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First things would be to learn more about the car as it is, then, very important, figure out what you want to change, if anything - old 60's and 70's Detroit cars have a lot of features that you can go to work on immediately and get some performance benefit, most came with very restritive exhaust systems, most if not all benefit by moving the battery to the trunk for weight distribution improvements, etc. There is not that much "wrong" with a stock 99 Passat. Agree with Goat that you ought to look at Vortex, mostly reading and searching, this is an 11-year old car with a lot of enthusiast interest so you are very unlikely to plow any new ground with it. What works and what's what are pretty well established.
Most people want to start under the hood but more benefit can come from better tires when you need tires, likewise better brake pads when you need them, maybe uprate shocks.
Beware of trying to boost output on a worn motor. Many kids go there, few are glad they did in the end.
You can use modding a car to give yourself some good project management self-study, figure out what you want to accomplish, put a schedule and budget to it, what will you DIY, what will you farm out? These are good skills that will help you when you want to get a real job.
If you are still in school realize you don't have the money to do big mods. Using the normal end of service life for things like tires, brake pads, mufflers etc. as an opportunity to upgrade will give you the best "bang for the buck". If you get involved in local autocross, it's a very good "learn to drive better" venue that does not necessarily cost much to get involved in, low risk to you and to your car. The loose nut behind the wheel needs the most work on 99.9% of the car-driver combinations on American streets. Many reasons for that and beyond the scope anyway.
Keep in mind that your young friends as a group probably don't know squat, and some will goad you to try stuff on your own nickel that they want to find out if it works. If you can find some older and more experienced guys who do VW cars, maybe even get a job part-time at a good performance oriented shop...then you can actually learn some stuff without making all the mistakes yourself and having to pay for them.
I'd recommend the book "Shop Class as Soulcraft" to you, along with the perennial classic "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".
Free flowing exhaust isn't always a good thing on NA cars (most times it isn't), the engine uses the back pressure in the exhaust to maintain good combustion etc, and in highly tuned NA cars you can "tune" the exhaust to deliver the exhaust pulse at the right rpm, for kind of a natural "boost" in that RPM range.
So no OP, don't get free flowing exhaust, it might very well steal power with an engine that small and NA.
Come again?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheViking85
In a normally aspirated engine you actually want some back pressure in the exhaust, especially in engines smaller than 2.0L.
Having too free of an exhaust on a smaller NA engine can infact steal power instead of the contrary.
Engines that require back pressure to run better = the biggest old wives tale to be told. If that were the case, then explain why serious drag racers almost always run open headers?
Truth is, an engine is an air pump....more air in/out, the better the gains.
At best, a lesser inhale/exhale simulates torque. That's why on torque engines they have smaller intake runners and usually smaller valves. I do agree though, you only need as big of an intake/exhaust as the engine needs as to how well it breathes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
i have another question.. i was thinking about getting a cherry bomb exhaust. but since i dont want it to sound ricerish in my car would it sound good if i put it right before my muffler that way it doesnt sound like a ricer and it sounds good? . just throwin some ideas out there
A cherry bomb will make a 4 cylinder indeed sound like a fart mobile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
thanks for the advice. but my father found out what i want to do .. and he said if i start doing that. then i would have to start paying rent considering im "wasting" money on my car. so this sunday im going to spray paint my rims black with my friend.. his looks really good and thats the only thing i can do to my car. . this f-u-c-k-i-n sucks .. and is a huge letdown
How old are you? I suggest you wait a few years until you're out of the house. I was there once, I had a HUGE stereo system in my car and if dad ever heard it, he'd have busted out my windows for me before the subs did. Yeah I concur it sucks to not be able to do what you want when you're young but that's life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
i was actually thinking about getting a spoiler .. but they cost wayy too much and so do the lights i want to get. any suggestions for that? that dont cost over 100 bucks .. ?.
I am presuming you mean one of those aluminum Pep Boys spoliers? Why? They're strictly for looks. They serve no other purpose...well maybe for something for your ricer buddies to push your car with when it breaks down. But as cheap as they and your trunk lid are, one of them is sure to give out if not the other, or both. Seriously skip this step unless you want to look like a fool.
I'd also not go with the chrome sticky things....really there's a difference in making a car look nice and just making it look like trash. That's like those stupid spinner hubcaps you see on Escalades and such.
For starters (and this is a matter of personal opinion), I have NEVER seen a car with any of this crap on it (aftermarket) and said 'Yeah, that looks good.' It looks like crap IMO. I call 'em Pep Boys Specials' because it looks like the owner just went down the aisle of Pep Boys with a cart throwing anything in that cost less than $5. This brings us back to the dilemma of modding a car on a budget.....
Look, I get it. You want to have your car stand out and you want to play with it. We're car guys. That's what we do. But to put on all that crap is like the fat/ugly girl who decides to go emo. Yeah, it's different and now I notice you, but that's not necessarily a good thing.
