Best Performance mods for the buck

[X2theZ3]

taking away isn't adding anything (b/c there's no such thing as negative weight).

for all the nerds: it's all a frame of reference issue. you could have negative weight....... ;) but never negative friction.

How could you have negative weight? That's like saying you can have negative area.

Weight, gravity is subject to a frame of reference. If you turn the world upside down, and up is down, then the gravity would then be pulling this upwards. If an outside observer would be watching, an object would be falling "up".....or really down, yeah. 8)

On the other hand, friction always opposes motion, and never encourages movement.

So, I don't see how that proves you right. Like you mentioned in that case, gravity would just be pulling you up so you would still have weight (the measure of the force of gravity's pull: heaviness). But I don't understand one part, you can't turn the world upside down--b/c it's round.

[rwh11385]

Success. May have killed the thread, or hijacked it royally!

Turn the world upside down - ie feet are up and head is down. Gravity you could say would "lift" things towards your feet. Hot air ballons would "fall" downward, and have "weight"

An external viewer would see the hot air balloon therefore as having negative weight.

edit: I may be REALLY tired, and if this doesn't make sense to ME in the morning, I won't be surprised. My failed attempt at a nerdy joke. :?

[e30Matt]

Adding negative weight... same damn thing as subtracting weight, worded differently.

1 + -1 = 0
1 - 1 = 0

:roll:

[Digitalwave]

I'm thinking of doing the BMP Mas Air conversion, Big Bore throtlebody, 19# injectors,AFR,and maybe a Cam. Will that yield me 200 HP(HEHE) I already have the intake,Chip and Ansa exhaust.

But really guys lighten up. there was alot of harsh words thrown around. Cant we just all get along.

That won't even get you close to 200hp, nothing but opening up the bottom end will.

Can we start an actual list of best for budget mods?
1 ) JC Chip if you have a M20, M50, S50, etc (not M42 as much)
2 ) 19# / Larger AFM - cheap mods, nice gains
3 ) Suspension - stiffer, lower
4 ) Summer-only tires
5 ) Light, wide wheels
6 ) Performance brake pads
7 ) Suspension - kill body roll: sways, braces, etc
8 ) Shorter final drive
9 ) Driver

Driver should be #1 on that list, not #9.

[modifiede30]

Driver should be #1 on that list, not #9.

Sooo true. And you need to add headers to that listing.

[rwh11385]

Driver should be #1 on that list, not #9.

I was trying up a rough list......and then forgot driver, and didn't feel like renumbering them.

If shorty headers are actually good, I may be tempted to get them, get a str8 pipe instead of cats, then run 2.5 out to an aftermarket muffler, one of these days. There is a local guy with MX headers (rare?) and a dynamax super turbo muffler or similar and his car sounds fuckign awesome.

[schnitzer teil-jäger]

ROTFLMAO 7 pages of BS +-0 0 -1 -+0 backseats 200hp etc etc. and it was answered on the 1st post

Best performance mod for the money is still a drivers school.

-Charlie

ever wonder why that nerdy little horn rimmed glassed guy with the geo storm kills everyone at the autocross? 3 cylinders? but he knows the fast way around the track

now since we are at 7 or even 8 pages I will bestow the KISS principle
1. driver
2. traction
3. weight (or weightless, less weight, -1 +-01, more negative weight etc lol)
4. torque

w

[decay]

Ok jordan's yes man. Who says the "lightness of the car." hmm...

colin chapman, for one.

[sweetride01]

Driver should be #1 on that list, not #9.

I beat an E46 M3 at the last autoX, and the M3 had good tires and coilovers.
He didn't know the difference between understeer and oversteer.
Understanding some basic things, and roughly how hard to push your car can make a big difference.
Still, I want to try the M30 MAF and 19# injectors. Does the JC chip have to be remapped on a dyno to get the best gains, or how do you go about doing this?

[kowalski]

I don't think the heat within the engine bay is an issue as much as the hot air within the headers. I would think the thicker and heavier manifolds act as a heat sink, whereas headers just pass it all through the exhaust, causing it to run much hotter. I've heard the cat burns out much quicker as well.

you can use the header wrap that helps keep heat down...
hes getting angry about the wording of adding lightness because hes angry that you proved he doesn't have 200hp, and he has to get back at you for his loss. anyone can read that and understand what it means...
and i forgot what i was going to say because of all the bullshit i had to read through.

[nando]

holy 2 year old thread batman!

[Mastrcruse]

I was wondering what would be the better chip, a Jim C chip or a MarkD chip

[Jordan325iC]

Mark D chip has been proven to have significant hp/tq gains over the JC chip. However, most people like the "partial throttle" tuning that the JC chip has.

And what the hell. I'm reading the last 2 pages of posts and just laughing. Discussion of theoretical physics really doesn't have much to do with bang for your buck mods. Jordan deliberatly spoke incorrectly to make a point. Most people try to add things to their cars to make them faster, when really taking things away is often the cheapest option. Ha ha funny funny.

[Q5Quint]

Now this is a question I felt like would help any newbie coming to this site. Alot of people automatically think of the exhaust and wahtnot but what are in fact the best modifications (strictly speed wise, suspension is excluded). From my understanding a Conforti chip in combination with a m30 afm with 19lb injectors and an exhaust you looking at extracting almost all the usable power from the m20. Add a shortshifter for soem crisper throws and to fix up the shifter slop and I cant see any otehr value in doing other things. Is there anything else thats cheap and nets big gains on the dyno?

I define cheap as a mod that is less than $100, because when you start getting over 100 you start getting into turbo territory.

http://www.davelength.net/car/bigsix.html

based on this stuff it looks like the m30 afm and 19# injectors get you about 5-10 hp max. However, that IS more than nothing and you can do it for around $100. The 4 pintle design of the 19# is also supposed to get you better fuel atomization and better mpg, but we will see. My car feels smoother with the 19# and it pulls a bit harder in higher rpms, but i wouldnt say it was more than 10hp worth. I have a m30 afm going in sometime this week, and a roadtrip down the mountain too, so I will be able to verify all this increased mpg stuff.

m30 afm, 19# injectors, chip, exhaust
you are exactly right for the 'cheap and easy' stuff

you can easily do all those for around $400, and you will be able to tell a difference. The next set of upgrades after that costs more than $400 each (turbo, cams, megasquirt etc) though the gains would be obviously bigger.

stuff like suspension and tires is also kind of expensive (if your cheap/poor), and I would do those when the ones I have wear out and need replacing. Speed wise, unless your tires have horrible traction I dont think they matter, then again I have awd so I already have better traction.

1 ) JC Chip if you have a M20, M50, S50, etc (not M42 as much)
2 ) 19# / Larger AFM - cheap mods, nice gains
3 ) Suspension - stiffer, lower
4 ) Summer-only tires
5 ) Light, wide wheels
6 ) Performance brake pads
7 ) Suspension - kill body roll: sways, braces, etc
8 ) Shorter final drive
9 ) Driver

good list, though I think drivers skill and drivers weight should be included with "driver" haha

[PeaveyBassist]

You wanna be faster on the track? Take a shit before you drive. That will drop YOUR weight by a good 3 pounds or so.

Will