George K.
“Life is too short to drive a boring car.” But that doesn’t mean you have to shell out thousands of dollars to buy a Lambo. No matter which car you own and drive on a daily basis, you can turn it into a head turner and a performance beast with affordable parts upgrades.
The whole fun lies in building and not buying!
So, here are 6 car upgrades that you should get this weekend to change the way your car feels and drives forever.
Bite the tarmac
Unless you drive a Lambo, your stock tires won’t be able to support the increased performance that we are going to talk about later in this article.
One must agree that tires account for 70% aesthetics of your vehicle. Having a wider set of tires not only improves the handling and traction but also makes your car look beefier and attractive. Choosing the right alloy wheels is also crucial, but it’s all subjective and the choice may vary from person to person.
Striking the balance between price and performance.
If you are driving a hot hatch or a mid-size sedan, you can upgrade to the following tire specifications to enjoy the best of both worlds.
For a Hot Hatch – 205/55/R16
For a Mid-size Sedan – 215/40/R17
You can upgrade to the above tire size without having to tweak your suspension system. But if you don’t want half measures, here’s what you can do about your suspension system
Suspension
Your factory suspension system is designed to handle stock tyres. Also, they are not well-built to contain the body roll and negotiate undulations. This is why you need aftermarket suspensions to improve drive quality.
If you are into drifting or drag racing, you might want to lower your springs to keep your car planted during the action and ensure smooth driving.
Also, depending on the road conditions and driving preference, you can choose between soft and stiff suspensions. For better handling and shock absorption at higher speeds, stiff suspensions are recommended, whereas, for a comfortable drive at lower speeds, soft suspensions are the best bet.
Air Intake
Now, this is where you can take the engine performance up a notch. Performance air filters are proven to add up to 50 horses, depending on the stock power of your engine. The bigger the stock motor, the more will be the increase in horsepower.
There are two ways to go about it. If you are concerned about your car’s warranty, you can buy a replacement performance air filter that will be the same shape & size as the stock filter. However, if your car is no longer covered under warranty, you can buy a conical air filter to put extra horses on the block.
Throttle response
Whether you are on a drag strip or pulling next to someone at a traffic signal, throttle response is important for a quicker launch. And you can improve that by installing a performance throttle body. The throttle body throws in the air as you hit the gas.
Even when you are not taking on your rivals, a performance throttle body can instantly make your car fun to drive, especially in lower gears.
Make it Louder
While making your car louder is not street legal, most car enthusiasts risk getting a ticket for the fun of it. If you are buying as per the permitted decibel limit, a little louder exhaust won’t hurt. Also, it brings a little horsepower boost to give you a leg up on fellow car enthusiasts.
Get the stopping power
With increased performance and wider tires, you will need to upgrade your brakes to ensure sufficient stopping power. Brembo brake pads would be the best bet here, as they offer superior bite and last longer than other performance brake pads.
Where to buy these parts?
Aftermarket performance parts aren’t always available at a local store. In most cases, you will have to order online. PartsGeek is one of the biggest online suppliers of car parts with US-wide shipping and manufacturer warranty. And there are millions of parts available for all models and makes.
