$1500 to spend on mods. Exhaust or...

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Okay, like the subject line says. $1500 to spend any way I see fit.
As far as mods, my car pretty much stock.
I have done a few things.
New shocks/struts-bilstein sports. nice
7 and 8's with wider rubber also nice
turbo tie rods. yep

I am pretty sure I want to do exhaust.
Possibly ssi etc with sport muffler and maybe wong chip
I do still have to pass emission but there is no prob with visual.

If passing emission is going to be a problem I may have to adjust my thinking on exactly what exhaust upgrade I do.

What do you guys think.
I use the car mainly for street but I will be seeing more track time in the future.

JonT · 03-17-2005, 03:14 AM

If your car does not need anything now then save it for when you start tracking it. Then it gets expensive: tires, brake pads, brake fluid, and all the things that break when you start beating on them on the track. DE's cost around $500-$1000 per weekend depending on how much goes wrong with your car, where you travel to, track fees and on and on.

IROC · IROC's Garage

I'd get a good alignment and corner balance and head to the track. Upgrading the driver is the best way to spend the money... :>)

Mike

Elombard · 03-17-2005, 03:55 AM

I hear the exhaust on the 3.2s is pretty good except the mufflers maybe.

I would go with elephant monoballs and a T bar upgrade. makes it feel like a slot car. Corner balalance, align, seat time.

911teo · 03-17-2005, 05:03 AM

I have been lucky so far but my DEs have only cost me brake fluid and pads (every 2 DEs... use Hawk).. so $1k per DE seem a little excessive.

I would address the suspension. It's not as bling as a new exhaust (i.e. nobody else but you knows it's there) but on the track it's what makes the difference.

I would concur with Elombard. Monoballs and T-bar upgrade. You have new shocks and turbo tie rods.... So u should be good to go!

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

The best bang for the buck exhaust wise - is skip the SSI's and go with a premuffler (dansk or fabspeed) and a good sport muffler (monty, dansk, etc) that coupled with a Steve Wong chip is one of the best upgrades I have done. Now if you are doing a top end - do the SSI and change to a 964 or supercup grind cam = then you will notice a difference.

An unfortunately I'll disagree on the suspension. Your first 2-3 DE's you will have no appreciation for suspension upgrades. You will probably only be driving to 70-80 percent of the cars potential... and that's if you are good. Save the suspension upgrades for later. Spend the track money on brake fluid changes and good pads.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

One other thing on the exhaust - spend the money on Stainless and SiBronze nuts and bolts. I can change out my premuffler in about an hour...

911teo · 03-17-2005, 07:06 AM

It really depends on what u use your car for and what you plan to do to it in the future.
Monoballs... u can't get better than that. It is an upgrade that will stay on the car forever... track car or daily driver.
T-bars... if u ever wanted to get Sport shocks then Tbars should be upgraded too.
Exhaust... Go Jeremy's way and you are done for good.... Unless then u decide u need a 3.6 in that thing...

On the track you will not feel the extra 15HP the hot exhaust set-up will bring you.
On the street you'll love the improved sound...

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Thanks guys,
I think I like the sound of your ideas Jeremy.
I will do more research but that is the way I am leaning.
As far as some of the other comments about track time etc.
they are well taken.
I have had the opportunity to take my car to a near by track a couple of times and there will be more of those.

I can usually budget in what I need for those times.
It is however not too often that I get to spend this amount of money at one time just on my car.

When I did new shocks/struts and alignment it was incredible the improvement of the handling.
At this point I don't want to much else in upgrades in that area until I have enough track time to really analyze what it is I should improve and enough knowledge to tell the difference.

Thanks for the comments and keep'em coming.

alf · 03-17-2005, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy964
The best bang for the buck exhaust wise - is skip the SSI's and go with a premuffler (dansk or fabspeed) and a good sport muffler (monty, dansk, etc) that coupled with a Steve Wong chip is one of the best upgrades I have done.

What Jeremy said.

You could also try to find a used OEM premuff for around $100 get a MB muffler for around $400 and a Wong chip for $300 and have $700 left for a set of R Compound tires or track time.

alf

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Yeah I would like to get the mb911 muffler but as of yet I don't think he is making single inlet mufflers yet.

SCOTITUDE · 03-18-2005, 12:00 AM

The first thing i did when i got the SC was swap out the stock exhaust for SSI's and a monty muffler. That is the only upgrade I have done on the motor and it made a world of difference in engine response. I have been tracking the car for 8 yrs and it is still a blast. I think that is the best bang for the buck without major engine work. I agree with Jeremy in that you will not appreciate the major $ suspension work until further in your DE experience. I would recommend a good "sport" alignment, corner balance and decent pads. This should all be within your fun money budget and provide you with the most smiles for the money spent.