Table of contents
Introduction
Why do car enthusiasts buy car mods? Do we want to customize the exterior to make our car unique? Or, do we think we can actually make a car better than stock? Regardless, car mods are an inevitable part of a car enthusiasts life.
When I got my 2001 Acura CL, I went to my first car meet in a local In-N-Out parking lot. I realized two things: modified cars are cool and I need to buy some. I wanted my car to be unique to me and faster than it was stock. Unfortunately, the Acura CL isn’t exactly a great platform for mods like other cars are. While I was able to do modifications to the intake, exhaust, and suspension, there wasn’t much to be gained in terms of performance. Despite this, I loved every minute of modifying my car.
What Is The Point of Car Mods?
When buying car mods for our cars, the goal is dependent on the end user. Show cars, track cars, daily drivers, and other builds all have their unique functionalities and modifications.
Car mods can transform a car into an enhanced version of itself or take it into a realm its not typically associated with. Exterior parts make cars standout amongst the common vehicles and make a car an extension of the owner. Performance parts can crank up the power or improve the handling to transform a car into a track car for the street. Whichever you decide to do, make sure you have a goal in mind.
For me, my biggest exposure to modifying a car was my 2016 Focus ST. The car mods I focused on for the ST were supporting mods for turning up the boost and suspension upgrades. The reason I took this approach was to focus on what the car was already good at, rather than turning it into something its not.
Popular Car Mods
I watched this video from Fitment Industries and related to it a lot. The car mods in this video are a true staple in the automotive community. Wheels, exhausts, and intake systems are plentiful amongst automotive enthusiasts as they are not super expensive and
However, there are more mods you can look into for your vehicle. For your fundamental learning, we compiled a list of car mods sorted by category to assist you along the way of your car modifying journey!
Engine Mods
#1 Air Intake
A cold air intake is one of the first car mods people do. The air intake is the beginning of the internal combustion engine’s power-making process. They take in the outside air and bring it into your engine to be mixed with fuel. The combination of air and fuel along with compression from the pistons and the spark from spark plugs creates power. By installing a performance intake in some vehicles, you can increase horsepower by providing colder air. Colder air is denser then hot air, thus aiding in creating more power.
If you want to know more about cold air intakes, click here and learn about why you may want to install one for your car!
#2 Intake Manifold
Aftermarket intake manifolds allow air to flow more freely to the engine and can allow for more air to enter it. Factory intake manifolds are created with a mix of fuel economy, noise, and hood clearance in mind, which can disrupt airflow.
#3 Cylinder Heads
High performance Cylinder Heads allow better airflow in the intake system. Aftermarket cylinder heads may also be made out of lighter material, such as aluminum. Lighter weight parts help make your car go even faster! The aluminum material may also be better suited for higher compression ratio builds. Check out On All Cylinders’ take on aftermarket cylinder heads for more info.
#4 Performance Camshaft
Aftermarket camshafts are a common modification for performance engine builds. A new camshaft can be optimized to have intake valves opened longer, allowing for more air into the mixture. From an old-school hot rod to a JDM build, camshafts are a very popular car mod. An aftermarket camshaft is better suited for going fast as your low-end torque may suffer a bit. Fortunately, you will forget about the low-end torque loss because you’ll be too focused on that awesome aftermarket camshaft sound.
#5 Exhaust Manifold / Headers
Exhaust manifolds or headers open up the exhaust and create big power in both naturally aspirated and forced induction cars. Along with the power increase, your exhaust will become deeper and louder. These are a very cost-effective bolt on modification as factory exhaust manifolds are typically restrictive to reduce noise and exhaust smell.
#6 Performance Radiator
Cars run best when they are at an optimal temperature. Performance radiators allow you to combat the outside heat as well as the heat generated from your engine. A performance radiator will be thicker and have more surface area to take in air to assist the coolant fluid in maintaining the best operating temperature.
#7 Intercooler
For turbocharged and supercharged cars, heat is always a detrimental factor. Turbos and superchargers take in a lot of air, but a lot more heat is generated as well. By installing an aftermarket intercooler, you will allow the charge air temperatures to be ice cold for your engine, allowing you to turn up the boost and make more power. A well-designed intercooler is an awesome supporting car mod for your forced induction car.
#8 Forced Induction
Taking a naturally aspirated car and bolting on a supercharger or turbocharger is a relatively easy car mod to do in today’s market. A supercharger is a belt-driven system that uses engine power to compress the air inside of it. This results in a huge power increase. Superchargers typically create a linear power band, making it a manageable driving experience. Turbocharged cars use exhaust gas taken from the car to then spin the turbo and compress air. This allows turbocharged cars to make a lot of power in a more efficient way as you do not get power loss like a supercharger does. However, turbocharged cars get what is called “turbo-lag” due to the exhaust gases needed to spin the turbo. This results in the power of the turbo not coming on until the mid-range of the powerband. Regardless of which option you choose, forced induction is a huge bang-for-your-buck car mod.
If you’re new to the idea of Forced Induction, we break it down to a basic level in our “Forced Induction” article. Go check it out and learn more!
#9 Nitrous Oxide
Known as the “chemical supercharger”, nitrous oxide systems mix this chemical into the air to cool it. This combination results in huge power increases depending on the amount of nitrous oxide being pushed through the solenoids. While it is not a permanent increase, the cost-effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide along with its power gains help maintain its popularity in the racing scene as a viable car mod.
#10 E85 Conversion
Ethanol, or E85, fuel has grown in popularity over the years as a cheaper performance fuel compared to 100+ octane. E85 is a popular car mod for forced induction cars as it allows for temperatures to be cooler while having a higher octane rating. We go into more depth on this mod in our Ethanol fuel article. Check it out if you’re looking for more info!
