The '"Official" Car-modding Thread!

i just got a (G6) 94 toyota celica gt coupe moon roof 2.2Litr front strut bar/ 5spd, bought it cuz i was despate for a car i could afford, body is in tip top shape as well as engin im looking to give this car some looks as well as speed can you help me, i found some taillights that i like called afterburner tail lamps many diff body kits, and looking for projector head lamps cant find any yet, and like you said aus fiberglass sucks, you guys think you could check around and tell me the engin stuff and names of the styiles i should be considering thankyou and if know of any tweeks, and best speed chip....i wanna be able to take my car to a car show and get good ratings as well as take it to the tracks and win many races...i would like adjustable air ride and lambo doors, red engin dress up, i want best aerodynamics from bumper to bumper and a red color such as candy or metalic flakes just anything that will make ppl say NOW THATS BADASS.....its frt wheel drive so looking for front end spoilers too

 

please, in the name of all that is holy, don't rice that car!

 

what do i do not to rice it

i got a k and n filter kit on there now gave it a bit of loud deep tone form exahust

and noway on hello would i want it to look anything like that cheapass accord body kit on that sucks http://my.afterdawn.com/dragondog/show_image.cfm/13296

the photo with the engin dress i want mine to look like that but red and it looks like there is a supercharger with it i can do without that too

 

rice = adding parts/crap to your car that adds no increase in performance and lacks any real aesthetic taste or value.

the k&n filter may help with more air, but it's not going to change the exhaust sound at all. all you're hearing is a louder intake. to change the exhaust note, you'll need at least a new muffler. better to get a catback or full exhaust, though.

to set up a car properly, you need to do it in stages.

first, do the suspension. get it to carve the corners. then re-learn how to drive it.

then, do the brakes. you want it to stop well! then re-learn to drive...again.

finally, work on power. if you can't take the corners and get the car stopped first, the power will only get you in trouble. finally, re-learn the car.

graphics, excessive ugly paint, text on your windows, neon lighting, fart can exhaust...that's all rice stuff that will only get laughs. if you want to do a car right, the best way to go is either with the sleeper look or with clean-cut and smooth body work.

 

whats a fart can exahust is it like a glasspack cuz yea im not into glasspack im into and like you said catback system...and what is the sleeper look so far the car still looks stock looks like the supra just with four headlamps....backend starting with the fenders are smothly widened out 94 99(SUPRA).

PAINT-i was thinking purl red candy coated or is candy too much
ENGIN-i was thinking turbo system with catback exahust system and intercoolor with k and n filter coldair - and speed chip
trany-leave 5spd change clutch and flywheel not sure what else i can do with trany
suspen-adjustable air-ride unknow brand
brakes-drilled holes disk brakes front and back unknown brand
body-unknown body style

 

fart cans are those huge mufflers that make a honda civic sounds like the voice of an angry god. they are a sin against all that is good.

red will get you in trouble, lol. if you do red, drive like grandma. if you go candy, do it right: lots and lots of clear coats. other than that, sounds good.

if you add a turbo, you have to remember to do it right: naturally aspirated engine blocks need a complete rebuild to run more than about 5 pounds of boost. that means new pistons, rings, headwork, etc etc. also, you'll need to start using premium gas.

if you go with a turbo giving more than 25% of your current power setup full-time, you need to do some tranny work. clutch and flywheel are definite requirements, but if you run power, expect to blow that tranny. either a swap from a car that runs a beefier version of your engine, or some stronger gears (RA, PPG, something like that) to handle the power. and when you do that, don't forget you'll probably need new axles, too. and a stronger rear-end will only improve things.

air ride has a lot of pros and a lot of cons. *if* you definitely decide on it, go with the most top-end system you can afford. do not cheap out on this one.

brands matter on the brakes. if you're going with drilled and slotted rotors, then get a good brand. don't just drill/slot your current ones--this will get you killed. go at least with 4-pot brakes all the way around, with some real good ceramic pads. like i said, brand matters. brembo is worth it.

as for the body, like i said, i like the paint idea. that would be real clean. if your car is front wheel drive (and i'm pretty sure it is), please leave off the rear wing/spoiler. this is just killing your gas mileage, making life rougher on your suspension, and declaring your...ricerhood tinted windows are always hot, *good* (not cheapie) wheels to match your good rubber, etc etc. stay away from carbon fiber. i know it's hot right now, but it's not your friend. a little research will tell you why.

if you replace your bumpers or add side skirts, or do a full on body kit, just remember that the true point is to make the car more aerodynamic. go with something smooth that will flow air up over and around your car. i highly recommend a urethane front bumper/lip with air shocks and such a low car.

