Why You Should Modify Your Car The Day You Buy It
Only Smart Owners Do This.
Yesterday I saw a brand new Jeep Wrangler JL with a massive lift kit, huge 35" Tires, and enough LEDs to open up a small airport. This Jeep caught the attention of my friend who remarked that it's silly to modify a brand new car, however, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Let's say you plan to own your vehicle for 100,000 miles and you add the modifications of your dreams on day one. That means you have 100,000 miles to enjoy your hand selected parts to make your vehicle your own. This lengthy ownership experience allows you to not only enjoy the mods but also amortize their cost over a long period of time.
For every mile you drive your car with mods on it, the more value your gaining from said modifications. This simple financial exercise means you technically gain more value from your money by modding your car as soon as possible.
There's also the opportunity cost of waiting to add a mod since you'll never ever get your time back. Remember, there's no free lunch and your time is valuable so buy that exhaust and make loud noises for as long as you can.
Tires
A good set of tires is the most important part of your car. Nothing matters if you're rolling on shitty tires made of used erasers from the elementary school down the road. If you can swing it a good focused set of both summer and winter tires will make your car perform to the best of its ability in all weather.
Suspension
Besides tires, suspension is where you should focus your modding budget. A car with a proper suspension will always be faster than a poorly sprung powerful vehicle.
A good set of coilovers can completely transform your car. If the higher cost of coilovers doesn't mesh with your budget, lowering springs are a good style focused mod that will still add some performance.
ECU Tune
ECU tunes allow you to loosen the tight OEM constraints on your engine and gain more performance without turning a wrench. Depending on your car there is huge aftermarket support with tunes specifically written for your car's spec. If you can getting a custom tune written for your specific car by a tuner is the gold standard.
Brakes
If you're going to add power brakes have to be a priority. If you're focusing on street use a simple pad and rotor upgrade should work just fine to keep your car in control. A higher temp brake fluid is also recommended if you plan on several hard stops in a row.
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Comments (53)
I’d argue that you should get to know your car before any of these so you get an idea of its limits, and the changes any modifications make and how it responds. Always important to have a foundation to start with
You only do that until you mature or get married. Once you do, you will realise modifying cars is nothing but waste of good money - money you will never get back.
And, your wife will remind you of that every single day.
So true, rather than buying an expensive car back in the day, I bought a brand new 93 MX5 and in the first month added a supercharger, suspension upgrades, full exhaust system, better wheels and tires along with a few other bits. Spent less than many of my friends and had a car that was much more fun.
How should I modify my Dacia?:))
Stickers! 😜
V8
I usually always lower every car when i buy it. Cars come too high from factory imho. I install coilovers to get a proper shock/spring combo. Lowering springs themselves usually ruin handling since the stock shocks are not valved properly for the lowered ride height