TUNING & MODDING PAGES

Welcome to the Tech Page about Tuning and Modding your cars.  We will do our best to make sure the information here is accurate but feel free to email us with any corrections/updates that need to be made.

Engine Tuning is the modification or design of internal-combustion engines to yield more performance.  This is best achieved by applying the following 'principles' with regard to working with the engine.

1. Increase the induction rate or the amount of air flowing into the intake manifold.  This helps to increase combustion.

2. Increase the amount of fuel being pumped into the combustion chamber to increase/improve combustion and produce more power with each stroke.

3. Improve the power of the spark that ignites the fuel ensuring that the maximum amount is burned which increases the efficiency of each stroke.

4. Improve the flow of the exhaust gases exiting the combustion chamber through the exhaust system to reduce back pressure and improve performance.

Modding is when your mod-ify the physical properties of the vehicle to improve the aesthetics or increase performance.  Some of these include:

1. Reducing the vehicle weight by removing unneeded or unnecessary parts from the car to improve acceleration and handling by changing the power/weight ratio.

2. Reducing drag by making changes to the car body which improve airflow over the car, reducing resistance which slows the vehicle.

3. Improving traction and handling by changing/adding down force to the front or rear of the car.  The same apparatus can also improve cornering traction in front wheel drive cars by adding weight over the rear axle.

4. Improving the visual appeal by adding sweeping lines to a "squarish" car, widening the body or lowering the vehicle height to the ground.

We will provide the basics on how to accomplish these goals based on our own personal experience, training and lots of research on the web, at local speed shops and at the track.  The task is not too hard, the main problem is the availability of the after market parts needed to make any decent headway with such a project.  What you will encounter if you drive a vehicle outside the "main stream" is that the parts aren't there and no one will make them.  Of course "main stream" is most of the following models: (not inclusive)

Honda: Civic, CRX, Accord, Prelude

Acura: Integra, RSX, CL, TL

Toyota: Supra, Celica, Corolla, Solara

Ford: Focus, Contour

Dodge: Neon, SRT4

(DSM) Mitsubishi: Eclipse, Plymouth: Laser, Eagle: Talon

There are many more but for the most part, shops are going to carry the majority of their inventory for these vehicles.  So you have to get creative when looking for parts.  Take Webmaster K's '00 626 for example, there are intakes for the MTX version but not the ATX.  So it was necessary to get creative using intake tubing from several different cars and piece them together to make what was needed.  Next Page >>

ENGINE TUNING
(Coming Soon)

CAR MODDING
(Coming Soon)

ARTICLES

Buying a Project Car

Performance Trims

Aftermarket Part Performance Gains