Budget performance upgrades
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 761
Likes: 66
From: Fitzwilliam New Hampshire
When you get your new headers have them ceramic coated if they aren't already they will never rust and will look nice forever.Nice if and when you decide to sell.Also keeps underhood temps down.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
Good full length headers with ceramic coating is going to come close to that $1500 figure. Cheap headers and coating is a waste. Really, for that little money, he'd be better off doing all the fluids, bushings and forget the performance.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,314
Likes: 508
From: South-central Missouri
Easier/cheaper to begin from a higher starting point - every time.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
Besides, for $1500 there isn't that much you can do other than the rice stuff like louder exhaust, Intakes and headers are going to be more expensive if you want something good. Good stuff doesn't have to be and usually isn't cheap and cheap stuff isn't good. To make intakes and headers work well, you are going to need a dyno tune or you are hamstringing yourself. That runs about $600 and up provided you can find a nearby facility to do it. In short, for a few years, why bother? The C4 isn't a worthwhile platform to do that anymore. Get a C5 or C6 and work from there.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,427
Likes: 604
From: Minneapolis Mn
Basically what you spend on upgrades, don't plan on getting those $$ back on sale. That's my opinion.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
When I bought my 86 it had already had a transmission upgrade, stainless steel brake lines along with drilled and slotted rotors and some other minor upgrades. When I bought it, I paid nothing additional for the upgrades that had previously been done.
Basically what you spend on upgrades, don't plan on getting those $$ back on sale. That's my opinion.
Basically what you spend on upgrades, don't plan on getting those $$ back on sale. That's my opinion.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 761
Likes: 66
From: Fitzwilliam New Hampshire
Isn't this supposed to be a hobby of doing affordable upgrades that we feel would improve our vehicles not a place to discourage people?OP says he has headers coming why not get coated Jet Hot or Air Born costs are about $400-$500 and still money left to do fluids,bushings,brakes.Some people just like to work on there cars to feel an acomplishment,its his car.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
Isn't this supposed to be a hobby of doing affordable upgrades that we feel would improve our vehicles not a place to discourage people?OP says he has headers coming why not get coated Jet Hot or Air Born costs are about $400-$500 and still money left to do fluids,bushings,brakes.Some people just like to work on there cars to feel an acomplishment,its his car.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,179
Likes: 673
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 781
Likes: 73
Isn't this supposed to be a hobby of doing affordable upgrades that we feel would improve our vehicles not a place to discourage people?OP says he has headers coming why not get coated Jet Hot or Air Born costs are about $400-$500 and still money left to do fluids,bushings,brakes.Some people just like to work on there cars to feel an acomplishment,its his car.
However one has to be a realist. $1500 doesn't go very far. You "might" buy yourself 35-45 horsepower. Given the prices of nice C4's and C5's, buying a newer car is the most economical upgrade you can make.
I have an '84, if my desire was to gain 100 horsepower I would need to spend a fair amount of money....or I could just sell the '84 and buy an '96.
The OP is being given sound advice by those of us that have been down this road.
Last edited by divotdug; Nov 25, 2016 at 09:57 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 761
Likes: 66
From: Fitzwilliam New Hampshire
Of course and I might have offered up different advice if the OP asked about a car he planned to keep.
However one has to be a realist. $1500 doesn't go very far. You "might" buy yourself 35-45 horsepower. Given the prices of nice C4's and C5's, buying a newer car is the most economical upgrade you can make.
I have an '84, if my desire was to gain 100 horsepower I would need to spend a fair amount of money....or I could just sell the '84 and buy an '96.
The OP is being given sound advice by those of us that have been down this road.
However one has to be a realist. $1500 doesn't go very far. You "might" buy yourself 35-45 horsepower. Given the prices of nice C4's and C5's, buying a newer car is the most economical upgrade you can make.
I have an '84, if my desire was to gain 100 horsepower I would need to spend a fair amount of money....or I could just sell the '84 and buy an '96.
The OP is being given sound advice by those of us that have been down this road.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
So sorry you don't like the way I present things. If I win the 400 million dollars lottery, I'll hire someone to sugarcoat my responses for the thin skinned people like you. Till then, perhaps the ignore feature might help you?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,431
Likes: 3,285
From: Hartford WI
I said I try to help the handicapped out with good suggestions when you thanked me for the suggestion. Some a physically handicapped and others have skin as thin as mulberry paper.. Each has a different solution. My suggestion to you was to ignore me lest your thin and delicate skin breaks. Keep it moisturized
