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Hey guys. What do yo think are the top 6 cars that are best to modify in terms of horsepower/torque easy gains and unlocking potential, handling, fun factor and price?
List the reasons why...
Please no flaming.. and please be ready to backup your arguments with cold facts.
6 cars? I do not think that many models fit the criteria and are competitive.
Using only criteria for 95%street use and 5% track. You know, typically working man type of use.
Which cars?
Descending order in pricing.
2011+ Mustang
2001-2004 C5 Corvette
2004-2006 GTO
2001-2002 F-body
Why these cars?
Because they are proven.
Why modify?
Well. The need to be street hero is long gone. The reason is hazy at this stage of life due to most of the power at stock levels not even being used in 99% of daily driving. Unless it is a merge situation or to place distance from a potentially unsafe driver. But you sound as a typical waffling young guy who wants a fast car for the image. So there it is. Nothing wrong with that. Most of us go through that phase.
Considered by rejected. BUT more than adequate for most driving.
Challenger, Camaro, NA CTS-V, Charger too heavy.
4.6 Mustang insufficient cubes for cheap powa.
GT500, C6, SRT8, G8 GXP too much $$$
G8s are too rare.
Anything import is either too weak on torque or too high maint.
Anything older is too high a risk probability for repairs.
I personally like to modify older cars but if we're talking about the last 20 ys or so.
87-93 Fox mustangs. The cars are light, the parts are cheap and the aftermarket is larger for this model than for any other car in history. You can put together a road course killer or a 1000+ HP strip car for under $20K.
GM G-Bodies. The Regal, Cutlass, Grand Prix and Malibu from the 80's. The last RWD, ful frame GM car. Aftermarket is huge, cars are cheap and they are everywhere. Like the mustang you can build anything you want cheap. There's room for anything from The 3.8K turbo six to BBC's with huge turbos. The only down side to these cars was the somewhat flexible frame that requires stiffing at a couple of points.
Gen 4 LS powered F-Bodies. Cars are way too heavy but the LS motor takes mods very well and has proven to live a long life under forced induction. I've personally seen these motors live making 700HP for over 100K miles. The rest of the car falls apart the motor lives. The 4L80E trans will take the beating stock as well.
Nissan GTR. A bargin super car with a major potential. A couple of quick changes for under $2500 and you have 600HP. The rest of the car can easily handle the power so no harm in upping the power.
Subaru WRX STI. Like the GTR the mods are relativly cheap and big power can be made. The car itself is well built and takes the additional power very well.
That's about all I can think of at the moment.
Now I'm going back to the garage to work on my 5.3 LS swap in 72 Monte Carlo.
6 cars? I do not think that many models fit the criteria and are competitive.
Using only criteria for 95%street use and 5% track. You know, typically working man type of use.
Which cars?
Descending order in pricing.
2011+ Mustang
2001-2004 C5 Corvette
2004-2006 GTO
2001-2002 F-body
Why these cars?
Because they are proven.
Why modify?
Well. The need to be street hero is long gone. The reason is hazy at this stage of life due to most of the power at stock levels not even being used in 99% of daily driving. Unless it is a merge situation or to place distance from a potentially unsafe driver. But you sound as a typical waffling young guy who wants a fast car for the image. So there it is. Nothing wrong with that. Most of us go through that phase.
Considered by rejected. BUT more than adequate for most driving.
Challenger, Camaro, NA CTS-V, Charger too heavy.
4.6 Mustang insufficient cubes for cheap powa.
GT500, C6, SRT8, G8 GXP too much $$$
G8s are too rare.
Anything import is either too weak on torque or too high maint.
Anything older is too high a risk probability for repairs.
Well its about competition...I know a bunch of guys who like to tune and race. I mean race not stupid illegal racing. I mean real racing on a track. Not just a dragstrip but actual tracks. I also want to compete in car shows and all the race events as well. I already decided my daily driver will be an acura tl type s( I get a 4,000$ discount after a year of working there) but I want something thats made for the track but still be street legal. But thats me personally..
