Tenth Chasers

Vol.12/ So You Want to Modify Your Car, Eh?

by Dennis Wolfe

In the realm of slippery slopes, modifying your car to make it go faster is about as slippery as it gets. The only thing that can slow that runaway train is your wallet (or your spouse). I once saw a hilarious graphic that essentially rated your addiction to modifying your car by correlating how much you were willing to spend to shave another second off your time to your level of insanity. On the lower end of the scale were drivers willing to drop a couple grand to get better tires and brake pads, and on the higher end were drivers willing to mortgage their house and send their kids to public schools for a complete rebuild. But the point was, no matter where you were on the scale, once you were on it, you almost inevitably started moving up and to the right. So here are a few words of wisdom… First and foremost, start by purchasing the most well-equipped car you can afford. You will NEVER get your money back on performance mods, so let someone else shell out all of that cash and you can get them for pennies on the dollar. Next, WORK ON YOUR DRIVING!!! So many people think they can just buy their way to faster times, when really they should be PRACTICING their way to faster times. It can take years to get your skills on par with the capability of your car. So put in the time to do it. There is absolutely no substitute for seat time, and try to do some ride-alongs with drivers that are faster than you. You can never stop learning. So now you’ve got a solid car, and you’re feeling pretty good about your driving (because you’re leading your class and finishing in the top 10% of the entire field) - now what? Generally, mods tend to go in this order: • Tires and brakes / high-flow air filters / alignment • Suspension mods (control arms, drop links, ball joints, coilovers, strut braces, rollbars, etc) • Exhaust upgrades • Weight reduction (removing your interior, carbon fiber body panels) • Aero kits (spoilers, wings, diffusers, wheel well extensions) • Engine mods (chips, turbos, super chargers, fuel management) • Transmission mods (gearing and final drive ratios) If you’re new to all of this, then start by talking to other drivers that have already done some work to their cars, or reach out to one of the many POC sponsors that specialize in performance upgrades.

Just know that whatever you do, you are investing in the ownership experience of the car, you are not investing in the resale value of the car. So you need to go in eyes wide open, and decide what that ROI calculus is for you. Are you willing to spend $20k to make your car faster and thus yourself happier? Yes? Then do it. Another thing to consider is your own level of mechanical expertise. Can you drop a transmission and motor to install new mounts no problem, or do you do your best work with your wallet? Mechanical labor is very expensive these days, so you can definitely save some money if you’re good with wrenches. As with most things in life, the mantra here is “know thyself”. Know your driving skill level, know your budget, know your risk tolerance, know your mechanical expertise, and most of all, know your tolerance for taking on “projects”, especially ones that may require ongoing tweaking and refinement. Happy racing! - Dennis Got questions? Hit me up at: denniswolfe101@gmail.com=