hey all, i have searched the forums for ideas on mods, but i am new to modding. i am 19 and the vette is my first car. so i know next to nothing about adding HP to a car. to tell you the truth i dont even know how to change the oil.. . dont get me wrong i want to learn all of this. i have been to vader's site, and it makes no sense. i dont want to mod my car wrong and have my engine blow up. is there an order to how mods go on a car? i will put as much money as i need to get good parts. i just need to know where to get them i want this car to be a daily driver with some track time. and also to beat a mini cooper S

so any ideas or advice you have is welcome

my vette is the 1988 35th with a z52 in it.

 

There is a current thread....Discussion-How High Can Your TPI Rev
In post #10 there is a link to a Corvette Fever article. Read that.

 

Welcome to the site and congrads on your car! Good year!

Is there anyone in your area that can show you how to jack the car up? Try your regional section here. A first good mod would be exhaust. Delete the front two pre-cats, a high flow main cat, and your choice of mufflers. Melrose sells a system with headers that is very nice if it's in your price range.

Fill out your profile, and remember to wave!

 

I know not everyone here is a fan of corvette clubs, but it can help to find a few local people. I only started doing my own car work a year ago and was paranoid as heck but if you follow directions and listen to the advice given, you can figure it out pretty quickly. Probably the best first mod is to trade out exhaust, get a new catback system. Of course you also want to make sure what you do is in compliance with the local laws (such as emission standards).

Just be skeptical of anything that promises cheap easy substantial performance gains with next to no work. To mod a car correctly, you will have to turn a wrench, there is no magic gofast pill.

 

just remember one thing. use common sense.
1. no horsepower/ torque gain is free or easy
2. don't let anybody drive your car. especially your girlfriend
3. If there's a check engine light on, or a strange noise, shut it off NOW
4. blowing up your engine always depends on where your right foot is.
5. If you need help with something, don't ask someone with your same skill level. ask someone who has been around the block a few times. Even if they are older and keep saying discouraging stuff.
6. Polish it, wax it, vacuum the inside, and dust it out. a clean car gives a mental well being that aids in pride of ownership.
7. If you want to spend a lot of money on something, check around, there's probably 4 different designs on big money items, and find someone who has one, and ask them if they like it. Then go ask someone with a different whatever, and ask if they like that one.
Then read all you can about it. THEN make an informed purchasing decision, and then see if you can get a like new one for a used price.
8. Buy a book that's written just for your car to do maintenance on it... like a factory service manual. hunt around and buy a used readable edition.
9. Don't let anybody drive your car but you!!!
10. Don't borrow money to fix your car. If you haven't earned enough to fix it, work some more. That way, you don't owe any body anything, and they can't say why won't you let me drive it, I loaned you the money to fix it didn't I?......everybody want's to drive a vette, just nobody wants to pay to have it repaired after they miscalculated a turn, or did burnouts wearing out your tires, etc.
sorry if I sound jaded, but I have been around the block several times............

 

Just remember "speed cost money, how fast do you want to go?"