What's the point of car modifications?

"Driving_Impaired" (drivingimpaired)
03/06/2014 at 19:50 • Filed to: None

Two years ago, driving a Mazda3 hatch, the word "mod" wasn't a part of my vocabulary. However, things quickly changed in the days and weeks leading up to the purchase of my BMW 335 coupe. It all started with a little basic innocent car research that brought me to the numerous BMW forums out there. From there, the floodgates opened. I started convincing myself I needed car parts I had never even heard of before!

Some of you know the feeling I am describing because you too have been bit... by the MOD BUG . It's a fierce and destructive sonofabitch and because I am someone that got bit hard by it, I'd like to share what I've learned to help prevent those innocent enthusiasts on limited budgets out there from making the same mistakes as me.

My first track day a few weeks ago gave me a ton of insight that might be helpful to folks in similar positions to myself. In short, someone who lives comfortably but still has bills, attempts to make smart economical choices (that will be easily disputed below), and also may have an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or just !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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That being said, I came to quite a few realizations as my e92 BMW 335 check engine light came on halfway through just my second session (of 5) around Road Atlanta. In a nutshell, what I learned mostly, was that it is nearly pointless to add performance modifications to your high performance daily driver. This is my opinion of course, but before you dispute or rebuff it, do read all my reasoning.

Side note: my take on aesthetic mods is to each their own. I like to be different and have plenty of my own.

started at the bottom...

First, let me list all of the things I have done (in bold) or contemplated doing to my car (shameless plug for my local Atlanta shop, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , that has helped me with almost all of these!):

m3 bumper
custom vented rear bumper
carbon fiber rear diffuser
carbon fiber hood, roof, and trunk
m3 spoiler
upgraded quad exhaust
supercharged engine
carbon fiber cold air intake
carbon fiber side splitters
upgraded coilover suspension with adjustable damping
custom headlights
upgraded turbos
upgraded intercooler
brembo brakes
cheap rims
upgraded $5000 rims
upgraded tires
carbon fiber mirror covers
LSD (limited slip dif)

now we here...

Now let me list the myriad reasoning for those mods:
To go faster.

Yep, that's pretty much what it all it comes down to. It's crazy how easily you can get brainwashed into thinking a twin turbo, 300+ hp and 300 lb/ft. torque beautiful vehicle with a sport suspension just doesn't suffice anymore.

Which leads us to...
WHERE DO YOU BEST EXPERIENCE ALL OF THESE PERFORMANCE MODS?!
Basically one or two things happen:
1. You rack up (or drive in constant fear of racking up) a shitload of speeding tickets making the most of these modifications on public streets
2. You go to the track and truly experience the best of your performance modification investments

Option #2 is obviously the logical, intelligent, and safest choice... BUT, this brings up two more points:

1. How often do you really get to the track? Once, twice, three times a year?
2. If your beautiful high performance vehicle is also your daily driver, now you are out on the track driving with the fear of something breaking instead of the fear of collecting speeding tickets.

Which leads back to the original question... what is the fucking point of modding your already nice and sufficiently fast high performance daily driver?! It's a dirty little secret that we don't need anywhere close to the power cars are coming with these days. Do you or I want 400, 500, 600 hp? Hell yeah we do. But do we need it? No, not even close. Which leads me to my final point...

If you are really into performance that you can experience , think about investing in a cheap track car! It is of my opinion that a second, dedicated track car is a better investment than a ton of performance mods you will only get to experience for a minute percentage of time over the ownership of your car.

For all the parts and labor I have spent on my DD, I could have gotten a nice e36 BMW for example and done a decent amount of work to it to make it track ready. But, as the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. And besides, we all know in an ideal world we would choose to be new Ferrari owner and all around nice guy !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but we'd probably all wear pants more frequently.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go search the forums for some sweet carbon fiber cupholders...

Track day!

DISCUSSION (31)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Driving_Impaired
03/06/2014 at 22:03

Sorry to be the one to point this out, but of the 10 items you've got in bold, two (maybe three?) might make you "go faster".

Soloburrito > Driving_Impaired
03/06/2014 at 23:07

People mostly mod for bragging rights or style imo.

