How to: build a good ride

Res

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Premium Member
**disclaimer; im writing this because i think some newer people need a bit of guidence, i dont have all the answers and im not knowlegable in all areas, but im doing my best to be as informative and understandable as possible**

let us begin :twisted:

so you got your 1st car or maybe your looking for guidence on where to take your ride
firstly; inspiration and a dream car(s) is key to seeing whats out there and what you may want to do, or not to do
so, go to this thread, have a look around at the inspiring pics, something might take your fancy

= viewtopic.php?f=39&t=964

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okay so u have had a look at some rides the community think are great. you have some ideas, now is the roll back
you have to be prepared that one of these builds takes years and years and years and years.... and years for most ppl (if ur rich and skilled its different)
and you have to be prepared that to build one u will be spending about $5k+ for a cheap build with only minor stuff, or well over the $10-20K mark for one of these real nice builds

and now your like sure i can do that, but you havent fully excepted the time frame and cost yet... trust me, it'll hit you next step, and if it doesnt u will be sorely hit later on


so, got ur ideas, you have been told its a long hard process, lots of pain sweat and tears... now we start off small
get a piece of A4 paper, fold it in half so its A5 size, you have 5 small mods to write on that list and you must choose carefully and be aware why your choosing each mod.
- this is an exercise in careful planning and making a condensed list down to the mods you really want, eliminating the crap that may take u off track or make u waste money or that are less important to you
- small mods are things like ~; a shift knob, pod filter, cold air intake, LED dash cluster, gear boot, speakers, steering wheel and bosskit, racing pedals, head unit, paint calipers red etc etc...

okay so you have your list of 5, do these 5 mods first... after you have finished each mod, tick it off on your list, after the list is comlplete, write up another list with another 5 things
- aditional things that can be added to lists are pricings on each item, make sure you over estimate a bit, helps you know when ur ''really" ready to buy/do it
- ticking off each mod on the list as its finished gives a good sense of progression, this is particularly helpful in keeping you motivated and on track in a longer build list, so its a good habit to get into early on



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to progress to next level you need to have done a minimum of; cold air intake, head unit and an interior trimming mod like a shift knob or steering wheel
doing thos pre-requisites means you should have ample skill to be able to progress and learn more in light mods lvl-2

well you have passed to point of absolute noob, you are now noob-ish.... you know a bit, but still have quite far to go, you have basic skills and knowlege to take most basic mods
this area of mods is more basic mods with a bit more refinement and a bit of custom work thrown in.

so you know how to use a socket and screw drivers, here are some good "light lvl 2 mods" that will help you learn
again 5 mods on the list, you still need to remain focused at this point. tick them off as you finish each.
think of things like;~ a body kit/lip kit, short shifter, GSR front brakes, extractors, swaybar, strut braces, lowering springs, wheels, oil catch can, echaust.. etc etc...

so do as many of these as you want before progressing to the next section... honestly no hurry, this is the grounding for your experience and your build the more you learn now the better


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so you think your cars pretty hot now? :lol: sure it might be okay.. still a way to go yet if you want an epic build, if your just after a cheap minor tweaks build and your up to here, now is the time to slow down and stop this is where we go for a big leap! its for people who want more and crave the build, chasing the car they want to the T' this is where we get expencive and into very long term mods. this is "medium mods"

you have learnt your basics... go let your wings free, write a list with 20 items. make sure to include every detail of the process,
if you are on a low income have one for aquiring the item to tick off, then have an item on the list to tick when its on the car and working to your expectations.
you should easily make up a list of 20.

this section is a revision of previous mods making them more efficient and better, aswell as adding extra things along the way.
thinks like-; refine that crappy CAI/pod setup you made when u were a noob - condiser its path and how to make it more efficient, look into filter flow rates/filtration and prices to see which is the best for what you are after, refine it by adding an enclosure of pod cover, add a vent where the pod is located for better air flow, mesh that vent.... basically taking things and finishing them to a better level and a much more polished looking appearance. another example is;~ addign performance shocks to those crappy loweing springs you bought when you were a noob, consider the ride quality and handling of the springs, could you do better; if so are you going to venture into coilovers or just get a better spring+ shock combo like koni shocks and tein springs?... i think you get it now ;)

go do those mods... this time you MUST complete all the mods on the 20 mod list before progressing to the next level.


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okay so u have been around a while now, probably a year or maybe 2-3 years, you have some decent knowlege and a more specialised car to your tastes.
you are entering
"hi level mods" (obviously not that high as there is some really crazy sheet out there but for the purposes of this...)

your serious about modding, you want the edge, so your looking at better performing brands of things, bigger things, cooler looks, and just generally MORE!

you are a big boy/girl now... make your own list, no limits... under 1 condition "make it within your grasp realistically!"

we start on our really long term mods... ~; rear disc conversions, big brake packages/upgrades, coilovers, better offset wheels, lighter parts, vented bonnets, more specialised exhaust, HD clutches, anti lift kits, more/stiffer chassis bracing, throttle body upgrades, perfornace brake pads. etc etc...
again an extra step in making your ride perform how you want to the T' and look exactly the way you dreamed

move onto the next section after finishing as many of these type of mods as u feel neccessary to your ideal drive setup.