That's not to say I don't like tastefully-done bodykits where maybe a nice spoiler and/or some aftermarket lights finish off the look (though let's face it, that era of car modding is pretty much on its last breath). But when you make comments like 'anything under $100', I just groan because I know this is not what you're going to get.
Again, first and foremost, I recommend you think really hard about what you want the car to do. Is it a comfortable commuter, a racer, a show car, or some combination thereof? Once you have that, start planning out what you want/need to get you there. Hit up forums dedicated to your type of vehicle (every vehicle has one at this point) and just read and learn. You'll find out what parts are good, what mods are worthwhile, and just how much the rest of the world will laugh at you if you run around with chrome stickers and cheap wings.
Mike makes some good points....anything car related that is a good upgrade will not be cheap. You can however save $$ by buying used on places like Craigslist....but before you do as Mike said, hit up a VW board and ask around. Then read and read and learn, then you can decide what you need and how much it will cost you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
jw NHDave. whats the definition of how a ricer looks?
and if anyone else wants to join in and tell me the definition of a ricer .. that would be great
If you want/need to know what a ricer is, just watch all the Fast And The Furious movies....how they have the imports dolled up as....looks like crap to anyone but maybe some kid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
hey guys .. i was at a car show recently and alot of people have blow off valves .. do you know if you can have a blowoff valve without a turbo?
I suppose you could but why? And where would you put it at? On the air intake? I guess if you want to find a way to waste a few hundred dollars. Maybe you could also throw in one of those fake turbos you buy on eBay that makes your exhaust have the turbo whistle to it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
nvm .. i got an answer lol . but i have another question .. i was considering putting a performance chip in my car. now i heard i would also have to buy an intake and a custom exahust. if i bought a performance blow off valve . could that replace the need for a custom exahust?
No. A Blow off valve (BOV) is only needed on a forced induction application. It serves as no other purpose on anything not forced induced, other than a way to brag about how cool you might be to your ricer buddies about a part you have on the car that serves no purpose. You might as well just slap a ton of stickers on the car (like most ricers do) and talk of how much hp each sticker gets you. At least they would be cheaper.
A good free flowing intake and a free flowing exhaust are more of an upgrade than a BOV on a naturally aspirated engine. A chip can be a little bit of an improvement, depending on what type you get.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vassba
look .. im just comming up with ideas. i dont know if any of them would work. all i knew was that blow off valves take the un needed pressure out of the turbo so that the blades wouldnt clash together.
Since when do the turbo blades "clash together" if no BOV is used? LOL if they "clash together" that means the turbine blades have disintegrated.
Also take a look at what M3 Mitch last posted. Good stuff right there. You can always upgrade things like suspension and brakes instead of focusing on power mods.
If you have a 99 Passat that you are interested in learning about and modding, may I suggest heading over to vwvortex.com and joining that forum. It is the largest VW site I know of and has a TON of knowledge. Word to the wise though, read, read, read and search, search, search before you post as some of the folks over there aren't too noob friendly.
Since when do the turbo blades "clash together" if no BOV is used? LOL if they "clash together" that means the turbine blades have disintegrated.
yes .. i have heard that that is the purpose of a blow off valve. to keep the turbo blades from smashing together. these are from guys who know what they are doing as well. maybe i have went to the wrong people.
i was considering upgrading the suspention. but my car already has gotten stuck in snow piles before. and since im only 20, i do not have a different car to drive in the winter.
i am considering getting a better tow thing. i forgot what it is called. but it helps lower the center of gravity on your car for better handling response.
also i have looked at items on vwvortex. and alot of the aftermarket parts are much too expensive for me. then again my paycheck can vary from 300 a week to 80 a week since im still in school. anyhow. thank you for all the help.
but just one more question before i leave.
my grill came off. i dont like it, and its broken. i got a mesh. would anyone happen to have an idea of how to put the mesh in and bend and cut it to the shape of my grill?
The purpose of a "BOV" (blow off valve) is to evacuate the pressurized air in the intake (intake going to the engine) when the throttle plate closes under boost, like when you shift or let off the gas. The air is generally vented back into the turbo inlet. This part is also sometimes called a diverter valve generally on Euro cars. The term BOV and Diverter Valve are interchangeable. The debate usually centers around whether it vents to the atmosphere or into the turbo inlet. Some people think a BOV routes to atmosphere and a diverter valve routes to the turbo inlet, but that isn't true and is car dependent. If this part was not present, the pressurized air in the intake would push back against the turbo impeller and cause interference and possibly damage.
Adjusting "toe" is not something you should get into unless you have a modified suspension. There are three factors that govern how your tires contact the road. They are toe, caster and camber. Setting these correctly gives you an ideal contact patch for the tire based on your application. If the car is running a stock suspension, these can be moved to an ideal position, but it is generally recommended not to touch it. If you go with an aggressive and lowered suspension, you will NEED to adjust these to maintain optimal tire contact.
Generally the "ricer" boys like to introduce negative CAMBER in order to get improved grip in the corners and lower the car somewhat. The problem with this is that running aggressive negative camber will generally just lead to excessive wear on the outer edges of the tires and poor stability when driving straight. Messing with toe can lead to the vehicle's steering becoming unstable. The popularity of that is do to the drifting folks who want some instability in their steering.
