Car Mods.

Dale.

Dale.

Bo Derek
Moderator
Messages
11,963
Name
Dale.
Edit My Images
Yes
As title, anybody ever modded a car, if only slightly?

I've currently got a Renault Twingo GT, in black, it replaced a car that I had a bit of a prang in last year( long story) and ended up writing it off. It's a 1.2 16v petrol turbo and is a pocket rocket. It's no Porsche killer but it can get up and go. I'm not into high speeds or boy racing but I do like my cars to be a little different, you don't see many GTs about. This car is a second car that we use as a runabout.

My GT though sounds a bit lame and I'm considering swapping over the exhaust for something a little better sounding. I don't want it to be heard from 3 miles away but I would like to hear the engine through the exhaust rather than just the engine, but nothing loud. This will probably be the only mod I would carry out as I don't want to get into heavy modding and the subsequent insurance difficulties. I may get the wheels powder coated too, that kind of thing. It's de-badged already. I considered induction, just to change the sound a little but then your into insurance concerns.


For the exhaust, it will either be a local fabricator who specialises or there is a KTec system that gets great reviews.

Anybody else tweaked theirs?


Heavily tonemapped, ghastly light image but it's the only one I have.

tp.jpg
 
You should notify your insurance of any modifications including the exhaust, not just induction.
How many silencers does your exhaust have? If it has two, just cut one out and replace it with a straight section of pipe. That should increase noise slightly. A performance air filter may also improve induction noise.
 
A specialist like Greenlight for insurance is a good place to start. Id look at the handling as well, lowered springs and a fast road setup.
 
is there an owners club any where?

i reckon a cheap k and n filter as said that will improve induction noise a bit and talk to a local firm about maybe replacing the rear section of your system with a stainless part.
 
Last edited:
nilagin said:
You should notify your insurance of any modifications including the exhaust, not just induction.
How many silencers does your exhaust have? If it has two, just cut one out and replace it with a straight section of pipe. That should increase noise slightly. A performance air filter may also improve induction noise.
Click to expand...


Indeed, they will be notified.

There is just one silencer plus the cat, which will be staying, so it will be a cat back system only.

I once had a stainless exhaust made for a jeep, it was a cat back and it sounded great, not loud, just burbly. I then had the cat replaced with a straight pipe for off road, boy, that was loud. It's suprising how much silencing the cat actually does. The cat went back on for road use.
 
Last edited:
Dale. said:
Indeed, they will be notified.

There is just one silencer plus the cat, which will be staying, so it will be a cat back system only.

I was had a stainless exhaust made for a jeep, it was a cat back and it sounded great, not loud, just burbly. I then had the cat replaced with a straight pipe for off road, boy, that was loud. It's suprising how much silencing the cat actually does. The cat went back on for road use.
Click to expand...
You may well get away with removing just the back box section then, as you say, the cat acts as a silencer anyway.
If you want to lower the car, I would recommend Eibach sportline prokit springs if they make them for the car. As your car is a GT, I would imagine your car is already lowered compared to non sport Twingo models so the springs will only lower by another 10-15mm. But they are a progressive rate spring. This should give a slightly softer smoother ride during normal driving, but improve handling and reduce body roll on bends especially at speed without the ride becoming annoyingly harsh.
 
Not knocking anyone wanting to do mods to their cars but can someone tell me why they debadge their cars?
Is it because they are either embarrased by the model they have and couldn't afford the real thing, I
 
frank said:
Not knocking anyone wanting to do mods to their cars but can someone tell me why they debadge their cars?
Is it because they are either embarrased by the model they have and couldn't afford the real thing, I
Click to expand...


Lol, I probably couldn't afford a Ferrari, but I can afford a genuine Twingo GT. :LOL: I think debadging just tidies things up a little, especially as the Twingo badge on the back of mine was a bit tatty and faded, so it had to go.
 
Exhaust would be the last thing I'd touch. I find it very annoying on longer journeys.

Better brakes, suspension tweaks, probably bigger wheels and some colour introduced - that would be all nice and good.

frank said:
Not knocking anyone wanting to do mods to their cars but can someone tell me why they debadge their cars?
Is it because they are either embarrased by the model they have and couldn't afford the real thing, I
Click to expand...

You might for example not like the styling with the logo and removal may improve the visual appeal or declutter.
 
I confess to having no desire to modify my motor but have always thought a possible addition to the sound system might be the ability to make your Focus (for example) sound like a Ferrari.

This would only be audible inside the car unless you had an external speaker and amp hidden away somewhere and would be connected to the rev counter etc. You could have a car that sounds like an E type jag one day and a Veyron the next! It would work well with virtually silent electric cars too. :cool:
 
As above, find and join an enthusiast or owners club online. They often have threads of owner's rides so you can see what others have done. There may be preferred or suitable exhaust systems that match what you're after.

As above, look at sky insurance, adrian flux, brentacre and greenlight. They're mod friendly insurance brokers. It was cheaper for me to mod the car and insure with one of these brokers rather than directly with a standard car and standard insurance.
 
