I've been wrestling with whether or not I should do any mods to my car. The more I read the forum, the more I want to change! I realize that a lot of the guys here are racing and that's a whole different ball game. But for daily driving and suddenly volunteering to run to the store for milk or bread at the drop of a hat (I just got my first vette last August) why modify?

My father says leave it alone. He says, "It's a beautiful car, just drive it and enjoy it for what it is." He also points out that it's got more power than I know how to drive. I certainly won't admit that he's right but he probably is. He's also speaking from experience. When I was a kid he had a 64 with a 427. And of course he had lots of fun with it. But when it came to selling it, people were sceptical to buy a modified car. Dad's advice is to save the money that I would put into mods and buy a ZR-1 or Z06 if I feel like I need more performance. Maybe Dad is right.

Any thoughts out there?

 

I've always said there is a point of no return. When I bought my car I said $5,000 was all I would spend in mods because after that I had to really look into updating. I am not sure I would even go that high with the way prices on ZR1's, Z06's and C5's are dropping. Unfortunately I am a C4 guy at heart and that leaves me to a ZR1 but even they are getting old at this point, sorry ZR guys.

I will also make the bold statement that a factory built car with 400HP will always be more reliable and easier to drive than a factory built car that started at 300HP and is modified to put out 400HP.

I would learn to ring every bit of performance out of what you got before you sink tons of money in.

Just one C4 guys opinion.

I bet this answer will be different for everyone though.

 

The less you mess with it, the more reliable it will be.

 

The longer you have it the more and more you will want to modify it. Yes, there fast enough right off the show room floor, but they can be made to be faster. I have a daily driver and I just started off with small things first. Like I've done the K&N airfilter, air foil, preformance exhaust system, gutted cats, open air filter housing, and I'm putting on 8.8mm plug wires this weekend. It's nothing like what the guys racing do, but it's some and it's fun doing it. My advise, enjoy the car, do a few small things to it and have fun getting the milk and bread......... :eek:

 

If you know what you are doing a modified car will be just as reliable as a stock car. In my case everything I have done up to this point has not decreased my reliablility at all. I am going to add a set of heads, which shouldn't affect reliability either, and will put me up into the 370 REAR WHEEL horsepower range. It's also gonna still have some very mild street manners. Sure every time you do anything you open yourself up to the potential to mess something up, but if done right it can be very reliable.

Aslo ask yourself what you want. My car is my pride and joy, it is also my hobby and my toy. Thus trading a little reliability for speed is fair in my book. When I first bought my car I didn't have any plans to do anything to it. That lasted less than 5 months. I've driven my car longer with the cam and such than I have without, I can assure you it's just as reliable as it was before.

 

It depends what YOU want to do with your car (drags, autocrossing, cruising, etc) and how long you plan to keep it. Mods are addictive. Research combinations first (like you seem to be doing). Just keep your old parts for when you plan to change or upgrade your ride.
The good news is that when you suddenly volunteer to run to the store for milk or bread at the drop of a hat, you will get there in 11 or 12 seconds instead of 13 or 14 (if the store is ¼ mile away).
:D :D


[Modified by ZR_Don, 10:24 AM 1/31/2002]

 

Your dad is likely has the economics right but it depends on what is right for YOU. Why did you buy the car? What do you intend to do with it? Do you intend to keep it "forever" or trade in relatively soon? Do you want to keep it "stock" or do you have gear-head tendencies? It all depends on what floats yours.

And of course there are mods and then there are mods. As you know from what you have already started you can enhance perfromance with some simple bolt ons to the intake, exhaust, ignition, cooling system, etc. without ever removing the valve covers. Then if you want to sell it later it's relatively easy to revert to "bone stock" status. Of course if you put in a set of 1.6:1 ProMagnums who would know.:)

I like to show my 35th but have still been doing some mods to the L98, all of which are very hard to detect (other than the exhaust note) and she runs about .8 sec quicker at the strip and is much more fun to drive both around town and on the highway.

Most importantly have fun with your new Corvette, whatever that means to you. Remember a Corvette is more than just transportation!

 

Yeah economics are right on that,... mind you nothing can account for parts going bad / blowing up / replacing them and then the oneupsmanship of laughing at ricers and 5.0 mustangs as you put them thoroughly in the rear view.

I got to admit both of my cars have been the biggest money pits I ever did I buy into, mind you they both have had their fun days...

my cougar needs to be put out to pasture but isn't worth selling...

the vette is great to drive but is also costing me a fortune that I don't have, but just like the rest of us I'm addicted to it too ;P

I knew that first time a salesman moved me away from the cheapo camaro I was going to buy and let me test drive a vette I was in trouble... hrmm yeah 3 weeks later bought one.... bastard..... ;P

 

Well, I am putting in a new motor as an excuse (to tell other people). It needs (at least I think :D ) a rebuild. So, I figure, if I'm going to pull the motor, why not do something special? But then I thought, I can't be without my car for 2-3 weeks waiting for a rebuild and having to pay for a rental car. So, I decided to go the crate motor route. Along the way, I found an awesome deal on brand new AFR 190 heads, so I got them. Still needed a short block. Just happened to find one out of a Dallas PD cop car w/ 20k miles on it, one piece seal, factory roller cam/lifters. I was going to get a 383, but I was still going to add the roller stuff. Getting the DPD motor saved me a lot of money, and it will be very reliable. It is honed, new bearings, resized rods, turned crank, new rings, lifters disassembled and cleaned (no wear on them), cam reground.

