If you could give advice for new tuners....

[NutBucket]

avoid using credit cards to buy car parts that you don't need asap.

This is the most important thing in the whole thread.

[Shippo]

you get what you pay for most of the time, just because a part is cheap doesn't make it a good idea unless your willing to replace it shortly because of it failing.


Also if something isn't working right, don't put off fixing it for too long cause it may cause other problems.

[Accord R33]

the best advice i can give, which has already been stated.

Knowledge = Power. and im not talking about the *** NBC commercials. i really mean.

More Knowledge = More Horsepower. its that simple

[H23Accord]

"Maintenance before mods."

[owequitit]

1) Maintenance - unless a car is properly maintained, you can pour all the money, time and power adders into the car that you want to. You aren't getting maximum benefit and are thus wasting your money, time and power adders.

It is also a good place to start learning mechanically. A good service manual will have everything you need to know, and if you get in a bind, you can use some common sense to get yourself out of it, or find someone readily available that knows the answer. Nothing extreme, nothing out of the box, but a good way to cut your teeth.

2) Research your path. Everything from bolt on stock motors to swaps to turbocharging is covered on this forum. If it isn't, many of the laws of physics that apply to another car also apply to yours. I.E. most of the information/basic principles/knowledge will work for you.

If you can't understand how something works, that is a good indication that you shouldn't be doing it. You are more than welcome to learn, but in order to avoid expensive lessons and extreme headaches, learn BEFORE you do (at least as much as you can).

3) Once you have made up your mind about which way to go, develop a plan on how to get there. You need to set a budget. I am keeping my car until it won't run anymore, so cost was less of an issue for me, because I can spread the cost over a long period of time. You also need to make a list of what you need to get to where you are going. If it isn't on the list, and can't be done for less than $10.00, don't buy it. Obviously this excludes maintenance. This will help keep your budget in check and keep the project on track. As you come across good deals on stuff that is on the list you can cross it off. Unfortunately, this method is very efficient, but doesn't always reward instant gratification. There are times you will be stockpiling stuff until you can put it on the car.

4) A general rule of thumb in life: You get what you pay for. This is as true with car parts as it is with everything else. In general if you pony up the extra cash for good stuff on the front end, you will save money in the long run. There are always people willing to rip you off though, so caveat emptor (buyer beware). If you find a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is.

5) Don't be afraid to make mistakes. EVERYBODY does it. I messed up a lot in the beginning, but I stuck to it, and there isn't much on a car that scares me now.

6) A lot of people on here know what they know because of experience. You can tell who they are because they back up what they say. I am not one to post pics, graphs or charts as proof positive, but I have also never said anything that I didn't know for sure either. The point is this:

"Learn from the mistakes of others, because you will never live long enough to make all of them yourself."

If you do your homework, plan, and stick to your guns, this chassis will NOT disappoint you for any amount of money. For less than 5K you can have a car that will outrun and outhandle new cars that cost 5-8 times as much. It might not register on the social scale, or be quite as refined, but it will be one hell of a ride. Or you can spend far less and still have one hell of a ride. After all, look how fun they are stock.

[blvs125]

make sure you have a second car before starting a project because once you start it gets so much attention people begin to hate, and be envious. they rather get the easy way than to work hard like us. also the more you invest into you car, the value doesn't mean it goes up too.

[cincy90h22]

owequitit said it perfect, i got nothin to add

[d112crzy]

my advice is simple.



STFU NOOB!!!


lol, jk. my real advise is search, research and re-research before you ask anything.

[Big Body LX]

As some other members have said... go your own direction. If your direction is the same direction everyone else is going... great. If your direction is old school style (clear corners, all clear tails, etc)... great. If your direction is what is referred to as "rice" (lots of stickers regardless where they're from, neons everywhere, spray painted parts such as red wiper blades on a black car).... great.

Don't expect everyone to agree with you on your style. Just try to do mods that you honestly believe will stay true throughout the years. Some things will never go out of style, and some things will. Ask yourself, do I think I'll be using this product 6 months down the road? If so, and you truely want it, and most importantly you have the money for it, get it.

Just remember, there is someone out there that likes your car the way you have it regardless how many people hate on it.... and that person is you, the only person that matters.