What are "Stage 1, 2, and 3"?

"jeffywk" (jeffywk) 12/23/2014 at 14:21 • Filed to: Modification, Matt Farah, Fiesta ST, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3

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When hearing people discuss or watching videos of people modifying cars, I always hear about "Stage 1, 2, and 3" modifications, but I've never really understood what that meant. Can anybody help me out with an explainer?

For reference, I was watching Matt Farah's new video.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:23

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Nothing, usually. It's a way for bros to try to make it sound like their fart can and tune are actual racing developments or for companies to sell their wares in different price brackets. Sometimes it means install complexity (ie, bolt-ons would be stage 1, stage 2 might require some stage 1 components first, etc), but not always.

Coty > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:24

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It's kind of a way of grouping common modifications so you're not listing all those modifications at once.

RazoE > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:25

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I think it goes back to Gran Turismo where you could modify your car in different stages. Completely useless term.

I_AmDeath > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:25

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It's not an official thing that's decided on universally. It's mostly done by companies to package things at various levels of tuning. It's a meaningless word that the internet has tried to find meaning in.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:26

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just a way of companies classifying packages and bros comparing penis sizes

i get beyond annoyed when peopleask what stage my car is .......haha

Tohru > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:26

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They're talking about modifying their cars in GT6 or Forza.

You know, "Street", "Sport", and "Race" levels of custom parts. Stage 1, 2, and 3.

claramag, Mustaco Master > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:26

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A lot of tuner companies use stages to differentiate between their available packages; higher the stage, more powerful the upgrade.

There aren't really set definitions but I've always heard it as thus: Stage 1 would be a street friendly package, 2 would be more weekend track appropros, 3 hardcore (polyurethane bushings, no insulation etc)

Frank Grimes > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:27

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I dont think it refers to any specific mods but its common for aftermarket or even OEM to come out with "stages" of parts. Like stage one might be CAI catback and a tune.stage 2 might be downpipe more boost and a tune Stage 3 might be uprated turbo injectors

So the stages are basically complimentary mods for each stage that build on the previous stage to get a good running car instead of say installing a larger turbo using stock injectors and no tune which would probably be a bad idea and lead to explosions of borked parts and shattered dreams.

claramag, Mustaco Master > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/23/2014 at 14:28

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I hear it a lot from bros who aren't actually car savvy, like "Yo dude imma pop a stage 3 turbo on my [econobox] and tear it up!" No brand, no retailer, no supporting mods mentioned.

lone_liberal > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:30

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It's just the current marketing speak that going around. Substitute "Good, Better, Best" in your mind. It has no other real meaning. In the old days a "3/4 cam" was the same kind of thing.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > claramag, Mustaco Master 12/23/2014 at 14:31

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Yeah, when I hear things like that I usually just roll my eyes. It seems especially bad in the Subaru world. I'm especially fond of things like the three stage clutch. What supporting mods do you need for a clutch? It's a fucking friction surface!

NaturallyAspirated > claramag, Mustaco Master 12/23/2014 at 14:33

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That's what I'd always assumed - that it referred to how streetable a car was after the installation.

claramag, Mustaco Master > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/23/2014 at 14:34

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Too much Need for Speed (the game), not enough bleed for speed (the wrench)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:35

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While the stage thing is annoying, maybe we should propose a universal definition. At least then the bros, and those of us who are broliterate, will know what the hell they are talking about. I'm proposing something like this:

Stage 1: Bolt on mods. Easy stuff anyone can do like a tune, cold air intake, catback exhaust

Stage 2: Harder mods like swapping intercooler/turbo, boost pulleys, headers, intake manifold work

Stage 3: Internal engine work like ported heads, cams, rods/pistons/crank

ly2v8-Brian > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:35

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Normally meaningless.

Some brands actually used these terms. Buick referred to their top GSX as Stage 1, the supercharged SS Cobalt had three factory tuning levels known as Stages.

jariten1781 > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:36

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Tuners offer off-the-shelf tunes for various bundles of goodies. Differs per tuner and per platform. You'll always get more from doing individual builds with a custom tune, but stages make it easier/safer to just buy, bolt on, flash and go.

