Considering some performance enhancements to your car, or new to performance scene? Here is an article designed to help you learn the basics.
First of all, you want to have a "well-oiled machine" in order to start performance work on your car. Keep up with the basic maintenance requirements and make sure everything else is performing as it should before you begin upgrading (i.e. no check engine light, no fluid leaks, etc.). However, you can incorporate performance enhancements into your basic maintenance as well. For example, if you have a car that's due for a tune up, you can use Iridium spark plugs, and a K&N air filter, or upgraded ignition components such as MSD ignition products, bigger wires, etc. You also always want to use high-quality oil in your vehicle. Your vehicle is your baby, take care of it and it will reward you every day. High quality oil only costs a few dollars more, and you'll drive with confidence knowing the internals of your engine are lubricated with the good stuff. Oils we recommend are Castrol GTX, Mobil 1 Synthetic, and Royal Purple.
If you're looking for something a little more hopped up, look into getting a high performance exhaust. Opening up the exhaust will open up the air flow coming from your engine and remove restrictions that cause poor performance. If you live in a pollution-regulated state or district, make sure to choose an exhaust system that is certified to pass emissions tests or is 50-state legal. Call us and we can recommend an exhaust for you to purchase and have installed at our shop. Magnaflow is a good-quality brand that covers most makes and models of vehicles at an affordable price. In addition to performance exhaust systems, you can also choose modifications such as headers and downpipes, and free-flowing catalytic converters.
Next, you'll want to upgrade your air intake system. Depending on your vehicle, a cold air intake is going to be the best performance for your money. A cold air intake not only opens up the airflow coming into your engine, it also re-routes the factory airbox system to a location where heat from the engine won't increase the temperature of the air coming in. Most high-quality cold air intakes are designed by engineers with years of experience on specific vehicles that have optimized the location of the incoming air filter to be the in the coolest spot possible. When researching cold air intakes, you want to go for quality not price, it will make a big difference in the horsepower you can get out of it. Recommended brands are Injen, AEM, K&N, and others depending on your make and model.
Suspension and Steering is another department in which a lot of aftermarket upgrades are available. Again, if you're due for maintenance like changing your struts or replace your coil springs, you may want to look at installing aftermarket parts since you're going to be spending the money anyway. Most of the suspension upgrades you do will go hand in hand with the amount of horsepower you're adding to the car. You want to make sure your car is going to be able to physically handle the added power. Even if you're not going for huge amounts of horsepower, an aftermarket suspension will increase your vehicle's overall handling capabilities and ride comfort. Depending on the make of your vehicle, some great brands are Koni, KW, H&R, and TEIN. There are many choices available, call us before you decide so we can help you choose the best ride quality and handling for your personal tastes and budget.
Still want more power? By this time you've developed what we call the "addiction" to performance. There is a whole world of aftermarket upgrades out there, from computer chips to engine building to forced induction to full-on nitrous foggers. By then your car will have transformed into a full-blown street or race machine, and your wallet will be lighter. However far you choose to go with it, we are here for you to provide recommendations on parts and install whatever you choose to go with.
Thanks for reading, and don't hesitate to call us at (888) 806-6283 and we can custom-design a performance package for your vehicle and ship the parts directly to your door or a qualified shop of your choice. In Florida? Considering bring the vehicle to our shop in Sarasota for a professional consultation and installation.
