Best First Mods for Your Ride

If you’ve been into customizing things to represent your character and vibe better, you should have some ideas about vehicle customization by now. Driving a standard car, truck, or SUV makes most enthusiasts feel like everybody else on the street. We modify our rides to complement or improve their performance, better suit our tastes, and make them unique. But you may not know where to start, as the tuning industry is vast beyond imagination.

When the itch comes, you first need to decide which direction to take. Do you want more power, better handling, cool looks, or a killer sound system? Wherever you may want to go with your decision, there is one thing you have to do before stepping into the world of car customization. And that is maintenance.

Make It Great Again

Get your vehicle checked thoroughly to ensure everything is in tip-top shape before spending your hard-earned cash on anything. When you add aftermarket parts to some systems or components, if something has started to wear out, you may shorten its lifespan even faster. Fix anything broken and make sure everything is 100% before changing anything on your vehicle.

Tuning “Stages” Explained

Before diving into what you can do to your ride, let’s explain something you may have seen online or heard people talking about. The “tuning stages.” There are two ways to think about these and two different explanations.

You may put a cold-air intake kit and an exhaust system, lower the car (or lift it up if it’s a truck), fit a set of bigger wheels, and call it a “Stage 1.” But that’s just you, as there is no universal and specific explanation for the tuning stages people talk about in forums or meets.

When tuning brands mention that their parts or offerings have “stages,” that is entirely different. It becomes a marketing jargon, and it depends entirely on what the tuning brand decides to call its offerings. Manufacturers sometimes offer bundles that contain several of their parts and offer them as tiers. Stage 1 of a brand’s tuning package will be relatively simple and inexpensive, offering relatively small power gains. Stage 2, 3, or 4 versions of those packages will get more expensive, require more wrenching, and offer much aggressive results.

Deciding the Path to Take

Do you want more power, better acceleration, more dynamic handling, or personalized looks? Your ride is a blank canvas out of the factory, and there is more than one way to customize it. You should start by improving what is lacking in your vehicle’s standard form and go from there.

Further steps (in other words, stages!) may include modifying and improving your vehicle for specific needs or activities you’re planning to do, such as autocrossing, track days, or maybe overlanding. We’ll talk about the basic first steps into vehicle tuning, so anything extreme is not what we’ll discuss here today.

Modifying a vehicle will gradually eliminate its “do-it-all” talent, so consider the effects on reliability and daily driveability when choosing your path. If you live in an area with bad roads or carry your family around, a suspension that is too stiff may not suit your daily routine with your vehicle, for example. This aspect can be overlooked for extreme builds, big projects, or your weekend fun car; as the vehicle will probably be purpose-built for one thing only, like a dedicated track car, a show car, or a weekend canyon carver.

So you’re into personalizing your ride but don’t know where to start? Read on as we’ll cover the paths and your best first options for modifying a vehicle.

Performance Upgrades

If you’re interested in making your ride go faster, these are the best first mods for entering the world of performance tuning. These mods will help your ride gain some extra horsepower and torque while making it more responsive and sound better.

Cold Air Intake Kit

A cold air intake kit (CAI) or a short ram intake kit (SRI) may be THE first mod many enthusiasts do to their vehicles. It is relatively cheap and easy to install if you’re into working on your car yourself, and the air filters used on cold air intake kits are reusable, so maintenance-wise, it may be considered an “investment.”

A standard air intake system sits close to the engine block on many engine compartments, and they are prone to sucking in hot air if they’re not well-isolated. A cold air intake kit will make the engine get colder and denser air, and a short ram kit will remove any restrictions and improve the airflow. This will add a couple of horsepower (or restore some lost ones), make your car more responsive, and be an excellent base for further modifications.

Exhaust Modifications

When engineered and applied correctly, performance exhaust systems increase the gas flow and reduce the backpressure to produce extra power. Any upgrades made to a stock exhaust system will change the exhaust sound, making it louder depending on the aggressiveness of the modification.

Axle-Back Exhaust

Every component of an exhaust system can be upgraded. The easiest and cheapest way to upgrade is with axle-back exhaust kits. As its name implies, this is the part after the vehicle’s rear axle. It comprises an improved, less restrictive rear muffler (back box for our friends on the other side of the pond) and some piping. An axle-back system may add a couple of horsepower, too, but the real effect can be felt if it’s complemented with other minor mods like an intake kit.

