen & modern smartphone integration.
I think you were spot on with the tires. A good set of tires literally improves all the other mods you talked about. Braking, suspension, and even power in a way because it helps with traction overall. Great points
Completely agree. I remember some quote about never skimping on what's between you and the floor/road (Shoes, bed, tires). Equally as my car has gotten over 100k Miles, the suspension parts have worn, lots of joints/rubber cracked which in the future could cause big problems, but by fixing them now it won't be. Apply that to a project where someone likely hasn't bothered to fix the suspension components and you got a big problem.
The tires part was good advice. Took me a long few years to learn but I preach it now. Tires alone can make or break any vehicle.
Tire, glad you pushed this point. It amazes me how many people cheap out on tires when they are literally the most important thing. He'll I don't cheap out on tires on anything, all my work trucks even have top of the line tire at all times (lovely minnesota snow and ice). For performance cars though it literally is the determining factor on being able to drive at 50% or 100%. Hell I own 3 sets of wheels and tires for my 911 turbo. A set for every need
I completely agree with this video, suspension and brakes, I have experienced brake fade where the car wouldn't stop as fast as I needed but still didn't hit anything, best of the best tires are a tuff pill to swallow sometimes because you can buy another set of great coilovers for the same cost, the best bang for the buck tires would be the way to go.
Thanks for the great Video David.
I'm watching this out of curiosity, because I'm wanting to get more into cars. I'll hopefully be buying my first car soon. I'm not gonna worry about upgrading my first car too much. But in the future, it would be a nice hobby to get into, and a hobby I'd like to get into.
Great list! Keep in mind that you'll need to take care of defects in the steering/suspension prior to investing in that quality rubber.
to me exhaust and suspension are the most important. How your car sounds and feels is why i like projects cars in the first place. looks is next and power last
I totally agree with your first point considering power. We've all been young and thats the main goal. Live and learn.
And concerning tires, they might be most important wether your building something fun or it's just your daily driver. Especially if your up north and can have crappy winters.
Definitely appreciate the consideration for the suspension/traction aspect of building up a project car. Though i'm not able to chase high hp numbers right now (thanks, student loans), i am saving to overhaul my brake setup. I've come to coin the term "slow-fast parts are more important than go-fast parts."
Suspension, Brakes, Wheels, and Tires are the FIRST thing I have done with ALL of my cars.
Other than that, magically lost another front lip this winter here in MN. Every 3 years I seem to lose one lol on my Evo Swapped Lancer Wagon. The FUN part for me is, searching for another front lip and choosing a different route each time.
Yo thank you for this! Younger me definitely wanted more hrspwrs, but I found out the hard way lol. Now I just do cosmetics to my daily.
I agree with the tires 100%. I was testing the limits of my stock tires as my aftermarket wheels and tires were shipping and of course i had my first crash because i understeered. It wasnt totaled but i was heart broken that i had messed up the car a couple weeks before my new wheels and tires.
Its all repaired and fixed and the new tires feel so reassuring.
Agree 1000% with the tires. Just got a nice new set for my 1er and she feels like a different car. Going from bad tires to good ones breathes new life into the car
I couldn't agree more. My method has always been to start at the road and work my way in. Tires, brakes, suspension, chassis and _then_ power.
My project car is a '15 Subaru BRZ Limited that I bought new. I had seen what other RUclipsrs had done and I had my mods planned before I bought the car: a catted UEL header, a catback, an Open Flash Tune, Enkei RPF1 wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires mounted. I had all this stuff bookmarked and on "favorites" lists at online vendors.
I bought the car and paid off the loan while it was still under warranty. I live where it snows so the first "upgrade" was a set set of cheap Enkei M52's with performance Winter tires, Continental WinterContact's. I started my mods just as the 3 year warranty period was about over.
I'll admit it - I did it all backward from the advice in the video: I bought the RPF1's and Pilot Sport tires almost last and the increase in grip was a mind-blowing shocking order of magnitude over the Prius tires they replaced.
I did the OFT first because it was an easy fix to the FA-20 torque dip and I'll admit it worked. Then a few months later I installed the header, re-tuned, and I had a little more power plus a flat torque curve. Now my FA-20 is far more drive-able than stock. And only then did I upgrade the tires. I put the cat-back on last. All it did was make the car rumble louder and accentuate the Subie Burble.
