Anyone here tune cars?

[JKN Dean]

Well, I find the Trans Ams comfort level is just fine.

It's funny that other F-body drivers don't keep challenging me to street races all the time. It's mostly the drivers of those same type cars you describe. It's as if they have to prove to themselves that the car they spent twice as much for as I did for mine, was worth it and can hang.

I always find that amusing, as I suspect that the "comfort" and "quality" line doesn't satisfy them after all.

Edited August 13, 2005 by JKN Dean

[Enviroman]

eh, I dunno, street races don't excite me as much as they used to.

When I was a teen (maybe 6-7 years ago) a friend and I would take out his Boss 302 Mustang and cruise around beating people off the line at red lights and whatnot. It was pretty sweet at the time. Now, I don't get the same thrill. Good MPG is so much sweeter than high HP anymore.

[JKN Dean]

When I have to start considering MPG, that's when I'm shopping for a motorcycle.

Oh ya, I don't street race. It's illegal and dangerous.

[Goju_boi]

well I just got a accord v-6 coupe with 240hp.I wan't to tune it up a bit,but not sure if I should because I heard that makes the car value less.Any tips?

[JKN Dean]

Well, are you talking about modifying the tuning, or are you thinking about adding higher performance parts?

If just the tuning, then when modifying your motor's tune, the first thing you will do is download the stock tune from your car's computer to a file. Then you copy this file, make modifications to it, and upload the modified file back into your car's computer.

You can always load the stock tune back in if you want to sell your car.

You can do the same thing with parts actually, but it's a little harder than loading the stock tune back into the computer.

The problem is, with stock parts on your engine, there is only a limited amount of extra HP a tuning change will produce, and typically, once folks get bit by the "more power!" bug, they want more and more, and start adding high performance parts too!

People do that all the time, believe it or not.

[1st KYU]

yes sir, i myself dont have a car right now but my whole family is into it.

my dad has a bmw dinan 3 330ci, my mom has an audi S4 lowered with bilstien shocks, and my bro has a bmw 328is with carbon fibre hood and trunk, lowered, rieger front lip and 18 inch BBS wheels.

as for me...i hope to get an old school japanese car (300zx), or a late 80's bmw.

[1st KYU]

yes sir, i myself dont have a car right now but my whole family is into it.

my dad has a bmw dinan 3 330ci, my mom has an audi S4 lowered with bilstien shocks, and my bro has a bmw 328is with carbon fibre hood and trunk, lowered, rieger front lip and 18 inch BBS wheels.

as for me...i hope to get an old school japanese car (z31 300zx), or a late 80's bmw.

[Goju_boi]

"Well, are you talking about modifying the tuning, or are you thinking about adding higher performance parts? "

I was talking about adding high performance parts,but like I said it supposedly brings down the value and I don't know how that affects the cars warranty.Also I want to add visual mods,again like I said it brings down the value supposedly.So what I want to do for sure is just put a nice set of 20's , a sound system,maybe some euro lights with carbon fiber for the tail lights.Well if theres anymore suggestions as to what I can do to make it look cooler and drive faster withouth lessening the value of the car I appreciate it.

[JKN Dean]

If you don't think you are going to hang onto the car, then I wouldn't bother modifying it at all.

But you can still modify your car and sell it at a good price. It's a perception thing - a person that wants a car "built" the way you have modified yours, will most likely want to buy it, but the average Joe-Shmoe, who doesn't know a head gasket from an easter basket, will be suspicious and not want to buy a modified car.

It's all about taking the time to find the right market.

Beware though, that even though you could get a good price for a modified car, you generally WILL NOT recover the cost of modifying the car, so don't look at modifying it as some sort of investment.

Cars make lousy investments.

[Goju_boi]

"Beware though, that even though you could get a good price for a modified car, you generally WILL NOT recover the cost of modifying the car"

That's also another thing I was thinking of.That's why I'm thinking of only putting rims and a nice sound system because I can easily take those out and transfer them to another car or sell them.One more thing,I do plan on keeping this car for a long time,but eventually some dayh sell it or trade it in.That's why I only want to do things that won't lessen the value of it.So if theres any suggestions as to what I can do to it without lessening the value of it,my ears are listening(well reading)