Tohru > Frank Grimes 12/23/2014 at 14:36

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instead of say installing a larger turbo using stock injectors and no tune

DSM 4G63T Stage 1 tune, brah

jeffywk > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/23/2014 at 14:37

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Where do you think chip mods would fall?

jeffywk > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/23/2014 at 14:38

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No wonder everyone is so vague about it.

Tohru > ly2v8-Brian 12/23/2014 at 14:38

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The Prius comes in trim levels Two, Three, Four, and Five. Because nobody wants a Stage 1 Prius.

deekster_caddy > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:38

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Often defines how radical a mod is. "Stage 1 heads" for example, would include valves and passages that left things still street drivable, but "Stage 2" or "Stage 3" heads would be opened up so much and have such large valves that it would no longer be street driveable, within reason. You can apply the same stages to various engine and chassis components.

"Stage 1"

"Stage 3"

Snuze: Needs another Swede > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:40

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You're talking like a tune, except the kind where you have to physically open the ECU, right?

I think maybe I should have put a star next to tune because it can be important at every stage.

Frank Grimes > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 14:40

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I dont even know. But I like to think you are making a joke at peoples expense who add huge turbos and do nothing else and blow up.

ly2v8-Brian > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 14:43

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Stage 5 Prius, JDM as fuck bro! 

I own dead car brands only > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 14:53

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basically

Stage 1: I'm going to nail your sister

Stage 2: I'm going to nail your gf/wife/partner and you're going to watch

Stage 3: I'm going to nail your grandma, wife, and sister all at the same time.

It takes guts to get to stage 3

haveacarortwoorthree > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 15:09

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Roush is even worse. I have a Stage 3 Mustang. But I could upgrade it to a Stage 3 phase 2 or a Stage 3 phase 3 by buying upgrade kits.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 15:11

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Useless and pointless numbers that people try to use to say their car is fast.

OPPOsaurus WRX > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 15:24

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its Bro, Super Bro, and Too Bro

jeffywk > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/23/2014 at 15:29

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Yeah, I think that's what I was talking about.

candyfobreakfast > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 15:31

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Wow, this thread is truly terrible. In the context of turbocharged cars:

Stage 1 - ECU tune

Stage 2 - ECU tune, turboback exhaust, sometimes intake and other bolt ons

Stage 3 - Built motor and supporting mods

jeffywk > candyfobreakfast 12/23/2014 at 15:34

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Interesting. That makes a bit more sense in this context.

BKRM3 > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 15:34

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It's a bunch of internet nerd garbage that only has discernible meaning inside model-specific or engine-specific forums.

"Stage 2" tuning for a Focus ST likely means something different from "Stage 2" tuning on a different platform. It probably refers to an ECU alteration of some kind and some free-flowing bolt-ons...but who the hell knows for sure.

My advice: don't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

jeffywk > BKRM3 12/23/2014 at 15:36

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I'll take that advice. haha

Forgetful > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/23/2014 at 15:37

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Double and triple plate clutches are actually quite common upgrades, descriptive of their design. If you have more power than your stock clutch can manage, rather than increase the diameter of a single plate, multiple plates are used to increase the area of the friction surface.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Forgetful 12/23/2014 at 15:43

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Yeah, but I'm not talking about plates. I'm talking about things being sold as "Stage 3" clutch. Things like this:

http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/spec-…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 16:11

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It's obviously a listing for on-stage audio inputs that bands use:

Axial > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 16:22

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It's pretty nebulous and mostly for bros, though the way I understand it is that the higher the stage, the greater the performance. However, it's not simply "higher is better." Nope. The higher the stage, the more track-oriented it is and the less streetable the car becomes.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > jeffywk 12/23/2014 at 16:22

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stage 1. No external mods necessary (chip only)

stage 2. External mods needed to get the full performance out of the upgrade (exhaust, intake. I put turbo upgrades here to a point)

Stage 3. You are opening up the engine in order to get max performance. Upgraded connecting rods to deal with the big turbo upgrade and fuel injectors and up graded fuel pressure regulator that goes along with the CAI and exhaust.

Shoop > OPPOsaurus WRX 12/23/2014 at 16:36

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Did you mean TurBro?