But TDiB is correct: even though my tune and exhaust mods added power, the Summer Pilot Sport tires were the biggest improvement. By seat of the pants feel the tires were 2-3 times the value of the exhaust and tune altogether.
One thing I learned as I get older, what's the point of having 5 to 600 HP if you can barely enjoy it. At first all I wanted to do was turbo my car, now all I really want to do no is keep it n/a and do some little work to the head and swap piston all I want to do is get a lil bit more torque to have fun driving a slow car fast.
Nice video, couldn't be more true! In motorsports, we say the most important part of the car is the nut holding the steering wheel! When I first bought my Mustang, I made sure to not go overboard with the mods so that I could get as much seat time as possible on closed courses.
All I had for the past 4 years are sticky tires, a rear sway bar, Koni yellows, and a Tomei exhaust. Took lots of time and learned to drive in SCCA Street Class. I went from the bottom 10 of a 200 car local autocross to within top 50-60 every event. Plus two class championships, and competitive finishes at National Tours.
Now that I've maximized my skill in street class, I've finally bumped up a few classes. Trying out more power and suspension!
i have a 2015 335i and i upgraded the tires when i got it to a really nice set, and it really helped everything about the car. i was able to corner harder, launch and accelerate without breaking traction, and have a more comfortable ride experience. completely transformed what i could do with the car. btw i got continental extreme contact sport 2s and would recommend them to anyone.
You're right about tyres, and bushes.. one of the best bang for buck mods (maintenance)
Great Video, totally agree. One thing to include though, fix the things on the car that are broken/failing before upgrades. I hate seeing guys spending big money on parts, especially performance parts, and the car has a massive oil leak, or bad suspension bushings, etc. Fix it before you try and upgrade it!
My Top Car Mods that made my driving "expereinced" more awesome was:
- Blue Tinted Convex Side Mirrors
- Seats & Steering Wheel
- Upgraded Suspension
- Upgraded Brakes & Tires
- Upgraded Motor Mounts
brand new toyo’s on my miata has been the most satisfying thing i’ve done to it. it finally is starting to handle like everybody says a miata should
Love this list. Absolutely accurate
the most advertised video of all advertisements but i like it like it so much!
Totally agree with you on the tires, the first mod i did to my base model civic was lighter wheels and sport all seasons. felt like a completely different car.
I recognize Midpond in Columbia, Alabama around the 10 minute mark. Fun place to visit for sure. I do agree tires can be the best money spent for a car performance. As an autocross driver it's huge. 200tw market is amazing now a days.
S/o Continental DWS 06 Plus:
Solid enough dry weather tire, great in the rain, and tolerable in light snow as long as the “S” marking still shows in the tread.
Its funny that in bicycle community, tires upgrade is the 1st thing to recommend for a newcomer. Every summer there are posts like "should I get a new derailleur to switch speeds faster? Or may be new suspension fork?" Basic answer is - think of where you ride, what you do and get a proper high quality tires specialized for the task.
Mistakes I’ve made. Usually center around putting aggressive track oriented parts on a mainly street driven car. Yeah those race buckets and 5 point harness work great at the three track days a year you attend, but for the rest of the year, it’s no fun taking three minutes to get your harness on, when it’s a 5 minute drive. And the blinking seatbelt light on the dash is the icing on the cake.
Absolutely on point list. The only thing I would add is to upgrade your pads with the tires.
Totally agree, it's exactly the same for motorcycles too, either on or off road.
I still own my first car since 2019- my 2001 Subaru Legacy GT limited. I put on a K&N filter for fun, and it actually sounds a bit different and louder from that! I just got fresh Nokian One tires, alignment, fluids, brakes, and added led running lights. I love that thing. Black leather and faux wood grain inside. I detail for hobby so the wheels look new, and the paint still sparkles with its 'Titanium Pearl' oem paint. My advice- get a car that does what you need and make it yours! Dont overthink it too much :)
The only people who are "numb to horsepower" are the kids who only experience it through a screen. IRL a 200 horsepower 90s honda civic with a proper intake, exhaust and ecu tune will make you smile constantly. Its about the sound/feel/smell not a stupid number.
I like to start with small performance mods and mostly cosmetic because if i'm going to make it look good it better have some performance to go along with it. When i first thought of getting coilovers i was going to get Racelands 😂, i then knew it was a bad idea if they break and i have to go through the hell of having to install another set so i bought some BC's👍