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now we are in "hardcore mod" land, this is where we go for perfect engine refinement and cool sheet, custom bits of body work, the ultimate in braking and suspension, looking into downforce, diffusers, underbody trays, turbos.... lost of custom work but worth it to you if your embarking on this section

not much needs to be said... at this point you should already know most of your sheet, or be big enough and ugly enough to be able to find info on it and research it or know someone who has info on it. unlimmited reign over your list, anything goes... (i know my list is in the 60++ item range or more)


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hope this guide is usefull to people new and old, goodluck with your builds everyone
the most important part is being aware these builds take ALOT of time effort and money to be good in the end.
 
Two lessons here....

1. What ever your budget/time line double them both !

2. Law of Deminishing Return applies in all aspects of car modifications.
 
Very true and also how legal these modifications are (need additional engineering reports) and will you be hassled by police because of your neon lights under your car, loud bov, loud sports exhaust, way too big rims, loud car stereo or anything else too crazy
Have fun modifying :)
 
I<3CElancerz said:
a lot of these mods are pure wank factor

Oh please sir, wow us with your knowledge and experience.
Instead of making random comments, how about an intro and a ride thread to impress us all ? :eh:
 
okay probably should have worded that a bit nicer. but what i mean is you'll never make a race car out of our n/a small displacement engines. a lightweight chassis is an advantage but the only way to actually make it perform competetively in a straight line is an engine swap or going forced induction. and then you still are stuck with a FWD drivetrain. things like upgraded throttle bodies, full exhaust systems, from the header back etc will cost big $ for small gains in performance. and things like custom air intakes, again, will provide minimal performance gains. if it makes you happy, do it, have fun with it, but in the long run if you want something thoroughly fast, its cheaper to save up for something like a evo or wrx.

as for things like led lighting, body kits, vented bonnets etc... well lets just say to each their own. also good luck fitting an oil catch can on a n/a engine.

but then theres always the option of making it handle well, where sway bars, strut bracing, upgraded suspension and sticky tyres come into play. a slow car that handles exceptional is still incredibly fun and a lot cheaper to achieve than trying to get tonnes of horsepower out of an engine that was never designed for performance.

but hey thats just my opinion. there are some pretty crazy builds being done with lancers and if youre committed and have the money im not saying it cant be done.
 
is there really a need for a guide on how to build a good car? is this what the p platers of today need now or something?
 
unclepaulie said:
is there really a need for a guide on how to build a good car? is this what the p platers of today need now or something?
Thread is quite old now.
Also. Remember how many lancers we see everyday that make us cringe.. Maybe it is needed..
 
I can understand why Res created the thread to start with.
It would be a good guide for newbies to go off, specially given some of the questions we get.
Res even makes comment to it in the first green bit.

If only newbies knew how to forum, then they might actually read stuff.... :problem:
 
I<3CElancerz said:
okay probably should have worded that a bit nicer. but what i mean is you'll never make a race car out of our n/a small displacement engines. a lightweight chassis is an advantage but the only way to actually make it perform competetively in a straight line is an engine swap or going forced induction. and then you still are stuck with a FWD drivetrain. things like upgraded throttle bodies, full exhaust systems, from the header back etc will cost big $ for small gains in performance. and things like custom air intakes, again, will provide minimal performance gains. if it makes you happy, do it, have fun with it, but in the long run if you want something thoroughly fast, its cheaper to save up for something like a evo or wrx.

as for things like led lighting, body kits, vented bonnets etc... well lets just say to each their own. also good luck fitting an oil catch can on a n/a engine.

but then theres always the option of making it handle well, where sway bars, strut bracing, upgraded suspension and sticky tyres come into play. a slow car that handles exceptional is still incredibly fun and a lot cheaper to achieve than trying to get tonnes of horsepower out of an engine that was never designed for performance.

but hey thats just my opinion. there are some pretty crazy builds being done with lancers and if youre committed and have the money im not saying it cant be done.

That still doesn't make them 'Wank Factor Mods'

You said it yourself:
if it makes you happy, do it, have fun with it

If you think that being FWD means you can't be competitive look at this http://www.worldtimeattack.com/index.ph ... i-eclipse/
There is nothing wrong with FWD.
Also I'd like to know why you think you can't fit a catch can to an N/A engine.
 
I....just....right......um.....i'm not even going to bother.

1119213_o.gif
 
I<3CElancerz said:
what i mean is you'll never make a race car out of our n/a small displacement engines.
No one has mentioned making a race car other than you. This thread is about building a 'good ride.'
i.e fun daily/weekender

I<3CElancerz said:
the only way to actually make it perform competetively in a straight line is an engine swap or going forced induction. and then you still are stuck with a FWD drivetrain. things like upgraded throttle bodies, full exhaust systems, from the header back etc will cost big $ for small gains in performance. and things like custom air intakes, again, will provide minimal performance gains.
Res mentioned forced induction in the OP.
Please tell me why anyone would go turbo and not pay "big $" to do exhaust, bigger tb and other airflow increasing modifications.

I<3CElancerz said:
its cheaper to save up for something like a evo or wrx.
Why are you on Auslancer?
(I'm guessing it's because you bought a Lancer, not an evo or wrx?)

Plenty of people, some of which are on here, have turbo'd their car for as little as $3.5k
 
The best place to find the best car build for your car is in members rides.
But what is the most important question that needs to be answered is what do you want from your car and how will it be used and how often.
If you daily drive your car you are not wanting a 3 puck clutch or a car that idles at 1500rpm
If you are wanting a dedicated race car then go all out but don't expect to drive it on the street
Want to have a street car that is going to be responsive look at sensible mods
But in all applications and purposes for the car you need good suspension and handling to get the most out of your performance mods
 
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