#11 Exhaust System
Installing an aftermarket exhaust system can result in awesome power gains. Traditionally, your exhaust options are a header or turbo-back exhaust, cat-back exhaust, or axle-back. These different styles of exhaust denote where the new exhaust begins at. For most cars, you won’t see much power from an axle-back exhaust as it typically replaces the muffler. However, a cat-back exhaust or turbo-back exhaust will yield much more power gains. This is due to the installation of wider exhaust piping and reducing the amount of restriction in the system.
#12 Engine Tuning
To truly take advantage of these car mods, you’re going to want some engine tuning. Reach out to a professional tuner and work with them either through datalogging tunes or a dyno tune. Not only will this provide huge power gains because of all of the work you’ve done, but it’ll allow you to fine tune how the power is going to be delivered and monitor what the car is doing with its newfound power.
Brakes and Suspension Mods
#1 Lowering Springs
A cost-effective performance and aesthetics enhancement is a set of lowering springs. Simply replace your OEM springs with a set of lowering springs and you’ll get a reduced ride height. These lowering springs are also stiffer than stock. This combination of a ride height reduction and increased stiffness gives you better handling and eliminates that hideous fender gap! Lowering springs are also a great cheap car mod available to a wide variety of cars. For more cheap car mods, head on over to our best cheap car mod article!
#2 Coilover Suspension
Taking it a step further is performance coilover suspension. This replaces both your stock springs and shocks to provide a greatly improved handling experience. With more higher-end coilover setups, you can adjust everything from the ride stiffness/softness to the ride height itself. A high quality coilover suspension kit is very popular in the car community as it is a very beneficial car mod.
#3 Air Suspension
If you want to avoid the harshness of traditional suspension, air suspension is your best option. Using technology, you can adjust the ride height with a push of a button. This allows you to have good clearance on your day-to-day drives while also allowing you to lower your car as far as you can when you park it. Show cars often highlight this car mod for its versatility. For a quality air suspension setup, expect to pay a lot for it. For more comparison between coilovers and air suspension, check out our article covering these mods!
#4 Anti-Roll Bars / Sway Bars
Anti-roll bars, also known as sway bars, are a cheap and effective car mod. Stiffer anti-roll bars allow for your car’s body roll to be limited, keeping your car planted on the road. The best part about this mod is it is relatively low-cost so any enthusiast can get one. In my experience, I have paid between $120 and $160 depending on the type of bar. Personally, I always upgrade my anti-roll bars because the handling improvement is massive.
#5 Bracing
When driving a car, the car will flex due to the different forces at play. To prevent this flexing from happening, performance braces are installed. These braces can be installed on strut towers, subframes, and other locations to stiffen up the chassis. The bracing will support other handling car mods you have, but you may experience a harsher ride. With my cars, I have upgraded strut tower braces and frame braces with very positive results.
#6 Disc Brake Conversion
If you drive an older car, chances are the rear brakes are drum brakes. While they are still viable today, disc brakes are much better. Disc brakes dissipate heat quicker, preventing the reduction in brake performance from heat, also known as “brake fade”. Companies sell complete conversion kits for cars, but you can possibly save money by using OEM rear disc brake setups from newer or higher-optioned cars.
#7 Big Brake Kit
To really amp up your stopping performance, big brake kits are a common car mod. Big brake kits from companies like Wilwood, Baer, and Stoptech give you bigger calipers and rotors to provide more surface area for braking. This reduces the amount of distance your car will go before coming to a complete stop. Factory performance vehicles and modified cars alike benefit from this because there’s no sense in having a ton of power if you are unable to stop your car.
#8 Performance Brake Pads
A cost-effective car mod for brakes are performance brake pads. These brake pads are made in more durable materials that withstand heat better and grab onto the rotor much more aggressively. A set of brake pads may only cost a couple hundred bucks but the performance increase from them is noticeable. I personally ran Hawk HPS pads in my Focus ST and loved them on the autocross tracks.
#9 Performance Brake Lines
If you want to add durability and performance to your braking system, look into some braided brake lines. The stainless steel braided lines will prevent your lines from being torn and leaking fluid. Also, the braided lines create a less mushy brake pedal due to the lack of expansion caused when brake fluid moves through them when you press on the brake pedal.
#10 Performance Tires
A set of high performance tires can make or break a car. Whether its a set of drag radials, sub-200 treadwear performance tires, or just a good set of summer tires, this car mod may be the best money you can spend on your car. Tires are your only contact to the road and grip is essential in almost every form of racing as well as daily driving. Bald tires or tires not meant for performance driving can result in your car losing traction too soon. This sets you up for slower lap times, slower quarter mile runs, and an overall poor driving experience.
Exterior Car Mods
For this aspect of modifying a car, there is no limit to what you can do. The exterior components of a car are where people can truly show off their personality. Is their car subtle but packs a punch under the hood? Or does its appearance demand attention from everyone at the meet? When it comes to aesthetics, I will never tell someone how they should modify their car. Telling someone they need to modify the appearance of their car a certain way eliminates the individuality of cars. Personally, I love the early 2000’s car scene for that alone. Every car was different and had personalized touches. To some, “sex-spec” autos are obnoxious, but to me I see it as automotive street art.
Take your car and craft it into your own. Get a custom paint job or vinyl wrap, an insane wide-body kit, or lift your truck as high as you want. Whatever you do, make that car yours.
Conclusion
Car mods are my favorite part of owning a car. Taking a machine and crafting it into an extension of yourself is an exciting and rewarding feeling. If you’re new to modifying a car, take the time to review this list as it will help guide you down your modifying journey!
For further assistance, check out our car modification guide. We hope this car mod guide helps you understand what different car mods do and how they can improve your car!
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