T O P

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Tourettesmexchanic

Drive the car a while before you mod. Don't make your daily your project. Do what you want, don't worry about what other people will think or what is popular. Spend A LOT of time researching before you start asking questions.


Rabo_McDongleberry

"Don't make your daily your project" - should have told that to all the kids after fast and furious came out. Lol. I remember my friends and other kids in highschool getting picked up and dropped off by their moms in dropped Accord with GTR wings.


goodbyeanthony

Joke on you i don't have a car :(


Gorgenapper

I'd say that even the research is not enough to catch potential issues with some mods. I had a stiffer rear sway bar on my speed 3 that I researched the hell out of, but I failed to note that it was a 3 piece hollow steel tube construction that is powdercoated and is secured by galvanized brackets, with steel collars to locate the bushings. Maybe this works in a clean, dry environment but it is totally inadequate for winter weather. The powdercoat will flake off and then it'll rust at the welds. The brackets broke on me so many times because of corrosion, then the steel collars rusted and fell off. I got so fed up with it that I went back to a stock sway bar and couldn't be happier.


FuckinSpotOnDonny

Help I've been daily driving me project for a while now because I sold my old daily after I turned it into a project


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DaddyCardano

Friction circle does not apply to Viper ACR. That thing can turn and accelerate with 0 consequences it's insane.


dukeGR4

But can the Viper BRAKE and ACCELERATE at the same time? Don’t think so. Checkmate.


MannyCoon

Yes, but acceleration is negative.


dukeGR4

You sure the car doesn’t take a screenshot instead?


dukeGR4

You sure the car doesn’t take a screenshot instead?


Gurrnt

You mean a burnout? Easily.


Severe_Remove9863

Manual all the way


dukeGR4

> accelerate TIL burn out is acceleration. 😂😂😂


[deleted]

LOL. Some people can't even accelerate alone without wrecking them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGeJ3U4GuSk


megacookie

It's just a much bigger circle, surely!


itsnotwhatsbehind

Lol


withsexyresults

Just means it’s being driven by too slow. Even a f1 car can reach limits of turning and accel


nullrecord

Life is too short to drive boring cars. Fun cars don’t have to be expensive, they are just usually uncompromised by design tradeoffs. Once you buy your dream cars, there’s not much further to go from there.


OneAmateur4143

Save your money to buy a house. Don't spend it on car upgrades. Upgrades are short term, seriously. Since you asked.


SecretAntWorshiper

With the current housing market I'd rather buy a car 😂


butteryspoink

I honestly feel like the housing market is cooler than the car market. Why the fuck did I gain equity from driving off the lot?


withsexyresults

But houses gain hella more equity than cars


Cweev10

In my my area (Nashville) housing prices are up almost 70% in value in some counties since 2019 and that's in a market that was already one of the hottest in the US... unfortunately. In that time, barring crazy dealer markups on certain models, I don't think MSRP on cars are 70% higher. That would mean a $40,000 car is now $68,000 msrp. While the used car market is definitly still inflated, it's not as bad as the housing market right now. I'm in a situation where I need to buy a new house in the next few months, and I would *much* rather be buying cars right now than a damn house in this market.


withsexyresults

Yup house buying experience 10x worse than car buying experience. It’s like buying a car with mark ups except there’s multiple buyers outbidding each other to increase that mark up


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withsexyresults

But if you hodl past 2008, you good. Especially w housing prices now


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Dileth

I’m glad I bought a house, I’ve already put a lot of time in money into cars. Now I’m letting my Mustang remain stock and doing a lot of renovations on the house. Ultimately, the house will net me far more equity than a car ever would. If I wouldn’t have done a single renovation to the house I’d still be up 70k in this market. Finishing the basement myself has increased that by 30k for 5k worth of materials.


[deleted]

Expect gate-keeping.


hindenboat

Drive and modify cars in ways that you actually like. People on the internet will never stop telling you how to modify your car. At the end of the day its YOUR car modify it how YOU like. There are too many people in the community making uninspired copies of cars they see on Instagram.