Anyway, so the stock TPI setup is very restrictive. I figured, why not go ahead and get large tube runners, hi flow base intake, vortex air intake, port the plenum and throw a 52mm TB on as well??? Of course I'm not buying any of this retail, although everything was used very little if any. Oh yeah, the factory injectors suck, so I need 24 lb FIs, but then I'll need an AFPR. And to work all this stuff, I'll need a better computer, so I might as well get a 165 computer too. Of course I'll need a custom chip burned as well. Oh yeah, the motor I'm getting is an 87 block, so I'll need a one piece seal flexplate and oil pan. I could use a little extra insurance on the oil pan, so I might as well get a TPIS 7 qt. pan.

All that is left to get is the intake, chip, TB, vortex, port the plenum, flexplate, balancer, and oil pan. :D

And this is how my mods happened. :smash: :cheers:


[Modified by dtorc4, 4:47 PM 1/31/2002]

 

I agree, otherwise everytime a repair is made on a car you'd think it compromises reliabilty, and that's not true. However, I do have to say that cars are designed by educated proffesional engineers, and probably can't be out-engineered by the casual home-mechanic. Think about the millions of $$ spent on research/development to get all the systems found on the modern car to run in concert. There is a definite synergy/balance with modern computer controlled equipment that can't be outdone in the garage. Maybe it's not reliablity, but I'm sure there is some sort of compromise with every mod done. Personally I don't care for mods, but for those to whom it is a hobby, why mod a perfectly good late model? Why not find an 84-86 with a zillion miles on it for cheap and mod that instead? Not flaming anyone, just curious.


[Modified by Justin1984, 7:25 PM 1/31/2002]

 

Why modify? For the same reason people climb mountains. "Because it's there."

 

If there was no racing or track time , then I would not modify a car too much.

A car with tons of mods if much harder to sell.

Vic

 

Agreed that the General has lots of hi priced engineers on the job, but remember that each new car is a set of compromises. So there is a lot that can be done to "improve" on a good thing if it's done right. Notice that these cars continuously evolve so one might expect that the older ones can be safely brought up to contemporary performance standards.

The reason for starting with a later model is that you may be getting more of the features/style you want and you may be starting at a higher plateau.

Certainly mods like putting a higher lift cam with stronger valve springs will mean more maintenance as will putting more torque to the drive train in general, if you use it. But if doing it is enjoyable or using it is enjoyable then go for it; else, drive it as is it's still a Corvette.

 

I don't even know how to answer post like these anymore, Sorry.

 

:yesnod:

 

:yesnod: Too true.

Margin is king, and the bean counters have the last word.
As much as we'd like to believe differently, automotive engineers are forced to stifle their creativity in order to squeeze a few pennies out of their costs by using parts-bin components. Even the Corvette is subject to these exercises in manufacturing cost-cutting.

For this reason, in many cases aftermarket components are dramatically superior to OEM equipment, but their cost too prohibitive for production. As other have already stated, mods executed correctly should not adversely affect reliability, perhaps even improving it.

It's what the mods cause your right foot to do that will have an impact in the driveline's longevity. :D

 

Why modify your car? If people didn't want to go fast, would there even be a Corvette? :nonod:

I say, if your happy with how it is now, then keep it that way, if you want a little more kick then mod. Line up next to a modded ricer at a light, and see if you mod the next day....my guess is :yesnod:

Good luck to ya.

 

OK, here is my take....
I could afford a 25-30k car. What new car in that range is rad and not just another car? None. I have always loved vettes, especially C4s. I started looking at the economics of it and for the same amount, I can take a C4 and make a beautiful, perfect, mostly new car that will peform with cars that cost 45k+ or out perform them. And it will be my favorite car short of some 250k exotic. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.

 

HP is a addictive drugs. When I first start to mod my car, I said to myself, well I will spend $3k that is. Wrong. Within 2 yrs I am over $18K total in all mod. My first mod was top end package with header and B&B catback and all the goodies cost? little over $6k. Last yrs I added NX package cost? $880 so. and labor cost for custom install with all goodies was $1700 including dual Warlbro 255lph fuel pumps and dyno tuned(installed by Agostino Racing) Now, I am in the process of doing 383ci forged internals, JE pistons and D1SC Procharger. Modyfying a car is purely for your own personal taste. You will never get your $ back when you sell your car.

Bruce
93LT1 Conv w/ZF6
top end mods
jetted 150hp NX
Blown 383ci is the corner

 

Interesting question you've posted here.

I've noticed that some people, even folks I would call "car guys", are totally against modifying cars. I think it all comes down to Fear of the Unknown. These people don't want to have to rethink anything on the car. They don't want to get burned if something doesn't workout exactly as they planned the first time they try it. More than likely this has happened to them once before. It's so easy to live in this simple world where there are only factory replacement parts. Despite a vehicle's shortcomings they convince themselves that the factory car is perfect and flaw-free; that it has enough power, that it handles better than anything on the road, that everything is really high quality, and so on. They use resale value as a crutch. The resale value excuse brings up this question: Did you buy the car to drive it for the joy of driving it? ...Or did you buy it to get from point A to point B with the idea of selling the car once it gets old enough that it requires more maintenance?

I'm sure we're all familiar with the many compromises that car companies have to make to mass produce a vehicle. I haven't found one yet that I was happy with stock. Car's almost always ride too high. The engines don't make near enough power. The wheels and brakes are almost always too small and the tires always leave something to be desired. I almost always find that the factory gearing is too high, especially in 80's cars. All of these things are so easy to fix with some thought, some research, and a few bucks.