 

what would be a good size rim right now i have 16in coustom rims

i heard that only if ur car can put it out you can go with bigger

 

I had air ride on my car (my pic is when it was still installed), but took it off, didn't like the ride and it was messing up the rear suspension. I agree with Aus, stay away from carbon fiber. My hood looked great when I got my car, now it is all hazy and looks like crap (hot Vegas sun didn't help).

 

rim size is a big variable there, amigo. if you go with an overall change in tire height, you'll need to have your speedometer recalibrated. if you keep the stock height, then the taller the rim you get, the shorter your tire sidewall becomes (and you need low-profile tires). now, low profile tires are great on the track and in the racing scene, but for the stiff sidewalls and such, you trade in a lot of ride comfort. plus, if you go the drag strip, you can't really air your tires down as much (for more traction and acceleration). also, bigger wheels are heavier, which puts more stress on a (stock) drivetrain and will suck more fuel.

with me, i like stock/simple wheels. on your car, 16 is pretty good. 17 inch wheels would have lots of tire options and give you a bit more road worthiness. just remember there's always pros and cons. however, i really wouldn't ever go larger than 17 inch'ers on a little import like that. you're just setting yourself up for expensive...mistakes.

more power makes running bigger wheels more feasible, yes, but remember: you're not rockin' much power right now. toyota's run forever, but the celica doesn't have the strong drivetrain components out of the box to slap easily-installed performance parts on and call it a day. you need to get down to the nitty-gritty to do it right.

sly: thanks for the input. yeah, carbon was neat at first, but nowadays, *everyone* is using it. it's purpose is to save weight, but they just slap it over the sheet metal and proclaim rice. plus, it's not really that safe in an impact. it doesn't crumple like metal, it creates frickin' schrapnel.



while i'm thinking about it, if you want to lose weight (and improve mileage and performance) without stripping your car too much, dragondog, try an aluminum hood and deck lid.

weight distribution is important, too. your car is front wheel drive, so think this one out: if you're mainly drag racing, it's good to keep that weight on the front end, but everything from the front axle back could be lightened up. however, if the car is going to be on the road a lot, or seeing days at any track besides a straight line, you want some even weight distribution. move the battery to the trunk, along with anything else you can move out of the engine bay. that, with a good suspension, will help you take the corners.

also, front wheel drive cars tend to understeer. when you do your suspension, concentrate on your alignment and a nice big rear swaybar, to help the rear end swing out a bit.

please, dragondog, drive it easy on the street and keep the racing on the track. let's keep it safe for everyone and keep us from losing another good forum member.

 

thanks aus..always keepin safe......the pic that sly has up the front bumper thats what i was looking into for the celica but diff side skirts.

im not sure what size rimes or tires where on it (STOCK) before i got it but when i got it it had 16in rims with 204 sidwall tires couple days later had a blowout so now i got alot bigger side wall tires (ALL 4)...all i could get concidering where i had the blowout...i dont feel the power it had with the 204s,......


so i should move the batt to the trunk and look into an alumi hood?

i got two sub 12 in an oversized box loud as he..........got no trnk space any more, would love to get rid or the waight but love the sound...rockford fosgate subs amp and cap.



and could air intake is that where the filter runs from between the fans and engin to the intake or just from anywere in front of the car?......and is there any special modding for a performance chip or do you recomend reprograming the ecu and forget bout the chip

 

wait, so you kept your stock wheels and got oversized tires? not only is your speedo telling you you're going slower than you actually are, but you mileage will drop and your drivetrain is going to have some excessive wear. best thing you can do is find a wheel and tire combo you like that has the same overall height as your original setup, or some good tires in the original size for the wheels you have now. and sell those oversize things.

if you're going to be spending more time having fun on the road, taking lots of turns and not as many straight lines, then yeah, move some weight to the trunk. battery there is good.

and aluminum hood and deck lid will both shave off a good bit of weight.

heheh, i bet those subs are loud, but that isn't accurate sound. in your celica, you wouldn't need anything more than a single 10-inch, probably in a bazooka tube, for accurate sound.

if you put on a cold air intake, you want to run it either to the opening in your fender for fresh air, or down to near the front bumper for fresh air. be sure to use a heat sheat, or you'll just be sucking in the hot air from the engine and do no good.

however, until you've done all the other work and are ready to pull the engine and start building it, you really don't need anything more than a K&N filter popped in the stock airbox.

have you decided if you're going to go turbo or stay naturally aspirated? if you're going turbo, buy your exhaust last, as you won't be able to re-use it from a naturally aspirated setup.

and if you go turbo, best thing to do is just buy a separate engine block and start building that so you can keep the celica as a daily driver. then, you can just do an engine swap and pop in your engine management in a day.

i don't know of any chips for your car, but only get one (and a reflash for your ECU) if you're not going turbo. if you go turbo, it's just a waste of money, as you'll have to buy an engine management system anyway.