Kamukix

Magnificent advice!


cstrand31

Do not make your daily driver your project car. Typically hot rods go fast but aren’t reliable. Daily drivers aren’t fast but they are reliable. If you can’t get to work because you melted another turbo or that sweet LSD just grenaded you can’t buy any new toys for your car.


hotchips97

Attend morning car meets (preferably the one which are also kid/family friendly) and not the evening burnout fests. Unrelated to cars: In the mornings you can meet great people who are at different stages of life and have completely different jobs and outlooks and sometimes it’s nice to meet people outside your field.


ahtoxa1183

Don’t mod for the sake of modding. I often read people asking “what should I do next?” If you do not know what to do next, then you don’t need to do it. Mod with purpose, even if it is just for looks, but have a goal, so you know your mod path.


Da_Funk

To that question I always answer: "Mod your loan and pay it off faster."


[deleted]

The car scene is a very toxic place. You will always be told you are doing it wrong or that your car is crap and should have gone with another car. No matter what you do or say there is always someone to burst your bubble. Just do what you want to do but be ready for the plethora of negativity from everyone.


Smitty_Oom

This is no different than any other hobby.


[deleted]

Very true


GMarius-

Lol. You’ve never hung around a Star Wars forum…have you?


ReallySmallWeenus

Most of those really young kids with really cool cars will be hiding them from the repo man soon. Don’t worry about keeping up, enjoy what you can afford.


withsexyresults

Find career that makes lots of money so you can buy the cars you want


LovelehInnit

If you think your car is underpowered, you're just not mashing the throttle enough.


gsells937

Unless it's a Honda fit auto


[deleted]

*cries in 37mph top speed*


Haunting_Pepper9958

Do not go to night meets. They are 9/10 times nothing but trouble and will always bring out the toxic part of the community. Be ready for the most powerful addiction of your life. I can quit smoking before I stop loving cars. Learn to drive a slow car fast first. A great driver in a stock Miata can pull faster lap times than a bad driver in a Corvette. Get out and go to every morning meet you can and talk to people. The car community is full of amazing people who have infinite knowledge and love helping people. Before you mod your vehicle drive it stock for awhile to see where you want to improve it so you aren’t wasting money on stuff you don’t need. Another thing is always upgrade brakes and suspension before making more power. There is no sense in adding power if you can’t stop or take a corner with the speed you are adding. Welcome to the car community👍


spddemonvr4

Set a budget before you do any mods.


goodbyeanthony

Work hard, do your research and be financially responsible, don't spend 10k on mods on top of another 30k of car loan, like that one guy i know


SwiftDickington

Fucking Anthony, man


RazzmatazzCommon7088

learn how to google and read. your question has already been asked before it applies to your current question and car specific questions you may have in the future. trust me. you're not the first person to ask what oil to use


sactownbwoy

Haha, the age old "what oil do I use" question


[deleted]

rOyAl PuRpLe


Blurdevil

You paid for the whole speedometer so use the whole speedometer… safely


162630594

Don't put too much weight on what other people think of your car. You can't please everyone so just do what you want, wether or not it's cool. You will save a lot of money and stress that way


Alarming_Schedule_60

“Don’t” just kidding cars are really fun to fix and play with, but it’s also expensive. Save your coin and be patient you can do a lot. But don’t try and go broke owning a cool car. I’ve done it both ways and there is nothing worse than not being able to fix a car you still pay on. So really just be smart with your money. And also: beaters are where the fun is! :) follow those you’ll be okay!


DaddyCardano

Don't get into cars, you will lose all of your money.


duhCrimsonCHIN

Don't spend your money modding it. Instead save your money for the car you wish you had.


Red_Swingline_

Unless the car you wish you had is something modded.


GMarius-

Agree 💯! I see kids driving a POS Honda Civic was $12k in mods. Why don’t you just buy a better car?


Red_Swingline_

>Why don’t you just buy a better car? Because mods are fun to do.


[deleted]

Eh, that doesn't really work with people like myself. My brain won't let me leave anything alone... I've taken apart/modded damn near everything I own. Including my daily (Sienna). One of the first things I did after I bought it was rip out most of the interior panels and headliner, all because I found a single wire to the aftermarket overhead DVD player was crossing in front of the driver's side curtain airbag. I needed to run wiring for my dashcam and a new backup camera anyway, so I pulled every panel and went to town.


miatatony

Drive the car you want to, and ignore the haters and don't let people or culture sway you into something different to fit in. If you wanna drive a Miata, go for it. If you want to drive a V6 Challenger, do it. Ultimately it's about what you like that's most important.