Cat-Back Exhaust

Another exhaust upgrade option is a cat-back system. These systems start right after the stock catalytic converter. As they change a larger part of the system, they improve the flow more than the axle-back, thus resulting in more power gains. Stock engine management units read exhaust signals from the catalytic converter, so upgrading to a cat-back system and leaving the stock cat in place does not require any ECU tuning for power gains.

You can completely overhaul and upgrade the exhaust system. However, this requires much more wrenching, and since the system completely changes, you may need to do a complimentary ECU tune to make it work. Complete exhaust systems may be street-legal or not, and this is a significant overhaul. You should only consider it if you go deeper than basic mods. 

Straight Pipe Exhaust

There is another type of exhaust modification, which is the cheapest and easiest one: Straight piping. Straight piping is deleting one or more mufflers and welding pipes in place or getting a complete straight pipe instead of your exhaust system with no mufflers or catalytic converters whatsoever.

This type of exhaust modification is illegal in 50 states if oxygen sensors and catalytic converters are removed, and power gains are quite random. You may even lose some horsepower as these are completely custom jobs with little to no engineering. You’ll get the most aggressive exhaust note, though, especially if you have a big V8 engine! You can keep your car emissions-compliant if you leave the catalytic converters in place.

ECU Tuning

If your vehicle has a naturally aspirated motor, an ECU tuning alone may not be necessary until you do other mods like an intake kit and an exhaust system. But it is the most bang for the buck basic modification if you have a turbocharged vehicle, as it gives remarkable power and torque gains.

ECU tuning is done in several ways. Some stock engine management units can be remapped easily, and some (mainly more modern engine management units) don’t allow tuners to intercept and modify the programming. There are also tuning boxes called piggyback units that connect between the ECU and several engine sensors. They trick the stock ECU into modifying the air and fuel mixture, resulting in extra power output.

Short-Throw Shifter

If you own a vehicle with a manual gearbox, a short shifter is one of the most cost-effective mods you can do to enhance your driving performance and experience. A short shifter is engineered to shorten the distance the gear lever travels between shifts.

A shorter distance makes shifting more fun and engaging and shaves the time between shifts. The only downside is, a gear lever with a short shifter kit will require more effort to change gears. You can further enhance the feel by combining a quality short shifter assembly with a weighted shift knob. 

Handling and Braking Upgrades

You can also modify your vehicle to improve its driving dynamics without adding extra engine power. Enhanced driving dynamics will complement power modifications excellently, though. By improving its handling and braking characteristics, you can turn your vehicle into a more dynamic and capable machine.

You can fit lowering springs and stiffer shock absorbers to improve its handling in tight corners, and/or you can install better brake pads and improve your ride’s stopping power. Let’s look at the first steps in the handling and braking department.

Wheels and Tires

If you love driving, one of the most significant upgrades you can do to your vehicle is a set of good tires. A fresh set of performance tires for your car or a good set of off-road tires for your truck can dramatically change how your vehicle behaves on or off the road. Good tires may not be a visible modification, but they hugely change your driving experience.

Wheels, on the other hand, may be the most bang for your buck if you want to dramatically enhance the look of your ride. While a good set of wheels improves the look, they also work great as a performance enhancer mod, as a good set of lightweight wheels reduces the unsprung weight on your car. For the best looks, you should get wheels that are an inch or two bigger than the stock and wrap them with correctly sized tires for your vehicle. To improve the looks even further, you should get…

Lowering Springs

Lowering springs are another mod that enhances both the looks and handling performance of a vehicle. It is the first and easiest way to get a lower ground clearance and stiffer suspension. A lowered car with a stiffer suspension can carry more speed into the corners. You will enjoy a much more dynamic drive with a lowered car but pay attention to the stiffness rating of the spring kit because an aggressive set of springs will decrease the lifespan of your stock shocks and struts.

Similar to lowering springs, if you own a truck, a lift kit will enhance its off-road capabilities and looks considerably, but this time by increasing its ground clearance further off the road. There are two ways to lift up your truck; one is body lift kits, and the other one is suspension lift kits. Installing a body lift kit requires removing the body from the frame and installing spacers in between. A suspension lift kit is a more in-depth process, and most of the suspension components are upgraded.

