http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/2708691018.html

An example of what is out there for sale. Time is your best friend when looking for what you want. Wait for a good deal.

I am like you, very little experience with modding cars myself, so I bought one already modded by someone who knew what they were doing.

 

1st of all, what is your budget? Lets start there and take one step at a time.

And yes 10k for a SC.

 

Again, I am a noob, so I didn't come into this knowing prices, but I don't think I'd spend more than like $500-700 (performance) modding my car. I don't know how many horses $700 can get me, but apparently, not close to 300

 

Lets get more personal. how old are you and do you work? After this the best advice will come.

 

I am 18, and yes I do work. Believe me, my parents would not invest in mods (considering they have no idea what they are).

 

One more question is your parents going to help you get this G? If so/not, how much are you willing to put down?

 

lol....ahhhh this is where reading and learning comes into play. Do you research and learn the car. There is no Money/Horsepower ratio that we can tell you. It seems you have a video game mentality when it comes to modding a car which is definitely not a good sign.

Ill figure here that your young and are ready to jump into modding your car so it'll be fast and flashy. Take your time and develop driving skill and learning how to handle a RWD car which is significantly different from driving most FWD cars.

A lot of us who are veterans of the forum, see these threads all the time and unfortunately most don't end well..... So take your time and enjoy your car.

 

Not to be rude but how does this apply to this? All my mom is doing is taking out the car for me, and helping me with the down payment. Everything else I'm paying, including insurance, gas, and monthly payments.

 

Ok then, you being 18 the insurance is going to be higher for these cars. The new newer you go obviously higher. Gas we don't really need to talk about this since they are not the greatest. The best advice for you is if you want to wait and look for a G, that would be the best. Don't want you to jump into a G with problem then your going to spend your mod money on fixing it up. I did that with an Acura. N/e ways, i say pay off the car 1st, then mod the car. save your money. CAI, exhaust, headers, etc... These cars are very sporty and it does put down some power to the ground that you will be very impress with.

I have to go now. i'll chat later. going to a car meet now. lol

 

$700? Get a 5/16 Iso thermal plenum spacer and some art pipes and call it a day.

 

Check out the garage here and read on what the most popular mods are, then do alittle research on pricing them...That should give you a little feel on what to do first, and what can be just wasting your hard earned cash...but for basic bolt-ons, intake & exhaust, then a tune for it to function at its best potential...good luck.

 

They were rated at 280 at the crankshaft from the factory, but that was by the old standard of ratings. The new SAE standard requires automobile manufacturers to not "cheat" when testing their cars crank HP numbers... which means that they have to do the engine dyno with all of the auxiliary components hooked up to the motor and running during the test... ie alternator, power steering pump, A/C pulley, etc. This takes away a few HP from the ratings when those things are hooked up during the test. I think on the new SAE rating, those '03/'04 motors would probably be rated at like 272-275 HP. Remember though, that's what the motor puts out... not how much power you have when measured at the rear wheels.

You lose power in various parts of the drivetrain as well, so when you bring your car to a dyno place and they put it up on the rollers and measure how much power you're getting at the wheels, it will be a lot lower than the 280 HP number that the manufacturer claims.

If I were you, I'd try to not worry about doing mods purely for their HP gain (you won't really notice that too much), and just do mods that will let you enjoy your car more. A good exhaust, for example, will make the car sound a lot nicer and also give you a little HP bump. You'll enjoy the sound a lot more than the few extra HP.

 

$500-$700 will get you a nice hole in your pocket, thats about it.
The mod in that budget is a plenum spacer (12 peak hp at best) which you wont notice.
Save your money, unless you plan to go F/I, dont waste your money.

 

My advice for youngans: save your money, this car is plenty powerfull for you. Join a local autocross club and spend some time behind the wheel pushing your car to the limit. Learn the breaking point of your wheels and how to control power. Once you know your car and how to control it look into mods to bring you to the next level. You could drop 5000 and supercharge or turbo your car, but if you cant control the power you will indefinitely end up in a ditch. Have fun, stock, these cars can do alot. Upgrade suspension first if anything.

 

Thats a good one there^^^