Coffee Brake: What Is The Best Mod You’ve Ever Done To A Car?
As gearheads we constantly think about modifying cars, imagining what engine goes in the back of an engine-less 911 or dream up ways to ruin out wife’s car(s)…but sometimes we get a mod right. My own favorite modification was a simple sway bar installed in the rear of a Volkswagen Passat many years ago. It absolutely transformed the front drive sedan from an under steering pig to a capable cone carver. What is your most successful mod?
I had a chance to drive the ex-DTPC Volvo 242, which has been transformed by its new owner from a floating mess of worn out stock suspension to unimaginably stiff coil over setup. It transitions like a maniac and only needs a proper amount of engine power and some grippy tires to take advantage of the newfound chassis.
Maybe you haven’t machined solid bushings out of delrin for a 30 year old Volvo, but everyone has at least added an ipod connector to a stereo. What was your best work? Comments below.
I started putting fuel conditioner in my 240D. It changed my life.
good sticky tires
Converted my 4 port automatic 2005 RX8 to a JDM-sourced 4 port 5-speed manual.
I also added a neuspeed sway bar to a fwd Audi and it was a game changer.
DVD player to the back of the mini-van. NVH reduced by 100%.
Electric-Life electric windows into my '67 Mustang Fastback, used dash badge to cover the window crank holes. Worked incredibly well and looked like it was designed that way
Perry here. Put a Buick 3.8 litre V6 into a '74 MGB.
+ Cutting the roof off a '63 LeSabre sedan made the car much more fun.
Turning a beat-up rusty E36 325i into the late-brake diving, corner-devouring Brougham d'Bavaria!
To be fair, there was more than one "mod" required for that transformation. If I had to pick one change that made the biggest difference, it would have to be the 17×9" wheels wearing 275s.
I cut the roof off my 1975 Honda Civic to make it an open air ride. Then I welded the doors shut to give it some structural integrity. We welded a loop where the door pillers were and attached the seatbelt rings so we would have a (sort of) safe ride.
The car was white and I worked at a Bike shop at the time. I used to cover the rust spots with stickers and after a while the stickers started appearing on their own from random tags. It looked …. unique
A phone > bluetooth > EQ > amp rig for invisible stereo is a game changer. Never again, dash holes!
I've done all the go-fast bits and such, good fun that — but not caring if you locked your doors anymore is a perspective changer.
Anon, can you describe the parts you used to set this up? I'm looking at doing a similar invisible stereo install on an older BMW that has speakers installed already but no head unit. Thanks.
glad to brother, though I wonder if you'll see this now — it's quite simple, you'll need an amp, RCA to 1/8 plug from amp goes to a "bluetooth receiver" (I used the HOMESPOT unit), and power to the bluetooth unit – a USB to 12V in my case. An equalizer may sit inbetween those two units but is not required.
Got it, thanks for the reply. Much appreciated – hopefully other DT regulars can use this to build their own cheap invisible stereo.
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I found this new Logitech bluetooth receiver that seems to be much improved over the older models, but no word on whether it will work with +12VDC power.
logitech.com/en-us/product/bluetooth-audio-adapter
Losing 10 lbs off my fat ass instead of spending $3,000 on some carbon fiber piece of crap to save 2 lbs. That and sway bars and a Eibach pro and camber kit.
Edd China here with a Wheeler Dealer top tip. When our Morgan was revealed to have a rotten chassis, I was chuffed when Mike bought me a new chassis to swap in. 350 hours of free labor and 2 drop-ins from Mike to say "That's all you've done mate?", I had it replaced, and it looked and drove a treat.
Comment of the week! Glad you could join us here at DT, Mr. China.
I rented a full size Chrysler sedan last summer that was so boring to drive I turned around on the first block back to the rental office and demanded a car "more comfortable" for me. They gave me a convertible V6 (yes the 306 HP one) Mustang for the same price, which was a BLAST to drive in comparison. It was the best 10 minute upgrade of my life.
