Performance or Exterior?

[camrycev6]

All,

I figured the best place to put this post was in the "general" area because it really can't go under performance or exterior exclusively. My question is simple:

If you have a fixed, moderate, amount of money (say $1500-$2000), do you spend it on making your car look better, or making it run better?

For me, it is a no brainer. My car looks good stock, so why not have put the money into making it a beast on the road? Sure...if I had $15,000 - $20,000 to spend, I could do whatever I wanted --- and no offense --- I wouldn't have got a MS3. I see so many "ricey" looking cars that have 19-20" rims, a foil on the back the size of Rhode Island, mod lights, ground effects, etc., but when you come down to it, a lot (NOT ALL!) of these cars can't do jack above a stock car. In fact, many of them (especially with the larger wheels) perform worse.

After all, you are the one who drives the car, why not take care of making yourself happy first? For me, that is about the driving experience, not necessarily how it looks on the outside. (Keep in mind the car already looks good...I am not talking about driving a car with different sized wheels covered in primer.)

Opinions anyone?

On a side note...I am not looking at sound improvements. While certainly a creature comfort, they don't fall under performance or exterior improvements.

 

[CTGrey02]

Invest that money and call it a day. You'll never see a return on it and once you modify one thing you'll inevitably have to modify something else to balance the car out again. It never ends. I've got over 20k in my Mustang on top of purchase price... still not perfect.

 

[TheDutchGun]

Agreed. But if you have to choose between those 2, the car already looks great and I always say if it doesn't add horsepower or improve performance in some way, it isn't worth time/money.

 

[camrycev6]

Agreed. But if you have to choose between those 2, the car already looks great and I always say if it doesn't add horsepower or improve performance in some way, it isn't worth time/money.

Yep...my thoughts as well.

CTGrey02....I completely understand what you are saying as well. I had a 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe. I put $12,000 into it and was still spending more...it was one badass car though and I had the dynos and run times to prove it. She was missed...but not as badly now. After my MS CAI / Cat-back install tomorrow, I should be around 300HP.

 

[Chrisq0904]

I think you should put it towards performance! Why have it look good on the outside if you drive inside?

 

[gone_fishin]

Invest that money and call it a day. You'll never see a return on it and once you modify one thing you'll inevitably have to modify something else to balance the car out again. It never ends. I've got over 20k in my Mustang on top of purchase price... still not perfect.

Keepsake advice right there. Don't forget the cost of the divorce settlement. But if you've got some extra cash to burn, performance all the way.

 

[camrycev6]

Keepsake advice right there. Don't forget the cost of the divorce settlement. But if you've got some extra cash to burn, performance all the way.

and...$20K on your Mustang! For $21K you could have a stage 3 Roush:

http://www.roushperformance.com/mustang_st3.shtml

I hope it compares well....

 

[ReFlex]

I don't know if it is only me, but everytime someone mods their car in any sort it feels as if its turning into a "rice car"...maybe its because i see to much of it

 

[gone_fishin]

I don't know if it is only me, but everytime someone mods their car in any sort it feels as if its turning into a "rice car"...maybe its because i see to much of it

I think there's such a thing as tasteful modification. People modify with different ends in mind-- some are aiming to build outrageous show cars, some want a happy medium between external mods and performance mods on a daily driver, and some (like me) would rather invest all that would-be spent money into their daily driver where it counts (performance) and leave the exterior completely stock.

If you are modifying a daily driver, I think a good rule of thumb is always to ask yourself, could this be passed off as a factory upgrade? I think that's an excellent guideline to go by-- it helps things to stay clean and look professionally and tastefully done-- not gaudy and ridiculous (the staple of the riceboy MO).

 

[wishingfora ms3]

i think "rice" is an attitude more than a look. there are people out there who's parents should still be looking after them on a permit because they seriously act like jerk offs.
take the honda civic. rice car of choice for all ricers. all it is is a car. but when a "rice" attitude is added, i think the car is a ricer then.
i think you should do what ever you want to your car as long as you know what you are doing and you are not blowing your money pointlessly just to make a car faster. after all any car is just a car at the end of the day. just my opinion.

 

[nondual]

I think there's such a thing as tasteful modification. People modify with different ends in mind-- some are aiming to build outrageous show cars, some want a happy medium between external mods and performance mods on a daily driver, and some (like me) would rather invest all that would-be spent money into their daily driver where it counts (performance) and leave the exterior completely stock.

If you are modifying a daily driver, I think a good rule of thumb is always to ask yourself, could this be passed off as a factory upgrade? I think that's an excellent guideline to go by-- it helps things to stay clean and look professionally and tastefully done-- not gaudy and ridiculous (the staple of the riceboy MO).

Yes!

Except maybe wheels. Swampass's wheels don't look stock, but they look pretty cool (I'd probably have gotten silver/chrome instead of black, but whatever). They don't look rice. Spinners are ghetto/rice. Intricate 'spiderweb' wheels are rice. Anything that looks tasteful and reduces your unsprung weight 6lbs/wheel is a performance mod, imho.

 

[TheDutchGun]

Yes!

Except maybe wheels. Swampass's wheels don't look stock, but they look pretty cool (I'd probably have gotten silver/chrome instead of black, but whatever). They don't look rice. Spinners are ghetto/rice. Intricate 'spiderweb' wheels are rice. Anything that looks tasteful and reduces your unsprung weight 6lbs/wheel is a performance mod, imho.