I see all types on the Mustang forums.

Personally after 1 track day, I'm no where close to maxing out my car so I haven't done any mods.

I can definitely feel the car's shortcomings on the street and track, but I decided the mod fund is better spent on track days and maintenance to make myself a better driver.

I also believe in having a dedicated track car. I'll be joining the miata club soon enough.

I've been shopping Miata parts too and it's very easy to spend 2-3x what you paid for the car easily.

Driving_Impaired > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2014 at 23:28

No wonder it hasn't gotten much faster! Ha, yes I am aware a lot of my mods are aesthetic. My point though, is people are dropping $2-3k on suspension parts, plus another ~$5k on big brake kits and for what? To do one track day a year or hit that sweet offramp curve at max speed and then be able to brake in time before rear ending that poor Grand Am?

Driving_Impaired > Soloburrito
03/06/2014 at 23:35

I agree... there seems to be two distinct groups when it comes to modding... The show guys and the performance guys. I think I fall somewhere in between. I've done a lot of things to make my car look more aggressive because I wanted that look and to look different from the abundance of e92s down here. But I also wanted to make certain performance upgrades for form and function. The intercooler was specifically for the heat. The exhaust was for the noise :-) And the TCU flash was for more aggressive gears and sweet sounding downshifts.

I also think it's great to do track days without mods so then you can see the real difference when you put them on. I know for the BMW crowd, so many people are adding strut braces, suspension upgrades, LSDs, etc. all before even getting one track session in. It's crazy.

Now that I've had my modding epiphany, I'm done with the e92 mods and saving up for that track/rally car! It's an expensive hobby we have but it bring great satisfaction as well. Good luck with the Miata!

Dsscats > Driving_Impaired
03/06/2014 at 23:43

Wait wait wait, slow the fuck down. you just said

[q] Supercharged engine [/q]

Do you have a twincharged 335!?!?!?!?

Driving_Impaired > Dsscats
03/06/2014 at 23:49

Nope, read about that though. It's amazing the things you come across in the forums. And it's even more amazing when you realize you seriously consider doing said things to your own car. Finances and logic be damned!

Dsscats > Driving_Impaired
03/06/2014 at 23:51

Seriously, roots style supercharger with twin turbos on an E92? YES PLEASE!!!!! It would probably take 20k to get it done with any reliability or quality. Speaking of finances be damned.....

Driving_Impaired > Dsscats
03/06/2014 at 23:58

Haha yeah I was going to say... that particular mod, you can buy a high mile used 335 for that much!

Dsscats > Driving_Impaired
03/07/2014 at 01:01

Hell, here in LA, you can get a pretty low mileage one for that.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ctd/436080…

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/434304…

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/435913…

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/436057…

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Driving_Impaired
03/07/2014 at 01:18

"bit by the Mod Bug"... let me introduce you to MOD HELL!

I had my car (Cadillac XLR-V) all of two months before joining a regional XLR club. I was totally stock but felt good that I had the supercharged version... until the first cruise. Older non-supercharged models were kicking my ass. From that day forth, I decided "It will never happen again!" The first winter the car was in the shop from November to February: pulleys, port and polish, bigger intakes, bigger throttle body, bigger exhaust, bigger intercooler, crazy tune, track wheels and tires.

That was great, nobody could touch me, but the devil had his hooks in me. The next winter I sent the car to Florida for a one-off Super Chiller Intercooler mod, then Indiana for tranny and exhaust tuning. Got it home and needed suspension mods to make the track tires more efficient - ended up with all ZR1 suspension components.

The third winter, well life has taken a turn for the worse, but MOD HELL must go on! Headers and another pulley change, 100% Alchohol injection, better track tires, wider track wheels, possible wide body changes, front splitter, rear diffuser. IT NEVER ENDS!!!!!!!!

No, its not a daily driver except every sunny day from April to November. Yes it sees more track time than some track only cars. But, it also is my traveling car so I put over 20,000 miles on it every year for car shows, club gatherings, following the Indy car and PWC circuit races, as well as vacations and the odd "I went for a relaxing drive and ended up in another state." The devil has a powerful tool in cars.