I've added a few mods to mine :)

  • GAD stage 2 remap
  • Akrapovic EVO system + Carbon diffuser and tips
  • HEL brake lines all round
  • GTS software upgrade (DCT, TC, Diff and steering)
  • AC Schnitzer RS coilovers
  • M Performance LED Race steering wheel
 
A long time ago it was my passion.Modded every car i had for around 20 years or so, from all the Ford RS range( except the hard to get versions) then went Japanese and the itch only got worse. Had many cars featured in just about every modified car magazine in the UK and then BOOM-i came to my senses and haven't modified anything since. Spend my money now on camera equipment and watches...lol..
 
Back in the day yes.

I had a 94 plate Rover 214 which had some mild modding done to it -

K&N air filter (gave some nice induction roar)

Sportex exhaust (subtle sound but throaty under acceleration)

16 inch Fox alloys

I didn't want anything outrageous e.g. big bodykits etc.... .. I just wanted it to sound/breath a tad better but otherwise look stock.

I was happy with it at the time.
 
Dale. said:
As title, anybody ever modded a car, if only slightly?
Click to expand...
My Imp is modified, rather more than you're planning. It has:

Bias pedal box for adjustable front / rear braking split
Front disk bakes (original were drums)
Koni front dampers with adjustable platforms
Spax rear dampers
springs changed all round
All hydraulic and fuel lines renewed and run inside the passenger compartment
Copy of the works team rally dashboard
standard 875cc 39bhp replaced with a wet liner 998cc version producing only 80bhp or so (so only about 11:1 compression rather than the 12.5:1 I'd run in a racing engine, using twin 40 DCOE carbs with straight through exhaust, bigger valves, ports etc but a relatively mild camshaft to stop it being too peaky)
Radiator at the front.
Sump guard, again an original to the design of the 1960s rally cars.
Driveshaft donuts from a Lotus Elan to transmit the extra power without flying to pieces.

I run it with longer / stiffer springs for more ground clearance than standard as it needs to traverse very rough ground and have a modified rear suspension crossmember that would restore the rear camber to a better value when the ground clearance is high, but fitting that requires completely dismantling pretty much everything attached to the rear of the car so I've not done it yet.


Aside from the machining on the engine I did all that myself. Being a classic, insurance is peanuts with it all exhaustively declared (though currently SORN and uninsured due to big rust hole in the sill).
 
When I was younger I could never afford performance mods and the associated cost of insurance, or even a car worth of modding. So instead I focused on the interior, making the part of the car I actually experience day to day as nice a place to be as possible. This mainly centred around the sound system, anything from a discreet stock appearance to all out competitions level interior rebuilds, but always with an SQ focus..

This was my car from when I used to compete, won the UK championships a couple of times and also the Eurasian finals for my class which was kinda cool.

DSCN2817.JPG DSCN2822.JPG DSCN4099.JPG DSCN4272 (1).JPG IMG_0035.JPG
 
done one or two mods to my civic over the years, nothing fancy more improvements than anything else

the only cosmetic bits are the carbon bonnet, wheels of a next gen civic ( Mk9 ) and a sports grill to replace the standard perspex one
other mods are KYB shocks all round ( more of a replacement than a mod ) with Eibach pro springs , stage 1 remap and that's about it

not very much compared to what quite a few are doing to their civics

qY1oJrP.jpg
 
I've modded a few, ranging from full performance mods in my M3 Evo to a few subtle aesthetics on my Audi.

By far, the M3 was a far better drive with the mods, these comprised of the following:-

  • Xenon HID Headlamp Upgrade with auto-adjusters
  • Eibach Fully-Adjustable Coilovers
  • Genuine M3 GT Rear Spoiler
  • E46 M3 CSL Brakes (Discs, Calipers and Braided Lines)
  • Carbon-Fibre Intake
  • Supersprint Stainless System (Replaced the Scorpion in the images below)
  • Full black and cream interior conversion as I hated the grey
  • Alpine Stereo system and all speakers replaced with components
There were other things but these are the ones which stick out in my mind, and with regards to the de-badging, this was as-is from the factory, typical BMW to charge for no ///M badges, and then charge you more when you want some :confused:

M3_3.jpg


M3_2.jpg


M3_1.jpg


The Audi has only had the grill painted black, aside from that it's standard S-Line spec
 
Had a few modded cars..

Saxo VTR - lowered 50mm on bilstein shocks, strut brace, full magnex system, 4-1 branch manifold, green "ram air" induction, big disk convertion, 16" compomotive rims, debadged grill, omp buckets/harnesses/steering wheel, stripped rear interior.

Rover Mini Sprite - 1380cc overbore, omega pistons, 286 Kent cam, large valve head, hif44 carb, lcb, large bore exhaust, straight cut drops, Jack knight straight cut close ratio gearbox, spax dampers, metro disks, omp rear cage hoop, buckets etc etc.

