Top Performance Upgrades For Your Car
As South Florida’s Premier Auto Performance Facility, one question we are constantly asked by veteran and budding performance enthusiasts is, “what are the best performance mods for my car?”. The problem with that question is that it depends so much on what car you have and the purpose you are modifying it for. We can offer you some general advice on the most effective modifications, and the best order to do your modifications in.
Wheels and Tires
The first modification we recommend is investing in a good set of wheels and tires. Your tires are the only part of your car that makes contact with the ground and any performance modifications you do will be pointless if you can’t put that power to the ground.
Even on a stock car, better tires such as Michelin’s Pilot Sport or Cup Sport tires, will allow you to accelerate harder, brake later, and carry more speed through the corners on your next track day. No other modification offers the same bang for the buck in performance improvements as a good set of tires.
Lighter wheels help your car’s unsprung weight, which affects momentum, and makes it easier for your car to accelerate and slow down, improving the efficiency of your engine and braking system.
Suspension and Bushings
The next upgrade you’ll want to consider are suspension and bushings upgrade. These upgrades aren’t for everyone as they come with both upsides and downsides.
Improved suspension can lower your center of gravity, decrease the amount of body roll, allow you to carry more speed through the corners, and allow more of your power to be transferred to the ground and not lost to the chassis.
Similarly, stiffer bushings decrease the amount of torque from the drivetrain transferred to the chassis and allow more power to be transferred to the ground.
The downside of sportier bushings and suspensions is a rougher ride, and a lot more noise and vibration being transferred to the cabin, which may not be ideal for a daily driver.
Tuning and ECU Mapping
The next modification to consider is a tune to get the maximum power out of what you already have. Manufacturers leave a lot of power on the table in stock tunes as they try to balance performance, reliability, fuel economy, and the different fuels consumers may use.
By tuning your car you can make changes to get the most power out of your car, your unique modifications, and your preferred fuel type. Tuning can be done in several ways, either by flashing the stock ECU, running a piggyback tuner such as RaceChip, or a full stand alone ECU such as Haltechs.
Brakes
With great power comes big brakes. Depending on how much power your end goal is, there are several options you can go with. The most basic upgrade is a combination of braided brake cables, a more aggressive brake pad, and drilled or slotted rotors.
For higher horsepower builds, a set of 6-piston racing calipers from Brembo is an absolute must, as well as some higher-temperature brake fluid to make sure nothing boils during spirited driving.
The final upgrade to a brake kit is cooling. Creating custom brake cooling ducts, or investing in a new undertray with cutouts to direct cool air directly to the brakes will keep you going for longer. Alternatively, Turbofan wheel covers have come back in a huge way and are designed to draw cold air over your brakes when rotating.
Engine Breathing
An engine is just one big air pump, with the amount of air it is capable of pulling in and expelling being a huge limiting factor to performance. Upgraded cold air intakes allow your engine to pull in more air at colder temperatures for improved performance, while better exhaust systems not only improve the sound your car makes but allow for combustion to more freely escape the engine.
It is important to note that another tune may be required to get the absolute most out of your intake and exhaust
Fuel and Ignition
Air, fuel, and spark are the three components required for your engine to run, and increasing any of them in the correct ratios will lead to improved horsepower. High-pressure fuel injectors will allow more fuel to be atomized in the combustion chamber, and improving your ignition system through better spark plugs and ignition coils will guarantee ignition and reduce the chance of a misfire at high horsepower applications.
While the performance gain isn’t the most impressive from improved ignition systems, it is a vital supporting mod for higher horsepower modifications and overall reliability
Cooling
Just like ignition, cooling is one of the supporting mods that while aren’t glamorous or offer much in the way of performance gains, are so important for reliability when chasing horsepower. The go-to cooling mod is a thicker, more densely packed radiator with a cap that can support high pressure. A new Radiator can be improved with silicone hoses to increase flow rate since silicone hoses won’t expand as much under pressure compared to rubber ones.
Other cooling mods to consider are oil and transmission coolers as well as finned differential covers. A general rule of thumb is anything you can do to keep your drivetrain cooler will always yield benefits when it comes to reliability.
Boost!
The ultimate performance upgrade is a boost. While this may be as simple as going with a bigger turbo or supercharger if your car came from the factory with one, it is a lot more complicated if your car was naturally aspirated from the factory.
If your car is boosted from the factory, it is important to make sure that your stock components are strong enough to handle the demands of increased boost, as well as supporting components like blow-off valves and intercoolers.
If your car was naturally aspirated from the start, we definitely recommend speaking to a specialist mechanic as you may need different camshafts, compression ratios, and timings to get the most out of your boosted setup.
Auto Performance Specialist – Foreign Affairs Motorsports, Pompano Beach
At Foreign Affairs Motorsports, we have been the premiere auto repair shop for performance upgrades in Pompano Beach for decades. From American Muscle to Japanese Kei we’ve boosted and modified everything and anything.
No matter your power goals our team of performance Gurus will be able to set your car on the right path with bespoke builds and trusted modifications. Call us today at 954-746-0488 to get started on your high-performance journey!