IT NEVER ENDS!!!!!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Driving_Impaired
03/07/2014 at 08:39

Yes, there are plenty of fully-track-prepped cars that sadly only show their stuff at meets and car shows...

Driving_Impaired > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight
03/07/2014 at 09:26

Wow! After reading your story, it's clear you were bit but the bloodsucking mod leech, while I was merely grazed by the mod mosquito.

Thank you for sharing. You summed up how it is so easy to get consumed in that world. No matter what you do, it seems there is always someone faster.

quarterlifecrisis > Driving_Impaired
03/07/2014 at 12:11

I modded my TBSS...why...not sure. But I did, and it was fast, and it was fun and I loved it all. My C6 has been stock, and will stay stock. On a track, it's a lot more car than I need. I've nearly given in to the exhaust bug a couple times, and sure, a cam would make it sound awesome...but...I've not pulled the trigger on anything, and it's pretty unlikely that I ever will at this point. There really aren't any visual things that I want to do to my car either.

For some reason, in my head, the rational fact that I spend the overwhelming majority of my time on surface roads or the interstate negates any real need to make the car faster.

Driving_Impaired > quarterlifecrisis
03/07/2014 at 13:00

Exactly. As I sit in traffic during my daily 10-15 minute commute, I think the same thing. I believe my cluster has told me my average speed since owning my car is a whopping 27 mph. TWENTY SEVEN! And I probably have skewed that up just because I love the sound my car makes pulling hard away from red lights.

OpenWheel > Driving_Impaired
03/09/2014 at 16:20

What about modding your daily driver with a goal of one day making it into a dedicated track car when you can afford two cars?

MrBillG59 > Driving_Impaired
03/09/2014 at 18:58

Most of the parts you installed will only affect the look of your car. Very few of them will affect the performance and most of those will only affect the performance at very, very high speeds.
No effect on performance
custom headlights carbon fiber mirror covers

Only effective at very high speeds
m3 bumper custom vented rear bumpercarbon fiber rear diffuserm3 spoiler carbon fiber side splitters
Probably effective
upgraded quad exhaust upgraded intercooler cheap rims

The first thing you should have done was buy a really good set of racing compound tires on the lightest wheels you could find. That would instantly improve your track performance.

MrBillG59 > Driving_Impaired
03/09/2014 at 19:25

How much more would it have cost you to have just bought an M3 in the first place?

heyheauxs > Driving_Impaired
03/09/2014 at 22:26

I was tempted to drop $3600 on a turbo-back exhaust & stage 2 tune, but I can get the same performance increases (sans dual exhaust) for $700...

Hanzr > Driving_Impaired
03/09/2014 at 23:41

Granted that some visceral or egoistical mods are totally impractical (or maybe practical if the one who have done that makes a living by showing off ), some people may really want to shave off a couple of seconds' time on the autox/track day events. My point is, don't judge the practicality based on the price, but on the purpose. If the modification hit the intended goal bang on, it's totally sensible; otherwise it's just donating money to mod shops and manufacturers to make they serve those practical guys better. We need both kinds of people.

mazdaspeed2 > Driving_Impaired
03/10/2014 at 10:44

My friend has a bugeye Rex that is now 300awhp and he has been pulled over or been talked to buy cops 6 or 7 times in less than a year. He is completely hp obsessed and he hasn't done anything to the suspension or brakes (which I think is stupid, especially the brakes). I've been for rides in it during each stage and it is faster and it's fun, but he only drives on the street. Appearance mods for me it depends on the car, but I think performance mods should be used to improve your street driving. If you want an exhaust I say do it for the better tone, and focus on the touch points inside. Also, I'm all for suspension upgrades (I value handling much more than hp), but if you are driving mostly on the street then focus on balance and making it feel more neutral or whatever you want instead of max corner speed. That is just my $.02.

Driving_Impaired > MrBillG59
03/10/2014 at 14:14

I get your question but you're kind of missing the point. Besides the fact that an m3 at the time would've been nearly $20k more, the point is, no matter what car you get, you always feel the need to make it better. Therefore, if you are going to do that, why do it to your DD that you might track 2 or 3 times a year? Guys with m3's still mod those as well... superchargers, brakes, susp., etc. etc. etc.

