8 beginners performance mods to increase the performance of your car
8 Performance mods to increase the performance of your car (stage 1)
The world of aftermarket performance parts can be very confusing. At PerformanceNUTS we’re going to break it down into stages to simplify the art of performance tuning. We’re here to tell you that your car is capable of much more than you think. We have derived a list of 8 performance mods that you can put on your car to increase its performance. We are going to take it one step at a time and begin with what we call ‘stage 1’ modification only. Stage 1 mods are the simplest modifications available in the market to quickly boost the performance of your car, without making any major changes to the car itself.
1. High flow air filters
Air filters are very important for an engine because it takes in air and blocks any dirt from getting in your engine. You’re probably already familiar with it from the times you had to take your car in for a service. Well most of the time (we hope) those air filters are usually replacement ones for your old dirty ones. In this case we’re talking about high flow air filters, which sucks in more air than you’re normal air filter resulting in bigger booms in the engine and more performance! To add to that you can also hear that 'whoosh' sound from the air getting sucked into your car.
2. Brake pads/ Brake discs/ Brake callipers
As we all know brakes are very important for a car. Well without them how would you stop the car. There are many reasons why one would be interested in upgrading their brakes. Higher quality brakes last longer than usual OEM(stock) brakes, it can also decrease your stopping distance making the brakes more efficient at its job. In addition to all of this it also looks pretty neat when you have a set of nice callipers sitting behind your rims. How does this help with performance you may ask? Well performance doesn't necessarily mean speed,speed,speed. If your car is responding to your actions more promptly whether it be on the throttle or brakes, it's still boosting the overall performance of the car.
3. Exhaust upgrades (Back box only)
Yes, we know there are many different exhaust upgrades, and how you can change this pipe and that pipe to get more performance, but this post is all about simple cost effective upgrades, so let’s just stick to the back box. The backbox is found at the end of your exhaust system, so it is basically the part you see at the back of your car (most of the time). This is normally used as a silencer and reduces the noise of your car, so your neighbours don't complain. However, aftermarket brands have specially engineered back boxes where you can get a little increase in horsepower and a bit more umph from the sound with a final additional of a shiny new tail pipe.
4. Blow off Valve (BOV)
Blow off valves are for engines with turbos equipped in them. There are two main different types of BOV; a standard BOV and a plumb back style BOV. The standard BOV creates a place for air to escape when your turbo in sucking in wind. The reason for this is to control amount of air pressure (psi) going into your turbo, not too much and not too less. The plumb back style help recycle that wind getting sucked in by putting it back into your turbo when you’re not on the throttle anymore, i.e. in between shifts. But now to get to the main reason why you’ll probably want a BOV. Yes, for that ‘pshhh’ sound.
5. Internal Wastegate
Wastegates are also for engines with a turbo in them. There are two types of wastegates too, internal and external. Here we will be talking about internal wastegates. Internal wastegates would be found in your turbocharged car. Internal wastegates control the amount of air pressure (psi) going into your turbo, similar to the BOV but however wastegates are placed on the ‘ugly’ side of the turbo where a wheel is in place to help rotate the compressor wheel which sucks in the exhaust air. Okay now that the boring stuff is over, let us tell you why, it’s worth investing in an aftermarket internal wastegate. Well most standard internal wastegates, are slow when it comes to controlling the exhaust air going in and out of your turbo, where as the aftermarket ones are more prompt and quick, allowing quick doses of air whilst not damaging your turbo too. Basically better BOOOST.
6. Lower Springs
Lower springs are not only used for stancing out your car and looking mean every time you pull up to your Sunday evening car meetup. It also plays a important role on the performance of your suspension. Making sure you have a good suspension with quality lower springs, will make your car more responsive to the road, making sure that you have a stiff and well handled ride.
7. Strut Bars
Let’s make this one simple. A metal bar, usually located in your engine bay, going across from one side to another. This keeps your car more still while you hit them track days and ‘drive it like you stole it’.
8. Remap
You probably already heard the term ‘remap’ before. But do you know how beneficial it could be for your car? Remapping is when a computer is connected to your car and then some ‘technical stuff’ is carried out on your car. Cars are normally sold from manufacturers without its full potential, this remap can get the most out of your car in terms of performance as well as increasing fuel economy too. So it’s basically a win win situation here.
So there you are. These are the basic fundamentals for someone who is looking to get into tuning and performance. Follow us for more updates and future blog posts to join us on our journey of performance parts and tuning.
(Contact us if you're interested in purchasing any of the above for your car)
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By Hafij