As for the grill...if you can't figure that one out, I wouldn't mess with anything else.
Engines that require back pressure to run better = the biggest old wives tale to be told. If that were the case, then explain why serious drag racers almost always run open headers?
Truth is, an engine is an air pump....more air in/out, the better the gains.
At best, a lesser inhale/exhale simulates torque. That's why on torque engines they have smaller intake runners and usually smaller valves. I do agree though, you only need as big of an intake/exhaust as the engine needs as to how well it breathes.
You're both right.
It's not about back pressure, but it's not about being as free flow as possible either. You need the proper size exhaust system for the engine and the real key is collector design to improve scavenging. The drag racers run open headers, but those headers merge into a collector that provides the scavenging effect. Essentially everything after the collector is just pipe to route the exhaust where you want it to go, or on a street car a place for the cats and mufflers.
The goal is to create a vacuum effect that pulls the exhaust away from the engine as efficiently as possible. Go too big and you lose the vacuum effect. Go too small and you introduce back pressure that chokes the engine. The goal is to find a balance specific to your application.
As for the grill...if you can't figure that one out, I wouldn't mess with anything else.
lol i was just asking for help. i can figure it out. and honestly i dont know much about how to work on a car. as you can see. so i have people who would be willing to help me out if i ever did work to the engine. anyways .. i have stopped thinking about working on the engine, granted i do want to learn. i am going to see if i can get some side skirts and front and rear replacement bumpers to make it look a little less like plastic. i know i dont have the money .. so i am saving up for these things . they will probably go on next summer as .. i dont have money atm.
and thanks for heading me in the right direction. that way i dont look like a fool
best bet is a a stiffer anti-sway bar and a a front stut tower brace a stiffer set of springs and it will put the power to the ground better and it will handle better and be more fun to drive.
strut tower brace
eiback perfomance springs
eibach anti sway bar
oh .. btw this is what i was talking about when i said "tow". would it be worth the money to do this?
oh .. btw this is what i was talking about when i said "tow". would it be worth the money to do this?
Generally you can break a car down into three parts when you are talking about performance; power, braking and handling. All three need to be in concert for a car to truly perform well.
The FIRST thing I always recommend to people is to improve the cars braking performance. Brakes save your bacon and having good ones is real important. Since they are a wear item it is easy enough to upgrade when they need to be replaced. There are multiple options out there, but generally going with good aftermarket rotors, better pads, stainless brake lines and better brake fluid is all most people will need.
The second thing is to look at the suspension. The suspension is what allows your car to use the power it has. Improving the suspension not only allows the car to handle better, but it improves acceleration and braking as well. There are probably more suspension options out there for commonly modified cars than you could even count, but the key here is to get a matched package that isn't too overly aggressive for daily use. That's where setups like the Eibachs come in. They develop a system with matched components designed to work together for your car and won't generally require any kind of major alignment tuning to make work. Are they the best, no, but they are affordable and much better than stock. Usually a suspension kit will include new springs, shocks and anti roll bars. Those parts alone are usually enough to make a noticeable difference.
After all that you can talk about adding power to go faster. The key is to make sure the rest of the car can handle it. Most people start with power and neglect everything else. The problem is that factory components are generally not designed to handle the stresses that a lot of additional power can put on a car. Brakes designed to stop a car at normal highway speeds, quickly fail when trying to stop a car going 100+. When it comes to an engine, think of it like a giant air pump. The goal is to get as much air in and out as possible. Here, your options and potential are entirely tied to your car. In general most cars can get a decent gain from a better intake and a complete (headers to tailpipe) exhaust system followed up with a tune to make sure the car is using it's new found lungs the right way.
The final thing I would mention is tires. Tires are the only part of your car that touches the road. Tires affect all of the above areas. They let you put the power you make to the ground, they let you handle higher cornering speeds and they improve the performance of your brakes. Good tires designed for what you are using the car for are the key to making it all work. A Ferrari on bald tires will perform worse than a Smart car with good tires. The issue here is that you are always compromising on tires when you have a daily driver. You can't get too aggressive as they will wear fast and not perform well in bad weather. Conversely tires that don't wear fast and are good in bad weather won't perform as well.
So, if I had to rank them I would go:
1. Tires - never skimp on tires.
2. Brakes - never go cheap on your brakes.
3. Suspension - best bang for the buck in terms of improving the car overall.
4. Power - no point in going faster if the car can't handle it.
5. Looks - what's the point of looking good, if the car can't perform.
So, put your money in the smart places for now, better tires and better brakes. After that save up for a suspension package. Then look at performance mods. Then focus on the looks. If you like the "tuner" look more power to you and I won't bust your chops as long as it performs as good as it looks.
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But as cheap as they and your trunk lid are, one of them is sure to give out if not the other, or both. Seriously skip this step unless you want to look like a fool. 
LOL if they "clash together" that means the turbine blades have disintegrated. 
