Feeling The Need For Speed? You Need To Mod Your Machine

Let’s be honest; cars aren’t vehicles for transportation. Most of them aren’t even particularly practical. Financial experts agree that it’s never a good idea to buy one new. Even if you have the money, you’re just throwing it down the drain because of depreciation. Buy a gorgeous, expensive, modern supercar that’s worth a hundred grand. Five years down the line it will be worth closer to fifty, guaranteed. So, let’s be honest with what a car is. It’s a toy; that’s all. Nothing more than the adult equivalent of hot wheels or a skateboard. Except now, you get to drive it, and you get to experience the true power of the real machine.

Be truthful about something else as well. We don’t always follow the laws of the road. Imagine, you’re driving along a deserted highway early in the morning. There are no cars around at all. Are you going to stay at the speed limit, or will your foot slip, just a little? The speed will edge up and before you know it you’ve reached a hundred. You realise your mistake and bring it back down again, easing your foot off the gas. For a moment, though, you have broken the law. You’ve found out what your car is really capable of, and it felt incredible.

So if cars are big, expensive toys with no real practical value, let’s start to treat them like this. Let’s mod them so they are the perfect speed machines. Don’t worry if you don’t have an expensive sports car. Some of these tips will be suitable no matter what set of four wheels you drive.

Low-Ride, Take It Easy

Lower cars look cooler; it’s true. There’s something about a lowered car that makes it look more streamlined. It can make even the most beat up old banger look like the lesser brother of a supercar. If you are lowering the car suspension, don’t try it yourself, even if you have some mechanic experience.

Take the vehicle in for a professional treatment. Otherwise, the next time you go over a speed bump, you might take the bottom off the car. Incorrectly lowering the suspension could severely damage the vehicle. Most cars are not built for this type of modification. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You just need to be careful and always seek expert advice.

The good news is that with a lowered suspension your car will be a little faster. However, the main impact is going to be on your perception. When you lower the suspension, you put the seat closer to the road. That makes the car seem like it’s travelling at lightning speed. Even when you’re just pushing fifty.

The Good Type Of Autotuning

Autotuning in music is always bad. It makes everything sound the same. Tuning a car makes it unique. Tuning is another complex process that you want to leave to the professionals. We can’t tell you how to achieve it. We can one tell you what happens when you do. Essentially, if you tune a car, you’re tampering with the CPU or the control process unit. This fun piece of gear is the brain of your car. It translates your action in the vehicle into something happening. The CPU also dictates what the maximum speed of a vehicle is. Don’t be fooled into thinking the max speed is what the car can achieve. Some cars have locks to stop drivers flying off the road because they lost control. With a little tuning, you can break through these locks and reach the car’s full potential.

Mechanics often debate the actual power of engine tuning. Just how much will it increase the performance of the average vehicle. To that we say, get the tuning and then you be the judge. This is a choice for those with a little extra cash in the bank. It doesn’t come cheap and is often only completed on BMWs and Mercedes. Let’s look at something a little more within the average price range.

Slip And Slide

Do you want more or less grip on your car? Immediately, you’re going to answer more, right? Well, it depends on what type of grip you want and where you are driving. If you’re on a racetrack, you don’t want too much grip because that’s going to stop you drifting. Anyone who has ever watched professional racing no drifting can be useful for taking corners fast without spinning out.

To alter how fast you can corner in your car, you need to think about tyres. Tyres give more or less grip depending on the type you get. A mobile tyre fitting service can give you sports tyres. They are a little thinner with lighter treads. This gives you a little less grip on the corners but still enough to keep control. That’s something you want, particularly if you’re thinking about taking your car on a track day. Be warned, though, if you drift it will burn out your tyres in five minutes flat. That’s why tyres are often changed ten times each race in NASCAR. It’s not just for safety. It’s because if they didn’t the heat of the track would burn them up completely. That’s the beauty of friction.

Looks Are Everything

Don’t change the bodywork of your car to make it look more stylish. It’s not worth it, and it’s not going to work. Concentrate on changes that could alter the way the car drives and handles. By doing this, you will see increases in speed. What types of changes are we talking about?

Well, a good spoiler is always worth looking into if you think your car can handle it. A spoiler is used to change the slipstream of the air passing over your car. You want it to be as smooth as possible to get the top speed. Remember, if you only ever travel at sixty, this won’t have any effect. Spoilers are only useful at top speeds. Any other time and they are the car equivalent of a clutch bag. They might look pretty, but they have virtually no practicality.

If any of these ideas interest you, contact your local mechanic. I’m sure they’ll be able to arrange some of these possibilities. Or at the very least, point you in the right direction.