 

no no sry for the confusion there were no stock tires on the car when i git it the guy be4 me had already swaped out rim along with tires, rim brand is platnum....never herd of it till i got the car....the tires he had on them were low pro. tires and thoes are what blew out on me.....when the lows were on it i felt as if the spedo was off...never had it checked.....but after the blow out i had normal size tires put on the 16in platnum rim and then had a cop radar check my speed and it was accurate to all diff speeds tested....so i think the guy didnt have it calibrated when he switch but now it feels im going the right speed....


and as for turbo i would like the power i would get from it but there so much work and money to put in it.....not that i mind the work i love working on cars just i think im a little old fasion because learned my skillz from and ordenary mechanic...my dad.....and im 22 and trying to do some quick learning on what im behind on.....i do like the thought of getting another block and rebuilding on that and when finneshed do a swap...just finding another block for a good price and a place to work on it is a bit of a problem............
oh yea and whats a deck lid? is that a trunk lid?

 

well, shorter tires would basically change the car's final drive ratio, so yeah, you'd be accelerating more quickly and lose top end. it's better to be back at stock size, though, than down to something smaller.

turbo is a good option, it's just that you want to build an engine for it, or you're severely limited in your potential. you could pop a turbo kit on, but you can't crank it up very high on natural aspiration internals. swap is the way to go, just takes some time.

"deck lid" is the proper name for the trunk lid, lol. the deck is the flat area behind your rear window, the trunk is the big storage spot.


there's a old saying that's real important to remember when building cars. here you go:

"Cheap.
Quick.
Reliable.

Pick 2."

 

oh yea iv heard that b4 but what im looking for is quick and reliable with some hook ups from the down-low you know lol......
so whats the best way of getting another motor for it? from the junk yard? and would it be better to get the same kind of motor or one that is better but small enough to fit under the hood....cuz so far what i have is a 2.2 gt non gts are 1.8 not to sure how many 2.2 motors in good shape i can find...maybe i should find a supra motor...pretty sure it will fit with the car being the same and all except motors...what do u sudgest

 

depends on the strength of the block. with subarus, you can turbo the old 1.8 liter engines to 300 horsepower at the crank and it will run a good long time. with the toyota block, i don't know.

the mods depend on your means. best thing to do would be to order a complete drivetrain, already modded and ready to be dropped in. but i don't know if you could swing that. if you're unsure what you will do in the long run, you might as well grab a 2.2 from a junkyard and experiment with the block. grab a few trannies, too, if you can--if you start building power, you'll go through them until you get one with some strong gears.

*edit*
the sky is the limit, really. if you want to keep a daily driver with a nice boost of power, keep the 2.2. if you want a high-revving, loud car that can put out nearly the same level of power as the 2.2 and will probably be cheaper to find parts for and work on, get the 1.8. if you have cash and want a track car or something that sucks a lot of fuel, get a supra engine.

 

talking to some other guy he says that if i start supein this car up to expect to rebuild after a couple of yeras or after 100k milis he said that no engin can be fixed up and for a daily job car and yet still run 9 to 10 sec on the track without have to rebuild all the time witch will then hurt me on getting to work all the time not sure if hes just trying to give me bad confindence or if hes right but from what iv seen my self my friend had a 69 mustang and worked with me (we {worked} just down the street from the track) and he would take the mustang to race and run a 10 easy and as far i knew there were a few tune up done to it but never had to rebuild

 

depends on the kind of car; the bigger the displacement, the easier on the engine it is to build power. that mustang was probably 6+ liters. your engine is just over a third of that.

don't even expect your car to run below 12. you're talking pretty much a full-time track car below that, and one that's damn to expensive to keep insured and on the road daily unless you have cash falling out of your hind end.

without a turbo and only N/A work, you're looking at 14s at best, i'd say. with a turbo and still able to drive daily, somewhere in the 12s. the more power you build, the less time an engine will last.

standard practice is to consider a car reliable for 100k miles, anyway. beyond that, it's just luck til you have to rebuild it. that's just a rule for any car, though. many cars out there will run for 250 k before they need an engine rebuild...just not cars running power.

 

is this type of wing not worth it i mean i dont want something that will hurt me but i do want i little bit of a style on the back, and the tail lights are what im getting, and the body kit of that front shot, would that work for areo dynamics

 

heres a pic of my car.....that i will never owne...i love the blower its like mad max

 

'70 challenger? nice.

you can buy stuff for *just* looks, yeah, but that will only get you profiled by police and get ricers to annoy you. the wing on that car won't really do you any good below about 120 mph, and how often will you be seeing those kind of speeds on a daily driver?

i think a nice, subtle and low spoiler would be nice on your car. but then again, i'm all about subtle.