Digest of best performance mods for under 50$
 

I would like to hear (read) what the great minds in this forum have thought of as cheap and effective performance mods for the wallet challenged among us.
So here are the rules:
Tell us your best *performance* modification that costs less than 50$ when it's done.
No cup holders, cool collars and flame decals.
Only genuine mods that do indeed enhance the capacity of the car to cover ground faster than the rest.

I'll start with the removal of the tar paper inside the doors and under the carpet. Cost is nil, gain is about 20lbs.

I'll also add the drilling of the hood hinges. Cost is a few bruised knuckles, a drill and a bit (that you hopefully all have), benefit is lighter weight (not much, but free, can't beat that).

Anyone care to follow?

I'll state the obvious. Anything you remove to reduce weight is free. AC, carpet, blower motors, etc. There are lots of threads on loosing weight.

Get it tuned up just right.

The shift linkage bushing cost around $50 and if you're shifting is balky it's slowing you down.

You could replace your brake fluid with ATE for under $50 if you do it yourself.

$50 isn't a lot of money when it comes to a 911. I guess that most of these things are maintenance not modification... I can fill up the tank with gas and have enough left over for a beer. That'll make me think I'm faster... :rolleyes:

-maybe brighter H4 bulbs & relays so they don't melt your turn signal switch.
-engine lid & hood shocks to save my head from a beating
-sport seats were a <$50 upgrade for me, as I sold the stock seats for the same price. :)

CoolCollar!!:D :D

Jeff

Proper tire balance, although I don't know if you can always get that done for under $50 any more.

new plugs and a bottle of Techron. :D

single battery conversion and battery relocation to the smugglers on my '72. Free. removed ~60lbs from the car and distributed another ~60 pounds closer to the center of the car.

Here's a couple.

1) I found & bought an extra Mann air filter cover ($10). Hacksawed the "arm"/tube off then used a drimmel the strip the gunk & paint down to the metal. Result: less restricted airflow & seems to run noticeably better. Sounds a bit better too.

2) (Not sure if this one qualifies) I have an old Marelli dist. It has a fairly user serviceable rotor. Used the drimmel again with a wire brush. Disassembled the rotor, cleaned all the parts/contacts & the contacts in the cap as well. Thoroughly cleaned out all the dust and popped it back together. (cleaned up the plugs as well) Much improved starting and idling. Kind of bad weather right now so I'm not sure if it's improved in driving conditions.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105217849.jpg

After a car wash and wax, I notice a considerable increase in power. Dyno sheets to come.........

Swepco oil for the transmision can often help smooth out those shifts. Puts off that rebiuld for a while.

Set up your pedal assem. for better heal and toe. factory settings make it almost impossible to heal toe correctly. It's free and will make you alot faster if you know how to do it right
steve

A rosary over the mirror and a plastic holy mary on the dash.

Making sure your throttle is adjusted correctly so you get full throttle when you floor it - free.
-Chris

I removed the almost useless foglights and fabricated a duct that forces all of the air from the right opening to pass through the Carrera oil cooler.

I made a couple of templates out of cardboard to get the shape/ bends and hole positions and the local tin knocker gave me a piece of galvanized sheet stock, I bent it in my brake (ahem... vice) and used the two bolts on the bottom of the oil cooler to secure it. I put sticky backed foam on the edges to seal it and prevent wear to the painted surfaces. I got some heavy woven screen and filled the openings to keep stones out.

This winter I plan to adapt the right duct and make a diverter for the left side to get air blowing onto the brakes.

The cost was $0 and it probably took 2 hours.

hey Ji how about some pics?
steve

Alignment, check tire presure, repack your front wheel bearings

5 of the 20 prongs on a SteveW chip?

$29 sheet of ABS plastic to flatten out the underbelly of my car. With about a dozen self-tapping screws and some aluminum pieces for mounting, the cost was still well south of $50 -- and it made the car a full second per lap faster at my local track.

My car is unusual in that it has an underbelly AC condenser, which made the old aero worse than stock.

Jim,
I too would absolutely love to see pictures of your project!!!

I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow and post them.

Originally posted by Jim Garfield
I removed the almost useless foglights and fabricated a duct that forces all of the air from the right opening to pass through the Carrera oil cooler.

