Modern Tuning Makes Maximizing Performance Much Faster
Chances are you’ve seen the Saturday afternoon show geared toward squeezing every droplet of power out of a 50s or 60s classic. You know–the one hosted by two middle-aged guys, one with a toupee that may as well have this is a toupee painted on it. They spend the entire half-hour show with a bunch of time-lapsed shots taken of them tearing the engine apart to put in highly-specialized, insanely expensive parts. Once the project’s done, they fire-up the dyno and laud the 3hp gain they received for about 4 hours of total work. If you’re like me, that’s not exactly how you want to spend a weekend, all for 3hp that you may not even notice with your rear-o-meter.
Fortunately, you’re probably also driving a computer-controlled vehicle, like most of the ones sold for the last 25 years or so. That makes tuning much easier, because a set of programming determines the way your engine performs. Replace the programming with a set geared toward performance, and you have near-instant power gains. Don’t get me wrong–there’s a lot to be said for the virtues of a computer-free classic that you have full control over. But, when it comes to getting more power in just a few minutes time without ripping your hands to shreds or spending thousands on obscure parts, a computer-controlled vehicle has a distinct advantage.
Exhaust Headers – A Crash Course On Automotive Performance
The problem is that most people have no clue where to start. Rather than getting on some forums and researching their options, most 17 year olds throw a tin can muffler on their 92 Civic and give performance parts a bad name.
You’ve probably seen the Fast and Furious and thought, Dang, those cars are sweet! But not all parts are created equal. Start by identifying your goals and expectations. Also, think about the long run. You might save a few bucks now by going with a new muffler, but if you pay a little more you can add a full exhaust and really see results.
4 Ways To Increase Automotive Performance
In these days of high gasoline prices, it may seem ridiculous to consider ways to increase your car’s performance as they are almost always associated with increased fuel consumption. However, there are four ways to increase performance that do not have to negatively impact your gas mileage. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
1. Reusable Air Filters. Landfills are stuffed with items we use once and then throw out. Auto air filters are one such item and through the life of a car you can go through 6-12 of them with no problem. For approximately three times the price, washable and reusable air filters are a great alternative. When you purchase one it likely will be the last air filter your car will ever need. Reusable air filters enable you to gain slight increases in horsepower and acceleration as well as to impact the environment in a positive way.
Aluminum and Magnesium Wheel Advantages for Automotive Performance in Luxury and Sport Applications
Mark Lisnyansky, President of Magnesium Inc. notes that, Wheel weight is very important to overall performance as it is key component in un-sprung vehicle mass. Generally, the accepted rule for thumb for predicting performance benefits from sprung vs. un-sprung weight reduction is a factor of approximately 41. For every pound of un-sprung mass eliminated a four fold advantage is gained in vehicle performance parameters. For example, forged magnesium, large diameter wheels ( 20-22) increase the weight advantage over aluminum by eliminating, on average, 70-75 lbs. un-sprung mass, which would provide the same acceleration time and braking distance benefit as eliminating 250-300 pounds from the vehicle engine, chassis or passenger compartment. Mr. Lisnyansky goes on to say that, By virtue of these lighter wheels, forged wheels are at least 20% lighter, sustaining equal loads with better characteristics, which is always easier on the car and its suspension. Lighter wheels also yield shorter breaking distance, which saves lives, shorter acceleration and reduces fuel consumption.
Automotive Performance Upgrades
Considering some performance enhancements to your car, or new to performance scene Here is an article designed to help you learn the basics.
First of all, you want to have a well-oiled machine in order to start performance work on your car. Keep up with the basic maintenance requirements and make sure everything else is performing as it should before you begin upgrading (i.e. no check engine light, no fluid leaks, etc.). However, you can incorporate performance enhancements into your basic maintenance as well. For example, if you have a car that’s due for a tune up, you can use Iridium spark plugs, and a K&N air filter, or upgraded ignition components such as MSD ignition products, bigger wires, etc. You also always want to use high-quality oil in your vehicle. Your vehicle is your baby, take care of it and it will reward you every day. High quality oil only costs a few dollars more, and you’ll drive with confidence knowing the internals of your engine are lubricated with the good stuff. Oils we recommend are Castrol GTX, Mobil 1 Synthetic, and Royal Purple.