Modding

[cobrawannabe]

Well, as you all know, the Tour is fixed. I want to go rather big with it, and have a nnice DD. Nothing out of control; but certainly an eye/ear catcher is what I'm shooting for. A certain emo suggested I just buy the HOC, but I can't afford that right now, and would rather build than buy. I'd also like to go in a different direction. My thinking is thatwhen the ATX goes, I find a parts car, and put in the tranny. I know many say to just buy an SVT, but that's just not an option. My engine has no Zetec tick or even bangshift to speak of, so the DT is in good running order as is.
My current plans are
-SVT kit
-Turbo
-MTX swap when the new power kills the tranny
-Eibachs
-SVT brakes if it's not that much more expensive than pads.lines
-Read discs
-No ICE except for HU (stocker is aging, and gets almost no reception)

DO NOT EVEN MENTION THE PURCHASE OF ANYTHING WITH 6 CYLINDERS OR A RUNNING CAR WITH MTX. I AM KEEPING THIS CAR. HECTOR AND DAN DID IT. IT'S POSSIBLE:laugh:

Also, if things are planned correctly, it will end up about the same price as a moderately modded 3L SVT; but it will go pssssh, and be lighter

BTW, I know the car will need an upgraded rotating assembly above ~8psi. Should I just go with pistons/rods? I know the crank is pretty strong

 

[Tex]

I know that you don't want to hear it, but it is much more cost effective to buy modded, than mod yourself. Sure, getting the mods and putting them on is fun, but before you know it, you like me with a car with $19,000 worth of mods that you've put $1500 into in the last 4 months and can't even remember what the hell exactly you did.

Furthermore, you will never get it back out of the car, and eventually, you will move on and want something else.

If I were you, I would just wait and save up your mod money and buy a car that is already modded.

 

[zorrex]

Matt, I don't see rods/pistons on that list. I already told you how I feel. If your car wasn't ATX I'd say otherwise...You're better off selling what you got and get the HOC. Seriously.

 

[cobrawannabe]

I know that you don't want to hear it, but it is much more cost effective to buy modded, than mod yourself. Sure, getting the mods and putting them on is fun, but before you know it, you like me with a car with $19,000 worth of mods that you've put $1500 into in the last 4 months and can't even remember what the hell exactly you did.

Furthermore, you will never get it back out of the car, and eventually, you will move on and want something else.

If I were you, I would just wait and save up your mod money and buy a car that is already modded.

Oh, I know that. Thank you for the advice, but for some reason, I just can't bring myself to buy what truly is someone else's work. To me, it's kinda like plaigarism; you know?

Matt, I don't see rods/pistons on that list. I already told you how I feel. If your car wasn't ATX I'd say otherwise...You're better off selling what you got and get the HOC. Seriously.

Read the whole post, Ian:laugh: I said at aabove ~8psi I def. will need a new-ish bottom end. just need to know what I should to do modify this car

As always, thanks for the input. You guys really are talking sense. But my parents will only let me modify this car. I asked them about the HOC, and they said no. But when asked, for some reason, my dad said he'd help me go turbo:shrug:

 

[BrApple]

well you best line up that parts car now instead of later. I know hector was able to run the atx but that was with a supercharger, musch easier on the transmission. And striker ran the tubro with a mtx ....


and I would never say that a self built turbo car is a reliable dd. I mean I could drive mine every day but seeing how fast it sucks down gas and how fast I want to drive it .... plus forget about traction, I had little to none in the rain yesterday.


I seriously would keep the car you have as a stock dd, it will be much more reliable that way. go find a mtx zetec and build it up if you really want to build a zetec.

not modding my zetec way back was a good choice on my part. 119k miles later (got with 86k) its still running strong and I drive it everyday ....

and I would also wait until after college to start modding a car, when you have a real income. your going to want to save that money so that you can actually go and do things while in college and not working, or getting $7 an hour at a on campus job. I wish I had saved more earlier on ....

 

[biminiLX]

Let's see---you're young, money is tight, its a 4 cyl/ATX, its a DD.
The absolute worst thing you could do is go balls deep into modifying that car.
Save your money, put your extra energy in making money (preferably school) and when the time is right and you've got the cash saved, buy a car that is worth modifying while keeping a reliable DD.
Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others without having to repeat them yourself.
Good luck.
-J

 

[cobrawannabe]

Let's see---you're young, money is tight, its a 4 cyl/ATX, its a DD.
The absolute worst thing you could do is go balls deep into modifying that car.
Save your money, put your extra energy in making money (preferably school) and when the time is right and you've got the cash saved, buy a car that is worth modifying while keeping a reliable DD.
Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others without having to repeat them yourself.
Good luck.
-J

Trust me, guys I have the money. I've been saving for this car for a long time, and could buy susp., brakes, bumpers, and exhaust./intake right now if I wanted to. Plus, I'm spending almost nothing on college since I'm doing the Community College/ State School program and I have enough qualifications to have half my tuition at the school I plan on finishing at paid for. I'm an excellent student, so that really helps out. I just want to know.. How should I go about this? I may not go turbo since that is such a HUGE undertaking; but I want it to be different. IMO, the SVT/SeVT has been done so much that I want to do a Zetec now. I really want to do the tranny conversion eventually, also, as I think it would be a great learning experience for me. Sure, I;ll be going with the SVT kit if I do one at all, but that's where the similarities end. This car will be subtle and different in every way possible.