I did something similar to this myself. I haven't actually ducted it to the cooler yet but I took the plastic housings on the outside of the foglights and reversed them so they act as scoops. I took some steel mesh and put inside them and painted them black.

-Shaping your own reverse "L" gas pedal in aluminum stock for under $3.

- removing the RF bellows ( on 74+ cars) and fabbing a front fender oil cooler scoop from black ABS plastic......"host" item was plastic roof flashing for a house roof vent with the proper curvature for a forward-facing scoop ( cutting required on flashing). You can't even see the difference unless you look close......

- rear license plate....remove.....drill 2 x 3" holes side-by side in the stock alu bumper in an area covered by the plate. Replace plate. Can't see but hot trapped air has an avenue to escape while driving. Works well on DE days (when the plate is off) and generates a lot of comments when the holes are visible.

- lower rear bumper valence.....went to hot rod shop and had it louvered.... opening facing toward bottom .... a set of five or six looks pretty cool ( think 550 or Abarth Carrera). Another hot air outlet......

Wil

As usual Wil Ferch's post has some great stuff...

New air filter.
Adjust WOT if not opening all the way (free HP).
Stuff listed above like plugs, fuel filter, new trans fluid, bleed brakes...

Rear view mirror performance.
I bought one of these after Jack O. said it was money well spent.

They make an 11" version and mine is the 17" that clamps on to your existing mirror, Cost $20. I was going to get the 11" but bought the 17" and like it enough it stays. Takes care of all the blind spots.

With the 17" I can even see my left side were a car flanks you.
I could see were these would be a big advantage if your wearing a helmet as you don't have to turn your head to see to you rear.
It's kinda big at first compaired to stock but you get used to it.

Pelican needs to sell these.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105239150.jpg

Valentine 1

oops, not quite $50, but worth every penny

Use the $50 to enter an autocross, and take an instructor.

Oh, yeah, the blind-spot mirror. Bob's right. It definitely improves the driving experience.

Bob/Jack,

Where do you get those mirrors?

Ohhh and my best mod for under 50.00 would have to be replacing my fuel injector O-Rings (hard as rocks) with new ones. At this time it is also very easy to remove your injectors and clean them out. A little over night in some techron then a air compressor blower with a rubber tip and your can visually see the spary pattern. Keep cleaning untill you get the nice cone shaped mist.

IO Port Racing . com
They show the 17" on their site but also cary an 11" if you contact them.

Caroll Smith's "Drive to Win"
Pierro Taruffi's "The Technique of Motor Racing" (an Oldie, but still very valid)

And if you can find any of these at used prices, you'll have enough left over for...

Dennis Jenkinson's "The Racing Driver"

How about one of these babys :D

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72205&item=7946167 111&rd=1


LOL

$10 of aluminum and a few hours work, and presto floor-board and track pedals.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105280653.jpg

Removing the Carrera script from the engine lid of a 3.2 improved my washing and polishing performance:D







http://www.danasoft.com/sig/MarioAxel.jpg

OK, I found out that it's almost impossible to get a good picture of the tinwork unless the car is on a lift.

Here are a few bad shots:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105294156.jpg
The duct is the black metal seen under the cooler. This was taken looking through the valence foglight opening looking toward the cooler.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105294201.jpg

Here's what it looks like with the foglights removed:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105295785.jpg

Besides removing the AC and engine compartment heater blower to backdate the heat, replacing the monster bumper pads with the Euro version gets rid of weight where it matters most....I found these at Hershey for $5. Or you can just fill the holes and leave the pads off.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105296482.jpg

Here's another one for you wide-view rear view mirror guys....costs "zero".

different approach on "Adjusting" the mirrors..goes like this:
- adjust inside center mirror as you always do
- for the left mirror ( do this stationary !).....place head right onto the driver's side window and adjust from this position.....adjust for a "normal" view along body sides.
- for the right mirror.....repostion yourself so you pretend you're sitting in the absolute middle of the car....scootch over. Now sight the right mirror along the right body line, as normally done.
- go back into your seatiing position, and be amazed at now having removed all blinds spots ! Left mirror has "overlap" to center..and center has "overlap" view to right.

This method essentially angles "out" widens the outside mirrors's field of view.

Added benefit.....no glare into your eyes (from the jerk behind you with the brights on) from the outside mirrors....

Wil

OK, MILU.
That's kinda scarey...to me.
Not the script removal.
Scott