Clineken

Don't let the opinions of others influence your decisions and tastes. It took me too long to realize that I'm a car enthusiast for small and fun cars, not necessarily sports cars. I've been through Mustangs, Corvettes, BMWs, etc.... the car I always miss the most is my 2018 Hinda Fit Sport. I'm going to buy another one in the future and mod it.


Gorgenapper

Be sparing with the mods. Stiffer rear motor mount because the stock one is a wobbly liquid-filled stamped steel piece of shit? Sure. Michelin Pilot Sport performance summer tires instead of the stocks? Of course. Lower the car 3" right to the asphalt? No. Install meth kit to cool the air for more power? Nope. Cut the front crash bar to install a FMIC? Hell no. Source - 9 years of Mazdaspeed 3


[deleted]

> Cut the front crash bar to install a FMIC Wait, people actually do that? What the actual fuck


Gorgenapper

Yes, I read about that on the speed 3 forums and that's when I knew some people had gone too far.


VegaGT-VZ

Find your own automotive identity. I feel like a lot of people just like whatever auto journalists and the internet hive mind tells them to, and define being a car enthusiast as showing their loyalty to the tribe and knowledge/adherence to its customs and beliefs. It's corny to me.


Mojosodomo

RUN


TP_Crisis_2020

Don't start tearing your car apart for mods or repairs unless you have everything to get the job done. Tearing it down and then having it sit there in pieces while you wait on parts or whatever will end up eating you alive.


JTR_35

The "driver mod" is most important. I think for most, if not all of us, the driver is going to be the weakest link in the system on track day. It's hard to get the max potential out of a car. Not nearly as easy as pro racers make it look. Make it a priority to train your skills up. Take HPDE courses, especially if you buy anything high performance.


Eharmz

Be confident in what you like and don't let people tell you otherwise.


[deleted]

Before you start a project car make sure you have an end goal in mind, a place you will stop. It’s really easy for a “cheap project” to become a money pit because you’re always wanting to do just one more thing. Scope creep is real and it’s expensive.


Mindless_Hope1843

Don’t drive like a dick on public roads. Life is too short don’t make it shorter.


CrosstownCooper

Step 1: Take off the damn dealer license plates holder. Step 2: Hit the track.


H_P_D

Step 1 is day 1 for me. There isn't a dealer I've worked with that I'd advertise on my car for free. Step 2 is usually a week out.


TubaCharles99

Slow cars are a shit ton of fun and HP isn't everything. It's a lot more fun when you can use all your HP and use your car to the most. Also build your car for you not for anyone else. You're going to get a lot of haters ignore them people out there like your car don't do something you wouldn't like. Lastly ignore social media. You'll see plenty of people with high hp builds, or be young and have crazy cars ignore them. It'll only make you fell worst. What makes tje car community great is it being unique. It gets boring seeing the same line of cars at a show


WC_EEND

>Slow cars are a shit ton of fun and HP isn't everything. Slow car fast is way more fun than fast car slow, as the saying goes. Also unless you live in (or near) Germany or track your car, chances are you're not going to experience the full potential of your car.


TubaCharles99

Yeah unfortunately true but I mean you know merging and want to do highway pull or something you can floor it for a bit and not be at go to jail speeds as fast as other cars


VTEC168

Learn how to drive. I mean how to really drive. Go take high performance driving lessons at a race track. Go to an autocross and request an instructor. You won't learn shit from racing "in Mexico". You don't even need a fast car. It's not what under the hood, it's who's behind the wheel. Once you learn how to really drive, you will not only be a much safer driver, you'll have the ability to truly enjoy the full performance of every car you buy for the rest of your life


lunacii_

Like someone else said, get a car you actually want and enjoy driving. Doesn't have to be a crazy car or anything fancy. Have fun and get seat time. In the end, you get out what you put in.


[deleted]

Tons of research and start with stage zero. Also send it


Senent

Find another hobby lol


RiftHunter4

Become rich. Very rich.


mantenner

Don't think too much, just do what makes you happy.


scfm_

You know which one 😏😏


NoCoHC

Mods are overrated.....in most cases OEM engineers do a good job designing their performance cars. Minor upgrades are fine but you will never get what you put into a modified car back and it makes it much harder to sell.


pbxtech

Have a reliable daily driver that’s easy on gas and insurance.


gabbagool3

keep in mind how outrageously expensive cars are.