Those wheels are definitely added with performance in mind. The fact that they look good is a definite bonus though. The goal for my car would be to end up around 450 hp at the wheels while still looking as close to stock as possible on the outside. This means using a supercharger setup that fits under the stock hood etc....you get the idea.

 

[ReFlex]

I think there's such a thing as tasteful modification. People modify with different ends in mind-- some are aiming to build outrageous show cars, some want a happy medium between external mods and performance mods on a daily driver, and some (like me) would rather invest all that would-be spent money into their daily driver where it counts (performance) and leave the exterior completely stock.

If you are modifying a daily driver, I think a good rule of thumb is always to ask yourself, could this be passed off as a factory upgrade? I think that's an excellent guideline to go by-- it helps things to stay clean and look professionally and tastefully done-- not gaudy and ridiculous (the staple of the riceboy MO).

You know what it is...I spot a lot of people trying to make their car look fast instead of it being fast...Examples, the fire extinguisher on the dashboard, the body kits that breaks ankles, the spoiler that is 1000 pounds and is bigger then fat albert himself...Just things I see on the daily...

 

[TX Speed 6]

Performance all the way, your car looks good stock!!! but it will run better modified.

And as far as my opinion on rice... If you get 20" rims, graphics, a stereo system that takes up your WHOLE trunk, or a shift knob from auto zone (well basically anything from autozone) thats rice. If its for performance or serves some true function, isn't that just good old hot rodding???

 

[Mocoso]

Looks come first....
1. Have to get the fart can exhaust
2. Hydraulic system to make the car bounce
3. Fuzzy Dice
4. La Cucaracha/Dixieland/TurninJapanesa Programmable Horn (cant discriminate now)
5. Boeing 737 Tail Rudder trimmed to act as a rear spoiler (rudder stolen out of the Mojave plane yard)
6. Chrome Spinners
7. Bobbing LA Dodgers head
8. Jack in the Box Antennae Head
9. Beads hanging from rear window
10. Favorite religious icon shift knob
11. Pine Tree Air Freshner hanging off the hula dancer stuck on dashboard
12. Tow hitch
13. Curb Feelers
14. Enough Neon to remind you of the way Vegas used to be
15. Shag Carpet dashboard cover
16. Fake wood trim kit
17. Anti-slip car wash quality steering wheel cover
18. Back-off Yosemite Sam mud guards
19. 101 "performance" stickers plastered on rear quarter panel
20. Ground effect trim pieces (hand painted)
did I miss any?

Performance... we dont need no stinking performance.....

 

[jeg0024]

Performance.

 

[CTGrey02]

and...$20K on your Mustang! For $21K you could have a stage 3 Roush:

http://www.roushperformance.com/mustang_st3.shtml

I hope it compares well....

Similiar power, better handling on mine and mine is lighter. Getting it over 400 at the wheels is going to require a new small block and thats big money right there. But you should see my point. You can toss some money into a car to make it perform, and the next year they release something that blows the entire platform away.

 

[camrycev6]

Looks come first....
1. Have to get the fart can exhaust
2. Hydraulic system to make the car bounce
3. Fuzzy Dice
4. La Cucaracha/Dixieland/TurninJapanesa Programmable Horn (cant discriminate now)
5. Boeing 737 Tail Rudder trimmed to act as a rear spoiler (rudder stolen out of the Mojave plane yard)
6. Chrome Spinners
7. Bobbing LA Dodgers head
8. Jack in the Box Antennae Head
9. Beads hanging from rear window
10. Favorite religious icon shift knob
11. Pine Tree Air Freshner hanging off the hula dancer stuck on dashboard
12. Tow hitch
13. Curb Feelers
14. Enough Neon to remind you of the way Vegas used to be
15. Shag Carpet dashboard cover
16. Fake wood trim kit
17. Anti-slip car wash quality steering wheel cover
18. Back-off Yosemite Sam mud guards
19. 101 "performance" stickers plastered on rear quarter panel
20. Ground effect trim pieces (hand painted)
did I miss any?

Performance... we dont need no stinking performance.....

Too funny.... I think you got them all.

 

[ch77]

I say any mods should be performance and handling oriented.

Or, if you don't want to touch that end of things, get some Dynamate Xtreme for the doors, the best speakers & amp you can afford, wiring kit, and maybe an aftermarket head unit. That's what I did to my old Protege 5; I wanted to make it fast, but it was an automatic - not my decision, that. So we gave it a great stereo and 'soundproofing'.

Now, with the MS3, I barely use the stereo, because I'm enjoying the various naughty sounds of the car.. I still have a nice amp, and a pack of Dynamat for the doors, but am considering selling them to my brother.

 

[ch77]

That said, I very much want to get a body-colored grill inset (what would you call it?) or AutoEXE front bumper or grill, but it looks like the whole bumper & grill set relocates the fog lights, and that I don't want to do.

Kind of starts to remind me of the new EVO's funky fog light positioning; bad design, I think. Overstyled, "look-at-me-I'm-a-superstar-DJ" or something. Mind, I do like the EVO, but not the looks of the latest ones.

Blah blah blah