Seat Ibiza TDI sport - weitec coilovers, whiteline rear anti roll bar, polyflex and cupra front bushes, stage 1 remap (from 130 to 175).

Only got a pic of the Saxo to hand, the other two looked like oem sleepers.

Would I mod anything else? Maybe not beyond a few subtle handling tweeks and possibly a remap. Most cars modding is wasted money, rather just get something that looks good stock. But I guess I'm just getting on a bit.

DSCF0222 by Neil Gates, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
neil_g said:
Had a few modded cars..

Saxo VTR - lowered 50mm on bilstein shocks, strut brace, full magnex system, 4-1 branch manifold, green "ram air" induction, big disk convertion, 16" compomotive rims, debadged grill, omp buckets/harnesses/steering wheel, stripped rear interior.

Rover Mini Sprite - 1380cc overbore, omega pistons, 286 Kent cam, large valve head, hif44 carb, lcb, large bore exhaust, straight cut drops, Jack knight straight cut close ratio gearbox, spax dampers, metro disks, omp rear cage hoop, buckets etc etc.

Seat Ibiza TDI sport - weitec coilovers, whiteline rear anti roll bar, polyflex and cupra front bushes, stage 1 remap (from 130 to 175).

Only got a pic of the Saxo to hand, the other two looked like oem sleepers.

Would I mod anything else? Maybe not beyond a few subtle handling tweeks and possibly a remap. Most cars modding is wasted money, rather just get something that looks good stock. But I guess I'm just getting on a bit.

DSCF0222 by Neil Gates, on Flickr
Click to expand...


That is so true, added to which a good stock car in the right colour with decent interior is often a very good place to start with a modded car. I used to go to bike custom shows in the eighties, and the bikes which always stood out to me were the slightly chopped ones with great paint jobs and chrome and black on the engine/gearbox.
If I modded the current weekend car (white Alfa GT) it would have to be front brakes and suspension, then have the 18" wheels refurbished and painted gloss black, and then refinish the brake calipers in gloss red.
 
I fotgot, my current car is technically modified. Have an Astra GTC where recently one of the rear springs snapped. A full set of Eibach springs with a 40mm drop was cheaper than a single OEM replacement spring from Vauxhall.
 
bass_junkie83 said:
I fotgot, my current car is technically modified. Have an Astra GTC where recently one of the rear springs snapped. A full set of Eibach springs with a 40mm drop was cheaper than a single OEM replacement spring from Vauxhall.
Click to expand...

From german ebay that stuff is even cheaper still in case somebody didn't notice. It would be around £105 for my VW, so actually cheaper than Sachs OE from ECP.
 
neil_g said:
Rover Mini Sprite - 1380cc overbore, omega pistons, 286 Kent cam, large valve head, hif44 carb, lcb, large bore exhaust, straight cut drops, Jack knight straight cut close ratio gearbox, spax dampers, metro disks, omp rear cage hoop, buckets etc etc.
Click to expand...
Can't beat the whine of straight cut gears :D.
 
A few of my cars above but just a small amount. The Gold Toyota Vitz was a Top Secret built car from Japan( bought for my wife to have fun in) with supercharger, standalone ecu etc etc. The old Celica( bought it for my wife) had a modified GT4 engine fitted and only driving the front wheels. The Mitsubishi FTO started my Jap modifying and ended up with nitros, vertical doors etc etc. The cream was my Skyline R33 GTR V Spec which was modded for sounds, interior and engine. Not much done to the outside just what i wanted back then- still miss this car.
 
Last edited:
markyboy.1967 said:
Yeah i was a regular on there and the car was known as Flippy back then. It was seen a few months ago, still on the road but looking very sad for itself. Vertical doors have gone and the bodykit was cracked. Sad. Lol
Click to expand...

Really nice paintjob on the FTO, bet it cost a bit? I was considering Flip Flop paint on a Kawasaki I had back in the eighties, but wimped out and settled for Eddie Lawson colours. I did manage to persuade a local spray outfit to give me some (pearl blue/green) which I sprayed my AGV crash hat with.
 
andy700 said:
Really nice paintjob on the FTO, bet it cost a bit? I was considering Flip Flop paint on a Kawasaki I had back in the eighties, but wimped out and settled for Eddie Lawson colours. I did manage to persuade a local spray outfit to give me some (pearl blue/green) which I sprayed my AGV crash hat with.
Click to expand...

It could be a paintjob, but you could also get the same look with vinyl wrap. Lots and lots of designs available. My convertible uses "miserable mid-grey" which sort of suits actually.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
It could be a paintjob, but you could also get the same look with vinyl wrap. Lots and lots of designs available. My convertible uses "miserable mid-grey" which sort of suits actually.
Click to expand...

There isnt any vinyl wrap that can properly replicate a decent paint job.Cant stand a wrap close up.
 
markyboy.1967 said:
There isnt any vinyl wrap that can properly replicate a decent paint job.Cant stand a wrap close up.
Click to expand...


Totally agree, you can never achieve the depth of finish that you get with a clear over base (particularly candy over metalflake) paint job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top