I thought cars like the evo, wrx, skyline , 3 series bmw and supras were great to mod.
Aside from the import comment I do agree with everything you said.
I personally like to modify older cars but if we're talking about the last 20 ys or so.
87-93 Fox mustangs. The cars are light, the parts are cheap and the aftermarket is larger for this model than for any other car in history. You can put together a road course killer or a 1000+ HP strip car for under $20K.
GM G-Bodies. The Regal, Cutlass, Grand Prix and Malibu from the 80's. The last RWD, ful frame GM car. Aftermarket is huge, cars are cheap and they are everywhere. Like the mustang you can build anything you want cheap. There's room for anything from The 3.8K turbo six to BBC's with huge turbos. The only down side to these cars was the somewhat flexible frame that requires stiffing at a couple of points.
Gen 4 LS powered F-Bodies. Cars are way too heavy but the LS motor takes mods very well and has proven to live a long life under forced induction. I've personally seen these motors live making 700HP for over 100K miles. The rest of the car falls apart the motor lives. The 4L80E trans will take the beating stock as well.
Nissan GTR. A bargin super car with a major potential. A couple of quick changes for under $2500 and you have 600HP. The rest of the car can easily handle the power so no harm in upping the power.
Subaru WRX STI. Like the GTR the mods are relativly cheap and big power can be made. The car itself is well built and takes the additional power very well.
That's about all I can think of at the moment.
Now I'm going back to the garage to work on my 5.3 LS swap in 72 Monte Carlo.
I've watched some videos on the Subaru wrx sti...man they are animals...
The only problem I have with them is their styling. It's just to boxy and butch looking.
I am a fan of the LS engines....the sound and feeling of driving one is incredible. There's nothing like sitting behind the wheel of a car with massive displacement.
Now with that said, I wouldn't do a lot of modifying to a classic thats worth something. I guess if I had to choose a car(s) my first one would be a GN/T-Type Regal. Why? I used to own one and they really hook good out of the box. The only suspension work I did was good shocks, airbags, and Drag Radials. This was more than enough to make things hard for me to see on the street with the hammer down! They also respond we'll with only a mininumal of mods. I swapped turbos, ported the heads, cam, and was running Mid 11's with ease.
The next would probably be your typical Mustangs, F-Bodies, Vets, and my yes, trucks like the Ford Lightning. I started out racing trucks because the insurence was cheaper, insurence companies like to hike rates up on sporty cars with a V8 but at that time no one cared about trucks with a V8. They probably would have turned me down or charged double if they saw what was under the hood lol
there are a lot of cars i would modify. my top 6 picks though would be;
65-70 mustang. lots of good parts available, and lots of potential as well.
you can include 60-65 falcons, 70-74 mavericks in this catagory.
79-93 mustangs, as well as a number of other fox body cars including the fairmont, 83-88 tbird, among others. again lots of potential and lots of parts available.
67-78 camaro/firebird. nice packages, lots of parts, and again lots of potential.
53-56 ford F150 pick ups. the best looking pick ups imo, and can be made to be great vehicles with not much effort.
67-72 chevy pick ups. the second best looking pick ups imo, and again quite easy to build.
mid 60s ford and gm intermediates and full size cars, specifically the 64-65 buick riviera, 60-66 ford full size, 62-64 and 66-67 fairlanes.
I think my list of cars I wouldn't modify in some way would be vastly shorter (a couple vintage cars and a couple exotics really) than the list of the cars I'd modify. I've modified most every car I've had, or wanted to (leasing the MINI Cooper has kept me from modifying it), in some way, be it for more speed or better looks or both.
I've always wanted to do a DeTomaso Pantera. Great car to begin with upgrade the brakes and suspension components....I've even seen some guys put big block Fords in them
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