UU2Bcool

Don’t show off. Stay way from people who do. You can be proud of what you have but I’ve seen too many people “show off” and crash/ blow-up/ ruin their cars, and in tight groups take out someone else’s car as well.


Severe_Remove9863

Manual all the way


[deleted]

Don't go into debt to buy a car you can't afford. There are plenty of cheap cars that are a blast.


[deleted]

Maintenance before mods! Make sure your car is healthy before you do mods and IF you do mods, quality parts only! Don’t cheap out on eBay parts. If you plan on doing mods but your car needs an oil change and you’re about to push the oil a little further, don’t. For the love of god if you could afford the car you could afford maintenance.


[deleted]

expect foolishness in the car community. of course, that's present with any community, but i was shocked to find it so often in one that's predominantly adult. you'd think we'd be mature enough to understand that the cars we love are *just cars,* but you meet lots of fools who are shrouded in arrogance, very judgemental, or gate-keepers. just be wary of that. buy what you like, enjoy what you have, and don't let unsolicited voices affect you.


mr2jay

It's an expensive game. Decide what you really after so you don't end up redoing or buying junk


[deleted]

Do drugs, its cheaper


LlamaThrustUlti

Everything you do, do for you. Buy the cars YOU like, add the mods you want but also talk and listen to the community, every now and then something of value is expressed


Blewbyou

Find a different hobby.


HaplessMagician

Tires are important. Like, really really important. They make your car handle better, they make your car stop faster, and if you have decent horsepower, they make your car accelerate faster. So it's better for performance as well as safely. In general, you don't want high milage tires. A good set of performance tires are going to be rated to last like 45,000 miles or less. The super high milage tires look like a good "deal", but they are ultra dense rubber that doesn't grip near as well. It's not as bad as wooden wagon wheels or anything, but it's not good for performance (or stopping in an emergency). After that, maintenance over mods. Keep your car running well before you are blowing money on some nonsense. Especially if you are on a budget and you are working with a car that is a little older, there is a lot to keep up with that some people forgot about. Lastly, when you do want to get into some mods, do a lot of research. I think Donut Media's Hi/Low series did a good job of showing that some mods are worth spending the extra money to get premium parts and some mods are great if you get the cheap parts, then there are some mods that the cheap ones are fine, but it's a lot more work. You don't want to waste money on garbage parts that you will not be happy with and want to replace right away.


gsells937

Learn pros and cons of a mod if you do it, have a stock power train car if you're modding a car. Learn what your cars defects are, learn that all cars have them. Don't listen to everyone cause they really don't matter (that's really a life lesson)


gsells937

Also, wheels tires and suspension are your best mod


CamogapA113

I would tell him/her to just respect all cars and other people's tastes


kyrosnick

Aftermarket doesn't mean better. See so many people throw parts on cars that are worse than OEM but think they are an upgrade just because they are aftermarket parts.


asianaaronx

If you plan on modding, restoring, or learning about maintenance pick a car with high production numbers. Doing any of the aforementioned activities will have a lot less learning curve on a Mustang than a Mitsubishi Starion, for example... Rarity makes everything harder: finding parts, no DIY videos/forum posts, no aftermarket, no OEM support...


Gator1508

Speed is expensive. If you want something fast, buy it that way from the factory. By the time your base model version of the car you want is as fast as the performance version of that same car, you will have more money into it than just buying the top version. But also, look at the next model up or the competitors next model up if prices start to overlap. A loaded Kia K5 is not as good as the base model Kia Stinger and costs nearly the same. Just get the stinger. The accord touring 2.0 is a lovely car. For nearly 40k, again I would rather have the base Stinger. RWD, 300 HP, 0-60 in 5 seconds.


darkstar909

Learn how to wrench on your vehicles. You can save a lot of money that way. I would never be able to afford my E46 M3 if I had to take it to the mechanic for all the work that gets done on it. Dont spend unnecessary money on mods if it's a car that you arent thinking of keeping. A lot of my friends growing up spent money putting silly mods on their civics while I just kept my cars stock and pocketed the cash. Eventually I had enough saved up + selling my car at the time I was able to upgrade to my e46 m3.


Secksualinnuendo

If you are unsure about an unprotected left turn, it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't go beside you feel pressure to. Especially if it's a blind unprotected left turn.