Not really a mod, more like a restoration, but re-wrapping my 30 year old crusty and cracked steering wheel with new leather is the best thing I have ever done.
It was a PITA, but the feel is amazing.
~ Can't claim any epic mods, but I sure do want to know about the ex-DTPC Volvo 242!
How about the rest of the story ??????
We are working on an update post with new owner Alex. I can vouch for Vince's comments above – the custom suspension transformed the car. The 242 in the picture above is not the former DTPC however, it's my own '81 DL which has decidedly wallowy stock suspension as you can see.
I put an early Corvette 327, 4-speed drivetrain into a 1962 Mercedes 190SL back in the mid-70's.
What a fun car!
Now that I put the kids through college and married them off I thought I would buy another 190SL and do it all over again. Whoa are they expensive now!
So I bought an 1800ES instead to RestoMod. But work, retirement planning, (want fries with that!) and 5 cars keeps getting in the way. I may need to sell it.
Custom wiring harness of unicorn hair macrame-ed by an angry gnome in Denver, plus the last handful of old stock super-bulbs made from narwhal gallstones and only sold by this one guy in Atlanta, but now my headlights can melt paint off the bumper ahead of me. Night and day! Aimed perfectly, mind you, and *not* blue.
Engine harness and ecu from a '92 Galant VR4 to do the thinking in my turboed '92 Miata. Drives like stock until you mash the go pedal.
Best Mod? Wedged a second E-brake handle into my BMW 2002. Attached 1 cable to each handle. Custom J- turns made Left and Right while you wait.
Worst mod? Put a Weber on the same car in place of the stock Solex. Thing would only run at WOT after that, which being 23 at the time, didn't change much for me.
Win-onymous
Inflated tires to Obama specs.
When he said that, I dropped mine to 8psi. The wear is horrible, I can barely hear Rush over the tread noise and engine strain, and the fuel costs are making my pizza delivery job impractical, but I'm sure stickin' it to the Muslim!
Vince, thanks for posing my question!!
My overall answer is a great tires for whatever I am driving.
When I was 15, I thought headers, turbo muffers and mud tires on my '76 Blazer was the best mod ever!!
College years put a Kamei air dam and ansa exhaust on 280zx, I thought I was a real sports car enthusiast, hahaha
These days doing subtle updates to e46 330i are the most rewarding, good tires, nice shifter, aux/ipod adapter, making a cheap used car a rewarding daily driver! I usually look, read and talk about major mods but like many only do a few!
putting stainless steel brake lines on a Porsche 914. Could not believe the difference~ rock solid pedal, not mushy… best mod.
ECONO-RECARO: In college (-$) I swapped out my Z-car (red on blk) buckets for a $75/pair of red nylon-knit-like seats from a totaled Renault Fuego; thigh extended, side bolstered, bolt-in plus a little 10-lb. sledge to the right-hand tunnel, & done.
Warm, cool, supportive, and infinitely adjustable.
Bilstein he's and ipd springs with front and rear sways on my 95 854 had to be near the top. Then some slotted rotors and ebc pads really changed that smokey old bucket. The streets around the small town I lived in where not kind to a stiff low volvo. The curb at the end of my driveway combined with my retarded entry speed demanded the engine sit three inches lower and on the sub frame. I decided that was the last straw and removed the suspension brakes and turbo setup and scrapped the thing.
Bilsteins hd's. Damn auto correct.
My favorite mods are repairs. Replace bad part with a slightly better than stock part. For mod, mods my favorite is a light weight flywheel. Totally changes the character of a car.
Locker diff on my 740 turbo. That was the day it finally became a sports car.
M60 and 6spd into my touring!
forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2014366-Montalbon-s-M60B30-gt-B40-6spd-Touring-Swap
Thanks for the link, and nice work! It was a nice 30 minute diversion from my day.
A fatter rear sway bar transformed my Accord's handling.
Gonna join the chorus and say the fatter rear sway made my Miata rotate right.