But what I really want to say is thank you guys soooo much for all the help you've given me. The kind words and advice have been an indispensible help, and i would probably be screwing the car in the rear if it weren't for you guys. So, as I have said before, and I will say again... THANK YOU!

 

[biminiLX]

Well, sounds like you've already made your decision.
Just remember, you're going to have a 13+ y/o car that nobody w/ half a brain would consider a performance machine (ATX/4 cyl) with all that money you supposedly have sunk into it.
I've already given my advice (make your car a dependable DD and keep saving for a car worth modding) and thats all I'm going to say.
I mean look at your username---if you were smart you'd have one in a few years.
-J

 

[cobrawannabe]

Well, sounds like you've already made your decision.
Just remember, you're going to have a 13+ y/o car that nobody w/ half a brain would consider a performance machine (ATX/4 cyl) with all that money you supposedly have sunk into it.
I've already given my advice (make your car a dependable DD and keep saving for a car worth modding) and thats all I'm going to say.
I mean look at your username---if you were smart you'd have one in a few years.
-J

haha, yeah. Good point. Maybe I shouldn;t go big with this car. A nice DD would be good enough for me:shrug:

You make sense, my friend. You really do

 

[ohsigmachi]

If you REALLY want to be different buy a junkyard ATX and send it to level 10 transmissions for a bullet-proof rebuild. The higher efficiency and quicker shifts will probably make it faster than an MTX car and more consistent in the 1/4 mile and pretty much a point a shoot track/autocross car...

 

[hectik1]

Honestly do some suspension, bolt ons and slap a nitrous kit with a small shot. You will be much happier with this. It will behave more like a DD with the power when you want it. This will be more cost effective also.

 

[cobrawannabe]

Honestly do some suspension, bolt ons and slap a nitrous kit with a small shot. You will be much happier with this. It will behave more like a DD with the power when you want it. This will be more cost effective also.

I would, but I have deep-set roots that tell me nitrous is not real power. IDK. How was the SC build on your car? Was it bad?

But what I really want to know is this... Was it DD-able, and would you do it again?

 

[striker2]

you just need to come down here with a truck and cash :crazy::laugh: I have all the parts needed for an MTX swap, from the subframe, the trans (2 actually, one with a stock diff and one with a torsen), shift rod, shifter, etc. ive even got the wiring harness, PCM, and xcal2 (still locked to that PCM :blackeye

as for daily driving it, i did not have a problem using it daily up to the point that i took it to the Dragon. i think i pushed it too hard for too long, over heated it and fried the rings.

as for what BrApple said about traction issues, I never had traction issues, even in the rain. the Zetec just doesnt have traction problems, even when launched hard. also, i was still able to get 25/28 MPG city/hwy, and running it hard.

 

[biminiLX]

haha, yeah. Good point. Maybe I shouldn;t go big with this car. A nice DD would be good enough for me:shrug:

You make sense, my friend. You really do

I was hoping you wouldn't take too much offense, I wasn't trying to be a prick.
Just keep up doing well in school and work hard and good things will come.
-J

 

[cobrawannabe]

I was hoping you wouldn't take too much offense, I wasn't trying to be a prick.
Just keep up doing well in school and work hard and good things will come.
-J

Nah, I know. Almost noone on here is, and you consistently give good advice.

Dan,

If I had the resources, I would:drool::drool::drool:

 

[hectik1]

I would, but I have deep-set roots that tell me nitrous is not real power. IDK. How was the SC build on your car? Was it bad?

But what I really want to know is this... Was it DD-able, and would you do it again?

SC was not bad. It actually drove like stock, just with more power. Just the fact it isn't very cost effective. Maybe it is a little better now, but I spent close to $3k and that was with a used SC. That was just for what was needed for the SC, doesn't include what I had on the car already.

I don't regret what I did, but I definitely would go about it differently if I did it again.

 

[cobrawannabe]

SC was not bad. It actually drove like stock, just with more power. Just the fact it isn't very cost effective. Maybe it is a little better now, but I spent close to $3k and that was with a used SC. That was just for what was needed for the SC, doesn't include what I had on the car already.

I don't regret what I did, but I definitely would go about it differently if I did it again.

what would you change?

 

[blazerboy525]

just figured i'd point out, matt, that the only way you'll have traction issues is if you put a real motor under the hood

 

[cobrawannabe]

just figured i'd point out, matt, that the only way you'll have traction issues is if you put a real motor under the hood

OK, there rod pusher

:laugh:

 

[blazerboy525]

notice the signature?