This is all based on the presumption that one is on a budget of some sort. If I could buy an m3 to be a track car I totally would. But when it's between having a performance car with a ton of mods you can rarely use or having a solid DD plus a track car you can use 10x a year, I am realizing that is the better option. Of course, this is also assuming you have an interest in tracking as well.

Driving_Impaired > mazdaspeed2
03/10/2014 at 14:18

"I think performance mods should be used to improve your street driving"

You mean, just daily street driving? What can really be improved from performance mods?

mazdaspeed2 > Driving_Impaired
03/10/2014 at 17:27

Suspension can definitely be improved for more fun on back roads. Some cars are already good enough and that's fine, but a lot of cars could use some improvements. I think they should be done for spirited driving. Obviously cruising on the highway and stuff doesn't matter, but handling characteristics can definitely be improved.

Driving_Impaired > MrBillG59
03/10/2014 at 20:02

I'm aware a lot of the mods I did were visual or only effective in rare instances (high speed). I was swept up in the mod realm where I was putting everything I could get my hands on. Logic goes out the window when you get caught up in it.

I agree, better tires (I'm still on runflats until they wear out) and lightweight wheels would have been a great place to start. And that's likely where I will start with the race car I build.

Driving_Impaired > OpenWheel
03/10/2014 at 20:09

This is a great argument. Every case is different of course but my reply is, what is your investment and timeframe? Is that second car which will be your DD as nice or better as your current one? I would imagine it would take a large amount of patience and discipline to plan that far ahead while still making it a sound investment, though I am sure it has been done and is certainly not impossible either.

Hanzr > Driving_Impaired
03/10/2014 at 20:14

I do apologize for my fractured English... That comment's grammar was crap...

OpenWheel > Driving_Impaired
03/10/2014 at 22:01

As far as new DDs to purchase, I see a few choices. Looking at a $25k-35ish budget. Top three would be BRZ/FRS, 2015 Mustang, or 2015 STI. I can (and do) go on all day about which one to get. That's a whole other problem. Any would be a definite upgrade over my current Fusion. Not a bad car by any means, it's just not trackable car.

Since my current car is in great shape, a slightly beat track car like a 944, E36 or E46 M3, or the always correct answer of Miata would be a nice project.

I devote way too much time to thinking about this problem. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Driving_Impaired > OpenWheel
03/11/2014 at 12:57

No you definitely are not alone... I am always cycling between some combination of dd's and track cars. "well, if I buy X dd, then I can get Y for my track car" wash, rinse, repeat.

But, back to your original theory, since you currently don't own a "trackable" car, let's use me as an example. So I've got an e92 335 that I will mod with the intent of tracking eventually. I am still making payments on it for 3+ years, so let's say once that is done I will get another similar car for around the price you mentioned. So now, I am making payments on a new car while tracking the BMW. Even if I made all the mods I wanted over the 3 years I was paying it off, I still have to be worried about any sort of complications that may arise from track days. These alone will be quite a bit more expensive than if similar problems occurred in an older dedicated track car. Plus, this would also mean I will have refrained from tracking the BMW for 3 whole years as well.

So, while I don't think your original suggestion can't be done, it's definitely tougher than it sounds.

BarryDanger > Driving_Impaired
03/11/2014 at 18:45

I feel your pain. Just found some 275 Michelin Pilot Sports and I NEED THEM. Naturally getting 275 on all four corners of my car requires massive supporting mods... It's a sickening cycle.

OpenWheel > Driving_Impaired
03/11/2014 at 22:03

You offer some great points. The whole delayed gratification thing has served me well so far (I've been in school for damn near forever) so I think I could stretch out a hot DD until it can transition to full track duty. But... it would be really nice to have that beater track car sooner than later so I could occasionally hoon it to work and park next to some radiologist's pristine 911 for dramatic effect. So for today, your insight has given the edge to beater. But tomorrow is another day...

Driving_Impaired > OpenWheel
03/11/2014 at 22:50

Haha that it is.... today I want to sell my e92, tomorrow I want to keep it forever...