Axial > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/23/2014 at 16:39

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I prefer this:

Stage 1: Anything that does not require modification of the frame

Stage 2: Anything that is now modifying the frame of the car, notably the addition of a roll cage.

Stage 3: Anything that makes the car not legal for use on public roads.

To me, "Stages" are how track-oriented the car is. If you've built your engine and transmission, but the car is otherwise not really set up specifically for track use (i.e. no roll cage), it's Stage 1. When you start adding a roll cage, you are getting serious and it's time to call it Stage 2. Stage 3 is full-on track car, and you've removed such things as airbags, traction control, etc. to save weight.

Tohru > Frank Grimes 12/23/2014 at 16:43

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DSM 4G63T = turbo Mitsubishi Eclipse, aka "baby's first turbo tuner car"

Big fancy turbo and a header., stock everything else.

Tohru > ly2v8-Brian 12/23/2014 at 16:45

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FRESH AS FCK YO

ly2v8-Brian > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 16:52

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Tohru > ly2v8-Brian 12/23/2014 at 17:17

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PRE JDM

ly2v8-Brian > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 17:24

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Hellaflush

Frank Grimes > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 20:14

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well i knew what a 4g63 was but had no idea you could just throw larger turbo on em and be ok.

Tohru > Frank Grimes 12/23/2014 at 21:00

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You can't. That's the joke.

DSM owners like to add BOOOOOOOST without doing anything else. Then the motor explodes. Then it gets sold on Craigslist. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Frank Grimes > Tohru 12/23/2014 at 21:02

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YUP! thats what I figured but I dont know everything.

dailydoseofmindlessness > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/23/2014 at 23:31

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Prudence and education seems lacking in the typical responses, here's what I went through;

Stage 1 = Basic handling upgrades (driver training/tyres/wheels/brake pads)

Stage 2 = Basic engine upgrades (Bolt-on/Plug-in)(Intake/exhaust/clutch/ECU/etc) and Intermediate handling upgrades (driver training/springs/dampers/brake kits/LSD)

Stage 3 = Advance engine upgrades (Internals/crate engine), Advance handling upgrades (driver training/adjustable suspension components and setup), Advance drivetrain upgrades (ratios/final drive/transmission)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Axial 12/29/2014 at 08:27

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I think you've brought up a very good point, I never really hear people talk about "Stages" when discussing chassis or suspension. Generally when I think of Stage mods, I think of engine modifications, but there's no reason it can't/shouldn't include chassis mods.

So maybe something like this:

Stage 1: Anything that doesn't require frame modification or internal engine work. So this covers things like springs, shocks, rollbars, etc., as well as basic engine mods like intake, exhaust, tuning.

Stage 2: Modifications to the frame or internal engine. So this would include roll cage, frame bracing, as well as major engine modifications like new rotating assembly or camshafts.

Stage 3: As you have said, things that would make the car illegal or extremely unsuitable for road use, i.e. removal of dash, airbags, "built" engine running on race fuel, aftermarket engine management, digital dash, etc.

Axial > Snuze: Needs another Swede 12/30/2014 at 17:42

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I hesitate to place internal engine mods as Stage 2. A camshaft is actually a fairly simple thing to do on an OHV engine, and a lot of people have put mildly more aggressive cams in their Corvettes and Camaros that have negligible impact on daily life with the car. Rotating assemblies and other moving parts help durability in expectation of more power, but don't have much impact on the car by themselves. A roll-cage, on the other hand, generally removes the back seats as an option. It also makes ingress and egress an adventure, depending on how radical it is.

Another way to look at it is this: It's hard to undo a frame modification. The frame is the car. It's easy to undo an engine mod, no matter how radical, because there's always the option of dropping in a stock engine.

McMike > jeffywk 02/09/2015 at 11:38

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I've always understood these stages to be this:

Stage 1 - intake, exhaust, and a re-jet (or ECU adjustment)

Stage 2 and 3 don't seem to have a clear definition, but this is where it starts to get expensive, since porting/polishing/valve work starts in here somewhere.

It's just like throwing chassis codes around outside of their own model discussions, assuming everyone knows what a "RK55.b" is. Whenever people start throwing out "stages" I ask what it means.