Shocks and Struts

Shock absorbers and struts help minimize the bumping effects coming from the road and also determine the vehicle’s handling abilities while retaining a comfort level that is acceptable for a wide range of drivers. 

By replacing the shocks and struts with performance-type ones, you will sacrifice some of the stock comfort levels, but you can achieve a much better road-holding character and greater handling abilities. Some upgraded shock absorbers even offer stiffness adjustments to fine-tune the damping characteristics of your suspension system to suit your driving needs better.

Brake Pads and Brake Rotors

Upgrading your vehicle’s braking system is a crucial step. Most people overlook this aspect of vehicle tuning, but increased horsepower and better acceleration require better stopping power than stock.

Basic performance modifications increase power output modestly, so you won’t need expensive big brake kits or major overhauls to your braking system. Getting a set of “street-able” mild performance pads is a great start to improving braking power. Remember that when brake pads get more aggressive, they produce more brake dust, and hardcore track-oriented pads may require specific temperatures for their optimum performance. 

The second step when upgrading your braking system is getting performance brake discs/rotors. Upgraded rotors offer consistent braking performance, reduced noise and vibration, and improved heat dissipation, especially if they are cross-drilled or have grooves. 

Stainless Steel Brake Lines and Brake Fluid

The perfect finishing touch to an upgraded brake system is stainless steel brake lines. Stock brake lines are plastic hoses that may be unable to tackle extreme heat and pressure under hard driving. Steel brake lines overcome this problem and give your vehicle consistent braking performance and pedal feel.

Pair a set of stainless steel brake lines with a performance brake fluid for better heat resistance. Brake systems generate incredible levels of heat under extreme driving conditions like track days or autocrossing events. Standard brake fluids have a lower boiling point and when the brake fluid starts to approach its boiling point, it loses its function significantly. Performance brake fluids offer a much higher boiling point and eliminate this problem completely. 

In-Car Entertainment Upgrades

More suited for older cars nowadays, upgrading your ride’s in-car electronics enhances the enjoyment you get while you’re driving it. You can add extras to your vehicle for up-to-date features like Bluetooth music streaming, mobile phone integration, and better-sounding speakers.

Better Sound System and Mobile Phone Integration

If you have an older vehicle or your vehicle’s sound system is not up to par, you can upgrade your speakers to have a better sounding system. You can do a Google search and easily learn your car’s original speaker sizes and do your shopping accordingly. You may fit slightly larger speakers with adapters, too. Any sound system shop can help you determine what can fit or not.

If you want even more, you can get an amplifier for your speakers. Match the amplifier’s RMS power output to what your speakers can safely take, and you’re good to go. You can even add a subwoofer for lower bass frequencies that will intensely enhance your listening experience.

If you’re driving an older car, you probably do not have modern creature comforts. Mobile phone integration, Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming, Apple CarPlay or AndroidAuto, or even a reverse camera can easily be added to any car with a quality aftermarket head unit and some wiring.

In Conclusion

All the upgrades we’ve discussed are great first mods, whether you do them all or pick only the ones that suit your taste. Some of them are great weekend projects you can do in your garage, and some require a professional’s touch. However, the most important thing you have to consider is doing the necessary research beforehand and picking the parts from reputable brands.

The Easiest and the Best: Pedal Commander

Whether you go down the route of full-on vehicle customization or leave your ride as is in its stock form, there is one thing that can be installed on any car with an electronic throttle system. The most hassle-free upgrade that offers the most instant enhancement to your driving experience.

That is, of course the Pedal Commander throttle controller! It connects to your vehicle’s accelerator pedal easily with the supplied OEM harness and you can do it yourself merely in minutes. You’re instantly upgraded and ready to go when you turn on the ignition.

Pedal Commander instantly enhances your driving enjoyment by eliminating the electronic throttle system’s initial lag. It also lets you customize the throttle response with its four preset driving modes and nine increments for each mode, totaling 36 individual levels. From its Eco mode to Sport+, Pedal Commander offers an entirely unique driving experience that you can precisely adjust to your needs.

Check here to learn more about the world’s best throttle controller, and click here to order yours today!